red steaks on love handles

[ralphyfell]

i have red, indented streaks on my love handles, my stomach and my armpits.  there are clusters of them on both love handles as well as stomach area.  there is just one streak under each armpit.  it began with just a few on my side and has definitely spread.  is this anything i can treat with something over the counter and what is it?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

These sound like striae, colloqially referred to as "stretch marks."  These occur in the following contexts: pergnancy, obesity, using strong cortisone creams, exercising such as weight lifting.  Not much can be done for them, but Retin-A cream can help make them fade from red to off-white faster than they would otherwise.  I suggest you show a doctor for definitive diagnosis.



Best.



Dr. Rockoff

[ASt]

Dr.,  I have the same exact problem as the man above, and went to my doctor about it... he also said it was striae, but i had not gained any weight recently and i also have not started excersizing. I saw on TV a report about this condition, relating to a tick-spread bacterium. Do you know anything about this? thanks.

[disabldbyvirgmasonhosp]

Would suggest that you are on the right track when considering insect cause.  Investigation of mites, domestic animal type might be helpful.  Look into Vet websites and some derm specific sites also.

With luck you've lost the critters by now.

Ta