Stretch Marks

Stretch marks occur when there is rapid growth in areas of the body, which stretch the skin and result in thin purple or white lines. They are completely harmless but, unlike other marks, rarely go away entirely without intervention. Having stretch marks can lead to a lack of self-confidence for many but are easily remediable with treatments such as skin peels and laser treatments.

Why do people get stretch marks?

Pregnancy is one of the most common times of a woman's life that stretch marks appear. They usually appear in the later stages of pregnancy, and often emerge across the tummy as it grows, or across breasts and thighs.

Stretch marks develop on parts of the body experiencing rapid growth, for example during growth spurts as a teenager or throughout pregnancy. Common areas that people develop stretch marks are: the stomach, upper arms, buttocks, thighs, breasts and shoulders (in bodybuilders).