How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks: Microneedling, Lasers and More Compared

Stretch marks are a type of scar.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says they form when skin stretches or shrinks quickly — puberty growth spurts, pregnancy, rapid weight change, or rapid muscle gain from weight training — and that long-term use of topical corticosteroids is another cause, with hormones and family history playing a role.

A 2024 meta-analysis of stretch mark treatments cites an estimated 90% of pregnant women developing them.

Color tells you the age of a mark.

New stretch marks are red, purple, pink, reddish-brown or dark brown, depending on skin color, and may be slightly raised and itchy.

Over time they fade and sink into a slight depression — the mature "white" stage.

Like any scar, they are permanent, and the AAD is direct about what treatment can do: make them less noticeable, not remove them.

Creams work mainly on early marks.

The AAD notes that home remedies — almond oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, vitamin E — did not work in studies, while prescription tretinoin and topical hyaluronic acid may make early marks less noticeable.

Microneedling devices repeatedly insert many small needles into the skin, and the AAD says the treatment works by stimulating the body to make collagen; it lists stretch marks among the conditions dermatologists use it for.

There is an FDA nuance to keep straight: the FDA's authorized uses for microneedling devices are facial acne scars, facial wrinkles and abdominal scars in people 22 and older.

Stretch marks are not on that list, so microneedling for stretch marks is an off-label use — one dermatologists still list and that published studies have tested.

The head-to-head evidence is competitive.

A 2024 meta-analysis of 11 studies found microneedling roughly as effective as lasers for stretch marks and better than non-laser treatments, with less post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH — dark patches that can follow skin injury or inflammation) but more pain.

A second 2024 meta-analysis compared fractional RF microneedling — an array of microneedle electrodes that penetrates the skin, with each needle tip delivering radiofrequency energy at a set depth — against fractional CO2 laser for stretch marks and found comparable improvement, with PIH significantly less frequent in the RF microneedling group.

A 2018 review in Dermatologic Surgery concluded microneedling is a safe, minimally invasive and effective treatment for acne and other scars, wrinkles and stretch marks, with quick recovery and limited side effects — though it is a narrative review, not a systematic one.

Among RF systems, Morpheus8 is a branded RF microneedling device cleared (510(k)) for use "in dermatologic procedures where coagulation/contraction of soft tissue or hemostasis is needed"; the cleared wording does not name stretch marks.

For mechanics, session feel and cost structure, see our guides to microneedling and RF microneedling, and the branded-device guide to Morpheus8.

The AAD says microneedling should be postponed in some situations and avoided in others:

• Postpone it after recent sun exposure or with a tan, with a skin infection, with painful or deep pimples, and until at least one month has passed since your last isotretinoin dose.
• Avoid it if you heal poorly or develop keloids, if you are immunosuppressed, or if you are receiving radiation or skin cancer treatment in the area.

Afterward, the AAD describes redness — or darkening on deeper skin tones — a sunburn-like feeling and swelling that usually clear in a few days to a week, and says to wait 24 hours before applying makeup.

Laser treatment cannot erase a scar.

The AAD puts it plainly: when you have laser scar treatment, you are replacing one scar with another, less noticeable one.

Non-ablative lasers have little downtime but usually need a series of treatments, and results can take months to show.

CO2 lasers treat by ablation, and as devices they are 510(k)-cleared, not FDA-approved — an example fractional CO2 system (CO2RE, K181523) is cleared for dermatological procedures requiring ablation, coagulation and resurfacing of soft tissue including skin.

In the stretch mark meta-analysis above, fractional CO2 laser improved marks about as much as fractional RF microneedling but caused PIH significantly more often — a trade-off our CO2 laser guide covers in depth.

Fraxel is a fractional laser brand whose US labeling lists the 1550 nm wavelength for skin resurfacing — dyschromia, age and sun spots, actinic keratosis, melasma, wrinkles around the eyes, acne scars and surgical scars — and the 1927 nm wavelength for resurfacing including actinic keratosis and pigmented lesions such as age spots, sun spots and freckles.

Stretch marks are not named in those indications, so treating them is a use beyond the device's labeled list — a fair question to put to any provider proposing it.

Our Fraxel guide covers the device in detail.

New stretch marks are the red, purple or pink stage, before they fade to white.

Vascular lasers come up in stretch mark conversations because the AAD's own example of combining procedures for the condition is radiofrequency with a pulsed dye (vascular) laser.

The AAD says redness and swelling after these procedures usually clear within hours to days.

We could not confirm controlled figures for how much vascular lasers improve stretch marks — no session count, improvement rate or head-to-head comparison appears in the sources behind this page.

If a provider proposes one for fresh marks, ask what results the device's own studies showed and what outcome you should judge the course by.

The AAD groups chemical peels and microdermabrasion with lasers, radiofrequency and ultrasound as procedures that are more effective than creams for stretch marks — while repeating that none of them removes the marks.

Cleveland Clinic says microdermabrasion can make stretch marks less noticeable, lists bruising for a few days, discoloration, flaky or dry skin and sun sensitivity as possible downsides, and says most people need multiple treatments.

Red light therapy comes up in the same searches.

It is promoted for scars among other uses, and Cleveland Clinic calls it an emerging treatment whose effectiveness still needs more clinical trials; the proposed mechanisms — stimulating collagen and fibroblast activity — are proposed, not proven outcomes.

We could not confirm trials of red light therapy for stretch marks specifically.

Our red light therapy guide covers what the evidence supports more broadly.

There is no confirmed session count for stretch marks in the sources behind this page: the two 2024 head-to-head meta-analyses cited above compared improvement between devices rather than testing a set treatment plan.

Two anchors from adjacent evidence, each with its scope attached: for microneedling with PRP on acne scars, the AAD describes 3 to 5 treatments spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart, a plan whose studies found acne scars fading by 50% to 70% — that is acne scars, not stretch marks.

And Solta, Fraxel's maker, says results may show after one treatment but that up to five treatments may be appropriate — a manufacturer figure for resurfacing generally, not a stretch mark protocol.

When you collect quotes, ask whether each is per session, per area or a package, because the total will depend on the device used, how many sessions a provider recommends and the market you are in.

We do not publish a national average price for laser stretch mark treatment: for Fraxel, one of the devices on this page, our research found no current tier-1 or tier-2 national figure.

The AAD notes insurance generally does not cover acne scar treatment or laser scar treatment, which insurers treat as cosmetic — where stretch mark treatment falls on your own plan is a question for your insurer.

MedSpaStandard is a guide, not a clinic — we don't perform treatments, so the useful thing we can give you is the checklist.

Confirm who will perform the procedure and which device they will use, because the device determines what is cleared and what is off-label.

Ask how the provider screens for the risks on this page: keloid history, isotretinoin use, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and a tendency to dark marks after injury.

Our guide to how to choose a med spa walks through credentials, supervision and red flags in order.

Bring the stage question to the consultation: whether the marks you want treated are fresh red ones or mature white ones changes what a provider can responsibly offer.

And if you are weighing several concerns at once, our skin and body concerns hub covers the rest, acne scars included.