Can You Prevent Stretch Marks? A Dermatologist Explains Causes & Treatments | Dr. Sam Ellis

[@gabimolko]

I'm so hyped! I was waiting for a video on stretch marks, the market is flooded with products that do nothing

[@Cloboclobo]

Thank you for your honesty Sam. I’ve always imagined pregnancy would be full of moisturising, oiling and massaging - kinda relieved to hear we don’t have to do that! I got stretch marks in my teens and wish I could go back and give 13 year old me a cuddle to say one day you won’t think about them and when you do you’ll love your tiger stripes. I remember the advice (from marketing teams I’m sure) was to exfoliate and moisturise, I remember scrubbing so hard to be normal like the other girls. Shame on those companies! Thank you for spreading science ✨👩‍🔬

[@laurellae]

I thankfully didn't develop stretch marks during my pregnancy. I was religious about putting lotion on my belly everyday, especially after showering because my skin there got so itchy as my belly grew! So it was more for that than stretch mark prevention. However, 4-5 months after giving birth I rapidly gained weight and now have red-purple stretch marks all over my upper thighs just below my hips! I'm glad for this video for some info on what can be done!

[@SmileforaSecond]

Thank you for this! I think I’m genetically predisposed to getting them which is annoying, but I didn’t realize I could use a retinol. That recommendation is super helpful and I will talk to my dermatologist about it.

[@cinthiac30]

Thank you. While I am not a doctor I figured that tetrinoin was the answer. I only had like two stretch marks while pregnant. However after pregnancy I developed so many more that my whole torso is full of them. You can’t really see them but you can feel them. I am ok with them. I guess I just think of them as a reminder of what a wonderful thing my body is able to do. Thank you for always being so informative and present science backed up with data.

[@ijeamirandavid8567]

I'm really glad 🥰 right now because I'm finally free from the stigma and insecurities of having stretch marks. The natural herbal medication that I got from Doctorunugboje on KZbin have me the perfect solution to my stretch marks problems

[@emmalilliestam1817]

My stretch marks have been significantly reduced with cryopolysis. This wasn't the intended primary effect, but of course I'm quite happy about that :)

[@jessika9488]

What's that?

[@kitkat4949_]

@@jessika9488yeah whats that

[@beemusings727]

Very helpful video! I think stretch marks are also a sign of life and should be celebrated, not hated. I was wondering if you could make a video on laser treatments to remove moles on the face/body?

[@Snoopdung]

5:19 treatment

[@xylophone1212]

Really needed this! Going through this amazing pregnancy journey too!

[@DrSamEllis]

Congratulations!

[@xylophone1212]

@@DrSamEllis congrats to you too! And thanks for all your help.

[@tiktokzerotonin]

update please?

[@xylophone1212]

@@tiktokzerotonin healthy baby in 2022. I used One Thing Centella Asiatica (Amazon) and aloe Vera gel after I showered. No stretch marks! But also, my mom doesn’t have stretch marks.

[@angiecats5298]

Everyone always misses one of the most important things to do to prevent getting stretch marks and that’s learning about how to eat properly. Your diet plays a massive part in how your skin looks. You can use topical solutions all you like and medical procedures etc but without a good well balanced diet and knowledge about what type of food your body needs, you’ll never have good skin unless you’re genetically blessed. Also LOTS of water every day (if you’re pregnant especially), you have to keep your skin hydrated from the inside or else there’s no point in hydration the outside lol. This was probably the best thing I done to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy…. Collagen 🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 vit C Water 🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 sodium Is a good rule to follow when it comes to diet.

[@OceansbutalsoLakes]

Sorry, can you explain more? I don’t quite get it

[@Vang4299]

Can you give some examples of food?

[@soniczforever5470]

Thanks I gained weight over thyroid mortified someone spotted it and said it was not cellulite. She was right.

[@saladslug7432]

I don't mind having purple and white stretch marks as I have them all over my hips, butt and thighs. I do however really struggle with the texture, I especially don't like touching the back of my thigh because of the feeling. I wanted to be pregnant in the future but I just saw an extreme case of stretch marks on a lady after pregnancy. I'm sorry this is really rude to some people but if they were that extreme for me I could never get over that. It really looks like the skin is ripping apart and the marks were millimeters deep. I am rethinking everything now. I'm prone to stretch marks so I'm really going to have to consider this.

