What should you know about lasering stretch marks?

Stretch marks form when skin stretches and its supporting structure changes. Newer marks may look red, purple, or darker, while older marks often appear pale and indented. Different laser approaches target colour or stimulate controlled skin remodelling. The treatment cannot return the skin to its original state, and the response can differ across body areas. Skin tone, tanning, the mark’s maturity, and the treatment settings influence the chance of temporary pigment changes.

Choose a qualified clinician who can examine the marks and match the device to their colour, depth, and your skin. Discuss pregnancy, breastfeeding, a history of raised scars, active skin disease, recent tanning, and medicines that affect healing. After treatment, follow cleansing and moisturising advice, protect the area from sunlight, and avoid picking or harsh exfoliation while it heals. Alternatives may include microneedling, RF microneedling, or carboxytherapy, depending on the assessment.

Contact the clinic if treated skin develops spreading redness, increasing warmth, pus, severe swelling, blisters, or pain that is getting worse. Seek advice about a persistent light or dark patch after healing. Stretch marks that appear suddenly alongside unusual steroid exposure or other body changes deserve medical evaluation rather than cosmetic treatment alone.

Ask which type of stretch mark you have, what change the proposed laser can realistically provide, how many appointments may be considered, what recovery looks like, and how pigment risk will be reduced. Ask whether another approach is more suitable.