Discover the benefits, unwanted effects and sun safety measures you need to take when utilizing tretinoin prescription retinoid cream.

Tretinoin has become all the rage inside the skincare world recently. Touted for the ability to treat acne, smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, and improve sun damaged skin, there’s no wonder it’s so popular. But can it be safe to your skin?

If you’re thinking about incorporating this order tretinoin in your skincare routine, you’ll must ensure you use it properly to stop any unwelcome unwanted side effects. Plus, you’ll must be extra careful when out within the sun. Read on to understand why.



What is tretinoin?
Tretinoin (also called prescription retinoids or prescription vitamin A) is often a highly potent, medical-grade topical vitamin A cream or gel. It contains retinoic acid, which is easily the most biologically available active type of vitamin A, and also comes in different formula strengths.

Unlike retinol and other over-the-counter versions of vitamin A, tretinoin is often a prescription-only topical treatment. This means you could only purchase it for those who have a script from the doctor or dermatologist who has properly assessed your epidermis and deemed its use appropriate.

Tretinoin vs. Retinol: what's the difference?
Tretinoin and retinol are generally classified as retinoids — but there are a few key differences with shod and non-shod:

Tretinoin
Synthetic way of vitamin A
Only available which has a prescription (classed as a medical-grade skincare product)
Highly potent
Retinol
Natural kind of vitamin A
Available over-the-counter and discovered in many skincare products
Milder formulation

What is tretinoin useful for?
It may seem like tretinoin only has been around the skincare radar in recent years, nonetheless it’s actually a popular topical treatment for acne that’s been employed for almost half a century. It has become found in lessening inflammation associated with acne, clear existing acne minimizing the severity of outbreaks.

But treating acne isn’t tretinoin’s only benefit. A 2012 study indicates it may also be helpful for:

Improving pores and skin and texture
Reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Reducing the appearance of liver spots on your skin
Improving premature aging of skin due to sun damage (photoaging)
Other research for the use of retinoids within the treatment of aging of the skin found that ​“amongst the retinoids, tretinoin possibly is regarded as the potent and certainly probably the most widely investigated retinoid for photoaging therapy.”

How does tretinoin work?
Tretinoin functions speeding up the cellular turnover inside the skin, making skin cells divide and die faster to ensure that new, healthier cells can replace them. However, in order to stimulate this method, tretinoin must ultimately irritate the skin. This is why people often experience uncomfortable negative effects when first applying this product.

Most people start observing a difference in their skin after two to three weeks of utilizing the product, but it can take 6 or more weeks to the full benefit to wear.

Can tretinoin fade skin spots or sunspots?
Some research suggests tretinoin can fade the appearance of brown spots on your skin. However, everyone’s skin is different as well as a topical treatment alone may not be probably the most effective strategy to fade sun spots on your own face or body. This is why it’s important to consult with a dermatologist before starting any sun spot removal treatment getting personalised advice around the best approach for your skin.

Likewise, it’s important to get a thorough skin check with a melanographer or dermatologist to confirm if the spots you would like to fade really are sunspots and not something more sinister. It can be difficult to spot the difference between a harmless sunspot plus a potential skin cancer or melanoma so make sure to have your skin layer spots professionally checked before using tretinoin or other prescription retinoids.

What are the unwanted effects of tretinoin?
Prescription retinoids like tretinoin are extremely powerful. This means you must rely on them properly underneath the guidance of the dermatologist or doctor — or you may risk some unpleasant reactions like burning skin or even a damaged skin barrier.

Due to its potency, tretinoin may cause some skin irritation when you initially begin using it as your skin needs time for it to adjust for the active ingredients. Some other common negative effects of tretinoin include mild to moderate:

Skin redness or inflammation
Dryness
Peeling or flaking
Itching
However, most people notice a reduction in these unwanted effects after a few weeks of utilizing the product.

Tretinoin photosensitivity: Why you have to be extra careful within the sun when utilizing this product
Another complication associated with the utilization of tretinoin is photosensitisation. This means celebrate you more sensitive to the sun’s harmful UV rays and you can burn easily when subjected to sunlight.

From a skin cancer prevention perspective, this may be problematic. One of the key risk factors for skin cancer is really a history of sunburn so it’s easy to understand why photosensitivity from tretinoin is concerning. While there is currently no evidence to suggest tretinoin use increases your probability of skin cancer, it’s crucial that you just take extra precautions with sun protection when you use this product.

How to protect your epidermis from the sun when using tretinoin:
Avoid excessive sun exposure — do not employ this product in case you work outdoors or spend time and effort out inside the sun
Wear SPF 50+ sunscreen every day — even should you’re only staying indoors as indirect sunlight through windows can continue to damage or burn the skin
Wear sun protective clothing when outdoors

Make regular skin checks part of your skincare routine
At MoleMap, we agree that looking after your skin is often a top priority. But when it comes to your skin layer health, we encourage you to definitely think beyond skincare products and start making regular skin cancer checks part of your skin layer wellness routine too.

By having a professional skin check or mole check every 6 to twelve months, you’ll give yourself the most effective chance to catch any suspicious spots or lesions early. Plus, you’ll also love peace of mind that you’re keeping your epidermis safe — inside and out. Consider scheduling these regular checks at MoleMap Australia Skin Cancer Clinics for expert care and thorough examination.