| (Tretinoin,
Retin-A®, Retin-A Micro®, Renova®, Differin®, Tazorac®, Avage®,
Avita®, Altinac®)
Patient Instructions:
- Wash skin
and pat dry. Allow your skin to air-dry for 5-10 minutes.
- Apply 1
gram of your retinoid to your entire face including the lower
eyelids ( 1 gram is about 1 inch of cream squeezed onto a finger).
- Avoid the
corners of the eyes and lips.
- Every 2-3
days apply the retinoid to the upper eyelids, neck, and chest.
- Apply sunblock
to the entire face every morning. Use sunblock daily in place
of moisturizer.
- Stop retinoid
1 week prior to waxing skin.
What to expect
and how to manage skin reactions:
- Transition
period of 6-12 weeks, during which face may be red, dry, and flaky.
- Reaction
is more severe in skin that is heavily sun damaged.
- If the reaction
is too irritating, take 1-2 nights off from the retinoid and moisturize.
After 1-2 nights, resume the retinoid.
- Taking more
than 1-2 nights off may restart the reaction phase again.
- The goal
of retinoid treatment is to diminish sun damage, hyperpigmentation
(dark spots), and overall aging of skin.
Adapted
from Obagi S, Rolewski S. Cosmetic Dermatology 2004;17:508.
|
