Stretch marks usually fade over time but may not disappear completely. Many creams and lotions claim to prevent, reduce or remove stretch marks. But there's very little evidence these work.
Stretch Marks are a Normal Part of Puberty
It is normal for teenagers to get some stretch marks. The marks occur when a person experiences a significant amount of growth or weight gain in a short period of time, such as during puberty. Getting stretch marks does not necessarily mean a person is overweight.
Like any scar, stretch marks are permanent, but treatment may make them less noticeable. Treatment can also help alleviate the itch. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor before treating stretch marks. Some products contain ingredients, such as retinol, that can harm your baby.
How long does it take stretch marks to fade? Usually between three and six months. As your stretch marks age, your body replaces temporary scar tissue with better-structured, lighter scar tissue.
Stretch marks usually fade over time but may not disappear completely. Many creams and lotions claim to prevent, reduce or remove stretch marks. But there's very little evidence these work. There are some treatments that may help make stretch marks look better, but they will not get rid of them.
This lowers the chance of developing both excess skin and the appearance of stretch marks. Losing weight won't make stretch marks go away. Instead, time is one of the best tools you have to reduce the appearance of stretch marks (along with some of the treatments we've rounded up below).
The skin is stretched as a consequence of underlying tissue expansion. There is an inflammatory reaction in the skin that is responsible for the characteristic red or purple colour. The inflammation eventually fades and is replaced by scar tissue.
Causes of Stretch Marks
Stretch marks can occur as a result of rapid weight gain when your skin stretches, causing tears in the inner layer of the skin. However, even though you may have already had them before the weight gain, the stretch marks may actually not be visible until you lose weight.
Usually, the best thing to do is be patient because stretch marks often fade with time. If they still bother you when you're an adult, you can ask your doctor or see a specialist for treatment.
Through puberty, the skin of children progressively darkens with no differences between sexes prior to adolescence.
Stretch marks do not usually go away completely on their own when you lose weight. Weight loss can reduce the tension on the skin, which may help make stretch marks less noticeable, but it won't eliminate them entirely.
Can Vaseline remove stretch marks? While Vaseline can help to moisturise the skin and improve its overall appearance, it is unlikely to completely remove stretch marks. Using Vaseline in combination with other treatments can help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks over time.
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 they aren't great to look at, either. And even though they'll never really go away, they might fade over time or with help from certain products and procedures.
It's common for stretch marks to appear during teen years when rapid growth of weight gain occurs. Other factors that make teens predisposed to stretch marks appearing include a genetic risk or family history of stretch marks, pregnancy, being overweight or obese, or topical or oral steroids, like prednisone.
Skin changes during puberty are the most common reason for stretch marks on the breasts. “They develop when your skin rapidly stretches as your breasts develop,” Dr. Akhtar says. “We also see breast stretch marks in pregnant women as their breasts enlarge.”
Stretchmarks: Tiger Balm's ability to increase blood flow is thought by some to help improve the appearance of stretch marks, but this is not supported by research.
Retinoid cream.
Derived from vitamin A, retinoids — such as tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova, Avita) — that you apply to your skin may improve the appearance of stretch marks less than a few months old.
Stretch marks (striae) are indented streaks that appear on the abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks or other places on the body. They're common in pregnant women, especially during the last trimester. Stretch marks aren't painful or harmful, but some people don't like the way they make their skin look.
Radiofrequency Treatments
Allure reports that RF treatments use energy to heat the skin's deeper layers, stimulating collagen and elastin production. This process tightens the skin and reduces the appearance of stretch marks by improving skin elasticity and texture.
Sugar. While research is limited around sugar as a stretch mark remedy, this ingredient can be used as a natural exfoliator. It may work similarly to microdermabrasion, a medical procedure that exfoliates the skin and potentially treats stretch marks.