Body Concerns
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks (striae) are lines or streaks that form when skin stretches or shrinks quickly, such as in pregnancy, puberty or fast weight change. They are a type of scar: very common, harmless and usually fading from red or purple to pale over time.
- Stretch marks are harmless scars that usually fade from red or purple to pale on their own.
- Treatment works best on new marks, and even then creams give modest results; old pale marks respond little.
- Retinoids are not used in pregnancy, and no cream has been shown to reliably prevent pregnancy stretch marks.
Overview
What are stretch marks?
When skin is stretched faster than it can adapt, the supporting fibers in the middle layer of skin (collagen and elastin) break. As this heals, a line of scar-like skin forms. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) describes stretch marks as a type of scar.
New marks, called striae rubrae, are pink, red, purple or dark brown, slightly raised and sometimes itchy. Over months to years they become striae albae: pale, flat or slightly sunken lines that are much less noticeable. Stretch marks are extremely common; DermNet cites figures of about 70% of adolescent girls and 40% of boys.
Common signs and patterns
What stretch marks can look or feel like
These features give context; large or unusual stretch marks are worth showing to a doctor.
Parallel lines or streaks
Lines several centimeters long, running across the direction of stretch, often in groups.
Red, pink or purple at first
New marks are colored and may be slightly raised or itchy. In darker skin they can look dark brown.
Pale, silvery and slightly sunken later
Mature marks are lighter than surrounding skin, and you may feel a slight dip when you run a finger over them.
Common places
Tummy, breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, upper arms, shoulders and lower back.
Causes and contributors
Stretch marks follow rapid stretching, with hormones and genetics affecting who gets them.
Common triggers are pregnancy, growth spurts in puberty, rapid weight gain or loss, and quick muscle growth from weight training. Hormone levels seem to play a role, and having a family history of stretch marks raises your chance of getting them.
Long-term use of corticosteroid tablets or strong steroid creams can cause stretch marks. Rarely, they are a sign of a medical condition such as Cushing’s syndrome (too much of the hormone cortisol) or Marfan syndrome, a connective tissue disorder.
What it may be confused with
Similar-looking concerns need different decisions
Most lines on the body are ordinary stretch marks, but a few patterns need a closer look.
Stretch marks from steroids or Cushing’s syndrome
Often larger and wider than usual, sometimes with weight gain on the trunk, a rounded face and a fatty hump between the shoulders. See a doctor.
Linear scars
Scars from cuts, surgery or burns follow the injury rather than lines of stretch.
Hyperpigmentation
Flat dark patches without the line shape or texture change of stretch marks.
Bottom line
Expect improvement, not removal, and focus on new marks.
Most stretch marks fade without treatment, and many people choose to leave them alone; DermNet notes marks from adolescence generally need no treatment. If you want to treat them, start while they are still red or purple: that is when creams and procedures show the best results.
Be wary of products promising to remove stretch marks. Dermatologists say no single treatment works for everyone and nothing gets rid of them completely. In pregnancy and while breastfeeding, check with your doctor before using any treatment product.
Evidence-supported options
Choose the option that matches the age of the marks
This is general education, not a personal treatment plan. Product strengths, permitted uses and prescription status vary by country.
Prescription tretinoin for new marks
In a small 1996 randomized trial, 8 of 10 people using tretinoin cream daily on early marks for 6 months showed definite or marked improvement, versus 1 of 12 using a plain cream.
Limit: Prescription-only in many countries, irritating, little effect on old pale marks, and not used in pregnancy or when trying to conceive.
Hyaluronic acid and centella creams
The AAD notes hyaluronic acid made early marks less noticeable in two large studies, and centella or hyaluronic acid products may help prevent marks.
Limit: Results are modest and inconsistent; apply daily for weeks and expect softening, not removal.
Lasers, microneedling and other procedures
Dermatologists use lasers, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, radiofrequency, ultrasound and needling to make marks less noticeable.
Limit: None removes stretch marks, sessions are usually repeated, and public health systems often do not cover them. Downtime and side effects vary by procedure, and evidence for most of them comes from small studies.
Moisturizing and camouflage
A plain, fragrance-free moisturizer eases dryness and itch, including in pregnancy. Self-tanner can make marks less visible.
