The color of stretch marks tells you more about what’s happening beneath the surface of your skin than you may realize. It clues you into what type of treatment your stretch marks will respond to and allows you to set your expectations for how much fading is really possible.
That’s why we’re going to unpack the stretch mark color meaning in this guide so you can come up with the right plan for treatment. Whether that’s a proven stretch mark serum like 8 Sheep Organics or something more intensive like laser resurfacing or microneedling, figuring out what you’re really dealing with is the first step!
Key Takeaways
- Stretch mark colors tell you where they’re at in the healing stage.
- Red or purple stretch marks are the newest form and most responsive to topical care.
- Stretch marks shift through pink, white, and eventually, silver/gray as they age.
- 8 Sheep Organics makes the best stretch mark cream if your marks are still in the early stages.
- Microneedling, laser resurfacing, and prescription retinoids may be your only option if the marks have begun scarring.
Understanding Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are an unfortunately common issue during pregnancy, puberty, or any other time when the skin stretches faster than collagen and elastin can keep up with. Eventually, it reaches a breaking point - and the dermis layer gives way, leading to a literal tear.
You’ll notice stretch marks wherever your skin is stretching the most. That’s the belly, breasts, hips, and thighs during pregnancy. It could be the lower back, arms, and chest during puberty or when a guy first takes up bodybuilding.
The early signs of stretch marks include itching and textural changes. Then you’ll begin noticing the tiny red or purple marks forming. Seeing these signs early still gives you time to reverse the damage.
Stretch Mark Color Meaning: Interpreting Different Stretch Mark Colors
The stretch mark color meaning is fairly straightforward. We’ll take you through the progression below.
Red/Purple Stretch Marks
Stretch marks start out red or purple. They’re known scientifically as striae rubrae at this stage. They’re this color because of active inflammation and more blood flow near the skin’s surface. This is your body going into damage control and trying to mount a healing response.
Striae rubrae are more responsive to treatment than any other form. This is why early detection is paramount to treating stretch marks. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends responding with treatment before the marks mature and settle.3
Pink/Light Brown Stretch Marks
The stretch marks that started our red or purple will slowly but surely progress to lighter colors - pink or light brown. The initial inflammatory response has calmed down, but the skin is far from healed. There’s slightly less blood flow, which is why the marks are starting to lighten in color.
Topical care can still help with these types of stretch marks. But the clock is certainly ticking.
White Stretch Marks
White stretch marks have moved past the active healing phase. Blood vessels beneath the surface of the skin have retreated, and the collagen has begun reorganizing into scar tissue. These are known scientifically as striae albae.
It’s unlikely that topical products - even a proven solution like 8 Sheep Organics True Belly Serum - will have a measurable effect on how stretch marks look once they transition into striae albae. You can still minimize their appearance to some extent or improve texture at the very least, so it’s not time to give up altogether.
Silvery/Gray Stretch Marks
These stretch marks are essentially scars - and at that point, they’re permanent fixtures in your skin. The skin has fully healed itself, and the marks have lost any residual color they had held onto up until now. You may notice the stretch marks look slightly indented compared to the skin around them.
You have two real options at this point - embrace the stretch marks and learn to love your skin or consider expensive professional treatments like microneedling or laser resurfacing.
Why Do Stretch Marks Change Color?
Stretch marks don’t start and end the same color because there is an active healing response going on beneath the surface from the moment the dermis first tears to the point in time that the scars are solidified.
New stretch marks are red or purple because the dermis is still inflamed and blood vessels are dilated near the tear. But that inflammation starts to fade and blood flow decreases, shifting the color to pink and eventually to white or silver.
Skin tone plays a role in the stretch mark colors you see on your skin as well. Early marks look red or pink on lighter skin, while they may appear deeper purple or brown on darker skin.
Treating Stretch Marks of Any Color With 8 Sheep Organics
This is the main takeaway from today’s conversation on the stretch mark color meaning: the earlier you begin treatment, the better odds you have of erasing your stretch marks altogether.
Our stretch mark cream is the #1 choice not just among pregnant women but anyone trying to support their skin. That’s because True Belly Serum contains the two ingredients clinically proven by the AAD to have a measurable impact on stretch marks: Centella Asiatica and triple-weighted hyaluronic acid.1
For the sake of comparison, most products on the market contain cocoa butter - which is super nourishing and hydrating, but doesn’t appear to be any better at treating stretch marks than a placebo.2
True Belly Serum is handcrafted in small batches from only organic ingredients, and comes backed by a 100-day money-back guarantee - like all organic pregnancy products at 8 Sheep Organics.
If you’re seeing lighter stretch mark colors or have given True Belly Serum a good 3-6 months to work with no improvement, you will have to determine if you want to move forward with professional treatments or not. Laser resurfacing, microneedling, and prescription retinoids are worth discussing with a dermatologist.
Final Words on the Stretch Mark Color Meaning
We hope you have a solid grasp on the stretch mark color meaning as we bring this guide to a close. So, does stretch mark cream work? Only when they’re still red or purple, before they’ve begun scarring.
This is to say you shouldn’t waste any more time. The sooner you start treating your stretch marks, the better. Get the best belly butter for stretch marks today.
References
- Mallol J, et al. Prophylaxis of striae gravidarum with a topical formulation. A double blind trial. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 1991;13(1):51-57. PubMed
- Osman H, et al. Cocoa butter lotion for prevention of striae gravidarum: a double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial. BJOG. 2008;115(9):1138-1142. PubMed
- American Academy of Dermatology. Stretch marks: Why they appear and how to get rid of them. AAD
