Retinol Repairs Damage From Natural Aging, Not Just Sun, Researchers Say
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
The application of retinol on aging skin reduces the fine lines and wrinkles associated with natural aging, according to a study published in the May issue of Archives of Dermatology
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The application of retinol on aging skin reduces the fine lines and wrinkles associated with natural aging, according to a study published in the May issue of Archives of Dermatology. Retinol, or vitamin A, was previously thought to only repair skin damage caused by exposure to the sun, the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) authors say. "This is the first systematic, double-blind study showing that it improves any kind of aging - photoaging as well as natural aging," says co-author John J. Voorhees, MD, chair of the dermatology department at UMMS. "You can rub it anywhere and it will help to treat the signs of aging." Skin becomes thinner and more lax as a person ages, increasing an elderly person's propensity for chronic skin ulcerations and decreasing the skin's ability to heal. The research team set out to develop a therapy to address this problem, which it calls "a major public health issue." In their study, the researchers applied a 0.4-percent retinol lotion to the upper, inner arm of 36 subjects; a control lotion was spread on the other arm. The lotions were applied three times per week for 24 weeks. The fine wrinkles associated with aging began to disappear after four weeks of retinol use, with continual improvement over the course of the study. "This is a faster response in wrinkle effacement than that observed in [cases of] photoaging," the study states, noting that improvement of photo-aged skin usually occurs after two to three months. The retinol induced an increase in the expression of glycosaminoglycans (GAG, or hyaluronic acid) in the skin, which retains water and smoothes the skin, the authors say. Collagen production was "signifycantly induced" by retinol application, they add. The Michigan researchers currently have no plans to commercialize the lotion they developed for the study. Retinol is used in a number of existing skin-care products, including anti-aging items in L'Oréal's Garnier Nutritioniste line (1 (Also see "Garnier Marries Nutrition And Dermatology In High-Tech Skin Care Launch" - HBW Insight, 11 Dec, 2006.), p. 6). - Molly Laas ([email protected]) |