TikTok influencers are touting prescription tretinoin as a skin care miracle for America's youth, but doctors are urging users to be careful and keep their expectations in check.
The health and beauty community has taken to online social media to claim that the drugs can give people "raw skin", make them look younger and clear up acne.
Tretinoin is commonly used to treat severe acne and other skin conditions.
A version of tretinoin can be used to treat fine lines, dark spots, or rough skin on the face caused by sun damage.
The medicine is available in the form of gel, cream and lotion.
Dr. Mark Siegel told Fox News Digital that tretinoin may have mild to moderate effects for some skin conditions, including acne, claiming that the drug is a drug for blemish-prone skin "completely unfounded."
"It's an extension and distortion of something that has moderate therapeutic value," he said. "It can improve the skin to some extent, but it can have side effects. It can cause skin ulcers. This is something that should be under the care and supervision of a dermatologist. This is not something that anyone outside of TikTok should do. Used."
He also noted that a potentially beneficial vitamin A derivative is the latest health trend on TikTok to make waves, noting that the app is "not a place to get health information."
"Information and misinformation are contagious," Siegel said. "So it's never perspective. It's always hype. There's no real health value."
Harvard and Johns Hopkins trained plastic surgeon Dr. Bart Kashniarz agrees that ignoring medical advice puts young women at risk of abusing drugs or experiencing adverse reactions without adequate support.
He noted that while tretinoin is a "powerful drug" with proven benefits, it is not a "magic bullet" and can cause significant side effects.
"Influencers often see these negative aspects and portray unrealistic expectations of flawless skin that can only be achieved with tretinoin, which can lead to frustration and even potential harm if used incorrectly," says Kashnierz.
Siegel compared tretinoin claims to the recent viral craze that marshmallows can help people soothe their throats and suppress coughs.
Siegel noted at the time that the trend was caused by a "placebo effect" and stemmed from a grain of truth.
"They took a syrup from the root [of the marshmallow plant] and made a medicinal cocktail out of it, which, like an herb, loosens mucus, is good for the immune system and soothes the throat. There is no marshmallow root in marshmallows," Siegel said on Jan. 5. .
As with many products promoted on social media, Siegel predicts that tretinoin will eventually become obsolete and oversupplied, potentially leading to shortages.
Kashnierz also raised concerns about potential downsides, which he said could make it harder to get medications for legitimate medical needs like severe acne and photography.
Dr. Triple is a dermatologist living in Los Angeles. Mamina Torrigano answered several questions about tretinoin on TikTok, noting that the drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat acne in children under the age of 9.
But when it comes to antiaging goals, Torrigano advises patients to wait until their 20s.
He also emphasized that patients don't need to start with tretinoin, a prescription retinoid, and can instead start with an over-the-counter one like retinol.
"Sometimes it's a good idea to start using retinol until your skin gets used to it. It increases cell turnover, so sometimes people get irritation and peeling. It's good to ease your way into it," says Torrigano.
TikTok hair and skin influencer Abby Young has given her followers some helpful advice on her tretinoin journey, revealing the "worst mistake" she made when she started using the drug five years ago.
Young agreed with Torrigano that people should try retinol again before switching to the prescription version, which she couldn't take at first.
"It made the redness and irritation worse than it should have been for me. I had better luck with medication, first starting with adapalene and then switching to tretinoin. I wish I had done that from day one," she said.
Adapalene is a topical retinoid approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of acne.
Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A and are usually described in terms of generation, with increasing affinity specificity for the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) with subsequent generations.
Meanwhile, "clearing" is a time when acne can return with some or all of its energy as blockages are removed and the top layers of skin are removed.
As a result, pores stuck in the lower layers of the skin can quickly reach the surface, leaving the skin exposed.
Young encouraged those considering tretinoin to avoid any other acne treatments while using the product and to only apply a moisturizer beforehand, allowing it to dry before applying the prescription.
She said the prescription brought "smoother skin" to her life and posted a comparison photo from when she first started using tretinoin.
The constant bombardment of images of perfect skin on social media can exacerbate body image issues and contribute to unrealistic beauty standards, suggests Kashnierz, a Miami doctor who works at Belsarna Plastic Surgery Center.
"Promoting tretinoin as a quick fix to achieve these unrealistic ideals can damage young women's self-esteem and mental health," she said.
Dr. Dermatologist. Danielle Sugai reviews tretinoin online and discusses common mistakes she makes with her patients about the drug.
In particular, he encouraged people not to use the product during the day and to use it before bed.
"The sun's rays will neutralize your tretinoin, and that precious golden cream will be inactive and unable to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, reduce hyperpigmentation, and unclog pores," she says.
Whether you use gel or cream, Sujoy recommends using a pea-sized amount of tretinoin, breaking it up into small dots and then massaging it into your face.
She encourages tretinoin users to reduce their skin care routine to a simple moisturizer, cleanser, and sunscreen.
Patients are advised to avoid excessive exposure of skin areas treated with tretinoin to sunlight or cold during the first six months of treatment.
Publications indicate that the skin will be more susceptible to sunburn, dryness, and irritation, and recommend regular use of sunscreen and protective clothing (such as hats), especially during the first three weeks.
Side effects of tretinoin include burning, itching, stinging, itching or redness of the skin, pain or peeling at the application site, lightening of the skin, and unusually warm skin.