As your skin ages it will become thinner, dryer and less supple. An inevitable result of this will be the slow formation of wrinkles. However, many people develop wrinkles prematurely and this is often the result of lifestyle or environmental factors like smoking or, the No. 1 culprit, excessive sun exposure, notes Medical News Today. Many over-the-counter anti-aging products include retinol as an active ingredient for fighting wrinkles.
Retinol
According to MayoClinic.com, retinol is a vitamin A compound with antioxidant properties. As an antioxidant it can help prevent skin damage from free radicals that can otherwise break down skin cells due to unstable oxygen molecules. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that retinol concentration in over-the-counter products is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and so it may be that some products contain very small amounts of active retinol, producing little to no results.
Retinol Support
The "Archives of Dermatology" cites a 2007 study by Reza Kafi and colleagues that supports retinol's effectiveness. In the study, 36 subjects with a mean age of 87 had retinol cream or a vehicle-treated cream, without active retinol, topically applied to their arms three times a week for 24 weeks. Retinol-exposed subjects showed a reduced appearance of wrinkles on their arms and it is believed that water retention and increased collagen production are to thank for this.
Tretinoin
Another vitamin A derivative, tretinoin, Retin-A commercially, is more potent than retinol and as such is only available by prescription. It is the only topical method recognized and regulated by the FDA as being effective at reducing wrinkles, note UMMC. Tretinoin works by removing dead skin cells from the surface and stimulating collagen production to form new skin. Application twice a week should produce positive results within two to six months.
Side Effects
Topical application of vitamin A, whether retinol or tretinoin, causes increased sun photosensitivity and thus susceptibility to sun damage. It is therefore advisable to always where sunscreen, even during winter. Tretinoin's side effects are more severe due to its increased strength, and these should be discussed with your doctor. UMMC notes that tretinoin can cause dryness of the skin, irritation, soreness and skin thinness over time if used at higher doses.
Considerations
According to UMMC, retinol can be equally as effective as tretinoin if used in the right concentration. However, due to anti-wrinkle products being unregulated, it is difficult to measure the potency or effectiveness of any one cream. In contrast, MayoClinic.com notes that it is unlikely that these cosmetic products have any effect on the skin at all except maybe to hide the appearance of some wrinkles.
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