Retin-A… Why the Appeal?

Retin-A (tretinoin) has earned the anti-aging reputation and loyalty of many dermatologists simply because, it works!

Unlike most beauty product “lofty claims”, there’s proof at the molecular level of a demonstrable skin health improvement in Retin-A use for more than 25 years. First used as an acne treatment, patients soon reported their skin became vibrant and smooth.

Retin-A users reported improvements in skin texture, diminished wrinkles, and brown spots. Early studies in 1988 confirmed its anti-aging effects with statistically significant improvements. Skin cells contain retinoid receptors that help regulate how the cell functions. As people age, their cells behave more erratically. This behavior can be corrected with consistent use of Retin-A.

Retin-A can improve texture, shrink dilated pores, prevent blackheads, whiteheads, and fade brown spots. It causes skin cells to turn over more rapidly. Most notably, Retin-A has the ability to retain and form new collagen as well as stop photoaging before it starts! Collagen is what gives skin its structure, firmness, and elasticity lasting for years. Retin-A is utilized for more than just cosmetics. It has been used to treat pre-cancerous skin cells by returning abnormal cells back to normal.

The difficulty in Retin-A usage has always been tolerance. Historically, Retin-A may make your skin look sore with redness, flakiness, and peeling. Manufacturers have come up with ways to make the side effects more tolerable in the form of Retinol. The Retinol products are less irritating and contain emollient moisturizers. However, the body still needs to break retinol down into retinoic acid, under the skin, in order to work. The cosmetic industry has scientifically taken it to the next level. New products to market actually deliver the active retinoic acid under the skin.

Altaire Clinic’s skin care line utilizes the product Alpharet. The Alpharet formulation is unique in that it does not activate until it is under the skin. It has a lipid coating to allow it to penetrate into the skin and the product is released and activated when exposed to water deep in the dermal layer. Since this product is not released until under the top layer of the skin, there is little to no surface irritation. This unique retinoic acid provides visible skin rejuvenation with little to no down time.

It is fascinating that the base product we are still recommending most, is over 25 years old! Technology has just made it more tolerable and more effective.

For more information, please schedule an appointment with our Dermatology Team.