Stretch marks from weight loss

Stretch marks can appear, or become easier to see, after losing weight. The NHS lists losing or gaining weight quickly among the causes, and many marks that seem new after a loss formed during an earlier period of gain and were hidden until the skin changed. Stretch Mark Removal London explains what happens to marks and skin after weight loss, and what treatment can do.

Marks from a period of weight change follow the usual course: red, purple or darker than the skin when new, then paler over a year or two. After a large loss, looser skin can fold in a way that makes lines look more obvious. Treatment for stretch marks thickens and evens the marks themselves, and it does not tighten a large area of loose skin. The guide to reducing the appearance of stretch marks compares the options.

• Losing weight quickly
• Marks from an earlier period of weight gain becoming easier to see
• Looser skin folding over existing marks
• A family member with stretch marks

No. Losing weight does not make a stretch mark go away, because the mark is a scar in the dermis rather than stretched skin that shrinks back. Red marks fade to paler lines over a year or two either way. What weight loss changes is the skin around the marks, which can make them look more or less obvious depending on how it settles and folds.

Stretch marks and loose skin are separate problems. Microneedling and fractional laser can thicken the marks and soften their edges, and they do not tighten a large area of loose skin. If loose skin is the main concern, a practitioner at the assessment can say so plainly and suggest who to speak to, so that money is not spent on a course that treats the wrong problem.

Waiting until your weight has been stable for some months lets the skin settle and shows which marks remain obvious. After that, microneedling or fractional laser can reduce the appearance of marks over three to six sessions. The stomach, hips, thighs and arms are the usual areas, and body treatments are priced by area.