For most, tretinoin
This medication is used to improve the appearance of the skin by reducing fine lines and wrinkles, reducing roughness, and improving skin color. It should be used with a skin care and sunlight-avoidance program that includes moisturizer and daily use of an effective sunscreen.
This medication is used to improve the appearance of the skin by reducing fine lines and wrinkles, reducing roughness, and improving skin color. It should be used with a skin care and sunlight-avoidance program that includes moisturizer and daily use of an effective sunscreen.
Retin-A should be used as part of a complete skin care program that includes avoiding sunlight and using an effective sunscreen and protective clothing. Use this medication for the full prescribed length of time, even if you think it is not working. It may take up to several weeks before you notice improvement in your skin.
When it’s used for acne, tretinoin can either be a short-term, temporary or long-term treatment, depending on one’s needs. Tretinoin can take several weeks or months before making a noticeable difference in acne. During this period it’s also common for tretinoin to dry out the skin — an effect known as the “tretinoin purge.”
Retin-A (tretinoin) is a form of vitamin A that helps the skin renew itself. The Retin-A and Avita brands of tretinoin are used to treat acne. The Renova brand of tretinoin is used to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles and mottled skin discoloration, and to make rough facial skin feel smoother.
When you are first starting to use a topical retinoid, Seattle dermatologist Dr. Sonia Lamel says, you should apply it just a few times a week. “Start by using it twice a week and add one day a week, every other week, until you can apply it nightly with no side effects,” she explains. “Then increase the strength and repeat the process.”
Tretinoin cream (also known as Retin-A) is the go-to choice for treating acne and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. But this is one treatment that requires patience. To see results from acne, it takes about six to nine weeks. For wrinkles, it takes at least six months—and one year is better.
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.
Once you stop using Retin-A, your skin returns to normal—but because inflammation is linked to premature aging, you might actually be worse off.
"You can use tretinoin or [over-the-counter] retinols forever."
Retin-A is considered the gold standard of anti-aging topical treatments. It's been studied for 30 years and has been proven effective on reversing the signs of photo-aging like wrinkles, age spots, sagging, and dullness by increasing collagen production deep within the skin.
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.
“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.
five to ten daysHowever, Green notes that the side effect should clear up within two weeks, saying, "These symptoms typically last five to ten days, depending on your skin type and the concentration of the retinol. Once your skin is done purging, your skin should be smoother, clearer, and brighter than it previously was."
A report in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology concluded that retinoids are “suitable as long-term medications, with no risk of inducing bacterial resistance.” Another study tested the safety of tretinoin cream over 52 weeks and found no problems.
In Conclusion. Tretinoin is commonly used as a long-term treatment, whether for acne or anti-aging. Many studies show that tretinoin is most effective when used over a long period of time, especially for wrinkling and photoaging.
Retin A can make your skin more vulnerable to damaging UV rays. In this way, Retin A is a bit of a contradiction in that it works to repair sun damage but also makes your skin more susceptible to damage at the same time.
For example, if you're using a prescription strength Retin A treatment to remedy hyperpigmentation or reduce the appearance of scars, then yes, the effects of Retin A are often permanent if there is no underlying cause for the hyperpigmentation to reappear.
Use Retin-A exactly as your doctor has prescribed it for you. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not use this medicine in larger...
Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to m...
Do not use skin products that contain benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, or salicylic acid unless otherwise directed by your doctor. These produ...
Jul 17, 2020 · 3 min read. Tretinoin (generic Retin-A) is one of the most effective medications on the market for treating and preventing acne, wrinkles, dark spots, and saggy skin.
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 retired firefighter in Florida told the New York Times that she has been using Retin-A for about two decades. An even longer study carried out in 1996 evaluated the long-term effects of tretinoin over four years, and found there were no negative effects from long-term tretinoin use over the course of two to four years.
Prescription Retin-A first became popular decades ago as an acne treatment. Soon, its general anti-aging effects were confirmed as well. In 1988, a study conducted at the University of Michigan for Retin-A’s effect on photodamaged skin found that all 30 patients showed statistically significant improvement after 16 weeks.
Tretinoin was first approved as an acne medication as early as 1962. Since then, there have been various studies on its long-term safety and effectiveness, showing that tretinoin is safe for long-term use.
Before starting treatment with Tretinoin, it is advised that you thoroughly and completely discuss current medications and your medical history with a trained professional.
