Stretch marks show up when skin is stretched beyond its elastic limit. The excessive stretching can be caused by rapid growth (growth spurts), rapid weight gain and weight loss and by pregnancy. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you got them, it only matters how you can get rid of them.

A lot of worthless products claim to be a miracle cure for stretch marks. But, don't be fooled. The only surefire way of eliminating them is through plastic surgery. Using any other option will only help minimize their appearance or cover them up, but it won't remove them.

Nevertheless, surgery isn't the best option for removing stretch marks in most areas. In fact, surgical intervention is only effective if you are trying to remove abdominal stretch marks that appear below the navel area. If you are interested in removing stretch marked skin from the arms and legs, then surgery is not the best option because the limbs are round and suturing could lead to puckered skin.

As you can see, surgery can only deal with a specific area of the body. To deal with the rest of your body, you need to find other alternatives.

So, how to get rid of stretch marks is not the question you should be asking yourself. Instead, you should be out there looking for products that can help reduce them. Stretch marks creams and microdermabrasion are two very popular ways of dealing with stretch marks.

Creams that contain snail serum and/or rose hip oil are ideal for treating stretch marks. These creams use biological activators like those of your body's own regenerative processes to eliminate stretch marks. They trigger and control the synthesis of collagen, elastin, and GAGs. They also replace flawed skin with healthy skin cells.

With regular use (two times a day for a period of time depending on age and depth of the blemishes) a stretch mark cream will 'digest' flawed cells, gently dissolve skin lesions, reduce and even erase all signs of stretch marks. By using the best stretch mark cream you can improve your skin's elasticity by destroying pathogens and triggering the regeneration of normal collagen.

Microdermabrasion is another option for the treatment of stretch marks. This process inflicts a tiny bit of "damage" to the affected area which triggers the body's immune system into action.

In effect, this helps removed damaged cells with new, healthier ones. As with creams, this procedure is a slow fix. Keep this in mind when choosing your stretch mark treatment option.