Make your skin look great again with these simple and inexpensive tips

If you have scars or stretch marks and want to be rid of them, there are things you can do to make them less obvious or disappear completely.

While scars can make you look tough, most of us don’t want scars or stretch marks. They’re unattractive, and they can have a negative effect on a person’s self-esteem. There are several pricey products on the market to get rid of these blemishes, but not all of us can afford them. Luckily, there are some things you can do that are fairly inexpensive and will still have great effects.

One thing you should always keep in mind is prevention. When it comes to scars there’s not a lot you can do except to be careful and try to avoid activities that might lead to serious injury and scarring. As far as stretch marks though, there are preventive measures you can take to keep your skin’s elasticity at its best and reduce the likelihood that you’ll get stretch marks.

You should always stay properly hydrated to keep your skin at its best. Not only will this help prevent stretch marks, it will keep your skin regenerating at a good rate and keep it looking good overall. Another preventive measure is to try to keep your weight under control so you don’t lose or gain weight too fast. If you’re losing weight, try to do it slowly so that your skin will have time to tighten and adjust. The same thing goes for gaining weight or muscle. If you pack on the bulk or pounds too fast, you’ll stretch the skin and get ugly lines.

Whether you’re gaining weight or losing it, not only should you do it slowly, you should also keep your skin hydrated from the outside. Use lotion on any parts of your body that you expect to change shape. The underside of arms, belly, back of the thighs, breasts/pecs and buttocks are prime areas for stretch marks, so use a daily moisturizer as you add or remove the weight to help your skin keep up with the change. This is especially important for body builders and pregnant women.

Hot baths and exfoliating can help reduce the appearance of existing stretch marks and scars. At least once a week you should take a bath in very hot water (with no soap or products) and soak for no less than 20 minutes. On another day of the week use a loofah and an exfoliating wash (like an apricot scrub) all over your body, especially the areas with unsightly marks. Exfoliating gets rid of dead skin, and the hot baths force your body to produce new skin cells faster.

If you want a better treatment for existing scars or stretch marks, try the following:

Olive oil
Aloe Powder
Ground burdock
Ground Chickweed
Ground Chamomile

Mix 1 tbsp total of the ground herbs with ½ cup of olive oil. Rub the mixture into the affected areas every night before bed. Do be aware that it might leave a slight yellow stain on your sheets, so either cover the area with clothing or sleep on dark sheets. The more often you use this rub, the lighter and shallower your scars and stretch marks will become. I developed this mix after a great deal of research, and it works quite well. Some of my scars are completely gone, and my stretch marks are barely visible. I used the mix every day for about a month.

By combining these methods, you should be able to reduce or eliminate your stretch marks and scars, and prevent new ones from appearing.

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter