How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks on Men

Stretch marks, known in the medical world as striae, are long, reddish lines that appear on the skin. These marks form in the middle layer of the skin, called the dermis. They are caused by rapid growth when the skin stretches past its normal capacity. For men, stretch marks often occur as a result of weightlifting, when muscles bulk up too quickly. The methods to get rid of them are the same as for women. The problem with stretch marks is they are hard to eliminate altogether. But there are ways to make them less noticeable.

You may see stretch marks after you begin a new weight training program. (Image: zaew28/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Do more reps with lighter weights. (Image: Arne Trautmann/iStock/Getty Images)

Change your workout routines. Lift lighter weights and do more reps in your exercises to promote lean muscle mass instead of size. Keep your diet under control as well. Gaining muscle and fat together can exacerbate stretch marks.

Step 2

Talk to your doctor about tretinoin cream. (Image: Goodluz/iStock/Getty Images)

Talk to your doctor about getting tretinoin cream. Apply this treatment as directed to the areas where you have stretch marks. This formula helps to rebuild collagen and elastin -- substances that give skin its elasticity. Tretinion only works on stretch marks less than six weeks old.

Step 3

Look into excimer lasers for your skin. (Image: Ruslan Olinchuk/iStock/Getty Images)

Get your skin zapped with an excimer laser to fade older stretch marks. Talk to your doctor about this procedure. The melanin gets stimulated when the laser beam hits the area of your stretch marks. The skin tone of the stretch marks then matches the pigmentation of the unaffected areas.

Step 4

Try a pulsed dye laser treatment. (Image: Fly_dragonfly/iStock/Getty Images)

Get collagen and elastin stimulated through a pulsed dye laser treatment. With this procedure, the dermis gets remodeled when the laser hits your skin, and the stretch marks fade away.

Step 5

Undergo microdermabrasion. (Image: Carol_Anne/iStock/Getty Images)

Undergo microdermabrasion. This is a treatment where tiny fragments of silicon dioxide get blown onto your skin to remove the topical surface. The skin cells and fragments are then suctioned off. The end result of this treatment is your skin becomes more elastic and new skin cell growth is promoted.

Warning

Consult your doctor before undergoing any skin treatments.