Stretch marks — striae gravidarum — appear in most pregnancies. They are harmless, extremely common, and largely outside your control. This article aims to be straight with you about what helps and what does not.

What they are and why they happen

As your skin stretches to accommodate a growing baby, the collagen and elastic fibres in the deeper layer are disrupted. Pregnancy hormones also affect how these fibres behave, making the skin more susceptible.

They usually appear on the abdomen, and often on the breasts, hips and thighs. They start pink, red or purple, and are most noticeable in late pregnancy.

Somewhere around 8 in 10 women develop them to some degree.

The biggest factor is genetics

This is worth stating clearly, because it takes a lot of unnecessary guilt out of the picture.

Whether you get stretch marks is largely determined by your genes. If your mother or sisters had them, you probably will too, regardless of what you do. Women who develop them have not failed to look after themselves, and women who avoid them have not usually done anything clever.

Other factors that play a part: how quickly you gain weight, how large the baby is, carrying twins, and your age. But genetics dominates.

Can they be prevented? Honestly, not reliably

There is a large market in creams and oils promising prevention, and the evidence behind them is weak. Studies of the popular ingredients have not shown convincing prevention of stretch marks.

That said, moisturising is still worth doing — not because it will prevent marks, but because stretching skin gets itchy and uncomfortable, and moisturising relieves that. Any plain moisturising cream or oil will do; expensive branded products have no proven advantage over inexpensive ones.

Steady rather than rapid weight gain may reduce severity, and is worth aiming for on its own merits. A normal balanced diet and staying hydrated support skin health generally.

What we would ask you not to do is spend a great deal of money on products marketed as guaranteed prevention, or feel you have done something wrong if marks appear anyway.

What happens afterwards

Here is the genuinely reassuring part, and the thing most women are not told.

Stretch marks fade considerably on their own. Over the months after birth the red or purple colour gradually gives way to a pale, silvery tone much closer to your natural skin colour. They usually become far less noticeable than they were in late pregnancy. They do not disappear entirely, but most women find them much less prominent than they feared.

Treatments after pregnancy

If marks still bother you once you have finished breastfeeding, some treatments have reasonable evidence:

  • Topical tretinoin — can improve the appearance of newer marks. It must not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Laser and light treatments — can reduce redness and improve texture, usually over several sessions.
  • Microneedling — may improve appearance.

None removes stretch marks completely. Discuss options with a doctor once pregnancy and breastfeeding are behind you.

A word on how they look

Stretch marks are not a medical problem and carry no health consequences. Most women have them, most partners do not care about them, and they fade. If yours are causing you real distress, that is worth mentioning to your doctor — not because they are dangerous, but because how you feel about your body after birth matters too.

The bottom line

Most women get stretch marks, and genetics decides more than anything you do. No cream reliably prevents them, though moisturising helps with itching. They fade substantially on their own after birth. Treatments exist for afterwards if they still bother you.

References

  1. National Health Service. Stretch marks [Internet]. NHS; [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stretch-marks/
  2. Brennan M, Young G, Devane D. Topical preparations for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;11:CD000066.
  3. National Health Service. Keeping well in pregnancy [Internet]. NHS; [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/