Retin A-List

Published by admin on Tagged Body, Beauty & Health anti aging Retin A skincare wrinkles

Around here, Retin-A known as liquid gold.  At almost $100 a tiny tube, a bunch of pulverized Kruggerands would retail for roughly the same amount.  So, is it worth it?  Or can you get the same benefit from that supposedly miracle Roc stuff?  I know I slather myself with it on a nightly basis and if I ever stopped I could certainly send an underprivileged kid to Harvard.

How it works:

Retin-A is a prescription cream called Renova®. It’s part of a group of drugs similar to Vitamin A.  Tretinoins, they’re called.  They’re used to treat acne (usually in the stronger gel form) and also to improve sun-damaged, aging skin.  

Retin-A basically ramps up the collagen production in your skin and makes it plumper.  It turns rough and aging skin smoother by sanding away at the outer layer - the epidermis. Age spots and other flaws are also lightened by a reduction in the melanin the skin is producing. The result is smoother, younger looking skin at, albeit, a high price.  Did I mention I’m actually 105?  

Going to Town:

Tretinoin works best when used in combination with alpha hydroxy acid preparations.  You will be a peeling machine for weeks but that’s the old layer of skin coming off.  When you make it through this phase, you’ll love it.  If used over a period of years, the thinking is Retin-A will continue to reverse aging of the skin and can continue improving the skin’s appearance even ten years after beginning the treatment.  You’ll still crack, but slower and better.  I’ve used it, on and off, for about 8 years.  Once you get on the Retin-A Train, you don’t get off at the next station.

Anecdotal Evidence:

The woman who did my microdermabrasion experiment last year was in her early fifties.  She looked about 35.  I completely gasped when she told me her age.  “My God.  What do you do?” I asked.  “Retin-A,” she said.  “I totally cake it on every night.”  That sold me.

You’ll Need:

• A doctor’s prescription (ask your gynie at your yearly, or visit a dermo)

• $100.  Forget about charging it to insurance.  It ain’t covered.

• Two months to see improvement and come through the red, peeling stage.  This can be alleviated by using Retin-A every third night to start.  Use only a pea-sized amount and apply 10-15 minutes after washing.  Don’t skip this!  Skin needs to be completely dry for maximum effectiveness.

May 16th, 2007