Stretch marks and loose skin
Stretch marks are fine scars that form when skin stretches, or shrinks, faster than it can adapt: in pregnancy, in a growth spurt, with a change in weight or with fast muscle growth, in men as well as women. They usually start darker and fade slowly to paler, flatter lines, but they do not usually disappear. Newer marks tend to respond better than older ones, and the honest aim of any course is softer, less noticeable marks and better-toned skin, not removal.
At a glance
- Who you’ll see
- Our team
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- What may help
-
- icoone Laser Micro-alveolar stimulation
The short answer
Skin that has lost tone after pregnancy or weight change, and stretch marks, respond to gentle, precise stimulation over a course of sessions, including on skin too delicate for aggressive treatments.
What it is, and why it happens
A stretch mark forms when skin is stretched so quickly that the collagen and elastic fibres supporting it break, and it heals as a thin scar. New marks are pink, red, purple, reddish-brown or dark brown, depending on your skin colour, and may feel slightly raised and itchy. In time the colour fades and the narrow bands sink a little beneath the surface, leaving fine, slightly wrinkled lines that are white or silvery, paler than the skin around them; doctors call the early marks striae rubrae and the later ones striae albae.
They appear where skin stretches most: the tummy, breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, upper arms and back. In pregnancy they are very common, in between 55 and 90 percent of women, usually from late in the second trimester, and more likely in younger mothers, when they run in the family and with higher weight before and during pregnancy. Growth spurts in puberty, gaining or losing weight quickly and fast muscle growth from weight training cause them too, as can a steroid cream applied to the same skin for a long time.
Skin that feels loose after a pregnancy or a big change in weight is related but different. After a birth, part of a softer tummy is often the two long muscles down its middle, which commonly separate in pregnancy and usually come back together by about eight weeks after the birth. Skin that has lost some tone may respond to gentle, regular work over a course; folds of loose skin after a large weight loss are beyond what bodywork can change, and a question for a surgeon.
What may help
icoone Laser · Micro-alveolar stimulation
icoone lifts the skin gently into tiny suction cells on motorised rollers, up to 21,600 times a minute, while a 915 nm laser adds gentle warmth in the deeper layers and a 650 nm LED works on the surface; the suction is fully adjustable, which is why we choose it for stretch marks and delicate skin. A body course is usually 10 to 15 sessions, two to three a week at first, then a session or two a month; skin often looks smoother early on, and any change in tone and texture builds over the full course. We don't promise that marks will go: the research on icoone itself is small and studies of suction massage are few and mostly of poor quality, so it is offered as wellness bodywork rather than a medical treatment, and we tell you honestly how your skin is responding as we go. Downtime is usually none: redness where the rollers worked usually fades within a short while, and if the suction feels too strong it is turned down.
What to be careful with
Products that promise removal. Many creams and lotions claim to prevent, reduce or remove stretch marks, with very little evidence that they work. Before using any of them in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, check with your doctor: some contain retinol, which can harm a baby.
Expecting old marks to vanish. Treatment seems to have little effect on mature white marks, so for them the realistic aim is a softer texture and less contrast with the skin around them.
What matters in Dubai
Beach and pool season lasts most of the year here, and sun makes stretch marks stand out more: they don't tan, while the skin around them does. Covering up or wearing sunscreen on the area keeps the contrast down, and a self-tanner can camouflage early and older marks alike.
Dubai's wide range of skin tones shows in how stretch marks look: on brown and black skin, new marks are often dark brown, and older ones fade to lines lighter than the skin around them, so it is the contrast people notice. On darker skin, treatments that heat or injure the skin carry a higher risk of leaving dark patches, which is worth weighing against what a treatment can realistically do.
In Ramadan, an evening session after iftar means you can drink water afterwards, as the aftercare asks; in summer, drink more through the day.
When to see a doctor first
Stretch marks that appear without a growth spurt, a pregnancy or a change in weight deserve a doctor's look, especially when they are large and come with more fat on the neck, upper back, chest or tummy while the arms and legs look thin, a red, round face, skin that bruises easily or weakness at the tops of the arms and legs. These can be signs of Cushing's syndrome, a rare condition caused by too much of the hormone cortisol, most often from taking high doses of steroid medicine for a long time; if you take steroids, talk to the doctor who prescribed them rather than stopping them yourself.
After a birth, a bulge or gap down the middle of the tummy that is still obvious eight weeks later is worth showing a doctor, who can refer you to a physiotherapist for exercises.
Questions people ask
Do stretch marks go away on their own?
They fade: most start darker and become paler, flatter lines over months to years, and they often get much less noticeable with time. They do not usually disappear completely.
Can I prevent stretch marks in pregnancy?
Nothing has been shown to prevent them reliably. In trials, cocoa butter consistently failed and olive oil mostly made no difference; hyaluronic acid, Centella asiatica extract and daily massage look promising in a few small studies, but the evidence is limited.
Are red stretch marks easier to treat than white ones?
Generally, yes. Newer marks, whether red, purple or dark brown, tend to respond better to treatment than mature white ones, which change least.
