Dr. Abdulaziz AlRashed — Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic & Laser
Stretch Marks Advice
A patient advice sheet — 7 practical points. Reviewed and updated by Dr. Abdulaziz AlRashed, July 2026.
Last reviewed: July 2026
The advice
- Stretch marks are fine tears in the skin's elastic fibres from rapid stretching (growth, pregnancy, weight change, muscle bulking) or misuse of strong cortisone creams.
- Honest expectations: no cream erases them completely; treatments clearly improve their appearance but never remove them 100% — beware "miracle cure" adverts.
- The early red/purple stage responds far better: a night retinoid (not during pregnancy), microneedling, or laser — so do not delay.
- Mature white marks: microneedling, fractional laser or radiofrequency over a series of sessions — gradual, partial improvement.
- Realistic prevention: gradual weight change, and daily moisturizing to ease itching and tightness (the modest best evidence is for centella extract and hyaluronic acid).
- During pregnancy: moisturizing only; active treatment starts after delivery.
- In our darker skin we choose cautious laser settings to avoid pigmentation — with an experienced doctor only.
See also the full treatment page: Microneedling — options, evidence and expected timelines.
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