Tretinoin is a medication used to treat acne and sun-damaged skin. It can't erase deep wrinkles, but it can help improve the appearance of surface wrinkles, fine lines, and darks spots. Tretinoin is also known as retinoic acid.
Like other medications, tretinoin needs time to affect your skin. On average, it takes eight to 24 weeks of treatment for tretinoin to produce noticeable improvements in wrinkles and other signs of aging.
Tretinoin usually comes in three strengths, 0.025%, 0.05%, and 0.1%. The stronger 0.05% and 0.1% creams are usually used to treat the appearance of wrinkles. The 0.1% cream may have better results for some people, but it can be harsher, so if your skin is sensitive, you may find the 0.05% cream is best for you.
Because they're not as strong (and thus less irritating), they are not as effective in reducing wrinkles as tretinoin; but they do improve the appearance of photo-aged skin. Tretinoin can be used with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) for additional skin-smoothing effects.
Adults younger than 50 years of age—Apply to the affected area(s) of the skin once a day, at bedtime. Adults 50 years of age and older—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
First, the answer is yes, retinol can make wrinkles worse, especially when you first start using it. What is happening is a drying effect, and one can get epidermal sliding from separation from the dermis.
The only skin care product that can truly provide a slight tightening effect with regular use is Retin A, or Tretinoin. This is because Vitamin A helps speed up skin cell turnover, helping to boost collagen production.
On the whole, it's best to think of botox as a treatment for wrinkles that are apparent with moving facial muscles (smiling, furrowing your brow, frowning) while tretinoin can help treat the fine lines and sun spots resulting from UV exposure.
Tretinoin strength studies
While both were equally effective over a one year period, Tretinoin 0.1% was able to achieve cosmetic improvement in 6 months while 0.05% required closer to 12 months. Finally, 0.025% was compared to 0.1% and it was found that both produced similar improvements in photoaging.
Tretinoin is a more potent retinoid than retinol and will show results faster. While these active ingredients both combat signs of photoaging (aka wrinkles, rough skin, uneven skin tone, and enlarged pores), tretinoin-based products like Night Shift are more effective for fighting acne.
"You can use tretinoin or [over-the-counter] retinols forever."
After 4-6 weeks, your skin will get used to tretinoin and will begin to be noticeably smoother and more even. A lot of the initial irritation will settle down and true “retinization” of your skin is in full force.
Use just a pea-sized portion.
This is enough for your face. Dab a bit from this portion onto your forehead, cheeks, and chin, then smooth it around. Use another pea-sized portion for your neck or chest if you need to apply in those areas, too.
1% tretinoin, or one unit of tretinoin per 100 units. The weakest cream contains . 005% tretinoin, or approximately 5% as much tretinoin as the strongest . 1% cream.
If you use tretinoin daily as directed, a single 20g tube of tretinoin cream should last for between two and three months, resulting in an approximate cost of about $15 to $25 per month.
If you stop using the medication or are inconsistent with your treatment, any improvements you see may disappear over time. Always use the product as prescribed by your healthcare provider (Rodan, 2016).
“This will make your skin look older and accentuate wrinkles” — which is probably not what you're going for when you start using the stuff. And there's no question that retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun.
As for the claim that a cream or lotion can lift sagging skin, dermatologists say that's not possible. A cream or lotion cannot penetrate the skin deeply enough to do this. Still, you may see a small change if a product contains a retinoid, such as retinol, which can help your body make more collagen.
Tretinoin It is a derivative of Vitamin A acid and is an effective slow bleaching agent that can be safely used in the eye area in an emollient cream base.
Tretinoin gel, cream, or lotion requires a prescription because it's more powerful than retinol. Doctors prescribe tretinoin to treat skin conditions like: Acne. Psoriasis.
Tretinoin is an anti-cancer ("antineoplastic" or "cytotoxic") chemotherapy drug. Tretinoin is classified as a "retinoid." (For more detail, see "How Tretinoin Works" section below).
Tretinoin for Hair Loss — The Science
In this study from the Journal of Investigative Dermatology on the effects of oral retin a — oral tretinoin — on human scalp hair follicles, research showed that exposure to retinoic acid induced premature hair follicle regression.
The difference between them is depth and speed! Retin-A penetrates immediately and into deeper layers of your skin to repair instantly. Retinol takes a while to penetrate and repair. They are both good quality anti-aging skin care products.