[@HaleighHitchcock]

Does putting lotion or oil on your pregnant belly be beneficial at all? What are some body lotions that you like that are pregnancy safe?

[@svetlana.chetverikova]

Hi Doc.Ellis! I have a huge q for you: what about your diet? For sure there is a connection between your blood-protein level and collagen production. If there is not enough protein in your body, your skin can not rely on any collagen-stimulating procedures, right?

[@DrSamEllis]

Yes, but true protein malnutrition would be very rare among those getting cosmetic procedures.

[@parinazaz4044]

Is Shea butter safe to be used during pregnancy ?

[@Nachoza]

How to use Trentinoin on a stretch mark? Apply how often? Daily?

[@DariaZeev]

I watched the video to find out some new methods, yet it looks like the old good micro needling seems to be the way. I actually got rid of 95% of my stretch marks by micro needling my breasts (I got stretch marks when I was a teenager that then deepened and enlarged 10 times when I was pregnant). The caveat is that I bought my own micro pen and by now I have performed maybe 50 sessions on each breast over last 2-2.5 years. My breasts have never been so smooth and perky. Yet, it’s a long process. I recommend doing it on your own bcs it would cost a fortune otherwise.

[@ntheobsn]

Thank you for this! Video after video you are covering topics I’m curious about. 🤗

[@cclu3585]

What's your opinion on treating excess skin after weight loss?

[@chiapia54]

could you use tretinoin before pregnancy on your belly/hips to prevent or reduce the severity of stretch marks?

[@Valentina_Salas18]

Aww Congratulations !!!!!! Wishing you both the best on this journey 💕😽!!

[@tinasung3814]

I have really bad stretch marks from my pregnancy in my late 20s, but recently (at age 53, 25 yrs later) it started to get really itchy to the point I can’t help scratching it til skin breaks. I really can care less how bad they look but I feel I need to do something to improve them so it is not so irritating. Do you think the Tretinoin (or even Adapalene) & microneedling can be effective for these 25 yr old stretch marks ?

[@SP-bn1iz]

This was exactly what I needed, so thank you so much! What percentage of tretinoin would you recommend for old stretch marks?

[@florafauna6185]

Was thinking about same thinking

[@angelahall993]

Thanks so much for this! Stretch marks.....ugh I've had them for years! I use tretinoin for acne. Do you think it's worth trying to use same Rx on my stretch marks? Don't know if it'll help since they're so old. BTW, I'm watching this the day after your due date so I'm hoping baby is here and safe!!

[@so.many.obstacles]

I use 0.05% on my face and 0.1% on my body.

[@Bikeshorts960]

What about slow weight loss? Will that trigger stretch marks?

[@DG-yr8vq]

I am looking through the comments and trying to look for a recommendation of a centella asiática cream. What brand? I don’t see any recommendations….

[@damas2388]

When dermatologists say “darker skin tones”, does that refer to latinos/ hispanics? Olive skin people? Tan Asians (Philippines), brown color (people from india), or black? Does it mean anything other than white?

[@mirabelle96]

I think it means all

[@politereminder6284]

It's not about racialization, burnout melanin levels and about hyperpigmentation prone-ness

[@angeeeeb]

It’s literally just about skin tone … when you’re light skin then that’s what you are… when you produce melanin then you have color to your skin whether that’s dark or tan .. any pigment

[@vacationeyes6430]

Everything 3-6 on Fitzpatrick scale.

[@corinsmith6947]

Can you get Morpheus 8 done for loose belly skin while breastfeeding?

[@annabonita3993]

What do you think about La Roche Posay's OTC topical .1% Tretinoin? Or would you recommend an actual prescription of tretinoin?

[@msi8311]

Tretinoin for sure

[@claudiadgusmao]

The OTC is Adapalene, which has not been studied for stretch marks, only Tretinoin.

[@elizabethc8254]

would it be safe to use a home LED mask (eg omnilux), while still pregnant?

[@christinebadran6729]

Hello Doctor Can you prevent it at the very first stage. My skin is itchy and I can clearly see my veins no stretch marks are formed yet!! So is it possible to prevent at this stage?

