This is the kind of thing that depends almost entirely on personality. Yes, there are guys who demand that any woman they sleep with have flawless skin, perfect hair and the body of a goddess. They're usually 300 pounds of zit-studded, unshowered flab. High standards explain why they're still virgins, you see.
Each person has different dealbreakers, but very few of them are really centered solely around looks, and if they are, it's more about what the looks reflect about your personality. Most guys are hardly flawless themselves and are well aware of that fact, so they're not going to be too hard on somebody who isn't perfect.
And honestly, if you're getting naked with a guy, and he's checking your hips for stretch marks, I'd be more concerned about his disinterest in sex with you, myself. It seems like not wanting to be with you due to minor details is a bigger dealbreaker on your end than a few physical imperfections are on his.
I have a body that was stretched all over the place by my son who was a really big baby. To date (7 years) I have slept with 25 men since then (I had a really skanky period for about 6 months, long story). None of them, let me repeat NONE OF THEM has ever said a damn thing about my body.
Give guys a break.
Men dont notice details very well. WELL most men anyways. They will notice small details every now and then because they are attracted, etc etc etc, but yeah Guys are clueless for the most part. If hes attracted, hes attracted. Thats it, we women make it so complicated. Of course, it may be the fact that we dont look this good beneath all these make up and clothes. But thats for us to contemplate and come to terms with, not them.
Evolution has programmed humans of both genders to look for a mate who is in good health and has compatible genes. Nearly everything, save for some individual tastes and fetishes, can really be boiled down to that.
You can't do a damn thing about your genes. But if your lifestyle is relatively healthy, which I hope for your sake it is, it'll show. The things we find to be deal-breaker ugly usually indicate deeper flaws- lack of hygiene, laziness, self-esteem issues, self-destructive tendencies, etc. Treat your body well and be comfortable in your own skin, and people of the opposite gender will find you attractive. It's that simple.
I have stretch marks on my boobs/hips/but/backs of knees(wtf?!)/inner thighs (why? Couldn't tell ya. I'm only 120lbs 5'6", no crazy weight changes). When I first started dating my boyfriend (of 1.5 years now), we would spoon and my shirt would come up a little and expose my hip and it's stretch marks, he'd run his fingers over them gently, almost caressing them. I told him I thought they were gross and asked him why the heck he was doing it. He said "well, I like them." To this day, if I ever complain about my various stretch marks, he always says, "well I like em!" Find a guy like that. Clearly they're out there!
BY THE WAY, STRETCH MARKS DO NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE FAT OR WERE FAT, some just happen from growing...which I suspect mine are from. So don't think that if you have stretch marks that you clearly are or were a hippo.
some stretch marks make no sense at all. I have them on my inner thighs and I am only 90 lbs and have never had a significant weight gain or loss. I didn't have a typical growth spurt as a child and was past most of my growth when they started! It must be genetic
OH MY GOODNESS..THIS JUST MADE ME CRY. i can't believe a guy would do that! it just blows my mind that a guy would actually caress something like that! i have them on my hips, butt, and inner thighs so i wear swimskirts so no one sees them. I HATE THEM. theyre so embarassing, and i never ever wanted to be intimate with a guy because of them. im glad i now know there ARE guys out there who arent grossed out by them:):)
its crazy cuz my husband always tells me im sexy. I know im not cux i have a very ugly, flabby belly with stretch marks all over. my husband keeps telling me im sexy, but i finaly got him to tell me the truth. he told me that its not sexy but not a turn off and he thinks im still sexy. im so confused. i know he truly loves me and i thought i really wanted to know the truth but now im dying inside. what do i do? he is so good to me. always complimenting me and i always tell him, " how can you tell me my body is sexy? " MY BODY IS DISGUSTING
I'm glad that not ALL guys care about stretchmarks.. I haven't had a boyfriend since I was 19(Now 25) because mine make me feel ugly.. :( I'm an average looking girl and I'm not fat or anything, but mine came just out of growth when I was younger and probably from working out. I hate it. :\
Speaking as a guy, I do personally find stretch marks attractive. It is one of those things where I can't explain why I like them so much. They are usually very soft though :) I do not judge how a women is by their various marks, scars, etc. Stay sexy strong, there is a man out there that will love every inch and ounce of you.
I agree, I too find stretch marks attractive and sexy. If a girls mind is nice, stretch marks do not matter. If a girl has that shine that she is a b$%tch, does not matter if she has or has not stretch marks, if she is a knock out or not, nobody will want her usually.
So stretch marks do nothing against you, and if anything, I find make you more attractive to most men - means you are a natural woman.
I let go of the fact that I had stretch marks on my arms, stomach back of knees hips etc when I saw this porno,don't judge me and yes I am straight. This chick had had a baby but her body still looked really great, she had a pouch at the bottom of her stomach and when the girl was shakin I was like holy sh**t that chick is gettin' it! The man in the porno, was really turned on by her, not like fake porno turn on but like really turned on. I was turned on by all of it because it made me feel confident. If she can have all the stuff I have and be confident then why shouldn't I? The guy is looking at all the goodies not the little imperfections. ;) Men aren't thinking about that anyway, they're thinking, "I hope I don't go soft, does she like this does she like that is she comfortable, I really like her etc." I used to self conscious about the way my boobs looked but there is a site that has women that posted their natural breasts and that helped me come to terms with the fact that my boobs were a tad bit saggy and had stretch marks.
fuck this i love my stretch marks ... :)
I have a similar story about my stretch marks. I've always been a healthy individual, and never had problems with weight gain or loss. I'm not super athletic but I just look like I am for some reason, it must be genetics I guess (there's a point to me stating this). Anyway, last year I began to notice stretch marks on the sides of my butt. I freaked out to say the least. I went out and purchased just about every stretch mark cream available and none helped. Maybe it's because my stretch marks have never been that purple color which I've heard is easier to treat? Mine actually appeared as a creamy light skin color or white, and let me tell you they suck! But anyway, I've been noticing that I have more now and there's nothing I can do about it. I was super self conscious about them to the point where i wouldnt even wear a bathing suit if people were around, and I'd be lying if I said that I've gotten over it. The guy I'm currently dating has been with me since my senior year in high school when I didn't have them and is still with me now and im a junior in college. He didn't notice them until I pointed them out and told him how much I hated them because they just appeared for no reason. He then told me he thought they were sexy and I honestly thought he was lying just to make me feel better until I read the comments on this page which is the reason why I decided to write this. The point of this is that stretch marks just happen, I have an alright body and I have them, everyone does.. Well maybe not everyone but most people do, and most of the time as girls we look at an imperfection and magnify it! I know when I see my stretch marks I see highways of unwanted lines but in reality they are not that noticeable unless you stare at my butt. And as for guys not liking you because you have an imperfection, well dump the guy because you're obviously dating a boy and not a man. Boys want a girl who is perfect on the outside and will break up with you once you don't meet that requirement. A man will love you no matter what and won't care if you are too fat, too skinny, have no boobs or whatever it is you don't like about yourself. Odds are he will love what you hate most about yourself. My suggestion to anyone who feels self conscious about their body, whether it is stretch marks or something else, is to try to see past it. I struggle with my body image all the time, at one point it was pretty unhealthy, and I know how hard it is to not be critical of yourself but trust me, it's not worth the trouble. Love yourself, your imperfections and most importantly respect your body. Once you do that it'll be easy to find someone who feels the same way and loves you no matter what. Hope this helped anyone who needed it :)