Am I Average?
Need help with pressure or safety? Open discreet support options.Find safe help →
Home / Body questions / Growth
Body questions / Growth

Are these stretch marks normal?

Fast growth can stretch the middle layer of skin faster than it adapts. The resulting lines may begin pink, purple, red, or dark and usually fade over time.

The 30-second answer

Stretch marks are common during growth spurts. They can appear without pregnancy, obesity, or anything being wrong with the body.

Choose your depth

Common places

Boys and young men

Back, shoulders, upper arms, hips, thighs, buttocks, and knees.

Girls and young women

Breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, and upper arms.

Any body

The exact pattern depends on growth, genetics, hormones, and skin characteristics.

What they do not prove

  • They do not prove rapid unhealthy weight gain.
  • They are not scars from wrongdoing.
  • They are not evidence that the body is finished growing.
  • They do not make a body less clean or attractive.

When to ask a clinician

Routine question
Marks appear without obvious growth or weight change and you want reassurance.
Medication review
They appear rapidly while using steroid medicines or creams.
Other symptoms
Stretch marks occur with unusual weakness, easy bruising, or other major health changes.
What the short answer leaves out

The fuller answer

Stretch marks form when skin changes faster than its support tissue can adapt. Growth spurts, puberty, pregnancy, muscle gain, weight change, genetics, and some medicines can contribute.

New marks may look red, purple, pink, or darker brown depending on skin tone. They usually fade over time but may not disappear completely. They are not cuts and do not mean skin is dirty or damaged by lack of exercise.

Creams can moisturize and reduce itch, but no over-the-counter product reliably erases mature stretch marks. Sudden widespread marks with easy bruising, muscle weakness, steroid use, or other symptoms need evaluation.

Color changes with timeNewer marks are often more noticeable and later fade.
Common across bodiesThin, fat, athletic, growing, and pregnant bodies can all develop them.
Practical, not perfect

What can help today

  • Moisturize if skin feels dry or itchy.
  • Use sunscreen so contrast does not deepen around the marks.
  • Avoid expensive “miracle” creams and aggressive home needling.
  • Do not rapidly change weight or training solely to chase the marks.
  • Ask a dermatologist about realistic options only after understanding costs, limits, and skin-tone risks.
  • Report teasing; marks are a normal body feature, not permission for comments.
Remember: Stretch marks do not measure health, discipline, sexual activity, or whether someone grew “correctly.”
No shame, direct answers

Questions people ask privately

Will they go away?
They usually fade and flatten but may remain visible.
Did I gain weight too fast?
Weight change is one cause, but growth, hormones, muscle, genes, and skin properties also matter.
Can cocoa butter prevent them?
Moisturizers can help dryness, but evidence that ordinary creams prevent or erase marks is limited.
Why are mine dark?
New marks often contrast strongly with surrounding skin and color varies across skin tones.
Can boys get them?
Yes. Shoulders, back, hips, thighs, and other areas can develop marks during male puberty.
When is it not ordinary?
Sudden extensive marks with other symptoms or significant steroid exposure deserve medical review.
Ordinary, soon, or urgent

When to get help

Routine appointment

Marks are causing distress or you want realistic dermatology advice.

Make an appointment soon

They appear suddenly and widely, or come with easy bruising, weakness, illness symptoms, or oral/topical steroid exposure.

Urgent care

A product or procedure causes severe blistering, infection, facial swelling, or breathing difficulty.

You do not need a perfect speech

Words you can use

“These marks appeared quickly or came with other symptoms. Can we review medicines and health causes instead of assuming it is only cosmetic?”

Say it, text it, write it, or show this page. Asking for help is not making a fuss.

Sources and limits: NIH MedlinePlus: Stretch marks · AAP: Physical development and growth
Evidence and safety language reviewed July 2026. This page has not yet been individually reviewed by a named clinician.
Keep going

Related answers

Body proportions during growth →Breast development →Adult weight context →
Editorial statusSubstantially revised July 2026. Sources and limits are shown on complete guides. Named clinician review has not yet been obtained unless a page explicitly says otherwise. Corrections are welcomed through the contact page.