skin??????????

shirley k: skin??????????
which is better for skin???????????????
tretinoin creams (such as retin A or stieva A.)……or AHA alpha hydroxy creams like glycolic stuff?

do both do the same thing basically or is one better than the other

Answers and Views:

Answer by lookgreatloseweightsavemoney.com
Retin A was originally formulated for acne. What they found however is that is helps to smooth the skin and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. If you start using Retin A, be prepared to use it all your life or your wrinkles will return.

AHA’s are wonderful. You just need to find the one thats right for you. I use Healthy Skin by Neutrogena, but there are many others out there. The percentages of AHA per product is listed on the back of the product. If you have sensitive skin, you’ll need a lower AHA. If you have normal to oily skin, you can tolerate a much higher percentage.

AHA’s work by creating a light peel on the skin and help to shed the dead skin cells on the surface, which are then replaced by new skin cells from underneath. This cell turnover helps reduce wrinkles and also helps smooth the skins surface.

Both work well but have their drawbacks. The benefits of AHA’s are that they are cheaper and do not have to be used as often as Retin A.

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Answer by mkupsm
Retin-A’s such as tretinoin do a deeper more dramatic resurfacing than AHA’s. Retinoids are prescription products that penetrate through the top layers of the skin into the under layers stimulating collagen production underneath the skin while exfoliating old damaged cells on the surface but at a much deeper level than AHA’s. AHA’s smooth the top layer but don’t completely remove the damaged cells because they are gentler and designed for non-prescription everyday use. Neither will permanently prevent wrinkles and neither will cause you to have to use them for a lifetime. Retin-a is actually usually only prescribed in one course and you normally don’t keep it up for a lifetime because that much deep exfoliation will damage the skin. Your dermatologist may prescribe a second course or third course if you have extensive acne or aging concerns but it’s not something you can continually do. AHA’s gently dissolve dead skin on the very surface layer to give you a smoother softer feel. You can use them everyday your whole life with no adverse effects but also without the dramatic effects you see from Prescription Retinoids. AHA’s and glycolics work well at preventative maitenance for acne and for smoothing fine lines. They will do nothing for deep wrinkles and will only help smooth out very blemished skin where Retinoids can work on deeper wrinkles and cystic acne to fix the problem. In a nutshell, Prescription Retinoids work deeper and peel the skin while boosting collagen production while AHA’s exfoliate (not peel) the very top layers of the skin for a smoother complexion. You can get a “peeling” effect from AHA’s but the strength of AHA’s depends on their PH level. You can have a 10% solution that has a 4.5 ph and it won’t be very strong where a 10% solution with a ph of 3.0 is going to sting a little. When choosing an AHA, pick a few you’d consider buying and write the company for the ph. The lower the ph, the more effective it will be. If you have sensitive skin you want to go with a higher ph where oily or blemished skin will tolerate a low ph with better results.