Can men get stretch marks?
Yes. Teenage boys get them in growth spurts, and men with a change in weight or fast muscle growth from weight training; they are less common than in women but just as normal, and the approach is the same.
When can I start icoone after having a baby?
Once you have finished breastfeeding, since studies of this kind of treatment leave out pregnancy and breastfeeding, and after a caesarean, once the scar has fully healed. Until then, the marks often begin to fade on their own.
Can stretch marks be removed, and what results can I expect?
No treatment, laser included, gets rid of stretch marks, but some can make them less noticeable, newer red or dark marks more than white ones. We use icoone Laser: gentle suction on motorised rollers, with a 915 nm laser adding warmth in the deeper layers and a 650 nm LED, so it is bodywork, not a laser that resurfaces the skin. Skin often looks smoother early on, and any change in tone and texture builds over a course of 10 to 15 sessions. We don't promise that marks will go.
Where can I get stretch mark treatment in Dubai, and how do I choose a clinic?
We are at 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, and for stretch marks we use icoone. Wherever you go, choose a place that looks at your marks and asks about your health and medicines before suggesting anything, tells you plainly that marks can be softened but not removed, explains the risks for your skin tone, and is honest about how your skin is responding as the course goes on.
How much does stretch mark treatment cost in Dubai?
We don't publish prices. icoone Laser, which we use for stretch marks, is planned as a course, and the cost depends on the area and the number of sessions: a body course is usually 10 to 15, two to three a week at first. We agree the plan together at the consultation, after a look at your marks, and you know the full plan and its cost before you start. We suggest only the sessions your marks call for.
What are the side effects of icoone for stretch marks?
With icoone Laser, the common one is some redness where the rollers worked, which usually fades within a short while; if the suction feels too strong, it is turned down. In a small study on the legs, three of 25 women noticed short-lived tingling, a little swelling and more visible small veins in spots, and the research is small, so rarer effects are not well known.
What should I do before and after icoone for stretch marks?
Before, tell us about your health and medicines. We wait if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if the skin there is broken or inflamed, or if in the past year you have taken a medicine that makes skin sensitive to light, such as isotretinoin; after a blood clot in a vein, or with varicose veins in the area, you see our phlebologist first. After, drink water for the rest of the day, more in the Dubai heat, and move a little to help drainage. Message us if anything doesn't settle.
What can I use on new red stretch marks during pregnancy, and does hyaluronic acid help?
Ask your doctor before using anything while pregnant or breastfeeding: retinoid creams, such as tretinoin or retinol, should not be used in pregnancy, as they may harm the baby. Hyaluronic acid may help: in two large studies, applying it to early marks made them less noticeable, and any change takes weeks of daily use to show; ask your doctor whether it suits you now. We don't start icoone until you have finished breastfeeding, and red marks often begin to fade on their own after the birth.
Can stretch marks on the legs or underarms be treated, and is it the same for men?
Usually, yes. icoone is made for the face and body, and besides its larger rollers it has small handpieces for small or hard-to-reach areas, so marks on the thighs, legs, upper arms or around the underarms can usually be treated, as long as the skin there is unbroken and not inflamed. For men, the course and the aim are the same: softer, less noticeable marks and better-toned skin, not removal. We look at the area first and set the suction to what feels comfortable.
Do I need a doctor or a dermatologist for stretch marks?
Not usually: marks after a pregnancy, a growth spurt, a change in weight or fast muscle growth are harmless. See a doctor first if large marks appear without one of those reasons, especially with more fat on the neck, upper back or tummy, a red, round face or easy bruising: these can be signs of Cushing's syndrome. A dermatologist can advise on prescription creams and procedures. We don't offer dermatology consultations, and if your marks need a doctor, we say so.
Related concerns
Sources
- NHS. Stretch marks. Health A to Z, nhs.uk. Reviewed April 2024.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Stretch marks: why they appear and how to get rid of them. aad.org.
- Farahnik B, Park K, Kroumpouzos G, Murase J. Striae gravidarum: risk factors, prevention, and management. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(2):77–85.
- Chaudhury H, Remmert N, Chen H, Tarbox M. Advancements in treating stretch marks across all skin types: a comprehensive review of therapeutic modalities. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2026;12(1):e244.
- NHS. Cushing's syndrome. Health A to Z, nhs.uk. Reviewed March 2025.
- NHS. Your post-pregnancy body. nhs.uk. Reviewed July 2026.
- Moortgat P, Anthonissen M, Meirte J, Van Daele U, Maertens K. The physical and physiological effects of vacuum massage on the different skin layers: a current status of the literature. Burns Trauma. 2016;4:34.
- Palmieri B, Aspiro A, Sighinolfi G, et al. Intermittent microalveolar stromal stimulation therapy: lower legs functional and cosmetic reshaping by lympho-venous network activation. Minerva Chir. 2019;74(3 Suppl 1):1–7.
- i-Tech Industries. icoone Laser Beauty: product information, handpieces and programmes. icoone.com.
Updated 27 October 2026