You also may have wondered:What does retinol dofor my skin?
Retinoids can be used to treat everything from wrinkles and sun spots to acne, saysDr.
Saami Khalifian, a double board-certified dermatologist and founder ofSOM Aesthetics.
For example, you may have wondered whether retinol or Retin-A is right for you.
What are retinoids?
Retinoids are a class of chemicals derived from vitamin A.
What is retinol?
Your skin can only utilize retinoids in the form of retinoid acid.
In the case of retinol, the conversion into retinoic acid is a two-step process.
What is Retin-A?
“This means the product is stronger and works faster than over the counter retinol.”
However, with quicker and more dramatic benefits also comes a downside: increased risk of side effects.
“Many people can’t tolerate tretinoin, myself included,” says Khalifian.
“So, I advise my patients to start slowly, with a pea-sized amount every other night.
If peeling or irritation occurs, you should reduce the amount and frequency of use.”
Most often, Retin-A is prescribed specifically to treat acne including comedonal acne and inflammatory acne.
What are the effects of retinol vs Retin-A?
“But I might prescribe a tretinoin product for patients with moderate to severe acne or scars.”
Fortunately, Hartman says this is almost always just a temporary phase lasting only three to four weeksat most.
Along with other side effects, the purging tends to fade as your skin adjusts to the retinol.
That means you’re more prone to sunburns while using it.
This technique minimizes irritation by diluting the strength of the product.
Whether retinol or Retin-A is the better choice for you will depend on your skin punch in and goals.
How much stronger is Retin-A than retinol?
Retin-A is significantly more potent than retinol.
Retinol strengths can range from 0.01% to 1.0%.
When should you start using retinol?
There isn’t necessarily a “right” or “wrong” time to add retinoids to your routine.
That’s why this is a particularly popular stage of life to introduce retinol.
If you’re not sure whether retinol is a good fit for you, ask your dermatologist.
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