Few of us make it to adulthood without a few surface imperfections - perhaps a scar from a teenage cycling accident, a strange mole caused by past sun exposure, or broken veins brought on by birth control pills, pregnancy, or just plain genetics. If you're like me, these skin glitches make me dread summertime, when I have to decide between the comfort of sundresses, shorts, and sleeveless shirts, or the camouflaging ability of long skirts, pants, and sleeved shirts. Fortunately for women like me, there is a host of new treatments available to reduce the appearance of surface flaws. Most scars cannot be eliminated completely, but they can be softened.

Scars

Like many of you, I have quite a number of scars on my legs, thanks to childhood bicycling accidents, teenage clumsiness, and an adult run-in with an adorable yet feisty kitten.

I've found that exfoliating ingredients such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid help soften the appearance of scars, as do pigment-lightening ingredients such as kojic acid and hydroquinone.

For bad scars onion extract (abo called cepium allium) has been found to soften the appearance of all types of scars when used two to four times a day for 1 to 4 months. Topical gels or bandages containing silicone have also been shown to soften the appearance of all types of scars. You either use the gel two to four times a day or wear the bandage continually for 4 months. A dermatologist can also soften the appearance of scars through microdermabrasion, or laser resurfacing.

A scar is the skin's healing response to an injury or wound and is composed mostly of inelastic collagen fibers. Scar tissue is disorganized and appears distinctively different from the normal tissue surrounding it.

Mole check

Moles are not inherently dangerous. It is only "irregular" moles - or a mole's sudden "irregular" behavior - that may indicate you've got skin cancer. To catch a potential problem while it is still small, examine your entire body monthly, carefully studying each mole. Contact your dermatologist if you find any of the following signs:

A mole that has changed color, size, or shape.

A mole that itches, bleeds, or has a crusty surface.

A mole With an asymmetrical border.

Stretch marks

Stretch marks, known medically as striae gravidarum, are fissures in skin's middle layer. They occur when the body grows faster than the skin can accommodate, which makes adolescence, pregnancy; sudden weight gain, or quick muscle-building all prime times for stretch marks to develop. While stretch marks do fade with time, they often remain visible enough to make you self-conscious.

Perhaps no other skin glitch seems to cause such dissension among dermatologists. Some say stretch marks are treatable, some say the marks are mildly treatable, and others say there is nothing you can do to make them better. Daily applications of a trentinoin cream, or a product containing glycolic acid or onion extract, have been shown to soften the marks in some people. So have microdermabrasion, intense pulsed light treatments, and laser resurfacing. And there are people who swear by pure vitamin E or jojoba oil. If you have stretch marks and want them gone, you may have to experiment with- several types of treatments to get results.