Many people have stretch marks, or striae, on their skin. They often show up during pregnancy, when you gain or lose weight quickly, or when you grow quickly. When the skin stretches too much, collagen and elastin fibers break, which causes these lines to form. They can be red, purple, or silvery-white. Many people want to make their stretch marks look better for cosmetic reasons, even though they are not harmful. You can see a difference in your stretch marks in just a few weeks if you take care of them and do the right things. Here is how.
Getting to Know Stretch Marks
Stretch marks usually begin as reddish or purplish lines (striae rubra) and become lighter and silver over time (striae alba). They happen most often on the arms, thighs, hips, breasts, and stomach. Genetics, hormonal changes, and skin type are some of the things that affect how they grow. It is difficult to get rid of stretch marks completely, but the best results come from starting treatment early, especially when the marks are red or purple.
Good Ways to Get Rid of Stretch Marks
1. Drink plenty of water and use moisturizer every day.
Keeping your skin moist makes it more flexible and helps it heal. Applying moisturizer twice a day can make stretch marks less noticeable and softer.
• Suggested Ingredients: Look for creams or oils that have hyaluronic acid in them. This helps the skin stay hydrated and makes it look fuller.
• Centella asiatica: Helps the body make more collagen.
• Vitamin E: Helps the skin heal.
• Cocoa or shea butter: deeply nourishes the skin.
Bio-Oil, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula, and Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy are some of the most popular products.
• To make blood flow better and help the product soak in better, massage it into your stretch marks for 1–2 minutes.
• Timeline: You may start to notice softening and fading in 2 to 4 weeks.
2. Exfoliate to Help Cells Turn Over
Exfoliating your skin regularly gets rid of dead skin cells, which helps new, healthier skin grow. Over time, this can help stretch marks fade.
• Use a mild chemical exfoliant with glycolic acid or lactic acid two to three times a week.
• For a light exfoliation, try a physical scrub with sugar or coffee grounds.
• Be careful not to exfoliate too much, as this can irritate skin that is already sensitive.
• Timeline: Your skin may start to feel smoother in 3 to 5 weeks.
3. Use retinoids to help your skin make more collagen.
Retinoids, which are related to vitamin A, are known to boost collagen production and speed up the turnover of skin cells. This makes them useful for newer stretch marks.
• Choices: Tretinoin, which you can get with a prescription, or retinol, which you can buy over the counter (ask a dermatologist).
• How to Use: Put a pea-sized amount on at night, starting 2–3 times a week to avoid irritation. Retinoids make you more sensitive to the sun, so you should always wear sunscreen during the day.
• Important: Don’t use retinoids if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Timeline: It can take 4 to 8 weeks for the color and texture of stretch marks to get better.
4. Microneedling can help fix things more deeply.
Microneedling uses very small needles to make tiny cuts in the skin, which makes collagen and elastin grow. It works especially well on white stretch marks that are older.
• At-Home vs. Professional: • You can use at-home dermarollers (0.5–1 mm needles) once a week if you clean them properly.
• Professional treatments (1.5–2 mm needles) give you results faster, but you need to see a dermatologist.
• Cost: Professional sessions cost between $200 and $500, while at-home rollers cost between $20 and $100.
• Timeline: The redness goes away in 1–2 days, and after 4–6 weeks of regular use, you should see a big difference.
5. Use laser therapy to get results faster.
Fractional CO2 or pulsed dye lasers are two types of laser treatments that work on stretch marks by boosting collagen and making the skin less red.
• How It Works: Lasers go through the skin to rebuild collagen and make dark spots less noticeable.
• How Many Sessions: 3 to 6, with 4 to 6 weeks between each one.
• Price: $400 to $1,000 per session, depending on the clinic and the area being treated.
• Timeline: The redness goes away in a few days, and you can see improvements in 2 to 4 weeks after the first session.
• Note: For safety and effectiveness, talk to a board-certified dermatologist.
6. Improve the health of your skin with food
A diet high in nutrients helps the skin heal and stay flexible, which makes stretch marks less noticeable.
• Important Nutrients:
• Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruits, berries, and bell peppers, it helps make collagen.
• Zinc: Found in nuts, seeds, and lean meats; helps wounds heal.
• Protein: To help your skin stay healthy, eat eggs, fish, or legumes.
• Healthy Fats: Avocados, olive oil, and salmon make the skin more moist.
• Stay hydrated: To keep your skin elastic, drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day.
• Timeline: In 2 to 4 weeks, your skin may feel firmer and healthier.
7. Think about using natural remedies
Natural remedies may not be as strong as clinical treatments, but they can still hydrate and calm the skin, which can help stretch marks.
• Choices: • Aloe vera: Put fresh gel on your skin to keep it moist and calm.
• Coconut oil: Rub it into stretch marks to add moisture and lightly repair them.
• Rosehip oil: It has a lot of fatty acids and vitamin A, which may help lighten dark spots.
• How to Use: After washing, put it on once or twice a day.
• Timeline: It may take 4 to 6 weeks for subtle softening to happen.
Tips for living a healthy lifestyle to avoid new stretch marks
• Keep Your Weight Stable: Changes in weight over time help keep skin from stretching.
• Work out often: Strength training and yoga make your skin firmer and improve blood flow.
• Don’t stay in the sun for too long: UV rays break down collagen, so use SPF 30+ on areas where you get stretch marks.
What to Look Forward To
Results depend on how old the stretch marks are, what type of skin you have, and how often you get treatment. Newer (red/purple) stretch marks fade more quickly, often in 4 to 8 weeks, when treated with moisturizers, retinoids, or microneedling. For the best results, older (white) stretch marks may need professional treatments like lasers, which can start to work in 2 to 6 weeks. Using more than one method, like moisturizing, exfoliating, and eating well, can improve results.
When to Go to the Dermatologist
If over-the-counter treatments don’t work after 8 weeks, see a dermatologist. They can suggest prescription medications, advanced procedures, or rule out underlying conditions (e.g., hormonal imbalances) that may be causing stretch marks.
Final Thoughts
A consistent skincare routine, targeted treatments, and a healthy lifestyle can help you get rid of stretch marks in a few weeks. Begin with hydration and exfoliation, advance to retinoids or microneedling, and contemplate professional interventions for persistent marks. These steps can help your skin look its best and make you feel better about yourself, even though stretch marks are a normal part of life.
Disclaimer: Always do a patch test on new products and talk to a doctor before starting treatments, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a skin condition.
