Stretch marks after pregnancy are particularly common. Nearly three in four women will develop stretch marks on their legs, abdomen, hips, and other areas of the body affected by weight gain during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the skin expands and stretches to its limit, causing tiny tears in the supporting layers of skin. These tiny tears are stretch marks that appear as glossy, white streaks in the skin. Many women who have stretch marks after pregnancy turn to laser stretch mark removal to eliminate this unwanted scarring. This treatment is designed to give women the renewed, youthful appearance they desire.

Stretch marks can affect any area of the body in which the skin is subject to rapid stretching. The abdomen is the area most often affected by stretch marks, but they are also common around the thighs, hips, buttocks, lower back, arms, and chest. Skin in all these areas is subject to high stress as a result of heavy use and rapid expansion. Theoretically, any area of the body could be vulnerable to stretch marks if the skin is stretched enough as a result of tissue expansion.