Dealing with Weight Gain Part Four: Stretch Marks

So, we're up to the fourth installment in my 'Dealing with Weight Gain' series, which seems a little mad. First I wrote generally about dealing with weight gain, then about blogger confidence, and thirdly about being on a budget. Now we're coming to a more physical aspect of it: stretch marks. 
Stretch marks are one of the weirdest things that we all consider 'unattractive' in my opinion. They occur because our skin stretches too fast for it to handle and we get tiny little tears, which form scar-like tissue. The oddest thing about this whole shame vitriol surrounding stretch marks is that even mothers are shamed for getting them because they grew another human inside of them. Like are people for real?
I am 100% of the opinion that we need to talk more about stretch marks, and encourage positivity around them. Yes, I have some new ones because I put weight on a bit too quickly, but so what? They're a part of me and ignoring it won't change that. So today I'm going to wind us all back down memory lane to discuss 13/14 year old pubescent Steph. 
Puberty was a real bitch, am I right? When you get to that age where your hips and thighs start to widen, the dreaded 'gift from nature' (who actually calls it that?!) arrives and you start to turn into a little bit of a grumpy demon. Puberty for me meant round 1 of stretch marks on my thighs. For years I stressed about them, and obsessively rubbed bio oil religiously into them, hoping every morning that they would disappear. But alas, there is no miracle product that will instantly get rid of your stretch marks. Just like scars, they're here to stay. 
I promised myself that I would never, ever let myself gain so much weight in such a little time so as to get stretch marks again. But here we are. Round 2 has hit me at the ripe old age of 22, and I'm not going to lie, when I first noticed them I was absolutely horrified. You know that sinking feeling you get in your stomach when your anxiety is so bad that your heart rate racks up some speed and you break out into a sweat? That was me looking in the mirror for about two weeks, filled with anger and self hate. 
So many nasty, nasty thoughts were running through my head about never being able to wear a swim suit again, and my boyfriend being disgusted by the sight of me. None of that has obviously happened, but it did result in a few bouts of tears before I realised that. However, a few months down the line, I've come to accept them, and I don't feel anywhere near as despair-filled as I once was. I have been using LUSH's Cup O Coffee to help reduce their appearance, which I've talked all about here. This has been helping to stimulate the skin around my stretch marks, reduce them a little and is also a nice little way to pamper myself!
I guess what I'm trying to say in this long ol' rambly post is that stretch marks are not the end of the world, or the end of your attractive life. If you go to the beach or the pool no one is going to point you out or stare or laugh at you for having them. No one is going to refuse to be near you when you're naked because of them (if this does happen, accept that they're a bellend and kick them out of your life) and you are in no way less pretty or sexy or deserving of love and attention.
Here is my video in which I go into things in a little bit more detail:

Have you ever been brought down by your stretch marks? If you are upset by them, you can always send me a DM on Twitter or quick email to chat!
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