Retin-A Update ~ Results on 51 Year Old Skin After 9 Months

Apparently I love posting pictures of my aging skin without makeup so much that I’m doing it again! This time to do my Retin-A Update ~ Results on 51 Year Old Skin After 9 Months of use. I don’t know about you, but I get tired of looking for reviews on anti-aging products only to find ones posted by people under 35 with no wrinkles! So if you want to see actual results on an actual old person, you’re in the right place.

Generic Retin-A Cream, Tretinoin 0.05%

I started using Tretinoin 0.05% cream (retin-a) and Vitamin C serum 9 months ago to improve my wrinkles, age spots, and skin’s overall firmness and clarity. Tretinoin is a prescription cream or gel that’s been proven to reduce fine lines, improve firmness, and build collagen. I apply a pea sized amount of tretinoin cream to my cheeks, forehead, and chin, avoiding the eye area, lips, and nostrils (it’s too irritating for those areas). Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps your skin fight free radicals, protects it from sun damage, and reduces age spots and discoloration.

I apply the tretinoin every night and I use the vitamin C serum in the morning alternating with a glycolic acid serum (an exfoliant to remove the outer layers of dead cell that cause dullness). This skincare routine can be harsh and may not be tolerated by everyone. Doctors recommend building up to this point over time to minimize irritation. And, if you use any of these products you need to use sunscreen every day to protect your skin and to protect the active ingredients from breaking down and being ineffective. I can’t stress enough how important it is to use an spf of 30 or higher every day to minimize the signs of aging and chances of getting skin cancer weather or not you’re using anti-aging products.

The Triple-Threat to Wrinkles and Aging Skin!
Glycolic Acid, Vitamin C, & Retin A

I started by applying the tretinoin once a week for the first month, then twice a week for another month, then 3x a week for another month. I went up to every other night and stayed there through the summer. I bumped up to every night 3 months ago. Doing it this way caused very little redness, irritation, or flaking. The full effects of retin-a can take up to 2 years to show, but you’ll see small improvements along the way.

I grew up in the 70s when our goal was to get a deep, dark tan as fast as possible every summer, we burned, then peeled, then tanned. So my skin is damaged and now that I’m in my 50s all that damage is coming home to roost in the form of age spots, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. I was fairly horrified to see how bad my skin was suddenly looking after my 40s were over.

Here are the before and after pictures so you can see the results for yourself:
(Un-retouched photos with no makeup, trying to match the angle, focus, lighting, and facial expression. Please excuse the giant watermark over each photo, I’m trying to stop scammers from stealing my images to sell their products.)

Before & After
Crows feet are less deep, jawline is firmer, skin it brighter

Before & After
Eyelid skin is firmer and less saggy

I’m pleasantly surprised to see an improvement in my overall skin tone, firmness (especially at the jawline), and smaller wrinkles. I’m especially happy with the effect it’s had on my eyelids which have always been hooded but had started sagging in my 40s. Even though I don’t apply the creams and serums directly to my eyelids, it gets there by skin cell communication and is doing great things for them! I’ve read that the results get better with long term use, so I can’t wait to see even more improvement in the 2nd year!!

Click here to see my 2 Year Update!