Does Retin-A Really Work for Acne Scars?

Retin-a (Tretinoin) works by increasing (stimulating) cell turnover and collagen production in the skin. If you think about it, retin-a works similar to a very light chemical peel: when applied topically, the retin-A increases the rate of cell turnover, thus increasing the skin’s own exfoliation process to remove dead cells while stimulating new skin cells faster, resulting in better skin texture and appearance. So yes, retin-a should work as a treatment for acne and can help... more

Retin A can help for red or brown acne scars by increasing the rate of cell turnover. The rate of cell turnover is the time it takes for skin cells to develop, die and flake off. By increasing this rate, Retin A can help remove the pigment associated with acne scars by causing these colored cells to flake off more quickly than without it. Retin A will not help for textured acne scars.

Retin A, by causing the cells of the epidermis to divide more rapidly, pushes out the pigment in the keratinocytes.This does help with what we call dyschromia, pigmentary discoloration. For this reason Retin A is often combined with hydroquinone. Unfortunately, Retin A probably helps only with the most superficial of acne scars. Obviously, it is key when it comes to prevent them in the first place, but there is little in its action ( maybe its reputed ability to regenerate collagen) to... more

Patients requesting improvement of acne scars are typically concerned about several things: Improvement in pigmentation Improved quality of surrounding skin on face Improvement in contour irregularities and ice pick scars on the face Retin A is an active exfoliator that speeds the skin cycle and increases deposition of collagen in the dermis. The retinoic acid will improve pigmentation by increasing cell turnover and speeding up the elimination of melanin in the dermis. It... more

Prescription-strength topical retinoid such as Retin-A has been shown to stimulate collagen, enhance textures of the skin over time. It can be helpful as an adjunctive therapy to laser resurfacing for acne scarring. However, as a monotherapy, the scar revisional benefit of topical retinoid for significant acne scarring is quite modest. The keys are strict daily sun protection as sun exposure takes away collagen, no smoking, and see a board-certified dermatologist to minimize new acne cysts.... more

The effect of Retin A is superficial, and the changes that are seen are primarily epidermal. Therefore the only scars that can be improved would be those that are extremely shallow. The depth of your acne scars must first be evaluated once determined the proper treatment depth can be performed. If the scars are deep then there are alternatives such as TCA peel, dermabrasion, laser resurfacing and subcision.

Retin A is really an adjunct to other treatments like subcision, excision, co2 laser resurfacing, fat injections, etc. But it can improve the scars to a very small degree. We have a multi step approach to acne scarring. see video

Retin-A can provide some benefit for acne scarring, but the type of acne scarring you have (e.g. ice pick, rolled, box car etc) should be assessed by a skin expert (e.g. dermatologist or plastic surgeon) and then the best treatment can be suggested in light of your risk tolerance, budget etc.

Retin-A is certainly a proven and beneficial medication for overall skin care, reversing aging / sun damage and improving problematic skin. Depending on the type of scars you have Retin-A is probably not going to be that helpful. While Retin-A does stimulate healthy cell turnover and collagen formation, it's effects are not significant enough to address scars. Better options include, lasers, dermabrasion and fillers. As for the discoloration from acne (also known as PIH -Post... more