Tretinoin Cream For Stretch Marks

If you have stretch marks like I had stretch marks, you're probably willing to do just about anything to get rid of them. I know I sure was! I researched stretch mark removal options day in and day out, and came across a lot of different options. One of the options you're presented with is using Tretinoin cream on them.

Tretinoin is commonly known as Retin-A. You may also hear it being referred to as Retoinic acid. It's a derivative of the well known Vitamin A in an acid form. Dermatologists understand the value of this popular cream, commonly prescribing it to treat wrinkles, acne, and skin that's been damaged by sun.

So, what does that have to do with stretch marks?

Well, Tretinoin cream is now recognized as having a positive effect on new stretch marks. 0.1% Tretinoin concentrations are used by many people hoping that this stuff will wipe their stretch marks away.

Here are some studies that may explain why this is suddenly becoming a popular treatment for straie.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8624148

The above study had 22 people applying tretinoin to their stretch marks on a daily basis. After 6 months, results were measured and it was found that most users had an improvement in the length and width of their stretch marks.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11697021

This study involved 20 women who applied the 0.1% cream to their stretch marks daily. Results were measured after 12 weeks and it was found that improvements were made in the length and width of stretch marks.

As you can see, people are having results with this concentration and it seems to work just fine. Do be aware, however, that retoinic acid works best on new stretch marks, so older stretch marks won't show much improvement at all.

How Does Retin-A Work To Remove Stretch Marks?

The vitamin A acid acts as a skin exfoliator, removing the uppermost layers of skin called the stratum corneum. This prompts your skin to create more collagen to rebuild your skin. As more collagen fills your skin, some of your old damaged scar tissue can be replaced by new, healthy, full of collagen skin.

This process won't remove all the traces of scar tissue, though. It improves the appearance of new stretch marks only, as opposed to a system like Reverse Stretch Marks which can completely remove stretch marks, even old ones.

Reddish or purple colored stretch marks should show improvement because the Vitamin A narrows blood vessels. This action results in decreased redness in the stretch mark.

How To Safely Use Tretinoin Cream For Stretch Marks Removal

See your doctor for a Retin A prescription in a 0.1% concentration. Use the cream daily on your stretch marks and be realistic about your expectations. Your doctor will be honest with telling you this alone isn't enough to remove stretch marks, but will improve their appearance while they're still red.

Never use more than directed hoping that you can speed up results or get better results than the ones done in the studies. Such foolish behavior can cause increased redness, peeling and damage to your skin.

While treating your marks, always use sunscreen if you're going to be outdoors. The cream makes your skin sensitive to sun and it will burn if you don't use SPF 15 at the minimum. Aim for a higher SPF just to be on the safe side.

Also avoid using glycolic acid creams or Vitamin C creams on your skin being treated with the Retoinic acid. They cancel each other out and can also be overbearing on the skin, causing irritation.

Another thing to take note of is that we're not entirely sure about how well it absorbs into your system. The vitamin A is absorbed through the skin in unknown quantities. Your liver has to process this out and Vitamin A toxicity may be something you want to consider when deciding whether using Retin-A type creams is right for you. Mothers who have pregnancy stretch marks will definitely need to avoid it if breastfeeding for exactly this reason.

Give the product enough time to work and don't expect overnight miracles. The studies we referenced earlier show that you'll need to give it 12 weeks to 6 months of daily usage. Stay positive about the process because at least your stretch marks are going to look better than they did in the first place!

You may also want to consider a multi-step treatment like Reverse Stretch Marks, which makes use of pretreating the skin with Retin-A and combining more effective treatments to completely remove stretch marks of any age.