Wrinkles should not necessarily correspond with one's age. After all, there are about a dozen skin-care products that contain retinoic acid which are available on doctor's prescription. Retinoic acid is a chemical or substance that is derived from vitamin A or derivatives thereof. As such, it can eliminate or decrease wrinkles as it assists the skin in retaining moisture more efficiently.
The most significant of them is Tretinoin (retinoic acid). It is found in vegetables such as carrots and spinach. Tretinoin is used extensively in the treatment of acne and increasingly used in anti-aging regimens. Vitamin A is readily absorbed by the skin and stimulates production of new skin cells and as a result increases collagen production. Collagen being responsible for the fuller, firmer, and younger looking skin.
Being the strongest of the Vitamin A treatments, Trentinoin can treat some of the most stubborn skin conditions, but is also the most irritating of the products. When using any of these vitamin A treatments, if your skin becomes irritated, stop using the product to avoid further damaging the skin. Vitamin A in all its forms increases sensitivity to the sun. Don't forget the sunscreen!
Retinol, while not as strong as Tretinoin is found mostly in anti-aging or skin rejuvenation products. It is found in the same vegetables as any other Vitamin A treatment, but is not as easily absorbed into the skin. Its popularity among anti-aging products is due to the fact that one can start with a mild form of it and gradually increase the dose, thereby avoiding the irritation encountered with the stronger forms of vitamin A.
Retinyl Palmitate has not been as extensively tested as the other two, but shows promise of being a preferred replacement for Tretinoin since it can be formulated as a non-irritating alternative.
However, the effectiveness of each type of skin treatment (creams, liquids, or gels) may vary from person to person. For some people, retinoic acid may work well in making many of their fine wrinkles disappear. But for others, it may have very little or no effect at all.
What causes wrinkles, and why does the skin develop such crease marks as one ages? The medical field explains it this way: As a person ages, so too does his or her skin. And in this inevitable 'growing old' process, the skin's production of oil becomes lesser and lesser, making the epidermis (the outer nonsensitive and nonvascular layer of the skin) harsh and dry. Moreover, less collagen and elastin - proteins in the connective tissue that help in maintaining the skin's suppleness - are produced by the dermis (the under layer of the skin). These simultaneous biological activities make the skin tenuous and less springy, thus making it more unresistant to wrinkles.
But it makes us wonder at times why someone who's in the 50's seems to have far less wrinkles than somebody who's ten years younger. The reason could be that the older person spends more time indoors than the younger one who chooses an active outdoor life. Being exposed to the sun very often makes skin wrinkling a lot more pronounced. Smoking is another possible cause of early wrinkling of the skin.
How does retinoic acid work in eliminating the fine wrinkles in the skin? This substance is known to hasten the casting off of inert skin cells on the epidermis. Regeneration of skin cells ensues, which results to a more vital and fresh look. The positive results of retinoic acid against wrinkles may be conspicuous only after about several weeks (even a few months to some) of continuous use. The height of its effectiveness may be reached in about half a year and it becomes pure upkeep for you from then on. Also, you have to realize that your wrinkles can reappear once you stop using creams with retinoic acid.
Some people may be wary of using such retinoic-acid treatments, insisting that there are side effects to their use and that wrinkles are a natural part of aging. Their concern may have some basis, especially since some people who tried using retinoic-acid creams for their wrinkles developed skin irritation, redness, and intense itching. People who suffer from eczema should likewise refrain from using products with retinoic acid as this may aggravate their condition.
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