If you want to get rid of stretch marks, the first thing to understand is the nature of this very common form of scarring and how it can occur. Stretch marks are caused by rapid stretching of the skin, mainly due to a drastic change in body weight or shape. This is why stretch marks are very common in pregnany women, and in men who engage in weight lifting or body building.

When the skin is stretched in this manner, the tiny fibers that knit the skin together are torn, and the collagen in the skin (collagen is the protein that keeps skin stretchy and supple) is spread out too thinly to properly repair the damage. This is what causes the streaky purple or red scars that fade into those silvery white streaks. You'll notice the skin is a slightly different texture and color to the surrounding skin. This is evidence of the collagen doing the best job it can to repair the skin, but unfortunately not being able to properly repair the damage.

As stretch marks are a form deep scarring on the skin, they can be difficult to get rid of. Most people are unable to completely get rid of stretch marks, but many have had great success in drastically reducing their appearance through treatment and good skin care. As you read above, the contributing factor to stretch marks is the depletion of collagen in the skin. As such, replenishing and boosting the production of collagen is the most effective way to reduce the appearance of scarring and get rid of stretch marks as effectively as possible.

Unlike some other facets of the cosmetics industry, there have actually been several studies done into the effectiveness of certain ingredients on reducing the appearance of stretch marks and preventing them from occurring, using vitamins and compounds that boost the production of collagen. From these studies a lot of great products have been developed in the past couple of years which can really help get rid of stretch marks.

However, the hocus-pocus cures are still around too, so make sure you read your labels and do your research. The ingredients to look out for are: Vitamin E, Elastin, Collagen (synthetic), DL-Penthenol, Squaline, Vitamin D3 and Aloe Vera. If the product you are looking at has a few or more of those ingredients, chances are you've got something that's going to help with reducing scarring.

There's treatments specially designed for new fresh scarring, older marks, prevention, reduction, or any combination of these, so make sure you get the right one for your particular problem areas. Many reputable companies producing these treatments offer unconditional guarantees too, so that's another thing to look out for, so if the treatment doesn't improve your scarring you can return it for a refund and try another.

There are other options to consider as well, such as surgery. The track record for surgery on stretch mark scarring is not great, with the general consensus being it's costly, painful, and ranging from not very effective up to some small results. Laser surgery cannot remove scarring, only take off outer layers of skin to hide the appearance of marks on the skin.