Sunday, August 12, 2012

Acne Scar Treatment - Obagi Tretinoin Cream

I have sensitive skin and often suffer from acne scarring. I also get eczema breakout every now and then and it will leave nasty brown pigmentation on my skin. I have been trying to find something to lighten those marks and when I made my last trip to Japan, I have found Obagi Tretinoin Cream in one of their drug stores. (Japanese drug stores sell many many different brands of skin whitening products. You should take a look if you ever go to Japan,)

Tretinoin Cream is often known as anti aging cream, which is often used in treatment of age spots, skin whitening/brightening and pore reductions. Tretinoin is a derivative of vitamin A, and it increases the turnover of skin cells. This effect helps to decrease the formation of blackheads and whiteheads, and produce healthier, younger looking skin.
Tretinoin also suppresses the formation of melanocyte, the skin cells responsible for pigmentation. This decreases skin discoloration and uneven skin tone.

Obagi Tretinoin Cream comes in 0.05% (20g tube) and 0.1% (20g tube). It is recommended to use together with Obagi NuDerm Blender and you should only use Tretinoin Cream every other night. Apply the cream thinly on affected area, especially if you are the first time users. I also should mention that if you are pregnant, DO NOT use Tretinoin or any of Hydroquinone products.

After writing this far, I have found out that Obagi Tretinoin Cream has now been changed to Obagi Tretinoin Gel. (Above mentioned cream seems to be still available in some websites.)
Obagi Tretinoin Gel is available in 0.01% (15g tube) and 0.025%(15g tube).
Below image is the result of using Tretinoin Cream for twice a week, together with Obagi Nu-Derm System. You can see the quite remarkable improvement in her complexion.