[@zaferehalam8763]

Hello - is there anyway stretch marks can be removed by a simple surgery without anesthesia rather than a tummy tuck?

[@heythere5178]

Is it safe to use rosehip oil on my face during pregnancy? Since it contain vitamin A

[@laurengonzalez4778]

Hi, what about platelet rich fibrin taken from your own body to treat new stretch marks?

[@ebenezerbiney4117]

If you are a dark person and you want to use the laser treatment for your stretch mark will it darken it or make it lighter

[@projectmicky1226]

Me as a kid: science is so cool! I want to know about genetics and stuff! Me as an adult: my genetics say I’m predisposed to be over weight and very likely to have bad stretch marks...✅✅

[@pitaariel1920]

I'm using all the creams my friends and relatives recommend me, but deep down I'm just preparing for the stretch marks to appear. I have a lot of stretch marks from puberty so I already know my genetics sucks :(

[@arad.d3940]

Sería maravilloso que tu videos tuvieran subtítulos en español por favor 🙏🏻 muchas gracias desde España

[@Michelle-dm3nl]

Thank you for this! Can you share info on how to do a belly massage? Is it 15 min at once?

[@julijaaliubaviciene7865]

Hello Dr. Sam! Thanks for the info! You’ve mentioned VBeam. Can you elaborate on it on cuperosis/mild rosacea? Effectiveness, pre/post treatment logics (moisturising+calming, right?)? Thanks a lot! 🙏

[@infinitigirl29]

So Informative. Thank you

[@ValeriaKoleva]

Thank you for the content! Question: how do we know tretinoin actually causes birth defects? What are the studies ?

[@DrSamEllis]

We don’t! We know that oral forms of vitamin A definitely cause birth defects, and because of that, topical vitamin A is not tested on pregnant women due to a theoretical risk that would be unethical to pursue in a clinical study.

[@shandisfancher8766]

Would using a treatment that boosted collagen production minimize the likelihood of stretch marks?

[@DrSamEllis]

In theory, yes. But until it’s studied, we can’t be sure!

[@shoshanab7598]

What are your thoughts on Trofolastin?

[@DrSamEllis]

That’s the product with centella asiatica that was studied in the clinical trial, so if I was going to apply anything, that would be it.

[@ReikoNemo]

Is there an update video? :)

[@judym6191]

Hi, thanks for your video..Dr what can I use for my 10 years old kid, to try to prevent strech marks, I noticing are coming

[@annam5733]

Could those silicone scar patches improve mature stretch marks? I’ve had success with them for surgery scars

[@DrSamEllis]

No evidence to say so, but of course that doesn’t mean they won’t work…just that there’s no data to really support their use. If it’s not a financial or time burden, they could be worth a shot. Certainly not harmful!

[@leadersir]

Which one did you used ??? Any success with your stretchmarks?????

[@roybartlett2547]

Do you think that tretnoin might help in preventing rather than only after the fact? If it has been proven to help afterwards would it be possibly be an option during weight loss. If you get this message I would really like some insight on this. Thank you for the information.

[@DrSamEllis]

I don’t think it would hurt!

[@anahitam5060]

Love your videos! I have a question. Would the retinol serums and creams be affective as well?

[@DrSamEllis]

It’s theoretically possible but not studied, so it wouldn’t be my go-to based on the current data.

[@michellemichael1676]

What about other surgical scars on the abdomen? Would it be the same?. I had a hyterectomy 3 weeks ago and have 5 incisions that are dark and puffy and I am pretty sure they will scar :(

[@HWme]

3:18 HAHAHAHAH made me laugh Tons of people say that “ Rita from two blocks away told me that blah blah blah”

[@Smylie-Jo]

Is it possible to get stretch marks from constant bloating flares? I haven’t gained much weight to quickly and never even been in the obese category so I find it hard to believe if it was caused by weight gain specially since it was about 20-30 lbs over the course of 5-6 years and they have only developed within the last year or so… if so what could this mean and how do I solve it? *Edit- the 5-6 year weight gain was me 5’1” at 130-135 to 155. I’m now 145.

