I absolutely give a thumbs up to using Retin-A on these areas! Retin-A and the less potent over-the-counter sister brand, retinol, still have so much appeal after all these years because THEY WORK. It is un-refuted that Retin-A works to remodel the skin on the molecular level and has an enormous impact on skin texture, wrinkles and brown spots. It causes the skin cells to turn over rapidly so pores are less likely to clog and become blackheads and whiteheads. For you, Retin-A will help boost the collagen to give your skin structure, firmness and elasticity. New collagen will be formed with regular use and the effects will last for years. It shrinks enlarged pores, too. Back in the mid- 1980’s the first double-blind study of Retin-A was done on sun damaged skin and ALL the patients that participated showed great improvement.
More random notes on this great product. I can never give one sentence answers.
The use of Retin-A is misunderstood for the newcomers. If certain cautions are not explained you can have negative side effects in the beginning, especially. Retin-A can actually make the skin look worse with redness, peeling and flakiness. Some people look like they have severe acne that can last for up to eight weeks. By 24 weeks, you see vast improvement. Your doctor will probably say, don’t give up if you have skin worse than when you started. If this happens to you, then what I was trying to say in my earlier post is delay electrolysis, in these areas, until you get over the hump.
There are ways to make this less irritating. First of all, don’t over apply. All you need is a pea-size dab for your entire face. You will need less because you would be treating a specific area. Some of the brand name Retin-A products contain moisturizers. They have more-advanced delivery systems for getting the active ingredients into the skin. Generics may not have these extra’s.
Ramp it up slowly for about six weeks. Again, don’t slap on too much of the gel or whatever form you apply. Your doctor will advise you whether to start off with a dab every threes nights or once a week or every other night or every night?
Sun protection is vital. There are concerns about waxing while using Retin-A. Waxing may tear the delicate skin. There is some literature that cautions against having electrolysis. Even though it is not made clear about when not to have electrolysis, I would avoid it on any area of the face for the first six weeks when the skin is very sensitive and perhaps irritated looking. When things calm down, using insulated probes and reducing the energy would be advised.
I work on many people that use Retin-A, but I choose to wait until they are past that initial “volcanic eruption” when the skin is red, dry, flakey and itchy.
If you are not going to work on those areas while your skin is peeling, but continue work on other areas, then thumbs up to you, dude.
Please make it clear to your electrologist to avoid doing this again. This is an added expense to correct a problem caused by her treatment, not to mention the distress you may be feeling now.
James, the product you mentioned is the product the plastic surgeon smirked about, just as you did with your emotion icon. Not as effective, if effective at all, than something like Retin-A that has proven its might for over 25 years.
Here is an old thread that has good information:
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Thanks SUPERDUDE for a great question!
