Looking for a more cellular-level breakdown of how Tretinoin works in your skin cells? You can check my other video here! → What Tretinoin Actually Does to Your Skin ...

Three weeks into tretinoin and your skin looks worse? That is usually not the treatment failing. Your skin is running on two clocks: a fast surface clock you can see, and a slow deep one that builds collagen.

Month 1: faster turnover, flaking, redness, and the purge.
Months 2 and 3: texture smooths, dark marks start fading.
Months 4 to 6: fine lines measurably soften.
Month 12: results hold, and some keep improving.

Irritation is not a progress bar, so if your skin hurts, talk to whoever prescribes it about using less. This video is education, not medical advice.

Thanks for joining :)

Amanda
Girly Pop Science

sources ✦
RETIN-A (tretinoin) cream, gel, liquid prescribing information — https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsa...
The treatment of acne with topical retinoids: one man's opinions (Kligman, 1997) — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Topical tretinoin improves photoaged skin: a double-blind vehicle-controlled study (Weiss et al., 1988) — https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama...
Topical tretinoin (retinoic acid) treatment for liver spots associated with photodamage (Rafal et al., 1992) — https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...
Topical tretinoin (retinoic acid) therapy for hyperpigmented lesions caused by inflammation of the skin in black patients (Bulengo-Ransby et al., 1993) — https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...
Restoration of collagen formation in photodamaged human skin by tretinoin (retinoic acid) (Griffiths et al., 1993) — https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...
Molecular basis of sun-induced premature skin ageing and retinoid antagonism (Fisher et al., 1996) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8552187/
Sustained improvement with prolonged topical tretinoin (retinoic acid) for photoaged skin (Ellis et al., 1990) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2229490/
Tretinoin emollient cream for photodamaged skin: results of 48-week, multicenter, double-blind studies (Olsen et al., 1997) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9270507/
Sustained improvement in photodamaged skin with reduced tretinoin emollient cream treatment regimen (Olsen et al., 1997) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9270508/
Patient expectations, safety concerns, and adherence to topical acne medications: findings from a web-based survey — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...

credits ✦
Music track: Rose by Lukrembo
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
Copyright Free Music (Free Download)

disclaimer ✦
I do use some AI tools to help make these videos. I know that isn't for everyone, and that's completely fair — it's important to me to be transparent about it :)

I really enjoy exploring these topics, and I hope you do too!