What can you rub on stretch marks?

Are your stretch marks new or old?

Stretch marks are scars caused by changes in the skin's supporting tissue during rapid stretching or shrinking. New marks can look pink, red, purple or brown, depending on your skin color. Older marks become lighter and often slightly sunken. Creams have the best chance of helping while the marks are new; mature marks respond poorly to topical treatment. Stretch marks naturally fade, but complete removal is not a realistic goal.123

Which creams are worth trying?

Hyaluronic acid is an option for early stretch marks: applying it made newer marks less noticeable in two large studies. Retinol, another type of retinoid, might also help early marks fade. Do not treat an ordinary retinol cream as interchangeable with prescription tretinoin.1

Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid that encourages collagen production. Its benefit is modest and depends on concentration and treatment duration. Daily 0.05% tretinoin cream has reduced the severity of early marks in a clinical trial, but that is not a strength to choose without a prescriber. Tretinoin can cause redness and irritation, so sensitive skin deserves particular attention when discussing treatment.45

A moisturizer can hydrate the area, and some moisturizing formulas have reduced stretch mark severity. Whether extra ingredients add much benefit remains uncertain. Moisturizing the surface is not the same as removing a scar, however ambitious the jar looks. Cocoa butter can keep skin moisturized, but it has not reduced stretch mark appearance or prevented them. Coconut oil and shea butter are not proven scar treatments either.25

How should you apply a stretch mark product?

1. 1Start while the stretch marks are still new rather than waiting until they become pale and sunken.
2. 2Massage a stretch mark cream, lotion or gel gently into the marks. Gentle massage could improve its effect.
3. 3Apply the product every day for weeks, following its directions. Visible changes, if they happen, take weeks rather than days.
4. 4For prescription tretinoin, follow your prescriber's schedule. One treatment trial used nightly application for 24 weeks and found less noticeable early marks.

What should you avoid?

Do not use tretinoin during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor before starting stretch mark treatment, including retinol products. Botanical creams also need caution during pregnancy; a natural ingredient is not automatically a suitable pregnancy treatment.23

Do not reach for a steroid cream to treat stretch marks. Prolonged use of strong topical steroids can actually cause them. If you already use a prescribed steroid for another skin condition, discuss new marks with your prescriber rather than suddenly stopping treatment, which can cause that condition to flare.6

Avoid tanning to hide stretch marks: scars do not tan, so the contrast can make them more noticeable. Self tanner camouflages stretch marks rather than removing them, which makes it makeup with a less candid job title. Use sun protection on exposed skin.2

When is a dermatologist more useful than another cream?

For older marks, a dermatologist can discuss microneedling, lasers or combined treatments. These aim to improve appearance, not erase every mark, and older scars often need several sessions. Darker skin tones need careful treatment selection because some lasers can cause discoloration; nonablative lasers, which cause less surface damage, are generally better tolerated.34

Contact a healthcare professional if stretch marks appear without a clear cause, such as pregnancy, growth or rapid weight gain. An examination and review of your medicines can help identify whether something other than ordinary physical changes is involved.7