You noticed new lines on your stomach, hips, thighs or breasts, maybe after a pregnancy, a growth spurt or a change in weight, and now you want them gone. Searching online brings a flood of creams and big promises. This guide explains what stretch marks are, what can make them less noticeable, and what honest results look like, so you can choose with clear expectations.
The short answer
- Like any scar, stretch marks are permanent, but treatment may make them less noticeable.
- Creams such as prescription tretinoin may make early stretch marks less noticeable, but they seem to have little effect on mature stretch marks.
- In-office procedures have proven more effective than creams, lotions and gels, although none of them can get rid of stretch marks completely.
- Collagen remodeling is a gradual process, so results from procedures build slowly over a series of sessions.
What stretch marks are and why they appear
A stretch mark is a type of scar that develops when skin stretches or shrinks quickly. The abrupt change causes the collagen and elastin that support the skin to rupture, and as the skin heals, stretch marks may appear.
You are most likely to get them during growth spurts in puberty, during pregnancy, with rapid weight loss or gain, and with weight training that builds muscle quickly. Fluctuating hormone levels seem to play a role. You may also have a higher risk if people in your family get stretch marks.
Applying a corticosteroid to your skin for a long time can also cause stretch marks. People with Cushing's disease or Marfan syndrome may see stretch marks too, so new marks without an obvious reason are worth mentioning to a doctor.
Red stretch marks vs white stretch marks
When stretch marks first appear, they tend to be red, purple, pink, reddish-brown or dark brown, depending on your skin color. Early stretch marks may feel slightly raised and can be itchy.
In time, the color fades and the narrow bands sink beneath the skin. If you run your finger over a mature stretch mark, you often feel a slight depression.
This difference shapes the plan. Tretinoin and glycolic acid showed clinical improvement especially in recent stretch marks, while creams seem to have little effect on mature ones. For older marks, in-office procedures are where the realistic options lie.
Which approach fits which stretch marks
| Your situation | What Dr. Munib weighs | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| New red or purple marks | Whether a prescription retinoid such as tretinoin may make early marks less noticeable | Whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and how long you can apply a cream daily |
| Older white or silver marks | In-office procedures such as microneedling or fractional laser | How deep the marks are, your skin type and your goals |
| Pregnant or breastfeeding | Waiting, or checking every product with your doctor first | Ingredients such as retinol, which can harm your baby |
| Worried about dark patches after treatment | Microneedling, since fractional CO2 laser led to more post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation | Your skin type and how your skin has healed in the past |
What the evidence supports, and what it does not
No single treatment works for everyone, and many products sold for stretch marks do not seem to work at all.
Popular home remedies did not hold up. None of the stretch marks faded when people massaged almond oil, cocoa butter, olive oil or vitamin E into them, and none of these oils prevented stretch marks.
A few ingredients look more useful. Applying hyaluronic acid to early stretch marks made them less noticeable, and products containing centella or hyaluronic acid may help prevent stretch marks. Tretinoin, a prescription retinoid, may also make early stretch marks less noticeable, and retinol may help fade early marks.
If you try a cream, apply it every day for weeks, because any results take weeks to appear. Tanning makes stretch marks more noticeable because the marks do not tan, although a self-tanner can camouflage early and mature marks.
How microneedling and lasers help
Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, creates controlled micro-injuries in the skin. This stimulates the body's natural healing processes, resulting in increased collagen and elastin production.
For stretch marks, microneedling and fractional CO2 laser gave similar clinical improvement and patient satisfaction. The CO2 laser was linked with more post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and microneedling caused more pain than laser therapy.
Other in-office options include chemical peels, laser therapy, microdermabrasion and radiofrequency. Combining treatments helps to improve results, and adding platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to microneedling did better than microneedling alone. You can read more in our guide to microneedling with PRP.
Side effects are possible with any procedure. It is common to have some redness and swelling, which tends to disappear in a few hours or days.
Stretch marks are scars, so we aim for honest, visible improvement, never a promise that they will disappear.
Who is a good candidate for in-office treatment
You may be a good fit for microneedling for stretch marks if most of these sound like you.
- Your stretch marks bother you and creams have not changed them.
- You are not currently pregnant or breastfeeding.
- You want gradual improvement, not complete removal.
- You can commit to a series of sessions spaced weeks apart.
- You are open to combining treatments when that suits your marks.
What a microneedling session looks like
- Consultation. Dr. Munib looks at the color, depth and age of your marks and your skin type, then explains what is realistic.
- Preparation. The treatment area is cleaned and we talk through how to keep you comfortable.
- Treatment. The pen makes tiny, controlled channels across each stretch mark to start the skin's repair process.
- Spacing and follow up. Sessions are commonly spaced about four weeks apart, and we review your progress at each visit.
Microneedling for stretch marks at Spectrum
At our Irvine clinic we offer microneedling for stretch marks with the Rejuva pen and SkinPen. Performed by Sabeen Munib, MD.
Collagen remodeling is a gradual process and may continue for months after a session, so plans are built as a series rather than a single visit. Treatment choice should be tailored to your needs and preferences, and Dr. Munib may suggest combining approaches.
Our listed price for microneedling of the face is $400, and we confirm the cost for body areas at your consultation. Every treatment books online with a $65 deposit that counts toward your treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will stretch marks go away on their own?
Stretch marks fade with time, and treatment may make them less noticeable more quickly. Like any scar, though, stretch marks are permanent.
Can you get rid of stretch marks completely?
No. Procedures such as chemical peels, laser therapy, microdermabrasion and radiofrequency make stretch marks less noticeable, but none of these can get rid of stretch marks.
What removes stretch marks fast?
Nothing works overnight. With creams, any results take weeks to appear, and with procedures, collagen remodeling is a gradual process that builds over a series of sessions.
Do stretch marks mean fat gain or fat loss?
They can come with either. Rapid weight loss or gain is one of the common times for stretch marks to appear, along with puberty, pregnancy and fast muscle growth.
Does microneedling for stretch marks hurt?
Microneedling caused more pain than laser therapy, but side effects were usually minimal. Mild pain, redness and a burning feeling subsided by themselves within hours.
Can I treat stretch marks while pregnant?
Check with your doctor before treating stretch marks if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Some products contain ingredients, such as retinol, that can harm your baby.
Have a question about your own skin?
See Sabeen Munib, MD in person. Every assessment and treatment is performed by the physician.
