Stretch marks or striae are a form of scarring caused by tearing in the dermal layer of the skin.
The most common sites to be affected by stretch marks include the abdomen, breasts, thighs or buttocks. Stretch marks are often the result of the rapid stretching of the skin associated with weight gain (e.g. pregnancy, obesity) or rapid growth (e.g. puberty) or sickness (e.g. cushing’s disease). They usually emerge as purple or reddish marks that fade to shallow gray or white scars.