Overview
The vast majority of those suffering from acne are young—the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says about 85 percent of teenagers suffer from pimples at any given time. But adults can also get acne but likely will have different considerations when choosing an effective acne treatment. For example, adults may be more likely to choose a treatment that works both to reduce acne lesions and to improve skin tone, texture and color. Fortunately, tretinoin, known best by the brand name Retin-A, will do both.
Significance
Although physicians and researchers aren’t sure what causes acne in every case, it’s clear that hormones and hormonal fluctuations play a strong role, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Hormones stimulate the glands located under the skin to produce more of a lubricating oil called sebum. This sebum oil then joins with dead skin cells to form plugs in the pores at the surface of the skin. Oil and bacteria then back up behind the plugs, leading to red bumps on the face, cysts and other types of acne.
Function
Tretinoin works to combat acne by gradually loosening the sebum-based plugs in the pores and eventually will prevent many of these plugs from forming in the first place, according to the AAD. It does this by encouraging the skin to renew itself, pushing new skin cells to the surface more rapidly than normal. That’s why the prescription medication also is effective as an anti-aging treatment: As the skin produces new skin cells, the skin’s surface begins to look younger, with fewer wrinkles.
Types
Drug manufacturers sell tretinoin under a variety of different brand names, including Retin-A, Avita and Renova. Most companies hold U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for acne treatment, and some also have FDA approval for treating the cosmetic effects of aging. The AAD says that some of the earliest formulations of tretinoin severely irritated patients’ skin but notes that newer formulations, which include micro-gel versions of tretinoin, seem to irritate the skin less.
Effects
Research studies show tretinoin works well in treating both acne and sun damage. For example, a study published in 2009 in the “Journal of the Indian Medical Association” looked at five different acne treatments, including tretinoin and a combination treatment including tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide. The study found that the tretinoin treatment group saw 80 percent acne clearance, while the combination group had 90 percent clearance. Another study, this one published in 2004 in “Dermatological Surgery,” looked at a high-strength tretinoin formula in sun damage treatment and found almost all patients had significant improvements within a month of starting treatment.
Considerations
Tretinoin works well as both an anti-aging and acne treatment, but it does have one major drawback: It makes skin very susceptible to sunburn, according to the AAD. Patients using tretinoin need to carefully guard against even slight sun exposure and should take care to use a sunblock with a high sun protection factor at all times, especially during the peak sun hours.
