Whether it’s stretch marks on abs or stretch marks on shoulders it can be frustrating if you’re noticing them as you’re losing weight or from working out.

Stretch marks on stomach after weight loss is common, and so are stretch marks on shoulders from working out and behind the knee stretch marks. There are good reasons why you are suddenly noticing them when you start losing weight.  While some people are more susceptible to getting stretch marks than others this is due to the fact that stretch marks are something that is inherited. So if your mom, dad, grandparents, or another blood relative has stretch marks, there’s a higher chance that you’ll have them. 

But just because you have an increased risk of stretch marks doesn’t mean that you’ll get them. There are things that you can do that will reduce your risk even though stretch marks weight loss and weight gain often go hand and hand. 

Let’s look at some of the reasons that you’ll get stretch marks from losing weight, and the things that you can do to decrease this risk.

Why do I get stretch marks when I lose weight?

Rapid weight loss is the most common cause of stretch marks.  The reason is because excess skin as a result of weight loss can cause some stretching and tearing. But generally, stretch marks are not actually caused by losing weight. 

The majority of stretch mark formation is from your weight gain, and when you lose weight, they become more visible.

What do stretch marks look like after weight loss?

Stretch marks can appear as purple, blue, black, pink, or red streaks on your skin. You may notice some red and white stretch marks.

The difference between red stretch marks vs white is that stretch marks turning red are a sign of new stretch marks forming, and they can be slightly raised with a red glossy color. But over time this will begin to fade to white and look slightly depressed. So white stretch marks are older. 

If you have irritated stretch marks, it’s a sign of fresh marks developing quickly. 

If you look at before and after weight loss stretch marks and stretch marks before and after exercise, you’ll notice that they look the same. That's because stretch marks are inherited and often caused by your weight gain but are not noticeable. But this doesn’t mean that a flat stomach with stretch marks is impossible. You might notice belly stretch marks after tanning. Tanning makes stretch marks more visible and exposes some that might not be so noticeable. When you have stretch m

Do stretch marks become more visible when you lose weight?

Yes, sometimes stretch marks can become more visible when you lose weight. And stretch marks loose skin can be exposed when you lose weight, but more than likely they have been there but become more visible due to your weight loss. If they are white stretch marks, weight loss is exposing old stretch marks. 

How to prevent stretch marks when losing weight

In order to prevent stretch marks, you’ll need to try to control how much weight you lose at once. Rapid weight loss will lead to more visible stretch marks. Your weight loss rate should be to lose around one percent of your body weight per week. But that’s not all. You’ll also want to ensure that you stay hydrated and eat a nutrient-rich diet. 

It may be a good idea to get support from a dietitian. They will help you achieve weight loss at a steady and safe rate and reduce your chances of getting stretch marks or at the least reduce the severity of them. 

When you maintain a healthy weight with a healthy diet that is rich in foods loaded with the right amount of vitamins and minerals you can actually prevent stretch marks from forming, even if they run in your family. This is because stretch marks happen when your skin pulls apart quickly and this doesn’t matter if you are losing or gaining weight. You can even get stretch marks from working out. 

Here are some things that you can do that will help to maintain a healthy diet, and improve the health of your skin to reduce your risk or prevent stretch marks,

Staying hydrated

When you drink an adequate amount of water you keep your skin hydrated and soft. This prevents the development of stretch marks because your skin is soft.  The current recommendation for daily water intake is 104 ounces for men and 72 ounces for women. However, if you drink caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, you may need to increase your water intake. Caffeinated drinks are known to increase your risk of developing stretch marks. 

Include vitamins in your diet

You’ll want your diet to include vitamin C, get an adequate amount of vitamin D, and be sure that you’re eating foods rich in zinc. These things will help to boost collagen which will help to reduce the risk.  

Collagen is important to keeping your skin strong and elastic. This helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and is essential when it comes to preventing stretch marks. 

You’ll want to eat foods that boost the health of your skin these will include foods that are rich in

• vitamin C
• vitamin D - maintaining health levels will reduce your risk of stretch marks. 
• vitamin E
• Zinc - Zinc reduces inflammation and plays an important role in the skin's healing process. 
• protein

Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables, such as citrus fruits, like oranges and lemons.

You can get healthy levels of Vitamin D through exposure to the sun. But you can also find that this vitamin is commonly added to bread, cereal, and dairy products like milk and yogurt.

Eating zinc-rich foods such as nuts and fish will help keep your skin healthy.

One of the best ways to ensure that you're getting a good variety of nutrients is to avoid eating processed foods and add more unprocessed foods in various colors to your diet.  

As new stretch marks appear, treat them right away. 

While you cannot always prevent stretch marks from appearing on your skin, you can however minimize their appearance. This will help them not to appear as noticeable so they aren’t as noticeable. 

Dermaclara offers a variety of 100% medical grade silicone patches that have been proven to reduce and eliminate stretch marks. This is achieved through the natural production of collagen. That is what these various-sized patches will deliver to your skin.

Can you get rid of stretch marks from losing weight

Whether it’s weight loss stretch marks, stretch marks on knees, stretch marks lower back, or stretch marks on forearm they aren’t likely to disappear on their own.  It’s important that you adopt a prevention plan that will reduce the risk of rapid weight loss or weight gain which increases the risk of stretch mark formation. 

But prevention isn’t always possible, and stretch marks can happen. So, the best thing that you can start doing is to boost your collagen production and improve the health of your skin. 

How can I treat stretch marks before and after weight loss?

You’ll find plenty of great solutions for treating stretch marks before and after weight loss. No matter what the best treatment starts before or during the weight gain. Of course, you cannot always prevent rapid weight gain or rapid weight loss. It's important that you begin providing your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to promote healthy skin. 

It’s equally as important to deliver exactly what your skin needs to heal and prevent stretch marks without any side effects. Our silicone patches create the perfect microclimate between your skin and the patch. This microclimate helps to stimulate the natural production of collagen which helps to hydrate your skin and promote healthy skin that will reduce the appearance of stretch marks. 

You can look at the stretch marks before and after pictures on Dermaclara to see the results.