Why They Happen and How to Get Rid of Them

In a similar way, there is not much that can be done to prevent stretch marks, and there’s no substantial evidence that any remedies actually work.

Still, Kassouf recommends hydrating your skin with moisturizer every day — especially during pregnancy — to help make the skin more flexible to stretch.

“Think of it like Play-Doh,” she says. “When it’s new and it’s hydrated, it’s more pliable and easy to stretch. But when it’s dried out, it’s not as flexible and begins to crack. It’s kind of the same concept.”

Kassouf notes that in many cases, particularly when skin stretches rapidly, moisturizing will likely not prevent stretch marks. But there’s reason to believe it may provide some benefit.

“Technically, striae are atrophic scars due to disruption and damage to the connective tissue in the skin,” Kassouf says. “We often use emollients [moisturizing treatments] to help with wound healing, allowing better movement of epidermal cells over the wound base. If we think of the stretch marks as wounds to the skin, then potentially the emollients can help at least some of the healing mechanisms to keep up.”

Because rapid weight gain and weight loss can cause stretch marks, aim to maintain a healthy diet and get regular exercise to prevent rapid weight fluctuations.

If you’ve been prescribed topical steroids, use them only intermittently, and in general avoid long-term or continuous use, Massick says.

“If you’ve been prescribed systemic steroids for a medical condition, the goal will be to remain on the lowest dosage possible and wean off if appropriate as soon as possible,” she says.

Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about the medications you’re taking and their possible side effects.

Finally, if you’re using anabolic steroids to build muscle, stop taking them. “They are not a healthy way to build muscle,” Massick says.