Aging and wrinkles are an inevitable part of getting older. When they reach their 30s and 40s, most people will notice fine lines on their faces, mainly around the eyes, mouth, and forehead, and as time passes, they will get more noticeable. Although all this might sound a bit worrying, the good news is that today there are many ways to combat signs of aging, including fine lines and wrinkles.
We live in a world where looking perfect is given a lot of importance, so much so that everywhere we look, we are inundated by advertisements from skin clinics and cosmetic brands promising services and products to achieve eternal youth, most of which are expensive and short-lived.
Tretinoin is a synthetic form of retinoid derived from Vitamin A. It is currently a favorite among dermatologists who prescribe it to people looking for an affordable way to fight and reverse various signs of aging, including wrinkles.
What is Tretinoin?
Commonly known as Retin-A, Tretinoin is a prescription medication for treating acne. Apart from acne, it is also beneficial in treating fine lines, wrinkles, and photo-damaged skin. When applied to the skin, Tretinoin helps increase cell turnover, increasing the rate at which newer ones replace old skin cells.
Increased cell turnover, apart from making wrinkles and fine lines look less noticeable, also helps lighten dark skin spots.
Tretinoin is available in the form of gels, lotions, and creams and comes in various strengths, with 0.025 percent being the lowest and 0.1 percent the highest concentration.
How Tretinoin treats wrinkles
To fully understand how Tretinoin treats wrinkles, it is essential to first look at why we develop wrinkles in the first place. It is common knowledge that we get wrinkles as we age, but sun exposure is also a big cause of wrinkles.
Every time we are out in the sun, our skin is exposed to both UVA and UVB rays which are known to cause damage to the skin. Additionally, sun exposure also depletes our skin’s collagen reserve, which means reduced elasticity and a slower cell turnover rate.
Consistent use of Tretinoin helps combat this by increasing cell turnover and dramatically improving skin’s texture, fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation.
Directions for use
Tretinoin, although it has a lot of benefits when applied to the skin but incorrect use can cause its side effects, such as peeling, flakiness, irritation, redness, etc., to become much more severe.
Tretinoin is highly photo-sensitive, so you should not use it during the daytime.
Steps to follow
- Before applying it to your skin, wash your face and let it dry completely for 20 minutes.
- Apply moisturizer around the mouth and eye area to minimize irritation
- Take a pea-sized amount and applying is small dots all over your face and then spread them evenly
- Follow with a thick moisturizer
- Apply sunscreen daily
With Tretinoin, less is always more, as applying more of it means more irritation and dryness.
5 Reasons to Use Tretinoin for anti-aging
Although the anti-aging benefits of Tretinoin are many, consistent use is necessary to maintain its effects. When you start using Tretinoin, expect noticeable results only after 4 to 6 weeks of consistent use.
1. Wrinkle improvement
Tretinoin is a literal fountain of youth in a tube. It is proven to help existing wrinkles to appear less noticeable and also slows the development of new ones.
2. Dark spots
Dark spots on the skin, such as freckles and liver spots, are caused mainly by sun exposure. While applying sunscreen might help treat them to some extent, using Tretinoin can make them a lot less visible.
3. Rough texture
Besides wrinkles, aging also causes the skin to become rough and texturized. Applying Tretinoin increases cell turnover, improving wrinkles and making the skin smooth with less visible pores.
4. Dull skin
Tretinoin is a powerful exfoliant that helps keep the pores clean and eliminates dead skin cells. The result is glowy and hydrated skin with fewer blackheads and whiteheads.
5. Pigmentation
Blemishes and pigmentation on the skin can be caused by the sun and aging. Over-the-counter medication and creams are often not that successful at treating them; however, Tretinoin has been shown to improve pigmentation issues such as melasma.
Although the results take some time to become evident with Tretinoin, they are highly promising. Some minor side effects, such as flaking and dryness, are there, but with correct use, they can be minimized.
If you fail to see visible results after six months, you should consult a dermatologist who can prescribe you a higher strength until you get the desired results.
