You may be concerned about these bright streaks on your skin, but stretch marks aren't serious and fade over time. In some cases, however, widespread stretch marks are a sign of a medical condition such as Cushing's syndrome or another adrenal gland disease. Treatments can fade the appearance of stretch marks but won't completely remove them.
Signs and Symptoms of Stretch Marks
Signs and symptoms of stretch marks include:- Indented streaks or lines in the skin
- Multiple pink, red or purple streaks
- Bright streaks that fade to light pink, white or grayish color
Causes of Stretch Mark
Stretch marks seem to be caused, literally, by a stretching of the skin, coupled with an increase in cortisone, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisone may weaken elastic fibers in the skin.
Stretch marks develop in a variety of circumstances, including:
- Pregnancy. Most pregnant women develop stretch marks by the end of their pregnancy. The physical stretching of the skin, along with hormonal factors, likely plays a role.
- Weight gain. Stretch marks sometimes occur during substantial weight gain. Weightlifters also can develop stretch marks, particularly on the arms. Adolescents may notice stretch marks during growth spurts.
- Medication use. Corticosteroid creams, lotions and pills, and chronic use of oral or systemic steroids can cause stretch marks.
- Conditions or diseases. Cushing's syndrome and adrenal gland diseases can cause widespread stretch marks, as can Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other hereditary (genetic) disorders.
Treatment and Medication
Although they may be a cosmetic concern, stretch marks are harmless and often fade over time. They don't require medical treatment. If you do seek treatment for stretch marks, know that treatments are only partially effective and won't remove the stretch marks completely.
The following treatments are among those available to help improve the appearance of stretch marks. None has been proved to be more consistently successful than the others.
- Tretinoin cream. Some research has shown that tretinoin cream (Retin-A, Renova) may improve the appearance of recent stretch marks — those that are less than six weeks old and still pink or red in color. Tretinoin should never be used during pregnancy. Tretinoin, when it works, helps to rebuild collagen, making the stretch mark look more like your normal skin. Tretinoin can irritate your skin. This treatment isn't effective on older stretch marks.
- Pulsed dye laser therapy. Used at wavelengths of light that are nonwounding (nonablative), this type of laser therapy remodels underlying skin (dermis) by stimulating the growth of collagen and elastin. Pulsed dye laser therapy is most effective when stretch marks are new, but it may still be effective on older stretch marks. This type of treatment may alter skin color on darker skin tones.
- Fractional photothermolysis. Like pulsed dye laser therapy, this nonablative laser treatment uses wavelengths of light to stimulate new growth of collagen and elastin. The difference is that it causes partial (fractional) damage to small dot-like areas within a targeted zone. Because most of the treated area remains undamaged, the skin heals quickly.
- Microdermabrasion. This type of treatment involves a hand-held device that blows crystals onto skin. These crystals gently abrade or "polish" the skin's surface. Then, a vacuum tube removes the crystals and skin cells. Microdermabrasion gently removes the skin's topmost layer, which may result in new skin growth that is more elastic. This therapy is an option for older stretch marks.
- Excimer laser. The excimer laser does nothing for collagen or elastin growth. Instead, its aim is repigmentation by stimulating melanin production. If it works, the old and lighter streaks become similar in color to the surrounding skin, and therefore less visible. This is often used for older stretch marks.
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