Retinoids & Skin Lightening Part 5: The Skin Lightening Aspect

Photo Credit: The Daily Green

We all know that retinoids can be incredibly effective at treating acne and reducing the signs of aging. The skin lightening aspect of retinoid usage is still something I feel I haven’t fully covered. In this part of the Retinoids & Skin Lightening series I am going to focus solely on how and what exactly retinoids can (and cannot) lighten.

This may not come as a huge shock to people who are using rx retinoids already, but retinoids in general lighten the skin in a very limited/selective manner. All rx retinoids can control cell differentiation and the structure of the skin – however specifically regarding the melanocytes; studies have shown that retinoids only affect two different kinds of pigmentation concerns.

The first one being UV induced hyperpigmentation (sun damage). Excessive sun damage can lead to irregular melanin production which shows up as dark spots, patches or blotchy, uneven skin. What is more interesting is that the use of an rx retinoid nightly can increase the skin’s defense in being damaged by UVB rays. Retinoids lighten sun damage by decreasing tyrosinase activity and melanin neosynthesis. Reducing tyrosinase activity is the single most significant part of the skin lightening process, since that is the catalyst to the melanin load found in melanocytes.

Many people who use rx retinoids (including myself) notice how well it unifies the skin tone. I find it does an excellent job at correcting sun damage anywhere on my skin (I used to apply it sparingly on other areas of my body to help break up the heavy cumulative sun damage on my forearms).

I should note though that some sun damage can be permanent. I will be writing an in-depth article on this topic soon. Retinoids are the gold standard in reversing sun induced skin damage, but unfortunately some deep damage cannot be reversed.

Aside from correcting UV induced sun damage, retinoids can lighten skin simply through the epidermal turnover rate (much like a chemical peel). An instant lightening effect is common to see when using retinoids (though not for everyone). A lot of people who tan or are trying to bronze their skin will find it difficult to hold a tan when using rx retinoids nightly since the skin renews itself so rapidly that the melanin production is renewed as well.

It takes awhile for retinoids to fully treat pigmentation issues. Some dermatologists state specific time spans such as a full year. I agree with that to an extent, but as always, everyone’s skin is different.

Source:

Please check out this wonderful study on retinoids and melanin production. Highy recommended =O)

Retinoic acid as modulator of UVB-induced melanocyte differentiation: involvement of the melanogenic enzymes expression

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Other parts of Retinoids & Skin Lightening:

Part 1
Part 2: Common Questions
Part 3: The Purging Stage
Part 4: Mixing & Buffering A Retinoid