A 18-year-old member asked:
how do you get rid of stretch marks ?
24 doctor answers • 44 doctors weighed in

Dr. Francine Yep answered
Family Medicine 31 years experience
May help: Our colleague dr. Westfried says, "bio oil can improve appearance of newer red stretch marks according to the manufacturer. It is cost effective compared to Mederma stretch mark cream. Expect a gradual improvement of no more than about 20 per cent." he also suggests that laser removal can help.
6064 views

Dr. Morris Westfried answered
Dermatology 46 years experience
Mederma, co2, laser: Mederma stretch mark has an effect but not dramatic on fresh stretch marks, carboxytherapy, the injections of medical carbon dioxide gas, can improve stretxh marks in amy color skin. It stimulates new firbroblast formation and works in any color of skin. Fractionated laser works on fresh stretch marks in light color skin.
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Dr. Barry Cohen answered
Plastic Surgery 34 years experience
Typically: Only surgery works.
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Dr. Milroy Samuel answered
Obstetrics and Gynecology 24 years experience
Can't. : Only way is tummy tuck and laser will help reduce them. Best wishes.
5196 viewsMerged

Dr. Joseph Eastern answered
Dermatology 44 years experience
TIncture of time: Sorry, no magic; there is no quick way to get rid of stretch marks. They will lessen considerably over time in many cases, but the half-life of collagen is about one year -- meaning it takes a year to see even a 50% improvement in their appearance.
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Dr. Heidi Fowler answered
Psychiatry 25 years experience
Stretch Mark: Treatments: Please see a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for evaluation. Possible treatments include fractional laser resurfacing, dermabrasion & medication (i.e., retinoids).
3569 viewsMerged

Dr. Morris Westfried answered
Dermatology 46 years experience
Laser,carboxytherapy: Creams are only partially effective on new stretch marks. In office procedures for stretch marks include laser -fractionated and palomar 1540 laser which can improve stretch marks. Carboxytherapy is the injection of carbon dioxide gas to safely improve stretch marks in any color skin. See carboxyworld.Com for results.
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Dr. Michael Sparacino answered
Family Medicine 37 years experience
Difficult: Short of surgery, theres not much to do. Some say cocoa butter helps.
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Dr. Christiaan Maurer answered
Internal Medicine 23 years experience
You can't: You can not get rid of them. They are actual trauma to the skin with resultant scar formation. They will fade with time but always be there to some degree.
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Dr. Alan Patterson answered
Obstetrics and Gynecology 42 years experience
There ar many new cr: Creams on teh market , sometimes surgery can be done.
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Dr. George Kroumpouzos answered
Dermatology 32 years experience
Laser : Laser treatments can help.
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Dr. J. Lawrence Dohan answered
Dermatology 57 years experience
Enjoy them: You will see various treatments offered for this. None of them will do more than slightly improve stretch marks. Time will usually blend them in. Save your money & keep your weight down.
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Dr. Gregory Hines answered
Family Medicine 24 years experience
Vitamin E: Open vitamin e oil capsules and rub it into your skin 2-3x per day.
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Dr. Otto Placik answered
Plastic Surgery 34 years experience
Unlikely: Retin-a may help dark stretch marks to soften in color and moisturizers may ease the dryness associated with striae but the rumors about cocoa butter, lanolin, vitamin e, aloe vera are largely unfounded and essentially old wives tales.
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Dr. Douglas Tavenner, jr. answered
Cosmetic Dentistry 50 years experience
Cocoa Butter: There are many creams and lotions available on the market. However, the old remedy that still works great is using cocoa butter. In fact, may of the current modern products contain cocoa butter because it works so well.
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Dr. Christopher Khorsandi answered
Plastic Surgery 22 years experience
stretch marks: Stretch marks can be improved in their appearance through the use of fractional laser such as the fraxel laser, or by using a micro-needling technique. Unfortunately there is no perfect solution for stretch marks to completely remove them. In some instances where excess skin can be removed such as in a tummy tuck candidate, the stretch mark can be removed as well.
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Dr. Vicki Levine answered
Dermatology 41 years experience
Cannot: There is no way to get rid of white stretch marks.
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2 comments

