# Stretch Marks

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretch-marks/186322>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 5, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretch-marks/186322 "2003-07-05T00:51:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jump\_Out\_A\_Tree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jump\_Out\_A\_Tree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump_Out_A_Tree)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretch-marks/186322/1 "2003-07-05T00:51:24Z")

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What exactly are stretch marks? How do they form, and can they be gotten rid of?

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretch-marks/186322/2 "2003-07-05T00:54:58Z")

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The skin is stretched due to increasing girth (obesity, pregnancy), and the deep collagen fibers which underlie the skin are pulled apart. Initially they can be quite red. This fades with time. Retin-A will help reduce the redness if used early, but won’t do anything to repair the stretch mark. Nothing can currently do that.

QtM, MD

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretch-marks/186322/3 "2003-07-05T00:58:21Z")

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This is a nice website about the topic:

[Striae distensae](http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic406.htm)

And don’t waste your money on over-the-counter cures. They don’t work.