Stretch marks are extremely common. Reported rates range from 11% in men to as high as 88% in pregnant women, making them one of the most widespread skin changes humans experience. Most people will develop at least a few during their lifetime, whether from puberty, pregnancy, weight changes, or muscle growth.
Prevalence by Life Stage
The likelihood of developing stretch marks depends heavily on what your body is going through at any given time. During adolescence, when growth spurts can add inches in a matter of months, reported prevalence ranges from 6% to 86%. That wide range reflects differences in study populations, how quickly individual teens grow, and genetic factors that influence skin elasticity.
Pregnancy is the single biggest trigger. A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 56% of women developed stretch marks during their first pregnancy. That number climbs higher in some populations, with certain studies reporting rates up to 88%. The abdomen, breasts, hips, and thighs bear the brunt of rapid skin stretching as the body accommodates a growing baby.
Men are less frequently studied, but stretch marks are far from rare in males. The lowest reported rate, around 11%, comes from surveys of adult men in the general population. That number rises significantly among men who gain weight quickly or build muscle rapidly, particularly bodybuilders and strength athletes.
Why Some People Get Them and Others Don’t
Stretch marks form when the middle layer of skin (the dermis) is stretched faster than it can adapt. Immune cells in the skin release enzymes that break down the elastic fibers holding your skin together, followed by a reorganization of collagen. The result is essentially a linear scar that sits just below the surface.
Genetics play a major role in who gets stretch marks and how severe they become. A family history of stretch marks increases the risk by more than fourfold. Researchers have identified several genes involved, many of which regulate connective tissue structure, skin cell signaling, and fatty acid production. If your mother had prominent stretch marks during pregnancy, your odds of developing them are substantially higher.
Hormones matter too. Prolonged exposure to cortisol, whether from stress, medical conditions, or corticosteroid medications, weakens the skin’s structural fibers and makes stretch marks more likely. This is why people taking steroid medications or those with conditions that elevate cortisol levels often develop stretch marks even without significant weight changes.
Common Locations by Cause
Where stretch marks appear depends on what’s driving the skin stretching. During pregnancy, they cluster on the abdomen, breasts, and hips. In adolescents, they tend to show up on the thighs, buttocks, and lower back in girls, and on the lower back and outer thighs in boys.
In people who lift weights, the pattern is different. Stretch marks concentrate on the upper arms near the shoulders, the chest, and the upper back. The worst cases tend to occur in people who train heavily in one area, particularly those focusing on both biceps and chest exercises. That combination stretches the skin near the armpits in two opposing directions, putting extra strain on the tissue.
How They Change Over Time
Fresh stretch marks start out reddish or purplish and slightly raised. At this stage, called striae rubrae, they’re actively inflamed, with swelling in the dermis and increased blood flow near the surface. This is when they’re most noticeable and often most distressing.
Over months to years, they gradually fade to white or flesh-colored and flatten out. At this point, they resemble scar tissue under a microscope: the top layer of skin thins, the collagen fibers pack densely in parallel lines, and the skin loses some of its normal texture. These older marks are far less conspicuous, especially on lighter skin tones, though they may still be visible as slightly indented, silvery lines.
What Actually Works for Treatment
No high-quality randomized controlled trials have established a definitive treatment for stretch marks. That said, timing matters enormously. Newer, reddish stretch marks respond far better to treatment than older, white ones. Once stretch marks fully mature into pale scars, very few options show meaningful results.
Topical retinoids have shown the strongest evidence for improving early stretch marks. They work by increasing collagen production and accelerating skin cell turnover. These should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Microneedling, which creates tiny punctures in the skin to trigger a healing response, has shown promise in recent studies. A 2025 study of 29 participants found steady improvements after four monthly sessions, with continued fading for up to six months after the final treatment. An earlier study from 2020 found that most participants saw clear improvement within just two treatments. For best results, plan on monthly sessions over several months, with visible changes typically appearing after two to four treatments.
Certain types of laser therapy can reduce the redness of newer stretch marks but show little benefit for older white ones. Laser treatments also carry a higher risk of complications for people with darker skin tones.
Can You Prevent Them?
The most reliable prevention strategy is avoiding rapid changes in body size, though that’s obviously not always possible or desirable. For teenagers in the middle of a growth spurt or pregnant women, the stretching is simply part of the process. Gradual weight gain during pregnancy and steady, progressive muscle building in the gym (rather than aggressive bulking cycles) can reduce the severity.
Keeping skin well-moisturized has not been conclusively proven to prevent stretch marks, despite the popularity of cocoa butter and other creams marketed for this purpose. The structural breakdown happens deep in the dermis, below where most topical products can reach. That said, well-hydrated skin is generally more pliable, and there’s little downside to moisturizing regularly during periods of rapid growth or weight change.
Ultimately, genetics determine more about your stretch mark risk than anything you can control. If you’re predisposed, they’re likely to show up during the body’s most dramatic changes, regardless of what you apply to your skin. The reassuring reality is that they fade significantly with time, and for those who want to speed the process, early treatment during the red stage offers the best window.