Stretch marks usually start as darker, reddish, purple, or brownish lines and gradually fade over time to a lighter, silvery-white color, becoming less noticeable but often remaining visible as paler scars. They can initially appear raised and then flatten or become slightly depressed as they mature.
Signs of stretch marks
Stretch marks can be pink, red, brown, black, silver or purple. They usually start off darker and fade over time. Stretch marks are most common on the tummy, breasts, chest, upper arms, legs, bottom, hips or back.
Stretch marks occur when skin gets overstretched. They can occur in the abdomen, chest, hips, lower back and thighs. Because of the connective tissue and collagen in these areas, stretching too much causes the purple-reddish scars to appear. Over time, they usually become white and thinner.
Stretch marks fade naturally over time. While they may appear red, purple, or dark brown initially, they often lighten to a pale, silvery tone as they heal. 8. Stretch marks are technically scars that form in the dermis layer of the skin, which is why they can't be removed entirely.
Their texture may also feel different than the rest of your skin. Older or white stretch marks are harder to treat than new ones. This is because the blood vessels have become narrow, which then makes it difficult to stimulate collagen production.
In time, the color fades and the narrow bands sink beneath your skin. If you run your finger over a mature stretch mark, you often feel a slight depression.
Whenever your skin has gone through major weight gain or weight loss, it might leave behind some stretch marks. These long stretches of tissue are tightened spots on the skin that don't seem to ever smooth out over time.
At times, you get confused between stretch marks and varicose veins. When you notice the purplish red lines on your skin, which are also twisted at times, you get a feeling of having either stretch marks or varicose veins. Unfortunately, the two conditions can occur simultaneously, making it difficult to differentiate.
Stretch marks aren't painful or harmful, but some people don't like the way they make their skin look. Stretch marks don't require treatment. They often fade over time, with or without treatment. They may never disappear completely.
As time goes on, the stretch marks may become raised and begin to thicken. The formation of new collagen fibers in the skin causes this. Eventually, the stretch marks may turn a silver or grey colour. This is caused by the fading of the pigmentation in the skin and is usually the final stage of the healing process.
In general, stretch marks take between six and 12 months to fade. With treatment, they often fade faster.
Rapid weight loss can throw off the balance between collagen breakdown and new collagen production. That can make early stretch marks more noticeable or deepen existing ones. The effects show up most where your skin stretched the most during weight gain — often in the abdominal area, upper arms, and thighs.
Why the different colors, then? The reason is due to both the underlying color of your skin and the age of the stretch marks. New stretch marks tend to be red or brown whereas older ones fade to white.
Derived from vitamin A, retinoids — such as tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova, Avita) — that you apply to your skin may improve the appearance of stretch marks less than a few months old. Tretinoin, when it works, helps to rebuild a protein in the skin called collagen, making the stretch marks look more like your normal skin.
Summer is a crucial time for damaged skin. Stretch marks make the skin more sensitive to the sun. They can, under its rays, become covered with brown spots, which far from blending into the tan, will make them even more visible and above all pigment them permanently.
Texture. Feeling the skin on or around a Bartonella rash will not feel much different. With stretch marks, you can expect them to feel a little different as well as appear slightly indented compared to the skin around them.
Skin changes that mimic stretch marks can be from a hidden Bartonella infection, one that frequently appears as a co-infection of Lyme disease. Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment can cause the symptoms to worsen as time passes.
While retinol products are most commonly used to treat acne or for anti-aging purposes, it's possible to use these products to reduce the appearance of stretch marks on the skin. The active ingredient in these products is tretinoin or Retin-A, which is a derivative of vitamin A.
Moisturize. There's no magic cream that can absolutely prevent stretch marks, but keeping skin supple may make a person less susceptible to developing stretch marks. If stretch marks do develop, well-moisturized skin also may respond better to treatment. Eat nutrient-rich foods.
Those with deeper skin tones are often less likely to develop stretch marks, as darker skin tends to be more elastic compared to paler skin types, but this doesn't mean that stretch marks are completely avoidable.
Tip #2 – Stock up on Vitamin D
A study by Koehler Zanella et al. found a correlation between a lack of vitamin D and the appearance of stretch marks4.
The good news is that stretch marks usually become considerably less noticeable about six to 12 months after childbirth. The pigmentation fades and they generally become lighter than the surrounding skin (the color will vary depending on your skin color), but their texture will remain the same.
New scar tissue is a purple-red color, so it makes sense that your stretch marks are going to be an odd purple-y color during the first stage of the healing process.