Does Retinol Tighten Skin, and Can It Replace a Face Lift
Retinol is an ingredient that has become a social media trend, used in the hope of brightening the skin, reducing wrinkles and deep lines, lifting and firming the face, and more.
Many people wonder what retinol actually does, and S45 Clinic answers this in the article
What Is Retinol
Retinol, or pure vitamin A, belongs to the retinoid group, which is found in anti-ageing products that help reduce wrinkles. Research and testing have shown that it can do this. Retinol also stimulates the body’s production of hyaluronic acid, which helps the skin hold moisture, stimulates collagen production in the skin and reduces clogged pores, so it can reduce new acne breakouts and help fade dark spots.
Retinol is an ingredient in exfoliating and anti-wrinkle skincare, and it comes in several strengths. Before you buy, learn about the options and choose one that suits your skin, otherwise it may do harm instead of good.
Why Retinol Matters
Our skin cells divide, and each layer of skin sheds regularly so that dead skin cells come away. Some people shed skin cells every 28 days, and others every 40 days. This shedding stimulates new, healthier skin cells, and when dead skin comes away, it reveals a new layer of healthier skin.
As we get older, skin cells shed more slowly. In daily life we are exposed to pollution, stress, sunlight, UV rays and more, which all cause the skin to age and wrinkle, and lead to deep lines and dullness. Without care, dead skin cells build up instead of shedding, and some people get melasma, freckles or dark spots.
Tips for Using Retinol Well
- use it at night or before bed
- start with a small amount on only a few days, then move to a pea-sized amount and gradually increase the number of days until you can use it every night, which also helps your skin adjust
- apply moisturiser every time after retinol to help keep your skin healthy
- apply sunscreen every day, even when you are not in the sun, and reapply every 2 hours when you are outdoors
- avoid using retinol with benzoyl peroxide, because it may irritate your skin
A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that retinol helps keep skin cells healthy when it is used regularly and correctly.
If you are dealing with sagging or loose facial skin, you may be looking for an answer soon. Although retinol can help reduce wrinkles, it cannot tighten sagging skin. It can only help brighten the skin and reduce fine lines that have formed recently.
Treatments for Sagging Skin
If you have sagging skin and would like lifting and firming, these are treatments to consider
- botulinum toxin injections, to help reduce wrinkles and define the jawline
- treatments to reduce excess fat in specific areas of the face
- hyaluronic acid filler injections, to add volume to the face and to deep lines such as nasolabial folds
- radiofrequency skin tightening, to help reduce wrinkles and firm the face, which may suit people with more facial fat
- micro-focused ultrasound, to help reduce sagging and firm the skin, which may suit people with less facial fat
Look after yourself before sagging becomes harder to treat. You can start caring for and strengthening your skin from your early 20s and keep it up, which can make skin care easier as you get older and slow the decline of the skin layers. Although we cannot stop ageing, we can slow it down with good self-care.
S45 Clinic, have a consultation with an experienced doctor about skin care, lifting and facial contouring that suits you
