So, recently, I’ve been trying to take better care of my skin. I read about retinol A LOT. It’s supposed to speed up cell turnover.
But cells do have a limited number of turnovers, no?
I am afraid of using retinol, I am worried it might make my skin look nice for now but might ruin it in the long run (because of the quick cell turnover). Can someone please explain this? Where am I wrong?
In: Biology
Retinol in skincare products has been around for a long time. If it were causing issues with premature aging, we’d probably know by now. But it’s important to consider what product you’re using and why.
Products with retinol can come with different amounts. Some have so little that they might as well not have any (it’s just there for marketing). Others may be be formulated for specific purposes (acne, use around the eyes). You can get prescription strength for things like acne, or significantly weaker over-the-counter products.
There’s plenty of discussion available by googling this: “site:www.reddit.com retinol long term”. This thread seems to address your question: https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/b8lna9/antiaging_dermatologist_criticises_longterm/
The comments make it pretty clear that the article posted is pretty off-base, skin cells don’t have a finite amount of times they can divide. If retinol use is something you’re seriously concerned about, you might want to have a discussion with a dermatologist. Otherwise, moisturizer and sunscreen should also help with aging, which you should be using if you’re using retinol anyway.
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