What Is Tretinoin Cream?

Tretinoin is a powerful topical that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles, dark spots & uneven skin tone. It can also boost collagen levels, which helps smooth skin & prevents sagging.

Always use a gentle soap to wash your hands & face before applying tretinoin cream. Avoid using other skin products containing benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol or salicylic acid.

Acne

Tretinoin is effective in treating acne, helping to decrease the number of pimples that develop and unclogging pores. It also helps to prevent wrinkles, dark spots, and skin roughness from worsening in people with acne. Generally, tretinoin is safe to use long-term when it is prescribed by your doctor or dermatologist and used as directed.

The way tretinoin works to treat acne is by accelerating the skin cell turnover process, which helps to clear up pre-existing acne lesions and prevent new ones from forming. It can take a few months of regular use before you see results, but it is considered a highly effective treatment for acne. When using tretinoin, it is important to avoid using any other skin treatments that may irritate it, like benzoyl peroxide, hair removers, salicylic acid, or products containing sulfur or resorcinol, unless your doctor advises you to do so. You should also avoid direct sunlight and sunlamps, as tretinoin can make your skin more sensitive to both natural and artificial light.

Wrinkles

Wrinkles are creases or folds that develop on the face and body as a normal part of the aging process. They occur when the skin becomes thinner, drier, slower to repair itself and loses elasticity. Wrinkles can also be exacerbated by smoking, sun exposure and hormonal changes such as those found in women during menopause.

Tretinoin is a powerful anti-aging treatment that improves fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and other signs of photodamage. It is recommended that tretinoin be used in conjunction with sunscreen to avoid further damage and ongoing sun exposure (Guan, 2021).

Like many other skin care treatments, tretinoin can cause side effects such as dryness, itching, flaking, redness and an increase in acne sores. It takes a few weeks to see visible results and as with all prescription skincare it is important to use sparingly, titrate the dose to your tolerance level & listen to your skin! Generally 0.01% up to 0.05% cream or gel applied nightly is a good starting point.

Hyperpigmentation

Many people with medium to dark skin get dark spots or patches of hyperpigmentation that don’t fade. These can occur when a skin condition such as acne, eczema, or psoriasis flares up; when the skin heals after an injury, such as a cut, burn, or insect bite; when a skin or hair care product irritates the skin; or during certain hormonal changes. For example, the dark spots called melasma appear during pregnancy (melasma gravidarum) or when women take oral contraceptives.

Although there are many skincare products that claim to fade dark spots, few work as well or as quickly on darker skin as prescription-strength hydroquinone and tretinoin cream. Both medications inhibit tyrosinase, the enzyme that produces melanin; they slow down and fade the appearance of dark spots over time. Other treatment options include chemical peels and treatments that contain vitamin C, licorice root extract, or kojic acid. Avoid scrubbing the skin or using any other harsh, medicated products on the face while you’re using tretinoin cream.

Other skin conditions

Aside from clearing acne and reducing wrinkles, tretinoin also treats skin discoloration, which can be caused by both ageing and sun damage. This treatment helps to reduce the appearance of dark spots, uneven skin tone, and melasma (dark patches on the face).

It can help treat both noninflammatory and inflammatory acne by unclogging pores and preventing dead skin buildup, which in turn prevents bacteria from growing. It can even help clear blemishes that are not caused by bacteria, such as blackheads and whiteheads.

It can be used in combination with other antiaging ingredients and moisturizers to achieve the best results. However, it is important to note that tretinoin can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and you should use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day. It is also recommended that you avoid direct exposure to sunlight, especially during the summer. You should also not use any products that contain alcohol, menthol, and spices on your face while using tretinoin as these can cause irritation. tretinoin cream