Limit: Does not change the marks themselves. Tanning makes marks more noticeable, not less.
Supportive skincare
Simple care for stretch marks
Keep it gentle and consistent; if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, use the pregnancy-friendly column and check products with your clinician.
Daily care
- Moisturize after bathingApply a cream to damp skin on the areas with marks and massage it in.
- Use any treatment consistentlyIf a clinician has advised a cream for new marks, use it daily for the weeks or months advised.
- Protect from the sunUse sunscreen or clothing on exposed marks; tanned skin makes pale marks stand out.
During pregnancy
- Moisturize for comfortA fragrance-free moisturizer on the tummy, breasts and hips can ease dryness and itch as skin stretches.
- Skip retinoidsAvoid tretinoin, retinol and other retinoids while pregnant or trying to conceive; see skincare during pregnancy.
- Ask before treatingCheck with your midwife or doctor before using treatment products, and ask whether procedures should wait until after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Common mistakes
What can make stretch marks harder to manage
- Spending money on oils and butters that promise to remove or prevent stretch marks.
- Waiting until marks are old and pale before trying treatment, if you want to treat them.
- Using retinoid products during pregnancy or while trying to conceive.
- Tanning, which makes pale stretch marks more visible.
- Using strong steroid creams on the same area for long periods without medical advice.
When professional help makes sense
See a doctor when stretch marks come with other changes
- Large stretch marks with weight gain on the chest and tummy but slim arms and legs.
- A build-up of fat on the back of the neck and shoulders, or a red, puffy, rounded face.
- Stretch marks that appear after using steroid tablets or strong steroid creams.
- Marks that are widespread with no clear cause such as pregnancy, puberty or weight change.
- Marks that break open, tear or ulcerate.
Related reading
Continue with the next useful question
Editorial record
What this page knows, and what remains uncertain
Evidence summary
Based on AAD, NHS and DermNet guidance, a randomized trial of tretinoin for early marks, and a Cochrane review of creams for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy.
Important limitations
Most treatment studies are small and short, and DermNet notes many treatments are not proven. The Cochrane review found no high-quality evidence that any topical cream prevents stretch marks in pregnancy.
Financial transparency
No paid product placement or affiliate ranking is included on this foundation page.
Recommendation logic
Options are ordered by evidence for early marks first, then procedures, then supportive care.
Editorial Record
- Editorial status
- reviewed
- Medical reviewer
- Dr. Abdurrahman Efem
- Practical reviewer
- Merve Akkaya
- Last reviewed
- November 13, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions
Do stretch marks go away?
Not completely, because they are a type of scar. They usually fade from red or purple to pale and become much less noticeable over time.
What is the best treatment for stretch marks?
For new, red marks, prescription tretinoin and hyaluronic acid have the most evidence. For older marks, dermatologist procedures can improve the look, but none erases them.
Can you prevent stretch marks in pregnancy?
Not reliably. A Cochrane review found no high-quality evidence that any cream prevents them. Moisturizing can still ease dryness and itch, and the AAD notes centella or hyaluronic acid may help.
Is it safe to use retinol for stretch marks while pregnant?
No. Retinoids, including retinol and tretinoin, should be avoided in pregnancy because they may harm the baby. Check any product with your clinician.
Do cocoa butter or bio-oils work for stretch marks?
Studies of almond oil, cocoa butter, olive oil and vitamin E have not shown that they prevent or fade stretch marks. They can make skin feel softer.
Can men get stretch marks?
Yes. Growth spurts, weight change and rapid muscle growth from weight training commonly cause them in men and boys.
Are red stretch marks easier to treat than white ones?
Yes. Red or purple marks are newer and respond better to creams and lasers. White marks are mature scars and improve less.
Sources reviewed
Guidance behind this page
- American Academy of Dermatology: Stretch marks, why they appear and how to get rid of them.
- NHS: Stretch marks.
- DermNet: Stretch marks (striae) (Ngan V, 2003, updated 2024).
- Kang S, et al. Topical tretinoin (retinoic acid) improves early stretch marks. Archives of Dermatology, 1996.
- Brennan M, Young G, Devane D. Topical preparations for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012.
Sources support general editorial guidance. They do not replace regional product labels, prescribing information or personal medical assessment.