With nightly tretinoin use, most people start seeing results around six weeks10. 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.
The bottom line. Retin-A (tretinoin) is a topical medication that's effective for the treatment of acne, wrinkles, and skin damage from the sun. It starts working within the first few weeks of treatment for acne, but can take 3 to 6 months for wrinkles.
It works by lightening the skin, replacing older skin with newer skin, and slowing down the way the body removes skin cells that may have been harmed by the sun. Tretinoin works best when used within a skin care program that includes protecting the treated skin from the sun.
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.
The time it takes to start fading hyperpigmentation varies depending on severity and whether you're using Tretinoin alongside Hydroquinone. Noticeable improvements in skin tone may start after as little as 6-8 weeks or as much as 3-6 months of regular use.
After 4-6 weeks, your skin will get used to Tretinoin and will begin to be noticeably smoother and more even. Depending on how often you use Tretinoin, you may begin to see full benefits by this point. A lot of the initial irritation will settle down and true “retinization” of your skin is in full force.
It's typically between the 6th and 8th week of consistent use that tretinoin's true prowess begins to shine. Fine lines may appear softer, and an enhanced glow may emerge. With diligent and consistent application, coupled with a nurturing skincare regimen, tretinoin can produce profound changes by the 12th week.
Some people may experience side effects when using tretinoin, especially as their skin adjusts. Also, it's possible for irritation from tretinoin to make skin darker, especially if you have more melanated skin.
How do you maximize tretinoin results? To maximize the results of tretinoin, start slowly, apply tretinoin at night on perfectly dry skin and between two layers of moisturizer, wear sunscreen with SPF 50 every morning, and combine with niacinamide or hyaluronic acid to minimize irritation.
How long does your face purge on tretinoin? Skin purging typically lasts anywhere between four to six weeks which is roughly in line with how long it takes for your skin cells to naturally turnover.
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.
Retin-A works by refreshing skin cells.
Retin-A's active ingredient, tretinoin, was created as a treatment for acne. It works by normalizing skin cell turnover. It also stimulates collagen and helps reduce dark spots and wrinkles.
When you first start using tretinoin, you may start with a lower percentage that you apply just two or three times a week. After two weeks, if your skin is adjusting well to the tretinoin, you can consider increasing use to every night as tolerated.
By stimulating the rapid turnover of skin cells, tretinoin can aid in lightening hyperpigmentation over time. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated tretinoin's efficacy in treating hyperpigmentation, particularly when used in combination with other lightening agents.
Three inexpensive moisturizers that our physicians love are Vanicream Daily Facial Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid, Neutrogena Hydroboost Gel, and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum. All three of these are affordable, non-comedogenic,and blend well with tretinoin.
Peptides. These are a group of amino acids that play a crucial role in skin repair and collagen production. When compounded with Tretinoin, peptides may enhance its anti-ageing benefits by helping to improve skin firmness and elasticity. They can also help reinforce the skin's barrier and improve skin texture.
Tazarotene may get you results much faster than tretinoin, especially if you have a lot of very visible sun damage on your face, and in one study tazarotene worked more effectively for photodamage, fine wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, and coarse wrinkling.
You'll get more effective results from tretinoin than any other over-the-counter exfoliants like BHAs and AHAs. This is why there's usually no need to use other exfoliants when you're on tretinoin – it's best to avoid doubling up, which can damage the skin barrier and cause irritation.
Can tretinoin cream reverse sun damage? Tretinoin cream can improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, including fine lines, dark spots, and rough patches. However, it does not permanently reverse these changes.
Applying excessive amounts of tretinoin onto the skin to make acne go away faster will not work. This can make the skin worse by causing extreme dryness, peeling, or redness. It may take up to six weeks of tretinoin treatment to see results. Make sure to use sunscreen, especially in the summertime.
In these cases, lightening the skin spots is the goal. But other times, tretinoin may cause too much lightening (hypopigmentation) or darkening (hyperpigmentation) of your skin. For acne, it may be an unintended side effect of the medication. Keep in mind: Not everyone will experience skin color changes from tretinoin.
How fast does tretinoin fade dark spots? It may take up to three months of constant use for tretinoin to reduce the appearance of dark spots.
Skin purging is common, but doesn't necessarily happen to everyone. In fact some people don't experience it at all. For those of us who do suffer from purging, it can look like: breaking out in pustules (pimples), the appearance of flaky, peeling skin, irritation and dry patches.
You can use hyaluronic acid alongside tretinoin, and it may be used before or after. Whether you use it before or after tretinoin may depend on the specific hyaluronic acid products you're using, personal preference, and instructions from your licensed dermatology provider.