What are stretch marks?
Stretch marks (striae) are linear scars that form when the deeper layer of skin is stretched or changes quickly, such as during pregnancy, growth, weight change or muscle gain.
Stretch mark treatment · Austin, Texas
Stretch Mark Treatment in Austin, TX
Red or purple marks, white or silver marks, fine lines, wide or indented bands, and marks surrounded by loose skin are not the same problem. Grace looks at what your marks actually are before recommending Morpheus8 Body, MultiFrax 1550, a selected laser option or a staged plan. If you are looking for stretch mark removal in Austin, the honest goal is improvement: nonsurgical treatment can make marks smoother and less noticeable, but no device can promise to erase them completely.
Stretch marks are not all the same. Their color, age, width, depth, texture, skin tone and surrounding laxity can change the treatment plan.
Quick answers
What to know before treating stretch marks
Can stretch marks be removed completely?
No treatment can guarantee complete removal. Stretch marks are a type of scar. Treatment aims to make them smoother, narrower, less indented and/or less noticeable.
Why do old white marks differ from newer red ones?
Newer red, pink or purple marks still have a vascular component. Over time they usually fade to white or silver, becoming settled scars where texture and indentation matter more than color.
Real Grace result
Abdominal stretch marks after one Morpheus8 Body session
A Grace patient photographed before and after one Morpheus8 Body session. The marks look softer and less defined; they are not erased. One session is this patient’s history, not a standard plan.
Learn more about the treatment on Morpheus8 Body.
Start with what you see
What kind of stretch marks do you have?
Most people fit one of four patterns, and many have more than one. Your consultation determines which feature is dominant and should be treated first.
01
Newer red / pink / purple marks
Earlier marks that still look colored, sometimes raised or itchy. Color is often the main concern, and some may warrant evaluation for a vascular-focused laser approach.
02
Mature white / silver marks
Settled scars that have lost their color. They can look lighter than the surrounding skin, and texture is usually the main target.
03
Wide, indented or atrophic marks
Marks you can feel as a slight depression. Deeper remodeling, such as fractional RF microneedling, is more often considered here.
04
Stretch marks plus loose or crepey skin
Common after pregnancy or weight change. The marks and the laxity around them are different targets and may need a combined or staged plan.
Treatment areas
Where stretch marks commonly appear
Stretch marks usually form where skin stretches most. Skin thickness differs by area, so treatment depth and approach are planned zone by zone.
Marks on the breasts or chest are also common; treatment near breast or chest tissue requires individual assessment.
- Abdomen / lower stomach
- Hips, flanks and waist
- Inner thighs
- Outer thighs
- Buttocks
- Upper arms
- Lower back / side waist
- Other areas, assessed individually
How Grace treats stretch marks
Four pathways, chosen by the mark in front of us
No single device is best for every stretch mark. Grace’s difference is having several options and choosing among them by color, texture, depth and surrounding skin.
Morpheus8 Body vs. MultiFrax: Morpheus8 Body uses fine needles to deliver radiofrequency energy beneath the surface, supporting dermal remodeling and softer-looking indented texture, and it can also address mild laxity in the same area. MultiFrax 1550 is a nonablative fractional laser that heats microscopic columns of skin to remodel the dermis and refine texture without removing the surface layer; MultiFrax 1927 mainly targets surface tone and pigment. Because they work through different mechanisms, neither is the universal winner. The better fit depends on your marks, skin tone, surrounding laxity and downtime tolerance.
Pathway 01 · Fractional RF microneedling
Morpheus8 Body
- Best fit
- Mature white or silver marks
- Wider, depressed or atrophic texture
- Marks with surrounding laxity or crepiness
- How it works
- Fine needles deliver controlled fractional radiofrequency beneath the surface to support remodeling at depth.
- Limits
- Not right for every mark, not complete removal and not a substitute for surgery.
Pathway 02 · Nonablative fractional laser
MultiFrax 1550
- Best fit
- Mature or fine textural marks
- Scar or texture-dominant concerns
- Cases where surrounding laxity is not the main problem
- How it works
- The 1550-nm wavelength class has published evidence for stretch marks and targets dermal remodeling without removing the surface layer.
- Limits
- Less suited when loose skin is the main concern. MultiFrax 1927 is mainly used for surface pigment and is not Grace’s primary stretch-mark wavelength.
Pathway 03 · Selected laser evaluation
1064-nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG
- Best fit
- Selected red or purple marks
- Marks that look vascular
- Some mature marks, assessed individually
- How it works
- Selected red/purple or vascular-looking stretch marks may warrant evaluation for a 1064-nm laser approach using Grace’s GentleYAG.
- Limits
- Candidacy and settings are individualized; Grace does not follow any single study protocol.
Pathway 04 · Staged treatment
Combination planning
- Best fit
- Color, scar texture and laxity together
- Marks that have not responded as hoped to one approach
- Larger or mixed treatment areas
- How it works
- When more than one feature is present, Grace may stage more than one modality, each chosen for a specific tissue target.
