How Do I Get Rid of Stretch Marks?

Unfortunately, there are no products that work on stretch marks. Stretch marks are caused by weakness of skin and over-stretching, resulting in breaking of the dermis and subsequent scarring. When these are fresh, they can be a dark purple color; however, they diminish in thickness and fade to a white silvery color over time. They get lighter with time on their own, but unfortunately, there are no creams or lotions to get rid of them.

Stretch marks are a sign of ripping of the deep dermal tissues, often seen after childbirth, after weight gains or losses, or after certain therapies, such as steroids. Once you understand how the ripped dermal tissue resembles a burlap sack that has been pulled apart, it is then clear why no treatment will put those fibers back together. So aside from maybe making a bit more collagen in the area or causing temporary swelling, reducing the appearance of stretch marks, patients should... more

"Stretch Marks" are a misnomer. These are not marks but full-thickness skin cracks. As the skin is rapidly stretched by obesity or pregnancy the skin actually cracks. Initially, the fault lines are filled by blood vessels and immature scar tissue but with time as the blood vessels go away they are replaced by silvery scar tissue. Since these scars extend the full thickness of the damaged skin they cannot be erased by ANY chemical, laser or treatment currently on the market. If you... more

The question whether creams help for the treatment of stretch marks is open. I have found that use of several creams prior to laser treatment is helpful. If utilized alone they don't usually make too much of a difference except for the occasional ' great responder' . The creams that I utilize most are the alphahydroxyacids and retinoic acid in varying concentrations depending on the skin type and the severity of the problem. I have also had great success utilizing the pulsed dye laser as... more

Until now there were few options for stretch mark treatments. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared Palomar's fractional laser treatment for stretch marks, practitioners now have an excellent aesthetic solution for their clients.  Palomar's fractional non-ablative skin resurfacing laser minimizes the appearance of stretch marks with no downtime. The Lux1540 laser handpiece improves the unsightly color and skin texture associated with stretch marks, leaving... more

As the panel members have mentioned, stretch marks should be accepted as permanent. Although abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) may be a good option for many, it is not always the best option. For example, some of our patients come to us after being told that they were not a good candidate for surgery - meaning there was not enough extra skin or tissue to remove. For others, the stretch marks were in places that an abdominoplasty would not address. For example, the stretch marks may be high... more

There is no easy way to get rid of stretch marks. One way to get rid of stretch marks between your belly button and your pubis is an abdominoplasty. Many women develop stretch marks during pregnancy in this area and come for consultation after childbirth. If you are done having children and wish to both remove the stretch marks and tighten up the loose skin, then abdominoplasty is a great choice. I hope you have found this helpful.

Stretch marks are one of unfortunate cosmetic difficulties where marketing has been unleashed on uninformed consumers. Because these marks represent areas with the deeper connective portions of the skin have been permanently damaged, there are no creams or ointments, or other treatments for that matter that can make them go away. Lots of claims are made with varying concoctions of collagen, Vitamin C, etc., but nothing has been substantiated. If the stretch marks are in an area of skin... more

Stretch marks are breaks in the deeper layers of the skin. The color is typically blood supply and damge transmitted through the skin. The color usually resolves within one to two years. There is a genetic component to who gets them and who does not. Large changes in skin tightness will cause these breaks in the skin i.e. weight gain, pregnancy, breast augmentation. There are no creams or quick fixes. Lasers will expedite the decrease in discoloration, but remember that the color would go... more

Unless you can surgically remove them like in a tummy tuck, stretch marks are a permanent result of skin stretching more rapidly than its elastic fibers can tolerate. The anatomy of a stretch mark explains why no treatments can cure them. They are a splitting of the deeper dermis layer of the skin while the outside epidermal layer remains intact. It is like splitting a tomato over a flame only in a stretch mark, it is the deeper layer that splits, not the outermost layer. Lasers can... more