Diseases

No, there is no evidence that any home remedies can improve the appearance of stretch marks.

Aside from maintaining a normal weight, there is little that can be done to prevent stretch marks from developing.

Since stretch marks are quite common, most people are familiar with their appearance. They are identifiable on visual inspection by patients and doctors.

Excessive rapid weight gain and pregnancy are the two most common risk factors. Other risk factors include the conditions described above that predispose the skin to developing stretch marks.

Stretch marks appear as linear streaks on the skin that has been overstretched, and they run perpendicular to maximum lines of tension in the skin. They begin as flat red lines, and over time they appear as slightly depressed white streaks. They tend to occur near the armpits, on the thighs, abdomen, chest, and groin. Their appearance is similar to changes seen in the surface of rubber balloons that have been overinflated.

Striae are rarely painful or itchy. They do not produce troublesome symptoms. They begin as linear red streaks and eventually mature into linear white lines.

There is some controversy over the precise mechanism by which striae occur. There seems to be damage to the elastic fibers of the dermis (the deeper layer of the skin) accompanied by inflammation which eventually results in scar-like changes. These changes appear to be induced by excessive physical stretching of the skin. There are a number of clinical situations which will predispose the skin to the formation of striae. These include rapid and excessive increase in body mass, the excessive use of topical or systemic glucocorticoid drugs (steroids), Cushing's disease (overproduction of glucocorticoids by the adrenal gland), puberty, Marfan's syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (two uncommon genetic diseases), excessively large breast implants, and pregnancy.

As the striae mature, they become less apparent but they rarely disappear. They do not cause any health problems.

There are a wide variety of treatments, but none of them seem to be particularly valuable in preventing or treating this condition. It is generally agreed that there is no good medical evidence that any creams or ointments will produce any sustained improvement in the appearance of stretch marks. The use of physical modalities such as lasers and ultrasound holds some promise, but time will tell if these treatments are effective.