Dr. Michael Fisher commented
Dermatology 32 years experience
Laser therapy. Laser therapies use intense wavelengths of light to stimulate the growth of collagen, elastin or melanin production in your skin. Your doctor can help you determine which type of laser technology is appropriate for you, depending on the age and location of your stretch marks and your skin color.
Jan 5, 2014

Dr. Michael Fisher commented
Dermatology 32 years experience
Laser therapy. Laser therapies use intense wavelengths of light to stimulate the growth of collagen, elastin or melanin production in your skin. Your doctor can help you determine which type of laser technology is appropriate for you, depending on the age and location of your stretch marks and your skin color.
Jan 5, 2014

Dr. David Sneid answered
Endocrinology 41 years experience
Nothing: Stretch marks are tears in the skin cause by weight gain. They can be covered up, but not improved by creams and lotions. The only possibly effective therapy is cosmetic plastic surgery, but that's a big step for a non-health and non-life threatening problem.
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Dr. Bernard Seif answered
Clinical Psychology 40 years experience
Scars;VitaminE: Life holds no guarantees as we know, but vitamin e oil placed directly on the scar regularly can help to fade or remove the scar. You can get a bottle of it in the drug store. It's inexpensive and worth a try; just be patient. A dermatologist is the best place to start.
4267 viewsMerged

A Verified Doctor answered
A US doctor answered Learn more
Stretch marks: It is unlikely that you can get rid of them on your own.
Have your doctor refer you to a specialist in that area.
He/she will discuss all the options with you and together you will have to work out how best to proceed.
3367 viewsMerged

Dr. Heidi Fowler answered
Psychiatry 25 years experience
Stretch Marks: Treatments: Please see a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for evaluation. Possible treatments include fractional laser resurfacing,dermabrasion & medication (i.e., retinoids)
3788 viewsMerged

Dr. Glynis Ablon commented
Dermatology 29 years experience
and again new treatments are even better, and remember new stretch marks respond faster to laser treatments
Aug 14, 2014

Dr. Matt Wachsman answered
Internal Medicine 36 years experience
Not easy: w/out surgery.
Basically, prevention by increasing skin hydration and elasticity is not well-proven but would make reasonable sense.
All the treatments are like treating street potholes... tear up the surface and start over:
dermabrasion (sanding off skin)
Hyaluronic Acid (wearing it away)
laser therapy (burning off)
Vitamin A (speeds skin maturation and turnover)
a theme here......
Hope I helped
3744 viewsMerged

Dr. Larry Xanthopoulos answered
Pediatrics 22 years experience
Not easily: No topical treatment will take care of this issue. You will need to see a dermatologist to see if laser therapy is a possibility.
3744 viewsMerged

Dr. Jovita Anyanwu answered
Internal Medicine 30 years experience
Stretch marks: Treatment may fade the appearance. Retina a, micro derma abrasions and laser therapy are used
3744 viewsMerged
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
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Stretch marks: Since stretch marks represent a permanent change in the dermis (the deeper layer of skin beneath the surface layer known as the epidermis), there is no amount of resurfacing that can erase them. However, studies have shown that laser treatments can lessen the depth of stretch marks in some patients, with an improvement rate of between 20 and 50%.
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Stretch marks: Since stretch marks represent a permanent change in the dermis (the deeper layer of skin beneath the surface layer known as the epidermis), there is no amount of resurfacing that can erase them. However, studies have shown that laser treatments can lessen the depth of stretch marks in some patients, with an improvement rate of between 20 and 50%.
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Dr. Morris Westfried answered
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Laser: The 1540 laser application from palmer trees stretch marks. Another treatment tat is useful is carboxytherapy, te injections of medically heated carbon dioxide gas, which repairs collagen. 50-70 per cent improvement is achievable with tese treatments.
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Dr. Michael Sparacino answered
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Difficult: Short of surgery, theres not much to do. Some say cocoa butter helps.
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Albany, NY
A 27-year-old female asked:
How to get rid of stretch marks forever ?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Mikael Brisinger answered
Obstetrics and Gynecology 33 years experience
Very difficult: It;s more or less impossible. You can discuss with a dermatologist or plastic surgeon about maybe doing a skin peel or a laser treatment but nothing is really good.
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90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
Last updated May 1, 2019
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