Discover the benefits, side effects and sun health concerns you need to take when using tretinoin prescription retinoid cream.

Tretinoin may be all the rage inside skincare world recently. Touted due to the ability to take care of acne, erase fine lines and wrinkles, and improve sun damaged skin, there’s no wonder it’s so popular. But can it be safe for the skin?

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



What is tretinoin?
Tretinoin (also known as 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 regarded as the biologically available active form of vitamin A, and will come in different formula strengths.

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

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

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

What is tretinoin used by?
It may seem like tretinoin just has been on the skincare radar in recent years, nonetheless it’s actually a popular topical treatment for acne that’s been useful for almost half a century. It continues to be found to help reduce inflammation associated with acne, clear existing acne and reduce the severity of outbreaks.

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

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

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

Most people start observing a difference within their skin after 2-3 weeks utilizing the product, but it can take 6 or higher weeks to the full benefit to be seen.

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

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

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

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

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

Tretinoin photosensitivity: Why you should be extra careful within the sun when utilizing this product
Another side-effect associated with the using tretinoin is photosensitisation. This means celebrate you more sensitive to sunshine’s harmful UV rays and you may 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 often a history of sunburn so it’s easy to see why photosensitivity from tretinoin is concerning. While there is currently no evidence to suggest tretinoin use increases your chance of skin cancer, it’s crucial that you just take extra precautions with sun protection when using this product.

How to protect your skin from the sun when utilizing tretinoin:
Avoid excessive sun exposure — do not make use of this product in the event you work outdoors or spend a lot of time out inside the sun
Wear SPF 50+ sunscreen every day — even in case you’re only staying indoors as indirect sunlight through windows can continue to damage or burn your skin layer
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 a top priority. But when it comes to your skin health, we encourage you to think beyond skincare products and commence making regular skin cancer checks part of your epidermis wellness routine too.

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