Large Retin-A Study Finds Modest Skin Improvement

Preliminary results of the largest study of its kind have confirmed that the active ingredient in Retin-A can produce modest cosmetic improvements in sun-damaged or aged skin, UC Irvine researchers said Monday.

In the first six months of a two-year study, 68% of 657 patients nationwide showed some improvement in wrinkles or sunspots using an emollient cream with .05% retinoic acid (tretinoin). A control group showed only 38% improvement.

“This statistically significant difference reflects modest changes for the average patient,” said Gerald Weinstein, professor and chair of dermatology at UC Irvine College of Medicine. Weinstein presented the results Monday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Francisco.

The study suggests that, though the tretinoin cream does have an effect, it will not replace plastic surgery, Weinstein said. The study was sponsored by Ortho Pharmaceutical Corp., which manufactures Retin-A.

Retin-A, federally approved only for the treatment of acne, has been prescribed by some dermatologists for cosmetic improvement.

Retin-A ointment, which usually has an alcohol base, frequently produces temporary skin irritation. The researchers had hoped to avoid this by using a cream base, but the cream also produced temporary skin irritation in 90% of the patients studied.

Previous reports on the beneficial aspects of tretinoin from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan studied groups of only 48 and 30, respectively. Their studies used a higher concentration of the drug and showed greater amounts of improvement.