When to start retinoids
Starting A Retinoid - The First 6 Weeks | Dr Sam Bunting
hey guys welcome back to Sam here
helping you get closer to great skin
days so we've covered retinoids what
there is out there how do you choose the
right one for you and how do you start
so in terms of which one you choose I
think it's clear to me that if you have
a significant problem so you've got acne
you've got melasma you've got
significant premature aging with marked
lines you may well want to go the
prescription route first if however
you're just looking for that freshening
you're looking for more a glow you're
slightly more even skin tone clearing
out a few clogged pores little
blackheads around the nose cosmetic
great is completely a reasonable first
step I think some of the easiest
products to use are the grand active
retinoid product or retinol to hide base
products and lift some options below and
I would start at the lower strength
which in whichever one you choose the
reason I like those two there isn't so
much to choose from in terms of strength
okay and I will do a how-to video so you
can see how I dial down the strength at
the beginning to make it easier to start
in a way that seems non-scary so the key
principles to starting are to choose
your retinoid that's fine and I believe
that if you're doing this for the first
time it's worth stripping out all the
other actives forget your acids forget
vitamin C just focus on doing your
retinol you might be able to go quite
quickly once you get started but you
won't know until you try and I think it
just makes sense to review any remove
any other variables that might
contribute to irritancy at the beginning
so things to watch out for the things
that give people where we are dryness
irritation redness and in those who are
actually preparing so I'm going to cover
those a bit later on when I get into the
okay we're starting and this is what to
expect in the next six weeks but those
are the things that people worry about
and I think if you choose the right
strength and you focus just on your
retinoid
and you start slowing what are we missed
are slow well in the clinic I will
typically prescribe retinoid use for
every other night at the beginning and I
will start with lower quantities at the
beginning that I would want someone is
established so I talk about a fingertip
unit using a line of product as long as
your fingertip and I talk about a half a
fingertip so those are good measures
that are easy to reproduce night after
night that you're not using different
quantities in a haphazard way
consistency is key with retinoid use
every other night is a reasonable first
approach for the first two weeks but if
you're really nervous try it every third
night and just moisturizer than herbal
and moisturizer on the nights in between
so that's the first thing starting slow
look at your performance after two weeks
if things are comfortable you can
consider going up a notch and applying
it every night if you were doing it
every third night try every second night
so slowly slowly giving yourself time to
accommodate to this level before you got
to the back level it's all about this
landing like progression okay the next
thing to think about is the strength and
as I said most ranges now offer more
than one strength so you can start slow
and build up to the higher strength as
things become more comfortable but don't
be in a rush
think about improving over the course of
blocks of six weeks because that is one
skin cycle I certainly don't review my
patients any sooner typically than the
three-month mark which is two skin
cycles because that's the right length
of time to gotten through the tough part
into the good stuff and then to work out
how we reached our goals or should we go
further so those are the kind of
considerations I think about at the
beginning then it's important to have
your support kit so the things that are
going to make it so much easier for you
to get through that initial phase of
retina is a
where things can be challenging for me
that means three basic things the first
is a non foaming cleanser which is
fragrance free and non comedogenic
because that supports barrier function
effectively cleansing your skin without
depleting it without leaving it needing
you to put something back before you
even start your retinoid the second is a
non coffee moisturizer and I have no
problem using the same voice drier in
the daytime as the nighttime but for
some of you you might benefit from a
lighter formulation for day particularly
if you're an oilier site whereas using a
rich of product at night will help
increase the tolerability of your
retinoid at that time when you're not
that worried what your skin looks like
so don't be afraid to use heavier
products than you might normally use
because it will help you with your
tolerance the final thing is proper
sunscreen use guys you knew I was gonna
say this retinoids and sunscreen are a
match made in heaven they go hand in
hand
belt embraces all that jazz you must use
a sunscreen every single day without
fail and use it properly if you're using
a retinoid it's just it is common sense
the reason why prematurely age is 80 to
90 percent down to UV rays so get with
the program and choose one that you are
comfortable using every single day and
by comfortable I mean using the right
amount so get your teaspoons out know
what the quantity is to give you that
level of protection promised on the pack
of your sunscreen no relying on tinted
moisturizer with SPF in it all the
little tricks and sort of sneaky things
we say to ourselves to try to convince
ourselves that sunscreen isn't really
necessary with a retinoid it is so do
your research
we put perfected basics together in my
skincare range so that you guys would
have a kid that is ready to go to
support your use of retinoid so if you
haven't have a look at that please do
check our website so you've got your
tools you've got your retinoid
you've got your support kit it's time to
start bye