[@waterywanderer620]

You could also have an underlying condition that causes stretch marks. For example EDS can cause stretch marks.

[@intothedermis]

Thanks for a great video. So I only got red stretch marks at the end of my pregnancy, from 37 weeks. They disappear within 6 months after pregnancy and I have very faint lines. I was wondering if there was a relationship between time and severity of stretch marks? So mine only existed for a month and they're not very bad, for stretch marks that appear and stick around for months and months do they appear worse?

[@1360Melissa]

Just discovering this video and I have exactly the same question. I am 36 weeks pregnant with twins and just this morning started to notice a cluster of stretch marks on my stomach…c section is in 5 days so I really hope they don’t hang around too long 😭

[@Melissa-cy9se]

Thank you for this explanation! Can the in-office procedures be done while breastfeeding? After my first pregnancy I called a dermatologist office and the receptionist told me I had to wait until I was done breastfeeding for any in-office procedure for stretch marks (laser) which I found odd.

[@chitrangada6628]

Doc wb using a Secret Saviours belt or band?

[@TheINFP_Diary]

was food choices ever mentioned in this video? i think eating hydrating foods like fruits is the best preventative

[@molkomolkomolkomolko]

What are your preferred in office lasers for resurfacing mature stretch marks?

[@backtobasic7087]

Hi! Thank you for such an informative video. I was under the impression that topical hyaluronic acid was proved to improve scaring like retinoids. Do you have any information on this ? Thanks!

[@DrSamEllis]

Hi! So the evidence for HA is very very weak (at this point in time) so I didn’t want to mention it and give people false hope about an unproven ingredient.

[@menalraju1159]

any thoughts on the nova peel? the prx-t33 for stretch marks

[@kiaraislam7838]

thank you dear

[@ritaripani8150]

Will an otc vit a derivative like differin gel give you the same result as tretinoin?

[@DrSamEllis]

Hasn’t been studied, so can’t say 🙁

[@fredericosilva9077]

has anyone tried treating stetch marks with biodermogenesi?

[@CrystleSky]

Your adorable great info love from a new youtuber

[@cvnkj4032]

What can i use to moisturize?

[@lamanhassan1359]

Unfortunately, after 1session of fraxel laser for my stretch marks, I got discoloration😭 although I dont have dark skin tone😢 it is almost 8 months, I am using everything to get rid of them, but no effect😟 now I think my stretch marks were better than this discoloration, I regret doing fraxel, but I hope this discoloration is temporary😭

[@DrSamEllis]

I’m so sorry you had that experience! Post-laser discoloration typically does fade, but it can take a really long time.

[@oliviapopireni3456]

My friend is so skinny, but she has stretch marks on her knee. I don't know why 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@DrSamEllis]

From vertical height growth typically!

[@DELLRS2012]

I also have stretch marks on my knees 😭 They are so big and nobly. I guess it was inevitable

[@hareemkhan6674]

Hello doctor Plz tell me can an unmarried girls use tretinon..

[@shelbybaker6478]

Does scratching stretch marks make them worse?

[@so.many.obstacles]

Yes, with any scar, scratching makes it worse. When you get itchy, use a lotion or oil and massage that area. If you aren’t able to do that, but pat that area gently for relief.

[@sophielepage5852]

What about Bakuchiol then. It is a vegan alternative to retinol. It could actually be used during pregnancy!

[@DrSamEllis]

There’s no data for how it affects stretch marks, but it is something I’d feel comfortable using

[@julourenco9717]

Coffee gave me strech marks

[@spm4391]

I don't believe for one second that Dr. Sam is not using bio oil or palmers on her belly or any other type of emollient on her belly...

[@sam8898]

Brave of her to have a baby in her 40s

[@Sofiyaxoxo27]

Please make a video on effective actual products with centella asiatica.

[@DrShahid-p5x]

Dr Sam Ellis I am young medical students but actually I look like older is due my body is much produced free radicals there for wrinkles but I usea vitamin C tablets as well retinol serum.what I should you prescribe me please contact me.

[@lideromero]

I’m developing stretch marks now in my second pregnancy, I thought I wouldn’t get them since with my first baby I didn’t but seems like not 😟 I feel like my skin can’t stretch more 🥲