Stretch Marks AudioHealth Library Topic 2719 Stretch Marks Stretch marks are the result of over-stretched skin tissue separating, leaving the outer layer of skin extremely thin. Skin loses its elasticity where stretch marks form, and never completely returns to its previous condition.
Stretch marks are most common in pregnant women.
Young girls, especially athletes, also are likely to develop stretch marks during the adolescent growth spurt. Not all women get stretch marks. The tendency to develop stretch marks seems to run in families. At first, stretch marks appear as red or bluish raised lines. Fading of the stretch marks takes place only after the skin is no longer being stretched.