Ever wonder why some stretch marks are a deep shade of purple; others are pinkish-red, and others are silvery and almost colorless? Understanding these various hues of colors will help you to better treat your stretch marks. 

Stretch marks are extremely common. In fact, nearly 90% of people experience stretch marks around the world. They most commonly appear during or after pregnancy, and with sudden or rapid changes in your weight. Regardless of what causes them, getting rid of them is often the mission.

There are good reasons for different color stretch marks, and we’re going to discuss the stretch mark color meaning,

Why are stretch marks different colors?

You’ve probably noticed that you have different colored stretch marks. They have many different hues which might be various hues purple, red, or white. These colors actually tell you a few different things about your stretch marks, such as their age, and also how your body is responding to them. 

These scars form into stretch marks when your skin isn’t able to keep up with the changing shape of your body. This generally happens during pregnancy but it can also happen when you experience rapid weight gain or weight loss.

So the difference between red and white stretch marks is how fresh or old they are. Let’s take a closer look at red vs white stretch marks,

For the most part, your skin is elastic and can be stretched without causing stretch marks. But there comes the point when your skin gets overly stretched and the skin starts to form a stretch mark. These stretch marks will first appear as a deep purple or red and they are very noticeable. It often looks like stretch marks bruising. You’ve probably seen or you’re experiencing a purple pregnant belly. This isn’t how it will always look. As your body begins its natural healing process these deep-colored stretch marks will begin to fade to a pinkish hue and they will become less noticeable. 

And as your stretch marks become older they will fade to a white, silvery, translucent line that is barely noticeable from a distance. Even the worst stretch marks ever will fade. But this doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see them at all. You’ve probably noticed that tanning increases the visibility of your stretch marks.

So why does tanning make stretch marks worse? It’s because stretch marks don’t tan, they just become more prominent. 

There are things that you can do that will help to further reduce the appearance of older stretch marks. 

Different colored stretch marks and what they mean

Once you better understand the stretch mark colors you’ll be able to better treat them at their stage of development. Purple, deep red, and brown stretch marks often remain between six and 12 months before fading to pink. However, with the right treatment, they can fade faster.

When you first notice these deep purple coloring stretch marks you’ll want to start improving the hydration of your skin by drinking plenty of water, improving your diet by eating foods that promote healthy skin, and start applying silicone patches to them. The treatment is the same for everyone whether you’re a white person or a black person with stretch marks.

What color are stretch marks when pregnant?

There is no set color of stretch marks when you're pregnant. Stretch marks can be all different colors and the colors tell you different things about your stretch marks. These narrow, streak-like lines can be deep shades of purple, brown, red, or pink. They develop on the surface of the skin as your belly grows.

Why do scars turn purple?

You’ve likely experienced purple scars when you were younger. You feel off your bike and a deep purple mark appears on your skin. Purple scars are fresh and occur when the injury first happens. This is because your body wants to start the healing process and in order to do this it sends more blood to the damaged area. This is what causes the purple appearance. It's not until your body starts healing that they start to fade to pink. 

Why are my old stretch marks turning red again?

It’s not uncommon for red stretch marks to start turning red again. This often happens when the skin begins stretching again. Maybe you become pregnant again, or you are quickly losing or gaining weight. But when red stretch marks are not harmful and should not hurt. You’ll want to start treating them sooner than later to reduce their appearance. You can use topical creams, silicone patches, or proven other therapies.

Do stretch marks bleed?

Stretch marks should never bleed, at least not in the typical bleeding as a result of stretching too much. Because stretch marks can become itchy, scratching until they bleed is possible. If it bleeds from scratching then you’ll want to relieve the itchiness with creams. And you’ll also want to be sure that you are treating the cuts to avoid infections. 

How to reduce the color of stretch marks

There is absolutely no lack of stretch mark products on the market today. It can become overwhelming with all of the different options from stretch mark removal creams that aren’t safe to use when pregnant to natural alternatives that simply don’t work.  And the slew of moisturizers that simply don’t remove stretch marks. 

So how can you reduce the color of the stretch marks, and fade the appearance without harmful products or painful procedures? It’s actually easier than you think and you don't have to use products that do more harm than good.

Understanding the cause of stretch marks helps you to better narrow down products. The backbone of stretch mark removal is improving your skin's elastic fiber network. After all, your skin was stretched to its breaking point and left scars as a result of it. When you want to treat stretch marks you want to improve the quality of your skin, and there are two main things that you’ll need to do that - collagen and elastin.

Most creams, moisturizers, and other types of medical interventions for stretch marks aren’t going to provide you with either. What you’ll likely be left with is additional scaring, skin discoloration, allergic reactions, and more. 

There’s a more natural, safe, and effective method of removing stretch marks - medical-grade silicone patches. These revolutionary patches are safe to use throughout your pregnancy. This isn’t new technology. Doctors have been using them for years to remove scars after invasive surgical procedures. But now you can take advantage of these silicone patches to treat the underlying issues of your stretch marks.

When you place a patch on your abdomen, thighs, or wherever your stretch marks are something amazing starts to occur. There's a unique microclimate that happens between the surface layer of your skin and silicone. This microclimate stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. Plus, they’ll get the blood flowing which helps to promote natural healing in your body. All of this is exactly what your body needs to make your stretch marks disappear. 

Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight. But with proper and consistent use you’ll begin to see them diminish.