Question

Can I get skin peels or laser treatments while I'm using Retin-A?

I am age 39. I have been on Retin-A micro gel O.1% for about 6 months, applied every other night. I just started minocyc. antibiotic for breakouts on my face.
I would like to get a mild chemical peel or preferably the laser Pearl treatment. Are either or both of these a bad idea for my skin while on Retin-A? Is Retin-A hard on your system or/and skin???


Asked by: Carla in Missouri  

Answers (2)

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1
June 24, 2008

Discontinue Retin-A prior to chemical or laser peels.

Retin-A is a great medication to help with acne, fine wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, and roughness.  It works best in conjunction with other preventive measures, such as a comprehensive skin care plan, emollient creams, and sun avoidance.  One side effect of the medication, unfortunately, is thinning of the horny layer of the skin, which is why Retin-A should be discontinued sometimes up to 6 months prior to deep exfoliating treatments, such as deep chemical peels or laser peels.  The variable depth of the skin after using Retin-A can sometimes lead to unpredictable results with the peels, and sometimes even complications such as hyper- or hypopigmentation (darkening or lightening of the skin), or scarring.

Depending on the constituents of the chemical peels, and whether they self-neutralize (stop themselves after they get to a certain layer or pH of the skin), or if they require the clinician to neutralize it after a certain period of time, you could expect some differences in penetration of the chemicals if you use Retin-A. 

Lasers are usually set to a certain depth, so it's a little safer, but there is still a risk it will go deeper than expected and could affect your melanocytes (cells that produce pigment) or other structures under the surface of your skin. 

You may want to ask your clinician to do a test spot to see how your skin does.  It would need to be in an area that you have been applying the Retin-A to get an accurate result; not behind your ear, where most testing occurs, unless you've been using the Retin-A there. 

Your best bet is to just discontinue the Retin-A, continue the other preventive measures to prevent future skin damage (SPF, skin care, etc), and get the chemical or laser peel a few months down the line.  It is usually a good idea to wait for when you don't plan to be in the sun so much (being summertime now) regardless of the use of Retin-A, since your skin is more reactive to sun exposure after the top layer has been removed. The minocycline also predisposes you to increased sensitivity to the sun, so be sure to wear your SPF religiously.  The windows in your car will not protect your skin.

2
June 24, 2008

Retin-a and chemical peels/laser resurfacing

Chemical peels and laser resurfacing are great ways to rejuvinate the skin and get rid of those fine lines, wrinkles, pigmented areas and acne scars.

Retin-a itself, will help remove dead skin cells, reduce acne, fine lines, wrinkles and pigment and will also help to prepare the skin for either a chemical peel or laser treatment. 

However for best results, Retin-a should be stopped prior to any of those treatments typically for three or four weeks before the procedure. In addition, it should not be restarted for a couple of weeks after the procedure. It is best to consult your physician as to exactly how long you should be off the Retin-a, as different procedures will require different lengths of time.

Mild chemical peels may only require a week or so, as the resurfacing to your skin is only superficial and healing is fairly quick; however, a laser resurfacing of the face with the Pearl laser is a much more intense and effective procedure to resurface and rejuvenate the skin that will require you to be off the Retin-a for a longer period of time.

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