Un-earning Your 'Stripes'

Stretch marks are almost a given for most moms, but is there an effective way to get rid of them for good?

By Dawn Klingensmith
CTW Features

Image courtesy istockphoto

Like plastic surgeons the world over, Dr. Michael A. Epstein wishes there were a surefire way to get rid of stretch marks - and that he'd invented it.

"I'd be rich," he says.

It's no joke. The unsightly stripes are no laughing matter, and many people who have them would pay dearly to make them disappear. Stretch marks occur when the body expands too quickly for the skin to keep up, and the fibers in the elastic middle layer of the skin are torn. Pregnancy, puberty, and rapid weight gain or muscle development are common causes of stretch marks, and genetics play a role in a person's susceptibility, says Epstein, founder of MAE Plastic Surgery, Northbrook, Ill.

Typically, stretch marks first appear as reddish or purple lines and become paler over time, though they retain a slight sheen that makes them stand out. And no sort of potion or procedure will get rid of them completely.

"The thing people need to understand is that stretch marks are the result of a fundamental change to the structure of the skin," says Dr. Manish Gharia, a dermatologist at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital, Milwaukee. "There's damage to the elastic tissue, and we don't have a way to repair that."

However, certain treatments have been shown to diminish the appearance of stretch marks in a percentage of patients who undergo them, he says. One of the more promising options is the topical application of trentinoin, more commonly known as Retin-A, which has been shown to improve the appearance of stretch marks after persistent use over a long period of time.

Laser therapy is another option. Pulsed dye lasers target and stamp out redness, so patients may see modest to dramatic fading, but the results aren't consistent. The lasers' energy may also cause stretch marks to contract to some degree, Epstein says.

A skin-tightening radiofrequency treatment called Thermage and a wrinkle-reducing laser treatment called Fraxel may join the arsenal of would-be stretch mark remedies, but since neither was developed with stretch marks in mind, studies are lacking as to their effectiveness.

"You have to ask yourself whether you're willing to take the chance of not seeing much of a result and paying thousands of dollars for unproven treatments," Epstein says. "And they're not pain-free, either."

As for prevention, slow, steady weight gain not exceeding the recommended 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy may guard against excessive stretch marks but won't provide immunity, nor will guzzling water or glopping on cocoa butter, Vitamin E oil or other unguents.

"Some people think keeping the skin really supple beforehand will prevent stretch marks," Epstein says, "but I've seen women who were really religious about doing those sorts of things, and they still got stretch marks."

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