In other words, if stretch marks run in your family, and your son has a rapid growth spurt, you are likely to see some stretch marks crop up. Ilyas explains that the reason some teen boys get stretch marks and others do not is based on both genetics and also how quickly their skin expands. “Some people are genetically more prone to get stretch marks, and may get them even with a smaller growth or weight gain,” Dr. But this is not always the case, and genetics may play a role in how easily your body will generate stretch marks in times of growth. Kates says that stretch marks usually correspond with times of very rapid growth (such as puberty) or during times of rapid weight gain. “When the skin expands faster than it can keep up with, there is initially an inflammatory response followed by a healing phase,” he explains.ĭr. Ilyas, stretch marks are a form of scar tissue. Stretch marks, which are also known as “striae,” happen most often during growth spurts, breast growth, rapid weight gain, and body-building, says Dr. Girls, on the other hand, tend to have stretch marks appear in multiple areas of the body, including breasts, thighs, and hips. In genetically male teens, stretch marks usually present as “horizontal stripes on the back,” she says, and correspond with rapid periods of growth. Kates, a pediatrician at Holyoke Pediatric Associates in Massachusetts, sees stretch marks in both her male and female patients. “In boys, I routinely find stretch marks along the lower back and flanks with increases in vertical height at a fast rate,” he says.ĭr. Ilyas explains, the way that stretch marks present in boys is often different than in girls. Ilyas, a board certified dermatologist, says that he frequently sees stretch marks in teen boys, especially during puberty. So yes, they’re more common in girls, but many boys get them too!ĭr. Daniel Ganjian, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, teen girls get stretch marks about 70 percent of the time, while teen boys get them about 40 percent of the time. My assumption that stretch marks are mostly a “girl problem” has a sliver of truth. I connected with two pediatricians and a dermatologist to answer my questions about stretch marks and boys and to demystify the topic for all of us parents of teen boys.
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