Stretch marks are one of the most common skin concerns and women and men alike can experience them. They can differ in colour being either pink, silver, red, brown, black or purple, depending on the intensity and also the colour of your skin. You will spot them in the form of streaks or lines on various parts of your body. They do not harm your skin or body in any way and have the tendency to fade over time. Stretch marks are most commonly seen around your armhole and upper arms, chest, stomach, buttocks and thighs. When they first begin to appear, they are bright red in colour. They then turn purple and begin to fade into white, which usually blends into the skin. In some cases, they can be extremely visible even when they are white. While stretch marks are easier to remove when they’re in the mid, purple stage, we can reduce their appearance by 50-60% even in the last, fading stage. The following are some of the most prevalent reasons you may observe stretch marks on your skin: Children undergoing body changes due to puberty will often spot stretch marks on their skin. These are a part of the growth process, and as their skin stretches to adapt to the changes in their height and weight, their skin starts to show those changes in the form of marks. If you’ve gained or lost weight quickly, you will find your skin becoming loose in the areas with maximum weight gain or loss causing marks to appear where the skin has stretched. If you’ve suddenly gained a lot of muscle, as is the case if you’re bodybuilding, your skin will start to show stretch marks due to the stress of accommodating bigger muscles. If you’re pregnant, you will observe stretch marks on your stomach area that can increase as you go through the nine months of carrying your baby, as the stomach starts to expand. Stretch marks can also be hereditary in some cases. If you’ve been taking steroids for a long duration, they can lead to high cortisol levels in the body that can also cause stretch marks by weakening the collagen.