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. If you stop using the medication or are inconsistent with your treatment, any improvements you see may disappear over time.
For the most part, dermatologists tend to prescribe a 0.05% tretinoin cream for patients, which provides a good balance between optimal results and a tolerable level of side effects.
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.
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.
Does Retin-A (tretinoin) help reverse skin aging? Yes. Retin-A, whose active ingredient is tretinoin, has been shown to have positive effects on both the deeper collagen layers of your skin as well as the upper most layer that is comprised of skin cells.
Tretinoin may be a better choice than Botox for many people, because it is less expensive, doesn't involve needles, and can last longer.
Retin-A contains the active ingredient, Tretinoin, a naturally occurring form of vitamin A. It works by speeding up the skin's metabolism to promote cellular turnover. It increases the production of elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, a natural moisturizer in the skin.
Yes. There is a misconception that creams can't be used on the eyelids. The reason for concern is that you don't want to get irritants inside the eyes. But the skin around the eyes is the earliest on the face to show wrinkles and it's a great place to use retinol (or tretinoin).
Apply just enough medicine to very lightly cover the affected areas, and rub in gently but well. A pea-sized amount is enough to cover the whole face.
A common side effect of using tretinoin is dry skin. As such, people can use a gentle moisturizer to help their skin maintain hydration and prevent discomfort and other unwanted side effects.
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.
Tretinoin has been proven to prevent, reduce, and treat wrinkles. It also helps to treat and prevent age spots. By stimulating collagen production in the skin, it strengthens the skin at a structural level, resulting in a more youthful appearance.
Fine lines and wrinkles
Collagen production drops by about 1% every year after the age of 203, contributing to skin aging. One study showed tretinoin to increase collagen in the skin by up to 80% over 10 to 12 months of nightly use4.
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. Use a moisturizer.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it is especially important to avoid using the following skin products on the same area as tretinoin: Any other topical acne product or skin product containing a peeling agent (eg, benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, or sulfur).
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.
Yes, you can use tretinoin every night, but you may not want to at first—and some people may never want to. Tretinoin can cause skin irritation and peeling, especially when you first start using it.
When starting out, apply moisturizer directly after applying tretinoin to minimize potential irritation. As your skin adjusts, you can leave tretinoin on for about 20 minutes before following up with a moisturizer.
Tretinoin is light-sensitive so only apply it before you go to sleep at night. In the morning, wash it off thoroughly before applying your other skin care products.
To reduce the risk of irritation, we usually recommend that you avoid applying tretinoin treatments to your nose. There's generally no need to use it here, and it may lead to additional purging.
Usually a minimum of two to six months are needed to see noticeable results. Tretinoin is also safe to use over the long term, with some studies examining the effects of tretinoin for as long as four years.
Like Retin-A, tretinoin is effective on acne, wrinkles, dark spots, and sagging skin. However, since it works by exfoliating and then encouraging the growth of new skin, it takes up to a period of 12 weeks for you to see noticeable results and better skin.
Tretinoin works best when used within a skin care program that includes protecting the treated skin from the sun. However, it does not completely or permanently erase these skin problems or greatly improve more obvious changes in the skin, such as deep wrinkles caused by the sun or the natural aging process.
However, after 12 months, formation of new collagen fibers as well as reduction in nodularly degenerated microfibrillar material was observed in the tretinoin-treated group. This study indicated that for appreciable dermal level improvement, more than 6 months of tretinoin therapy is required.