For people who take pristine care of their vehicles, a scratch on their car’s exterior is an unsightly blemish.

Fortunately, there are professional detailers and even DIY kits that specialize in eliminating unwanted scratches and dents from a vehicle’s surface.

Most detailers go by the general rule that if you run your finger over a scratch and it stops, it’s likely too deep just to buff out, and you may need to take your vehicle to an auto body shop for repair. In a case where your finger may feel the scratch but still glides over it, auto detailers can generally fix it with a rubbing compound.

Scratches that are contained to the clearcoat and don’t penetrate the paint are fixed rather easily, as repainting isn’t involved.

The first step is to clean the surface of the scratch with either a clay bar or Nanoskin pad, said Ken Steeg, owner of Xclusive Mobile Detailing in Granada Hills, Calif.

The next step is applying the rubbing compound to either a cloth or a buffer.

Darren Macron, owner of Macron Mobile Detailing in Dublin, Ohio, said he hand buffs over the clearcoat in a circular motion, sometimes leaving a 2- to-3-inch in diameter circle around the scratch. This blends the scratch while wearing down the clearcoat, he said.

Electric buffers are a better option to rub in the compound for longer or multiple scratches.

A buffer will tear through some of the clearcoat. Steeg said he typically buffs the entire car when he does this, which he said prevents 90 percent to 95 percent of the scratches from coming back.

For best results, Macron recommends leaving high-speed buffing to professional detailers. The final step they use is applying a petroleum-based polish, followed by a wax, he said.

“A wax will fill in the crevice and will smooth it out,” Macron said.

For serious scratches that have cut through the entire clearcoat and into the paint, Macron said he offers a service that includes sanding. This will include using a 2,000 or more grit wet/dry sandpaper to wear down the entire clearcoat to the metal and then touching it up with paint. These are scratches deep enough to catch your fingernail, Macron said.

“In these cases, I would recommend finding someone that can do wet sanding,” Steeg said. “If it’s really deep, you may have to go to a body shop.”

Steve Schwartz, owner of C & S Body Shop in Kansas City, Mo., said if the scratch is through the paint, rust will form within a week if it’s not repaired or at least covered up temporarily with nail polish.

The process generally includes sanding the scratch down and priming the area before painting it, he said.

Waxing, eliminates up to 80 percent of surface scratches, Macron said, whether it’s by hiring a detailer or doing it on your own.

However, using only an over-the-counter wax and not a rubbing compound is only a temporary solution.

“Three to four weeks later the scratch will come back,” Macron said. “A compound will eliminate it.”