Over the course of two years, tretinoin produced a “significantly greater improvement” than the placebo cream in clinical signs of photodamage, ranging from fine and coarse wrinkling to skin hyperpigmentation, sallowness and lentigines (liver spots).
Retin-A (tretinoin) is a form of vitamin A that helps the skin renew itself.
Use Retin-A exactly as your doctor has prescribed it for you. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Avoid exposure to sunlight or tanning beds. Retin-A can make you sunburn more easily. Wear protective clothing and use sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) when you are outdoors, even on a cloudy day.
Do not use skin products that contain benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, or salicylic acid unless otherwise directed by your doctor. These products can cause severe skin irritation if used with Retin-A.
Use a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun. Avoid getting Retin-A in your eyes, mouth, and nose, or on your lips. If it does get into any of these areas, wash with water. Do not use Retin-A on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, irritated, or broken skin.
Call your doctor if skin irritation becomes severe or if your acne does not improve within 8 to 12 weeks.
Using more medicine or applying it more often than prescribed will not make it work any faster, and may increase side effects. Wash your hands before and after applying Retin-A. Then, wash your skin with a mild soap and dry gently.
Therapeutic results should be noticed after 2 to 3 weeks but more than 6 weeks of therapy may be required before definite beneficial effects are seen. Once the acne lesions have responded satisfactorily, it may be possible to maintain the improvement with less frequent applications, or other dosage forms.
Alterations of vehicle, drug concentration, or dose frequency should be closely monitored by careful observation of the clinical therapeutic response and skin tolerance.
Patients treated with RETIN-A (tretinoin) acne treatment may use cosmetics, but the area to be treated should be cleansed thoroughly before the medication is applied (see PRECAUTIONS ).
Soaps and skin-care products with detergents or alcohol, such as certain toners, can strip the skin of its natural oils and moisture, making it more susceptible to irritating ingredients. Because retinoids already leave the skin vulnerable to drying out and flaking, it is important to avoid additional steps that will further dehydrate your complexion. “Use gentle soap substitutes, like the Dove Beauty Bar
7] or Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser [$10], which will cleanse the skin without stripping it of its natural oils and moisture,” says Dr. King.
Because of this, skin becomes vulnerable to dryness, so it’s important to use emollients to help prevent an excess loss of moisture and ease irritation.
While we love alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) for their exfoliating abilities, you should proceed with caution when combining these ingredients with Retin-A. “Some exfoliants and cleansers, such as AHAs and BHAs, can make the side effects of retinoids worse as they can compound cellular turnover,” says Dr. Lamel. “It’s best to see how your skin tolerates the retinoid before introducing these.” Dr. King points out that it’s OK to use these AHAs or BHAs along with your retinoid, if you’ve experimented with them and your skin tolerates it—but make the application times different. “Use [AHAs or BHAs] in the mornings and use the retinoid at bedtime,” she asserts.
If this is the case, don’t give up on your Retin-A routine. “It typically takes a good six months of regular use to notice the benefits of using a retinoid,” says Dr. Lamel. So stick to these Retin-A tricks for the first few months, to keep irritation low and benefits high. You’ll be happy you did.
While many are drawn to Retin-A for its uncanny ability to smooth wrinkles, diminish dark spots and discoloration, and reduce pimples and acne, this powerful exfoliant can be ultra-irritating. So in an effort to ensure you see only positive results from your retinoid use, we spoke to two dermatologists about how to use tretinoin.
If you’ve never used Retin-A before, you probably don’t know how your skin will react to it. It’s better to play it safe and start with a thin layer (a pea-sized amount should be enough) of a lower-strength product, to prevent a potential skin freak-out. “Retin-A and other topical retinoids come in many different strengths and formulations,” explains New York City dermatologist Dr. Hadley Claire King. “Higher strengths can potentially be more irritating, and different formulations have different bases that can be more moisturizing or more drying.” A gel, for example, can be more drying than a cream, so reaching for a cream-based retin-A is advised if your skin is on the sensitive side. Retin-A is also available in concentrations ranging from 0.025% to 0.1%, so experimenting with a lower-level strength (within the 0.025% to 0.05% range) will lower your risk of developing skin irritation.
Among skin care experts, retinol is known as the holy grail of complexion-boosting, anti-aging products. The vitamin A derivative aids in collagen production and cell turnover, helping bring forth new skin cells to reveal a healthier, glowier look, with a reduced appearance of fine lines. But in a cruel twist of fate, ...