If you're using topical tretinoin to reduce wrinkles, discoloration, age spots, and/or rough feeling skin, it can take 3–4 months or up to six months before you see results.
Descriptions. Tretinoin is used to treat acne or other skin diseases as determined by your doctor. It works partly by keeping skin pores clear. One of the tretinoin creams is used to treat fine wrinkles, dark spots, or rough skin on the face caused by the damaging rays of the sun.
Generally, it takes about 3 to 6 months of daily use to notice a difference. With prescription retinoids, a patient might notice smoother, more even-toned skin in as early as 6 to 8 weeks.
After three months, 94 percent of the patients experienced a significant decrease in the depth of their acne scars. The researchers concluded that tretinoin is an “effective, noninvasive treatment of atrophic acne scars without causing disturbing side-effects.”
If you use it every two or three days, you may start seeing results after about ten weeks. If used weekly, it could take up to three months. Every person's skin is unique though, and results may vary.
Tretinoin Does Not “Bleach” Your Skin
Contrary to popular belief, tretinoin is not a “bleaching agent” or medicine designed specifically to lighten your skin tone. While tretinoin can even out patches of hyperpigmentation and cause a mild change in your skin tone, it doesn't affect melanin synthesis.
Think of Tretinoin as floss for your face. It works to open pores, helps turnover the skin, evens the pigment tone and texture. As a pharmaceutical form of retinoic acid available only by prescription, Tretinoin is a vitamin A based retinoid used to treat acne other skin diseases partly by keeping skin pores clear.
You may notice tretinoin starting to work within 2 to 3 weeks, but it can take 6 weeks or more to experience the full benefit. If you don't see improvement within 12 weeks, or if you have significant improvement and wonder if you should start using it less frequently, talk to your doctor.
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.
Generally, it is fine to use tretinoin every night, but you may not want to because of the initial side effects, especially when you first start. You should only use tretinoin as prescribed to avoid significant skin irritation, redness, and other side effects.
Reach for Retin-A or Retinol
This can be done by using a topical retinoid product that both treats and fades hyperpigmentation,” explains Stephens.
It may take longer than 12 weeks before you notice full improvement of your acne, even if you use the medicine every day. Check with your doctor if skin irritation becomes severe or if your acne does not improve within 8 to 12 weeks.
You Don't Need to Use Tretinoin Every Day to See Results
While most dermatologists recommend tretinoin as a once-daily treatment, your healthcare provider may recommend using the medication less frequently if you're concerned about side effects.
Topical application of tretinoin significantly lightens postinflammatory hyperpigmentation; to a clinically minimal but statistically significant degree, it also lightens normal skin in black persons.
Skin Discoloration
Tretinoin can fade spots on the face, evening out your skin tone and helping to hide the blotchy coloration that can affect many people's facial skin. In some cases, however, tretinoin can also cause small patches of skin to darken, producing noticeable skin discoloration.
Tretinoin can also be used to decrease the appearance of acne scarring. Since tretinoin speeds up cell turnover on your skin, it can encourage new cell growth at the site of your scarring. Tretinoin in several forms has been tested successfully as an effective way to treat acne scars.
Many tretinoin users experience a “purge” during the first several weeks of treatment. During this period, acne — the very problem tretinoin is supposed to treat — often gets worse, resulting in everything from the occasional whitehead to severe breakouts.
Tretinoin (Retin-A) is considered the first-line treatment for AN. When used regularly, it can help thin and lighten the skin in affected areas.
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).
Dr. Mariwalla says coating your skin with Vaseline after applying retinoids or AHA acids would increase penetration of these ingredients, potentially leading to irritation.
Yes. It's perfectly safe to use a moisturizer with tretinoin. In fact, tretinoin without moisturizer is generally not recommended. Many dermatologists advise their patients to moisturize while using it to reduce their chance of developing dry, peeling skin.
Retinol also stimulates collagen production, which is another way it diminishes dark spots. “Collagen helps promote skin cell turnover, which helps peel and fade away dark spots,” says Dr.
Studies show that topical tretinoin can lighten age spots, making them less visible. In one study, researchers studied 58 different people with age spots. They found that at the end of the 10-month study, 20 out of the 24 people treated with tretinoin (83 percent) had measurable lightening of their age spots.
If it sounds a little grim, it's because it kind of is. But it's important to keep in mind that skin peeling is a normal effect of tretinoin treatment and not something to be overly alarmed about.