Even if your doctor or dermatologist decides you’re fit for tretinoin, you should always proceed carefully.
It can be up to 20 times more powerful than the retinol products you find in drugstores.3
That said, topical tretinoin is generally considered safe for short- and long-term use when it’s prescribed by a medical professional.
You may experience side effects like:
• Redness
• Dryness
• Itching
• Mild burning
If any of these worsen, let your GP, pharmacist, or dermatologist know immediately.
You’ll also need to use an SPF of at least 30 every day while taking tretinoin. While this is recommended for anyone, it’s particularly important with any kind of retinoid.
Thanks to your skin’s faster cell turnover, the new, smooth skin is very sensitive to UV rays and sun damage. So, you’ll need to protect it more than ever.
It’s recommended to only apply tretinoin at night to give your skin time to recover.
You must not use tretinoin or any retinol products - even if you are prescribed it - if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or if there is any chance you could be pregnant.
The NHS warns that too much vitamin A could cause harm to your unborn baby.4
Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives and “fetal retinoid syndrome”, a group of physical and mental birth defects, is possible with its use during pregnancy.5