What Retin-A Does for Your Skin
These days it is not uncommon to see Retin-A as one of the described
ingredients of a lot of skin creams, especially developed for anti-aging. The
thing is we all turn to these ingredients to do whatever “magical” thing they are
said to do even though we have no idea exactly how they are meant to work.
One of the most known forms of Retin-A is in the
prescription medication called Renova, which was originally designed and
developed to treat severe acne. During researching this fabulous new
compound, which contains a substance that is very close to vitamin A, known
as tretinoin, it was discovered that not only did Retin-A have a superb effect
on acne, but it also had some rather positive side effects including a firmer,
clearer and smoother skin tone!
Let’s say, for example, you have uneven skin tone. There are plenty of things
that can clear this uneven tone, but what if you had these combined with age-
spots, the dark spots on the skin normally associated with ageing? Would you
use two different products? Well with Retin-
A, you don’t have to – it can fix
both of these problems.
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Age or dark spots are caused by excessive sun exposure, when the skin is
trying to protect itself, thus creating patches of pigment. The main ingredient
found in Retin-A
– tretinoin, has actually be found to not only give back the
youthful appearance that you would have lost over the years, but also to
repair any damage that the sun may have caused on it. Just a little bit of trivia
for you
– the FDA actually made this the first product ever to be approved to
ACTUALLY t
reat skin that had been damaged by the sun. If the FDA says it’s
OK
– you know it will be!
So how does Retin-A work?
In the case of Renova, (the drug prescribed originally for bad acne) the skin is
nourished on all levels. First, cell division is sped up to a point where the top
layers not only become smoother, but also thicker. Thicker skin is harder to
wrinkle, which is why men, (who have thicker skin than women) take longer to
get wrinkles.
Secondly, the new cells that are encouraged to grow by the Renova are
younger in nature and appearance. The cells that create pigment on the skin
–
well these are evened out, which means that if you have dark patches or
spots, increased use of this and Retin-A products will cause them to fade over
time. It has been said that in as little as three months, age spots can be
almost completely reversed.
There have even been studies that have shown positive effects on pre-
cancerous cells of the skin, and although this has not yet been verified in
clinical studies, there is hope in the belief that this ingredient could have a
massive positive impact on various cancers of the skin.
Moving further down into the deeper layers of the skin; the ones that most
anti-aging and sun damage relief creams simply do not reach, it has been said
that the Retin-A in Renova helps to boost the number of blood vessels, which
means that there is more blood moving to the surface of the skin, and
therefore increased nourishment. Deeper pores are shrunk down, new cells
containing collagen are elastin are formed, which creates less wrinkles and
can help to reverse already apparent wrinkles, and on top of this further, your
overall skin, from deep to shallow levels, is massively improved.
So how often should you use it?
Usually, with Renova, when you are prescribed the “magical” cream, you will
be given instructions on how often you should be using it on your skin.
Usually, it will be instructed that bed time is the best time, and to always use it
alone and with no other moisturizers or lotions because the nourishment the
cream contains won’t be able to penetrate to get to the areas that it is needed
the most.
How should you use it?
Ideally, you will want to apply Renova to clean skin, so always make sure that
you wash your skin thoroughly, pat it dry and apply a drop around the size of a
pea to the area before you tuck yourself in for the night. You shouldn’t use
more than prescribed or instructed
– it won’t work any faster and you will just
run out quicker.
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Why can’t I use more?
If you use more than the instructed pea-sized amount of Renova on your skin,
you won’t see any benefits any quicker. In fact, you could be doing more harm
than good to your skin. If you have sensitive skin, it won’t be able to deal with
the massive increase of cell rejuvenation that you are trying to achieve, so you
will be left with red and flaking patches
– not a good look!
Those that have darker skin will notice that their skin tone becomes patchy if
they use too much of the product
– quite the opposite of the effect they are
trying to achieve. Also, it has been said that you shouldn’t be using this
product if you are pregnant because of the high vitamin A concentration
– this
has been linked to birth defects.
How long will it take?
As we have mentioned, some people have seen age spots specifically
disappear within around three months of regular usage. Generally, you won’t
see any effects until after a two or three week period, and even then they will
only be slight. It has been stated that the best effects happen within the six
month to two year period of using this cream every night, which may seem like
a long time, but when you consider the factors that lead to the product
working, you will understand that it will take a rather lengthy period to get the
job done.
Of course, there are other products that contain Retin-A and you are going to
see them advertised on the TV and in magazines if you look hard enough.
These products will not have such a dramatic effect as Renova can produce,
but they will do some good, especially if you can’t get your doctor to prescribe
you Renova.