With regard to efficacy, all studies consistently reported that topical tretinoin was efficacious in improving clinical appearance of photoaging in terms of wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, sallowness, and lentigines as early as 1 month and lasted after 24 months.
Unlike over-the-counter anti-aging products, tretinoin has anti-aging ingredients that go deep beneath the outer portion of the skin to the epidermis. It boosts the production of new collagen in around six months, resulting in smoother, younger-looking skin.
With 12 weeks of consistent tretinoin usage, you'll start seeing a significant improvement in the skin damage caused to the skin by sun exposure. There is a reduction of sun-induced yellowish thick appearance of the skin, sun spots, coarse wrinkles, and uneven pigmentation due to sunburns.
Tretinoin effects collagen in two ways. With consistent long term use, tretinoin will increase the production of collagen while simultaneously decreasing the rate of collagen degradation. In other words, a win-win benefit.
After 6 months or more of tretinoin therapy, some of the sagging skin, especially in the periorbital area, may begin to tighten. The greatest improvement will occur during the first 12 months of therapy^ with only minimal improvement thereafter.
Skincare products to treat sagging jowls
Luckily help is at hand! If skin laxity is one of your concerns, vitamin A-derivate creams and vitamin C (such as tretinoin, retinoic acid, and l-ascorbic acid) will stimulate the building blocks of the skin, fixing you from the inside out.
“The symptoms related to tretinoin purging typically involve acne breakouts, severe skin dryness and peeling, redness and irritation, but it is important to know that this phase is temporary and once it's over, the skin will generally begin to improve, and you will be able to see the positive effects.
It's never too early or too late for an adult to use tretinoin! Both the short term benefits and the long term benefits are readily visible and worth the effort. As examples, I recently had some interesting conversations with two patients, both of whom expressed gratitude for my recommending tretinoin years ago.
Tazarotene (Tazorac, Avage) is another type of retinoid that also comes in a cream or a gel, but is usually more expensive than tretinoin. In studies, it is as effective as tretinoin for photoaging and wrinkles but can cause more skin irritation.
Some people may notice that this side effect goes away within a few weeks of use, while others may have flaky skin for up to two months. Regardless of how long it takes to subside, tretinoin peeling is temporary and will go away once your skin gets used to the product.
In fact, the skin isn't getting worse but the initial period of adjustment may include skin dryness, flaking or irritation makes it look rougher. This then makes the skin look more aged or tired. Potential for Long-term Damage: If you don't use Tretinoin properly then you can damage the skin under your eyes.
You should aim to use tretinoin every night, however, you must start slowly as your skin needs to get used to it. The first 2 weeks apply it 2 to 3 nights per week, after that try applying it every other day, and then if your skin can handle it, apply it every night.
Do not use this medicine in or around the eyes or lips, or inside of the nose. Spread the medicine away from these areas when applying. If it accidentally gets on these areas, wash with water at once. Before applying tretinoin, wash the skin with a mild soap or cleanser and warm water by using the tips of your fingers.
It's true that some people with persistent acne use tretinoin for years, but generally speaking, most stop once they have clearer skin or if they're no longer seeing results. Other people may continue to use tretinoin after their breakouts subside for the most part for maintenance therapy.
Retinoids have been implicated in causing mild-to-moderate elevations in routine liver tests, but these elevations are usually asymptomatic and transient, resolving spontaneously even with continued therapy.
In our reviewed articles, the dosage of topical tretinoin varied from 0.025% to 0.1%. The application of tretinoin with these dosages has demonstrated significant improvements in clinical signs of photoaging.
Oils, such as coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil are great to put right on your skin to keep it moist and wrinkle-free. Mixing vitamin E or vitamin C in the oil can make it even better for your skin. Some people mix in a tiny bit of essential oil such as carrot seed, clary sage, jojoba, neroli, rose, and others.
While Botox® temporarily reduces the appearance of wrinkles by relaxing facial muscles, tretinoin helps improve skin texture and diminish fine lines through its collagen-stimulating properties. When used together, these treatments can enhance their individual benefits and provide more comprehensive results.
Cleanse and wait 10-20 minutes before applying tretinoin
Pat your face dry and wait 10-20 minutes before applying tretinoin as instructed by your medical provider. Never apply it on damp or wet skin because it can absorb quickly and cause skin irritation.
Treatment of photodamaged skin with tretinoin produced an 80 percent increase in collagen I formation, as compared with a 14 percent decrease in collagen formation with the use of vehicle alone (P = 0.006).
Conclusion: After 48 weeks of once-daily treatment, the continued use of tretinoin emollient cream 0.05% at a dose of three times per week maintains and, in some cases, may further enhance improvement in photodamage. Discontinuation of therapy results in some reversal of beneficial effects.
Topical tretinoin can cause your skin to become dry, red, swollen, blistered, or flaky. It may also cause your skin to itch, be painful, or feel like it is burning. Stop using topical tretinoin and call your healthcare provider if these symptoms become worse or do not go away.
Option one: The sandwich technique
In this method we sandwich tretinoin between two layers of moisturiser. This buffers your skin from tretinoin and slows down the release. After washing your face, apply a layer of moisturiser. Allow it to dry down for 5-10 minutes.
However, it is known that tretinoin encourages rapid epidermal turnover, meaning skin releases dead cells faster than it otherwise would, to reveal a fresh, glowing complexion. Under the microscope, researchers have seen tretinoin produce significant changes in epidermal and dermal skin cells and tissues.