Hello Gorgeous!
It’s time to talk about the best and most potent skincare product on the market today. My absolute fave! The ONLY FDA approved product to prevent and improve wrinkles. A true game changer. It has personally transformed my skin, as well as, many of my patient’s skin. So let’s talk about Retin-A (aka Tretinoin)! There is so much to discuss when it comes to Retin-A; so, the easiest way is to break this topic up into bite size chunks ;-). I’ll be posting various tidbits on Retin-A over the next few weeks.
Retin-A is the more well known brand name; so to eliminate confusion, I’ll use that term throughout this blog. But it also falls under the umbrella of retinoids and goes by the name of Tretinoin, as well. So, what does Retin-A do? Retin-A increases cell turnover (which gives you a healthy glow), neutralizes free radicals (meaning it stops the breakdown of collagen and elastin), reverses sun damage, fights acne, improves scarring, reduces inflammation, evens out your complexion, reduces wrinkles…maybe the better question is what doesn’t Retin-A do? It really is a powerhouse of an ingredient and since it has been studied so extensively, there is a lot of data to support its role in anti-aging. So if you can only buy 1 skincare ingredient, this is the one to buy. Welllll….Retin-A and sunscreen (of course)!
Retin-A (Tretinoin) is available by prescription only and comes in 3 different strengths (0.025%, 0.05%, and 0.1%). Do not get hung up on the different strengths. Strongest does not necessarily mean better. I almost always start my patients out on the lowest dose to test their skin’s tolerability of Retin-A. Because Retin-A is so potent and I want my patients to use it consistently, I find it’s best to ease into using it at the lowest strength. Otherwise, my patient’s skin will get irritated and flaky and they’ll throw it in a drawer and not use it. That defeats the purpose. Using Retin-A consistently is what reaps the best results, not how strong the dose is. If anti-aging is the goal, the end result will be the same regardless of the dose.
Next week, I’ll discuss the difference between over-the-counter retinols and prescription strength retinoids/Retin-A.
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