Fading Stretch Marks in Pregnancy: Five Things That Help

They arrive somewhere in the fourth or fifth month, usually while you are doing something else, and there is very little you could have done to stop them.

Before any of the advice below, here is what is actually on offer.

What care can and cannot do

No moisturiser has been shown to prevent stretch marks. What one gives you is comfort: less of the dryness and itch that come with skin stretching.

Whether they appear at all is decided mostly by genetics, how fast your skin stretches, and hormones. Care can make existing marks less noticeable. It cannot erase them.

The NHS puts it simply: stretch marks are harmless and cause no medical problems.

What causes them

Hormones, which loosen the bonds between collagen fibres, so skin tears more readily when it is stretched.

A big baby, or twins. You grow faster than the skin covering you.

Family history. If your mother or grandmother had them, your odds go up.

Being younger. Skin stretching sharply around month four or five tends to be more dramatic in younger Mamas.

Sitting still. Less movement means poorer circulation and skin less prepared for change.

What the colour is telling you

New marks are red or purple. There are still blood vessels underneath, so care has something to work with.

Over time they fade to silvery white. The vessels have narrowed, and now they are much harder to soften.

Read more: red and white stretch marks

Five things worth doing

Feed your skin. Vitamin C from guava, broccoli or papaya supports collagen. Vitamin E from almonds, spinach and avocado. Good nutrition supports skin health, and no food guarantees you will escape.

Drink enough. Your fluid needs rise in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and well-hydrated skin is more supple and more comfortable.

Keep moving. Exercise that is safe in pregnancy improves circulation, lowers the risk of varicose veins, and helps with how gradually the weight goes on.

Let the weight rise gradually. Fast gain gives skin less time to adapt. The aim is food with more in it, not smaller meals.

Care for it from the outside. Cream or serum twice a day, ideally straight after a shower while your skin is still damp. Consistency matters far more than how much you use.

What to avoid while pregnant

• Retinoids (retinol, tretinoin)
• Laser, microdermabrasion and chemical peels, usually postponed until after the birth and discussed with a dermatologist first
• Strong synthetic fragrance, which irritates skin that has turned reactive

If you are unsure about an ingredient, our ingredient dictionary lists what is in each of our products.

Ours

Mama's Choice Stretch Mark Cream has Lypobelle Soyaglicone, aloe vera and jojoba oil, holding moisture in and easing the itch.

Mama's Choice Stretch Mark Serum is lighter and absorbs faster, with alpha bisabolol, mugwort and niacinamide.

Both without alcohol or parabens, both safe right through pregnancy.

When to start

Ideally before they appear, in the second trimester when the bump grows fastest.

There is no cut-off though. White marks can still be softened. It is just slower, and there is less in it.

After the birth

Red marks fade to silvery white on their own over the following months, and loose skin gradually tightens.

At that point your options widen, because the pregnancy restrictions are gone. Some Mamas carry on with cream and serum. Others see a dermatologist.

What stays true: stretch marks are ordinary, and nobody is obliged to remove them.

Reading the numbers on this page

• Prevalence survey (n=1,515): how many Mamas get stretch marks. It measures no product at all.
• Spincontrol Thailand 2023 (n=22): up to 65% reduction in appearance over 28 days, with Cream and Serum used together. Both at once, no comparison group, so it cannot be split between them.
• Consumer satisfaction surveys: the share of Mamas who felt a change. Impressions, not measurements.

"72%" and "75% in 30 days" appear on different pages with no shared measurement point. Until the original sources surface, read both as user impressions rather than clinical results.