Stretch marks come in two main stages. The early ones (doctors call them striae rubrae) look red, pink or purple because there's still blood flow underneath. Over time they fade to the mature stage (striae albae), which looks white or silvery. The colour basically tells you how new a mark is, and how likely it is to respond to anything you do about it.
If you've been squinting at a line on your bump wondering whether the colour means something, it does. Here's how to read it.
The two main types
Striae rubrae (the new ones). Red, pink or purple, sometimes slightly raised, occasionally itchy. There's active blood flow, which means the skin is still in repair mode. This is the responsive stage.
Striae albae (the older ones). White or silvery, often very slightly sunken, with a different texture to the skin around them. The redness has gone, the scar has settled, and they're far more stubborn.
Most stretch marks travel from the first stage to the second over several months to a couple of years.
What the colours actually mean
Red or pink usually means brand new, from recent stretching. Purple or darker tones can mean a slightly more developed mark, and they're also common on deeper skin tones, where fresh marks often look purple, brown or darker than the surrounding skin rather than red. White or silver means mature: the collagen has settled and the mark is as faded as it's likely to get on its own. Colour reads a little differently across skin tones, so go by "new and coloured" versus "old and pale" rather than one exact shade.
Where you tend to get them in pregnancy
The belly is the obvious one, but they also turn up on the breasts, hips, thighs and bum, basically anywhere the skin stretches quickly. Seeing them in more than one place is completely normal.
Do different types fade differently?
Yes, and this is the useful part. The earlier you catch a mark, the more it can fade. Red and purple marks can soften a lot with hydration and proven actives like the centella asiatica in our Day Gel. White, settled marks can be improved in texture and tone but won't disappear. So the colour isn't just cosmetic trivia, it tells you how much your effort is likely to pay off.
Can you stop them appearing in the first place?
To a degree, yes, and it beats treating them later. Stretch marks form in the dermis, the deep layer of skin, which is why no surface cream prevents them on its own. The Band Kit pairs a Derma Dot™ support band, which holds that deep layer steady as your bump grows, with the Day Gel and Night Cream to keep the surface hydrated. Worn daily from around week 12, it's aimed at the cause, not just the colour.
So, red, purple, white or silver: it's all the same scar at different ages. The newer and more coloured it is, the more you can do about it.
General information, not medical advice. Check anything that concerns you with your GP or midwife. See the NHS guide to stretch marks.
FAQ
What do the different colours of stretch marks mean? Colour shows age. Red, pink or purple marks are new and still have blood flow, so they respond best. White or silver marks are mature and harder to change.
Are purple stretch marks bad? No, they're just newer marks, and on deeper skin tones fresh marks often look purple or brown rather than red. Being new, they're actually the most responsive to care.
Do white stretch marks ever go away? Not completely. White marks are settled scars. You can improve their texture and tone, but they won't fully disappear.
Which type of stretch marks is easiest to treat? The early red, pink or purple ones, because the skin is still repairing. Acting while they're coloured gives the best results.
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