Stretch marks are set-in streaks that show up on your stomach, breasts, hips, butt, and thighs. These long, thin, rippled marks are also called striae. If you have stretch marks, you probably wish they’d go away. These grooves or lines in your skin aren’t harmful to your health, but you may not like how they look.
Although they’ll never really go away, stretch marks might fade over time or with help from certain products and procedures.
Types of Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are often classified based on their color or cause. Common types include:
- Striae atrophicans, or stretch marks from thinning skin
- Striae gravidarum, or stretch marks that show up after pregnancy
- Striae rubrae, or red, newer stretch marks
- Striae albae, or white, older stretch marks that have faded
- Striae nigra, or black stretch marks
- Striae caerulea, or dark blue stretch marks
What Causes Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks happen when your body grows quickly or changes size for any reason. Your skin can’t stretch enough to keep up.
Collagen is a protein that makes your skin more elastic. If your skin doesn’t have enough collagen, the marks may show up as it stretches.
You may get stretch marks because of:
- Quick weight gain (which affects both men and women)
- Childhood growth spurts during puberty. Make sure kids know this is normal and that childhood marks may fade as they get older.
- Pregnancy as a result of stretched skin and a surge in hormones that weaken skin fibers. They might fade as you shed pounds after the baby is born.
- Breast implant surgery
- Bodybuilding, even people with low body fat can get stretch marks where their muscles bulge
- High amounts of steroids, either from steroid medications or illnesses such as Cushing's syndrome
- Marfan syndrome, a genetic disease that weakens your skin fibers and causes unusual growth
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a group of conditions that result from genetic changes to collagen, a protein in your body
Stretch marks also run in families.
What Do Stretch Marks Look Like?
New stretch marks may feel slightly raised and itchy. These rippled, streaky lines in your skin come in different colors. They fade from red or pink to purplish-blue to thinner, pale, more scar-like streaks over time. You may not notice them as much.
They can show up on many parts of your body:
Stretch Mark Diagnosis
Your doctor can usually diagnose stretch marks just by looking at your skin. But they’ll probably ask about your medical history. If you’ve taken either oral or topical steroids for a long time, high cortisol levels in your body might be to blame.
Stretch Marks Treatment
A range of medical treatments and home remedies is available to treat your stretch marks. Some work better than others.
Medical treatment for stretch marks
A skin doctor or plastic surgeon can use lasers or other treatments to help fade the marks. These treatments work by helping your skin make more collagen:
Pulsed dye laser therapy is a painless blast of light used on new, red stretch marks. The light’s energy calms blood vessels under your skin that could cause the marks.
Fractional CO2 laser therapy is a new treatment that may smooth out old, white stretch marks. One study showed that women who used this therapy saw their stretch marks fade after five sessions compared to others who used topical creams with glycolic acid and tretinoin.
Excimer laser therapy exposes stretch marks to targeted ultraviolet B (UVB) light. A small study shows that it’s safe and treatments over one to four months can correct pigment problems from stretch marks.
Microdermabrasion uses tiny crystals to rub off the top layer of your skin. One new study showed that this treatment helped fade new, reddish stretch marks when combined with skin peels.
Cosmetic surgery, like a tummy tuck, may remove skin with stretch marks. But these operations could leave scars. Plus, they’re often painful and costly.
A chemical peel is an acidic solution that burns off the top layers of your skin to remove dead and damaged cells, boosting new skin growth. This treatment may improve your stretch marks a little, but it won’t completely get rid of them.
Radiofrequency uses radio wave energy to create heat and trigger your body to make collagen. One small study found that this treatment is safe and can improve stretch marks, but scientists need to do more research.
Ultrasound works a lot like radiofrequency treatments. The procedure sends sound waves deep into your skin to heat up and tighten it and to jumpstart collagen production.
Home remedies for stretch marks
You’ll find many creams, salves, oils, and other skin ointments that claim to either prevent or treat stretch marks. But there’s little proof that any of these products really work. Some treatments and home remedies can fade or hide stretch marks:
Body makeup and self-tanner. These products can help hide stretch marks. Note that tanning won’t get rid of stretch marks. It actually makes them easier to see.
Tretinoin. Creams with tretinoin (Retin-A) contain retinoid, a compound related to vitamin A. Retinoids increase collagen production. They’re often used to treat wrinkles. They may help fade newer stretch marks, but they can also make your skin red, irritated, or scaly.
Collagen boosters. StriVectin-SD and lupin seed extracts are both supposed to boost collagen in your skin, but it’s hard to say if they’ll fade or prevent stretch marks.
Centella asiatica.This herbal oil boosts cells in your body that make collagen and build up skin tissue. Some people use it to help heal wounds. Centella asiatica is in many over-the-counter skin creams for stretch marks, but there’s little proof it helps to fade them.
Bitter almond oil. One study showed that women who massaged bitter almond oil into the skin on their bellies during pregnancy had fewer stretch marks than others who just used oil without massage.
Cocoa butter, shea butter, olive oil, vitamin E oil, and other moisturizers. These natural creams can make your skin feel softer, but it isn’t clear if they help or prevent stretch marks.
If you decide to try a cream, lotion, or gel to fade your stretch marks, be sure to use it every day for several weeks. Take the time to massage it into your skin. These products may work best on newer stretch marks.
Can You Prevent Stretch Marks?
It’s possible to prevent stretch marks, but there’s no guarantee. The best way to lower your chances is to stay at a healthy weight, even during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about an exercise plan and how to eat well.
Products with the ingredients centella and hyaluronic acid may work to prevent stretch marks.
Takeaways
Stretch marks happen anytime your body changes size quickly. They develop most commonly during sudden weight gain and weight loss, pregnancy, puberty-related growth spurts, or if you do activities such as bodybuilding. While harmless, you may not like how stretch marks look. Talk with your doctor about clinical and home remedies you can try to help your stretch marks fade. They may not go away entirely, but there are steps you can take to make them less noticeable.
Stretch Marks FAQs
Do stretch marks go away?
Stretch marks usually fade over time. They may not go away entirely, but they become less noticeable.
How do you completely remove stretch marks?
To see the best results, treat stretch marks early. Clinical procedures such as laser skin resurfacing, microneedling, and dermabrasion can help you remove stretch marks within six months.
Can exercise reduce stretch marks?
Exercise won’t remove existing stretch marks, but a combination of hydration, a healthy diet, and exercise may help you avoid developing new stretch marks.
