how much can tretinoin improve my skin

Over the summer i got a really bad sunburn which definitely resulted in photo damage to my forehead and cheeks. My dermatologist gave me a prescription for Tretinoin .05 cream. The picture is from my 2nd week of using Tretinoin once daily at night then using a moisturizer in the morning. The things that are bothering me the most is the wrinkle formed on my forehead the the two wrinkles forming above my eyebrow. The skin in these areas has become rough and loose as you can see in the picture. I also have rough patches on my cheeks with enlarged pores. How much improvement can i reasonably expect, is my photo damage not as bad as i think it is? Looking Tretinoin up online different web sites show different results with some saying it can completely clear up photodamge and reduce fine lines within 3-6 months and others saying only moderate improvement( a 1 to 2 point reducing in the photo aging scale ) I just wanna know how much improvement i will actually see and over what about amount of time will it take based on the photo i posted?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the photo you have posted, tretinoin may take quite some time. This dryness can be due to the side effect of the tretinoin also. Avoid using any lotions and creams over the face for the meantime. Wash your face with a mild cleanser with moisturizing properties like Cetaphil. Pat your face dry. Then apply a good hypoallergenic moisturizer over the area also.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.

[willburstyle06]

After looking up tretinoins effectiveness online and experiencing some of its negative effects i scheduled an appointment with a cosmetic dermatologist for this Tuesday. Based on my picture what would be a more efffective treatment for my mild sun damage microdermabrasion or light chemical peels?