Those of you who have acne, may have come across the word retinoids.
These are a group of drugs, which are related to Vit A, and very important in the treatment of acne, mainly the severe forms.
They can be topical gel/cream and oral capsules.
The topical retinoids are tretinoin and adapalene and the oral form is isotretinoin. Tretinoin is a derivative of Vit A, while adapalene and isotretinoin are synthetic analogues.
They have very good therapeutic action on acne as they reduce the secretion of sebum, normalizes follicular keratinization (normal maturation of skin cells) and prevents comedogenesis.
Retinoids are prescribed in severe cases of nodular acne and those who have not responded to other therapies.
They are absolutely contraindicated in pregnancy (teratogenic – cause abnormality in the fetus) and they should be used strictly under advice from a dermatologist only.
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