Hello Beautiful! Lately there has been a lot of talk about Retinols. The generic term retinoid is used to describe any of the vitamin A derivative compounds -from isotretinoin (ex: Roaccutuane, isotrex) which is used to treat acne, to all-trans retinoic acid ( ex. tretinoin, Retin-A, Retinova, Renova) was are prescribed for acne and smoothing wrinkles, to retinyl palmitate,(ex: retinol or retinyl aldehyde) used for modest wrinkle smoothing.
Why you might use them
If you have spent a lot of time in the sun and are now showing the classic signs of the UV damaged skin – with lots of finely crisscrossing lines, areas of whitish pebbling (solar elastosis), cheeks that are traced with spider veins (telangiectasia), blown sun spots (solar lentigo), and a rough, dull, uneven or even yellowy skin tone – you are probably a good candidate for retinoid therapy. Studies have shown that tretinoin can help almost all these problems. It induces new blood vessel formation thus reducing spider veins and bringing a more youthful rosy glow to your complexion. It speeds up cell renewal and sloughs off dull, old skin cells so that it smoothens fine wrinkles and brightens the skin tone. It also helps generate new collagen making the dermis plumper and firmer. As stated previously, photo-aged skin is distinct from naturally aged skin in that its dermis is thinner while the Epidermis is thicker. Tretinoin actually reverses damage making your skin look and feel more like its naturally aged self.
Which retinoid to use?
Always consult your doctor before starting any new treatment. For the treatment of photo-damaged skins either Retinova, a 0.05 percent Tretinoin formulation in relatively greasy, emollient base. Alternatively, more usually, 0.025 per cent Retinova is good for a very dry skin, or for use on problematically dehydrated and sun-damages skin on the arms and legs, but ironically, often heavy formulation can cause spots in some people.
How to apply retinoids
Tretinoin is best used at night – for two reasons. Firstly, the agent itself is degraded by sunlight. Secondly, because it clears the stratum corneum of UV-blocking dead cells and brings plump, DNA-bearing ones closer to the surface, it increases your sensitivity to UV during the day. Therefore, you will need to use a minimum SPF15-20 sunscreen instead.
You should apply it to a clean face, preferably up to 30 minutes after washing so that your skin has Had time to calm and reseal itself. If you are not already using a gentle rinse-off gel type cleanser you may be advised to change to one. Your physician will tell you exactly how cream to use. You should not exceed this - more is not better, now will give you faster results. More will simply irritate your skin more than necessary
Risks and side effects .
You may experience some light tingling to a stronger stinging sensation when you apply the cream but this should only last a few seconds. Unless you have a very strong, insensitive skin, you will probably find that in the first few weeks of use your skin will become a little red, flaky and/or itchy. After two to six weeks, however, your skin should become resistant to the irritant effects.
The results
It is likely to take four to six months before you start to see the benefits of your treatment after which time you can expect a 30 -40 percent improvement in wrinkles. You should see a reduction of uneven pigmentation, a clearer smoother skin surface, and a generally brighter, rosier tone to your complexion. Deep lines, however, are rarely significantly helped, now are expressions lines as these are the result of profound dermal damage.
Stay Beautiful
Jacqueline