# Why do I have stretchmarks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880 "2008-10-21T13:17:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880/1 "2008-10-21T13:17:15Z")
This has puzzled me since I first noticed it as a teen. I have significant stretchmarking on my lower back and hips. On my back, they are broad, horizontal stripes. On my hips, they’re both horizontal and angled, but taper much more sharply. I’m a modest 5’10" and 134lbs, and I’ve _never_ been overweight. If anything, I’ve been significantly underweight for most of my life. So what would cause these curious marks? ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880/2 "2008-10-21T13:31:10Z")
Stretch marks can also apear due to growth spurts in puberty. In effect this means that you grow faster than your skin can keep up to. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880/3 "2008-10-21T13:31:54Z")
Stretch marks aren’t only caused from being over weight, they’re also caused when your body grows faster than your skin does. I’ve got a couple on my chest near my armpits on each side that I got when I was a teen, before I had any real mass on my chest. I knew a gal that was about 5’6" and 105# that had stretch marks on her (non existent) love handles, simply because her frame grew faster than her skin could accommodate. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880/4 "2008-10-21T13:32:06Z")
As an anecdote, I have some faint stretch marks on my butt and thighs from puberty. I’ve always been skinny (all right, scrawny), but when I was 15 or so I went from 5’3" to 5’10" in what felt like a matter of weeks, and my skin couldn’t keep up. That’s my theory, at least… my other theory at the time was that constantly sitting (in school, at the computer, on the couch… I was a pretty lazy teenager) was pushing my skin in weird directions, but now I think it was just the growth spurt. ---
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880/5 "2008-10-21T13:40:06Z")
Hmmm, growth spurt sounds plausible. Thanks guys. I think I went through a significant growth spurt around puberty, come to think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880/6 "2008-10-21T13:55:51Z")
Well, here’s [another opinion](http://www.stretchmarks.org/causes.html) by an actual doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-stretchmarks/468880/7 "2008-10-21T14:03:36Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Well, here’s [another opinion](http://www.stretchmarks.org/causes.html) by an actual doctor. Seems like what he’s saying is that the stretch marks are produced hormonally to make your skin more elastic.