Stretch marks in men are common, especially on the shoulders, upper arms, lower back, and thighs. They form when skin stretches faster than it can adapt, causing the connective tissue in the deeper layers of skin to tear. The good news: newer marks respond well to treatment, and even older ones can be significantly faded with the right approach.
Why Men Get Stretch Marks
The most common trigger for men is rapid muscle growth. When you bulk up quickly, particularly in the shoulders and upper arms, your skin can’t keep pace with the expanding muscle underneath. The mid-layer of skin essentially breaks apart as enzymes dissolve elastic fibers, followed by a reorganization of collagen that leaves visible lines behind.
Rapid weight gain from any cause does the same thing. So does prolonged use of corticosteroids, whether oral, topical, or injected. Corticosteroids thin the skin and weaken its structural proteins, making tears far more likely even without dramatic size changes. Men who use anabolic steroids for bodybuilding face the same problem, often compounded by the rapid muscle growth steroids produce.
Red vs. White Marks: Why Timing Matters
Stretch marks go through two distinct stages, and recognizing which stage yours are in will save you time and money on treatments that won’t work.
Early stretch marks appear pink, red, or purple. At this stage, blood vessels are dilated, there’s active inflammation, and the skin still has some structural scaffolding to work with. These are the marks most responsive to treatment. Tretinoin (a prescription vitamin A cream at 0.1% concentration) has been shown to significantly improve the appearance of early, active stretch marks. It does not, however, have a meaningful effect on older white marks.
Over months to years, stretch marks fade to white or silver and become slightly indented. At this point, both collagen and elastin fibers in the skin have been lost, the surface layer has thinned, and inflammation has subsided. These mature marks are harder to treat, but professional procedures can still make a noticeable difference.
What Actually Works at Home
If your marks are still red or purple, a prescription retinoid cream is your best topical option. Over-the-counter retinol creams are a weaker alternative, but expect at least six months of consistent daily use before you see noticeable results.
Keeping your skin well hydrated supports elasticity and may help newer marks fade slightly faster. Drinking enough water and limiting excess caffeine keeps skin softer and more pliable. Oral hyaluronic acid supplements have shown statistically significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity in pooled research data, which may support the healing process.
Here’s what doesn’t work: cocoa butter, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, and vitamin E oil. Despite their popularity, none of these have been shown to reduce stretch marks any better than a placebo. Cleveland Clinic dermatologists have been blunt about this: cocoa butter performs no better than doing nothing at all.
Professional Treatments Worth Considering
When topical products aren’t enough, especially for white or silver marks, professional procedures offer the most reliable results.
- Microneedling: Tiny needles puncture the skin at controlled depths (typically 1.0 to 2.5 mm depending on the body area) to trigger your body’s wound-healing response and stimulate new collagen production. Most people need three to six sessions spaced four to six weeks apart. Full results can take four to six months or longer.
- Laser resurfacing: Fractional lasers create microscopic columns of damage in the skin, prompting collagen remodeling. A study comparing two common laser types on white stretch marks found that 84% of patients treated with a 1,550 nm erbium glass laser achieved 51% improvement or better, compared to 48% with a CO2 fractional laser. The erbium laser also caused less hyperpigmentation (8% vs. 20%). Results from laser treatment can continue improving for up to a year.
- Dermabrasion: This physically removes the top layer of skin to encourage regeneration. Healing takes about two weeks, with full results appearing over the following weeks to months.
Cost is the main barrier with professional treatments. Most are not covered by insurance since stretch marks are considered cosmetic. Expect to pay per session, and remember that multiple sessions are almost always necessary.
How to Prevent New Marks
If you’re gaining muscle or weight intentionally, the single most effective prevention strategy is controlling the speed of change. Gradual bulking gives your skin time to adapt. Gaining weight or muscle as slowly as your goals allow is more protective than any cream or supplement.
Nutrition plays a supporting role. Your skin needs specific raw materials to build and maintain collagen and elastin:
- Vitamin C is directly required for collagen production.
- Vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with higher rates of stretch marks.
- Zinc from nuts, fish, and legumes supports skin repair and reduces inflammation.
- Protein provides the amino acids your skin needs for structural integrity.
Staying hydrated matters more than most people realize. Well-hydrated skin is more elastic and less prone to tearing under stress. If you’re training hard and sweating heavily, you need to replace more than just what you’d drink on a sedentary day.
Realistic Expectations
No treatment completely erases stretch marks. The goal is to make them less visible, flatter, and closer to your surrounding skin tone. Red or purple marks caught early can fade dramatically with topical retinoids alone. White marks typically require professional procedures and multiple sessions to see meaningful improvement.
Timelines vary by treatment. Retinol creams take a minimum of six months. Microneedling results develop over four to six months across multiple sessions. Laser resurfacing produces the fastest visible change, with some improvement immediately after treatment and continued gains for up to a year. The most effective approach for stubborn marks often combines treatments, such as microneedling with a topical retinoid between sessions, though this should be coordinated with a dermatologist to avoid irritation.