What are Stretch Marks? What Causes Them?

Posted by Priya sharma
7
Sep 19, 2025
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Striae distensae, striae, striae atrophicans, and striae gravidarum are medical terms for stretch marks. These dermal scars show up on the skin as thin lines or long, smooth bands because of the sudden stretching. The good news is that if you get stretch marks, there is nothing more serious to be concerned about because they are completely harmless and pose no medical risk. However, they can cause emotional or psychological distress.Through this blog, we will detail what causes stretch marks and different options for stretch marks removal in Delhi

What Causes Stretch Marks?

Now that we know what stretch marks are, let us understand what causes them. A sudden weight gain or loss causes the skin to stretch or contract quickly. This pushes connective tissue beyond its elastic limits, which is what causes stretch marks to form at the dermal level. Indeed, they can result from both weight loss and weight gain, so even after you achieve a major victory by losing a significant amount of weight, you may still be stuck with stretch marks. 

Stretching too quickly in any direction can cause tears and expose the skin beneath the surface. While everyone's body experiences fluctuations in size and weight as they age, only rapid changes can cause stretch marks. Although the skin's fibers are incredibly strong, their elasticity has its limits and can break if stretched too much.

Stretch marks' original red or purple color gradually disappears as blood vessels constrict and the pale fat beneath the skin becomes apparent. Let's now examine some of the most common reasons why people get stretch marks.

Factors that cause stretch marks: 

  • Pregnancy 

Although this depends on a woman's skin type and elasticity, stretch marks are likely to appear in the later stages of pregnancy. Stretch marks usually appear on the abdomen as the baby grows, but they can also appear on the thighs and breasts.

  • Puberty 

Both boys and girls go through growth cycles during adolescence. During this period, girls typically get stretch marks on their hips, thighs, and breasts, while boys typically get them on their shoulders and back.

  • Weight Gain

Although gaining a lot of weight is often thought to be the only cause of stretch marks, there are other factors at play as well. Stretch marks can also develop in bodybuilders and athletes who experience an increase in muscle mass.

  • Health Issues

People with Cushing's syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and other illnesses are also prone to stretch marks. While the latter reduces the elasticity of the skin, the former frequently causes rapid weight gain due to an excess of cortisol.

  • BMI

Stretch marks happen more often in people with a higher BMI than in people with a lower BMI. Women are especially prone to this.

Are you experiencing stretch marks that you want to get rid of? Get in touch with the skin experts at Delhi Wellness Clinics, the best skin clinic in Delhi

How are Stretch Marks Treated? 

  • Dermaroller therapy: This traditional microneedling method involves carefully placing tiny, fine needles at precise depths on a derma roller to produce controlled micro-injuries over the stretch marks. 

  • RF microneedling (MNRF): This treatment combines radiofrequency energy with microneedling to boost the production of collagen and elastin, which helps improve skin texture and lessen the appearance of stretch marks.

  • Microdermabrasion: In this skin resurfacing procedure, the top layers of the skin are removed using tiny abrasive crystals or a microdermabrasion tool with a diamond-tipped wand. This helps the skin to regenerate and reduces the visibility of stretch marks. 

  • Deep chemical peeling: Deep chemical peels, such as phenolic acid, are applied to the stretch marks to remove skin down to the dermis. You can observe changes in the texture of the skin as it heals.

  • Laser skin resurfacing: To precisely remove the outer layers of skin and create controlled thermal injuries, fractional CO2 lasers or pulsed dye lasers are applied over the stretch marks. As the skin regenerates and new collagen forms, the stretch marks fade away.

Consult the top dermatologist at Delhi Wellness Clinics to get stretch marks treatment 

If you're looking to reduce the visibility of stretch marks, consult the expert skin doctors at Delhi Wellness Clinics. The treatments for stretch marks cost from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 8,000 per session. To know the exact stretch mark removal cost in Delhi, visit Delhi Wellness Clinics now. 


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