By stimulating skin cell turnover and exfoliating the layers of your skin that are exposed to direct sunlight, tretinoin plays a powerful role in slowing down and reversing the development of lines, wrinkles, and discoloration.
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.
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.
Always apply tretinoin to your skin at bedtime.
Never use it during the day. Never layer tretinoin with benzoyl peroxide and ideally don't apply it when you also have some of the popular acid products on your skin such as vitamin C or salicylic acid. However, glycolic acid and tretinoin are compatible.
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.
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 may be a better choice than Botox for many people, because it is less expensive, doesn't involve needles, and can last longer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Answer: Best Starting Dose of Retin-A (Tretinoin)
For treatment of wrinkles and sun-damaged skin, I recommend beginning with the mildest strength, tretinoin cream 0.025%. It should be applied in the evening to clean, dry skin at least 20 to 30 minutes after washing.
Tretinoin (Altreno, Atralin, Avita, Retin-A) is used to treat acne. Tretinoin is also used to reduce fine wrinkles (Refissa and Renova) and to improve spotty discoloration (Renova) and rough feeling skin (Renova) when used along with other skin care and sunlight avoidance programs.
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.
Adults and children 9 years of age and older—Apply a thin layer to the affected area(s) of the skin once a day. Children younger than 9 years of age— Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
“Someone using tretinoin (the generic name for Retin-A) would be crazy to go out in the sun without protection,” Voorhees says. “You could end up with more wrinkles than you would have had without Retin-A.”
Overall, tretinoin is an effective treatment for fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if tretinoin is right for you. It is not a quick fix, but if you are patient, you can improve your skin's appearance and health over time.
Tretinoin minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen — a protein that provides a supple support network for your skin. Collagen production drops by about 1% every year after the age of 203, contributing to skin aging.
The only way to get this beloved medication, however, is through a dermatologist or doctor. Tretinoin is prescription-only.
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.
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.
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.
Though they're similar, tretinoin is more concentrated than retinol. For this reason, tretinoin acts faster and has more dramatic results — but its side effects can be more severe, too. Retinol is available OTC, but tretinoin requires a prescription.