Stretch marks, also known as "striae," are long white, pink or purple lines that appear on areas of skin that have been stretched quickly. These lines are composed of tiny scars that occur when the skin tears as it is stretched. Usually, stretch marks occur due to sudden weight gain, pregnancy or growth spurts. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 90 percent of women get stretch marks in the last few months of pregnancy. Luckily, there are ways to remove stretch marks, although some methods are more effective than others.
Step 1
Consult your dermatologist about tretinoin creams. Tretinoin creams, like Retin-A and Renova, are topical prescription medications derived from vitamin A, an antioxidant. Tretinoin will help produce more collagen in the skin, which will darken the stretch marks.
Step 2
Stop using over-the-counter stretch mark creams. Although over-the-counter creams may claim to reduce stretch marks, there are no studies that prove these creams actually work, states the Mayo Clinic.
Step 3
Mask the stretch marks by using a sunless tanner on the legs. According to Dr. Patrice Hyde of "KidsHealth," although sunless tanners may help mask the stretch marks, tanning beds or sitting in the sun will not have the same effect. Additionally, sunless tanners will not permanently get rid of stretch marks, but will only hide them.
Step 4
Consider laser therapy for newer stretch marks. Pulsed dye laser therapy stimulates collagen in the skin, states the Mayo Clinic. This allows the stretch marks to blend into the skin, making them less noticeable. Pulsed dye laser therapy may be ineffective on stretch marks that are more than one year old.
Step 5
Ask your dermatologist about microdermabrasion for older stretch marks. When receiving a microdermabrasion treatment, a dermatologist uses a pressurized machine to spray an abrading material onto your skin. This material polishes away dead skin cells, forcing new skin cells to grow. When the skin heals, stretch marks will be less noticeable, even when they are over a year old.
Things You'll Need
- Tretinoin creams
- Sunless tanner
