Scars and stretch marks are signs of our body's adaptation to external and internal factors. Even though they are a natural part of the healing process, most of us want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Luckily enough, there is a wide range of treatment options that can help eliminate these skin blemishes.

Even though surgery, laser therapy and other resurfacing techniques can do the trick, they are often costly and may produce irritation or hyperpigmentation. Scar creams, on the other hand, are relatively inexpensive and very gentle with your skin.

Scar Cream Alternatives

There are basically two types of scar creams that you can try on your skin: simple scar creams and microdermabrasion creams. The first one uses chemical processes to reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks, while the other uses abrading micro crystals to slowly "sand off" scar tissue.

Facial scars are often treated with a simple scar cream. Body scars, on the other hand, can resist more abuse and can be treated using microdermabrasion creams. Heed these suggestions to get the most effective treatment for scars without further damage.

Ingredients You Should Look For

Just like skin care creams, scar and stretch marks creams are only effective if they contain the right ingredients. If you're wondering which ingredients to look for, here's a short list of the most effective ingredients used for scar removal:

Rose Hip Seed Oil

This product has long been used for stretch marks treatment although it is also very effective on all types of scar tissue. Its high concentration of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and essential fatty acids makes it ideal for reducing the appearance of abnormal tissue. These components promote the elimination of damaged skin and boost the growth of new skin cells.

This product can be used in its pure, oil form or as part of a variety of different skin care products, especially those that help treat dry skin. Rose hip oil has also been used to treat other skin problems such as dermatitis and eczema.

Snail Serum

Another natural ingredient that can help with scar removal is snail serum. It contains copper peptides that can increase the rate of skin renewal. Copper peptides also help increase the formation of new capillaries, collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans.

Snail serum is derived from the common brown snail and was recently added to the list of skin care ingredients thanks to heliciculture workers in Chile that noticed their skin was smoother and that their scars would disappear quicker when they came in contact with the snails.