There’s a reason why this medication is often referred to as the Fountain of Youth. It’s used to reduce hyperpigmentation, fade dark spots, erase fine lines and retexture skin, all with regular use.
Tretinoin works on both acne and wrinkles because it promotes cell turnover. Quick cell turnover limits new blemishes from forming and smooths out uneven texture, explains Dr. Terrasse.
Acne Treatment
Tretinoin is one of the most powerful topical medications to combat acne. It works by reducing the amount of oil produced by skin cells & removing dead skin cells that block hair follicles. It also fades dark spots from old breakouts & sun damage. It’s best to use tretinoin in combination with a sunscreen, as it can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.
Tretinoin isn’t recommended for people with extremely sensitive skin, rosacea or who are pregnant or nursing. It can cause redness, irritation & peeling, particularly when you first start using it. It’s important to only use it 2-3 times per week & gradually increase the frequency as your skin adjusts.
Always wash your hands & face before & after applying tretinoin, & use only a small amount. Avoid getting it in your eyes or mouth, & never apply it to sunburned skin. It may take up to 8-12 weeks to notice the full effects of tretinoin.
Anti-Aging Treatment
The anti-aging benefits of tretinoin are well documented. It helps fade actinic keratosis spots, evens skin tone and texture, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, and builds skin collagen, thickening the skin to add more structural strength and elasticity. This is especially beneficial in reducing the appearance of sun damage and wrinkles caused by UV exposure.
Tretinoin works by bindng to the retinoic acid receptors in skin cells, encouraging them to behave more youthfully. This speeds up skin cell turnover, bringing fresh new skin to the surface and diminishing fine lines and wrinkles. It also stimulates collagen production to help increase skin thickness and elasticity, and it lightens discoloration and evens out pigmentation.
Use a thin layer of tretinoin on clean skin two times per week, before applying moisturizer. It can take 6 weeks or more to see results. Sun protection is essential, even on cloudy days, while using tretinoin. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Skin Brightening Treatment
Tretinoins help brighten the complexion by exfoliating the skin. They speed up the turnover of cells to remove dead skin and encourage collagen production, which decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
They also help treat discoloration, making the skin look brighter and more even in tone and texture. This is because tretinoin works on the same skin cells that cause blemishes and helps prevent the breakdown of melanin that creates dark spots (Guan, 2021).
Use it in combination with a vitamin C serum and hyaluronic acid to improve its efficacy and penetration. Your Curology provider may recommend niacinamide as an additional anti-pigment treatment.
Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting tretinoin, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. This product can pass through breast milk and could harm the fetus. It also makes the skin sensitive to sunlight, so you should wear sunscreen and avoid sunlamps when using tretinoin. This can increase the risk of sunburn, early skin aging, and even skin cancer.
Anti-Wrinkle Treatment
Tretinoin is widely known for its acne-fighting powers but it also helps treat and prevent wrinkles. It boosts collagen production and slows the aging process by encouraging the skin to thicken. It also fades dark spots and evens out skin tone by accelerating cell turnover.
Several studies have shown that topical retinoids, like tretinoin, can improve the appearance of wrinkled skin by strengthening it at a structural level and making it appear tighter and firmer. When compared to non-prescription, over-the-counter creams, medical grade tretinoin is more effective because it contains more than 20 times the amount of retinoic acid allowed in over-the-counter products.
As an added bonus, tretinoin can soften existing fine lines and wrinkles and improve skin texture, sallowness and pigmentation, according to a study published in Clinical Interventions in Aging. However, it can’t erase your lines completely—nothing can, including fillers and Botox—so make sure you use sunscreen daily to help prevent new wrinkles from forming. TretinoinYouth