Health Tip: Stretch Marks

Friday, June 20, 2008; 3:00 AM

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(HealthDay News) -- Stretch marks, often the result of rapid stretching of the skin, are most commonly associated with pregnancy.

Usually pink or reddish in color, these darkish lines can also appear on diabetics, or among children who rapidly gain weight.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) offers these additional facts about stretch marks:

• They can look like indented ridges in the skin, and eventually may turn white and look like scars.
• They most often appear on the breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen and the flank.
• They can result from long-time use of some medications, such as cortisone skin creams.
• Lotions and creams that claim to reduce the appearance of stretch marks have little proven value, the NLM says.