- Limits
- No combination is proven superior. Evidence supports individualized and multimodal care broadly; the exact sequence is a clinical decision.
Personalized stretch mark consultation
Find the Right Stretch Mark Treatment
Tell us where the marks are. Grace will assess color, depth, age, skin tone, surrounding laxity and your downtime goals before recommending a treatment.
After weight loss
Stretch marks after weight loss
Stretch marks and loose skin are different targets, even when they appear together.
Weight loss itself does not create every stretch mark. Many marks were already there, formed during an earlier period of weight gain, pregnancy or rapid change.
After major weight loss, those marks can become more noticeable as skin loosens around them. Treating the marks improves their texture and appearance; treating laxity is a separate goal. Substantial hanging skin may need a surgical evaluation rather than an energy-based device.
After pregnancy
Stretch marks after pregnancy
A postpartum abdomen can combine stretch marks, loose skin, localized fat and muscle separation. Each is a different target, so the plan starts by sorting out which ones are present. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor about treatment timing.
Stretch marks
Scar texture and color, treated with the pathways above.
Loose skin
Laxity and crepiness, a skin-tightening goal.
Localized fat
Pinchable fullness, a fat-reduction goal.
Muscle separation
Diastasis recti needs appropriate medical evaluation; Morpheus8 does not repair it.
Additional example
A manufacturer case for context
This example comes from the device manufacturer and shows another person’s response to Morpheus8. It is not a Grace patient and does not predict your result. The Grace case above remains this page’s primary proof.
Research, in plain language
Why one device isn’t best for everyone
Stretch marks are permanent scars. The research supports several energy-based options that can make them less noticeable, without crowning one winner.
2024 · Network meta-analysis
No single device came out on top.
A review of 18 randomized trials found that radiofrequency, ablative lasers, nonablative lasers and intense pulsed light all reduced stretch-mark width, with no type proving superior to the others.
Dermatologic Surgery · PubMed2024 · Meta-analysis
RF microneedling and CO2 laser performed comparably.
Pooled studies found similar improvement with fractional microneedle radiofrequency and fractional CO2 laser, while post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was reported less often with radiofrequency.
Lasers in Medical Science · PubMed2008 · 1550-nm fractional laser
1550-nm fractional laser has published evidence for striae.
A small study of 20 women with red or white stretch marks on the abdomen, thighs or buttocks reported improvement after 1550-nm fractional treatment, with mostly temporary redness and swelling.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology · PubMed2016 · Long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG
Long-pulsed 1064-nm laser has been studied in red and white marks.
A study of 45 patients with Fitzpatrick skin types III to V reported clinical and microscopic improvement in both red (rubra) and white (alba) stretch marks.
Lasers in Medical Science · PubMedThe American Academy of Dermatology notes that, like any scar, stretch marks are permanent, but treatment may make them less noticeable.
American Academy of DermatologyStudy devices, settings and session schedules describe research conditions only. They are not Grace’s protocol and do not predict your result.
Realistic expectations
Who stretch mark treatment is for, and who it isn’t
The realistic goal is smoother, less indented, less visible marks, not guaranteed erasure. Treatment choice depends on mark type, location, skin tone, laxity, healing history and how much downtime you can accept.
Often a good fit
- You want marks to look smoother, narrower, less indented or less noticeable
- Your marks are on the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, upper arms or lower back
- You are open to an individualized plan that may include more than one visit
- You want honest guidance on which feature to treat first
Probably not the right first step
- You expect stretch marks to disappear completely
- Substantial hanging or redundant skin is the main concern
- Abdominal muscle separation is the main concern
- You want a fixed number of sessions promised in advance
Energy-based devices cannot remove excess skin or repair diastasis. When either is the main concern, a surgical or medical evaluation may be the better place to start.
Every plan includes clinical screening of your health history and skin before treatment. The number of sessions is individualized and reassessed as your skin responds.
Why Grace · a person before a platform
A plan built around your marks, not one machine.
Eva looks at the color, texture and depth of your marks alongside the skin around them. Two people who both say “stretch marks” may need very different plans.
With Morpheus8 Body, MultiFrax and GentleYAG available under one roof, the recommendation can follow your skin instead of the device a clinic happens to own. Grace is recognized by InMode as a Top 10% Morpheus8 Provider in North America, three years running.
Stretch mark FAQs
Questions about stretch mark treatment
Find out what your stretch marks need
Bring your questions and your goals. Grace will tell you what is realistic, which pathway fits and when another kind of care makes more sense.
Book a Stretch Mark ConsultationVisit
Northland Drive, Central Austin
Grace MedSpa and Body Solutions treats patients from one Austin location, convenient to Northwest Hills, Allandale, Rosedale and the Domain. Patients also visit from West Lake Hills and Lakeway.
Hours
- Monday – Friday
- 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday – Sunday
- Closed