Purple Stretch Marks: Can You Get Rid of Them?

Purple stretch marks are an incredibly standard feature on the human body, but if you’ve got some of them for yourself, you know how self-conscious they can make you feel.

These marks can come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, with purple stretch marks being some of the most common.


Can you get rid of purple stretch marks?

A purple stretch mark usually indicates that it’s relatively new, which means it’ll fade over time to a less obvious appearance. In the meantime though, there are some things you can do to help reduce the severity of stretch marks if they’re concerning you.


Although a totally common occurrence on the body, not everyone is happy to live with their stretch marks.

If you’ve noticed some new purple marks showing up and want to make them as discreet as possible, this guide will show you the way.

What Are Purple Stretch Marks? 

Purple Stretch Marks: Can You Get Rid of Them?

As our bodies grow, our skin stretches and thins out to meet this growth, whether it’s going through puberty or working out at the gym that has caused the changes.

As it does, the elastic fibers sometimes break and develop scars called ‘striae’, or their more common name of stretch marks.

Stretch marks are a regular occurrence in the human body and they’re nothing to be concerned about.

Having stretch marks won’t hurt you, they aren’t a dangerous sign of anything else, and they’ll usually fade over time, but that doesn’t mean people are happy to simply live with them on their bodies.

Stretch marks look different on everybody and they also come in different colors and sizes.

You might find stretch marks to be blue, black, brown, red, or purple, depending on the color of your skin and the age of the scarring, and they’re predominantly found on the buttocks, breasts, abdomen, upper arm, hips, and thigh.

Purple stretch marks are more commonly found when these scars are new and as they age, they tend to lighten and may become white or silvery eventually.

If you’ve come across purple stretch marks on your body and want to know how to get rid of them, the good news is they likely won’t stay this way forever, so there’s no need to worry.

Common Causes

Purple Stretch Marks: Can You Get Rid of Them?

Stretch marks are caused by your skin being stretched which occurs during stages of growth. Although the standard for many people, the following risk factors make someone more likely to develop stretch marks: 

  • During pregnancy;
  • After periods of weight gain;
  • During or following puberty after growth spurts;
  • After gaining extra muscle by working out;
  • Having a genetic or family history of stretch marks;
  • Having surgery to enhance breasts and buttocks;
  • Taking corticosteroids;

Even with these risk factors in place, other things will determine how your body reacts to being stretched.

Your genetics, the levels of the hormone cortisol within your body, and how much stress occurred during the skin stretching will all play a part in the final result of stretch marks.

Can You Get Rid of Stretch Marks?

Get Rid of Stretch Marks

There’s no way to remove stretch marks completely from your body, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do things to minimize their appearance by lightening them and smoothing the texture.

These are some of the proven treatments that might be able to help, with many people finding the best results by using a combination of a few of them.

  • Microdermabrasion: This is done using targeted exfoliation to remove the top layer of skin, and allow new skin to grow, effectively reducing the appearance of stretch marks.
  • Retinoids: Retinoids are used to treat everything from acne to stretch marks. However, these creams work best on newer stretch marks, like red and purple ones.
  • Laser therapy: Lasers and lights, like pulsed-dye laser treatments, increase the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. This enables new cells to turn over and reduce the appearance of the stretch marks.
  • Chemical peel: A peel uses a combination of exfoliating ingredients that remove the top layer of skin and promote new cell growth. They can help to reduce the severity of stretch marks by smoothing out the texture.
  • Derma roller: When you use a derma roller for stretch marks, tiny needles create micro-injuries on the skin, where the body then produces collagen and elastin to repair it. Some people get results using these rollers with a hydrating serum and regular rolling.

Natural Remedies to Try

Get Rid of Stretch Marks

If you’ve noticed stretch marks on your body and would like to lighten them a bit but the prospect of lasers and chemical peels seems too much, have no fear.

These are some popular home remedies and lifestyle changes you can try to reduce the appearance of your purple stretch marks.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is an effective treatment for sunburn, dry and oily skin, and even stretch marks. If you have a plant at home, you can use some aloe vera gel combined with vitamin A and vitamin E capsules to create a lotion that you rub onto the stretch marks.

With a consistent daily application, people noted a reduction in their purple stretch marks’ severity.

Scrubs and exfoliation

Although you can’t scrub away stretch marks altogether, some gentle and regular exfoliation can help you to reduce their appearance.

Not only does exfoliation help to remove the dead skin cells on the top layer of the body but it allows for new cell growth to happen, which means your stretch marks will have to make way for a fresher complexion.

More water

Water is a natural cure for just about everything and it works wonders for stretch marks as well. When you’re properly hydrated your skin is soft, supple, and elastic, so even if stretching does occur from weight gain or puberty, there’s less chance it’ll leave behind a scar.

Do some calculations to find out much water is recommended for your age, gender, and lifestyle to ensure you’re properly hydrated.

Oils and creams

Purple Stretch Marks: Can You Get Rid of Them?

There is no shortage of oils and creams on the market today that promise to reduce stretch marks. Some of the most common ones are shea butter, Bio-Oil, massage oil, and apricot kernel oil.

Even if you’re not sold on their effectiveness, there’s no harm in massaging the area daily to reduce the severity of your stretch marks and deliver some moisture to your skin.

Natural supplements

You can sometimes treat your stretch marks from within by looking at what natural supplements you might be missing and trying to get more of them in your diet.

Some of the best choices for lightening the appearance of stretch marks are collagen and vitamin C, so seek these out in your daily supplements.

Patience

Although technically not a home remedy, patience goes a long way when dealing with stretch marks. Purple stretch marks can be terrifying when you first notice them but remind yourself that after six months, the purple will start to fade and they’ll look less aggressive.

Eventually, the stretch marks will turn into a silvery, white or brown color that more closely matches your natural skin tone so that they blend in more seamlessly.  

Love the Skin You’re In

Stretch marks are a natural part of life and even with the most dedicated attempts at lightening or removing them, sometimes they just stay where they are.

Learning to live with your stretch marks and accepting that with a little bit of time and patience they’ll start to fade is all that you can do.

A stretch mark can be caused by everything from pregnancy to rapid muscle growth and although they’re normal, some people want to do their best to get rid of them.

If you have more questions about stretch marks and what you can do to treat them, read on for some FAQs that might help.

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