Using Retin-A All Over The Body?

OK, I was gonna raise the issue of cost as well but I do know that there's people who do this and I don't see any medical issues there and have considered using retin a all over the body myself, though I haven't taken the plunge and actually done it. I did read up about it and saw that some people who are talking about it (none who were prescribed retin a specifically for the whole body, something to be aware of) mentioned only using it three times a week, which again would be something that could keep the cost down.

I personally do wonder whether using retin a from these online pharmacies is safe and particularly how you are so sure it is actually retin a that you are getting.

Does using tretinoin all over the body make a difference to your skin? If you are diligent enough about using sunscreen, then the answer is yes, without any doubt whatsoever! I think most of us who have good experiences with Retin-A, Renova, etc, would use it as a whole-body treatment if we could. Cost is definitely a factor though, even if you source the cheapest possible form of tretinoin. And a word of caution: do you really know that what you ordered is what you will be getting? What if you get something completely different that really messes with your skin? So I'd be very weary about doing that.

I don't know whether that's true. Here I am also wishing I could use retin-a all over my body or at least in those strategic spots like legs, arms and so on, but I can't. Like others said, it would just cost too much. BUT I will admit readily to applying retin-a to my neck and cleavage area and it is working nicely. I don't think there's a legit reason, medically, to avoid putting retin-a on your body. If anything, your face is more sensitive so if it's good for your face it is going to be good for your arms too, for instance.

I don't know that I'd try retin-A all over my body to be honest. For one, you are dealing with the fact that this is a much larger area of skin than just your face. No doubt, you can get those retin-A uglies on the rest of the body as well and they'd be hell to deal with. Imagine that... dry skin and wrinkly appearance all over your body rather than just on your face. Might give you some real discomfort as well, you know? Then, you're looking at extra moisturizing all of the body as well as the sunscreen stuff. All and all, I think I can see why retin-A just isn't prescribed this way. It works well for small areas of the skin, but should not be used all over.

I don't know about ALL OVER the body, as in literally all over the body, but I have used Retin A micro on my hands and arms as well and have been satisfied with the results. The reason I use it is to promote collagen production and to rid myself of some sun spots, and it's working. I started doing this after a friend told me I could, but have never considered applying it to my abdomen or anything. In that case, well, like everyone else here seems to be saying, you'd be busy for a long time applying it and you'd be spending $$$ in the end. Retin A is not just for the face though, it can be used on other body parts also.

Well, you can certainly buy body lotions with RA in them, so I don't see why you can't mix a bit of RA with some of your lotion & use it that way.

I have been using Retin-a from an online pharmacy in India for about a year now. The cost is around $6-7/tube, a crazy good deal compared to the USA. So far, it appears to be the same exact product as what is found in the USA.
My face looks amazing after 1 year of continuous use. All the age spots are gone and the wrinkles are substantially less noticeable. So...my arms & chest have tons of sun damage, like many women in their 50-60's. I started off on my hands and worked up to my forearms. It works...but it's definitely a different experience. I get these rough, hard, scaly patches that are really tough to deal with. I never got those on my face. it really has changed the texture of my skin...and not for the better at the moment, but I am only about 3 months into this experience. I tried it on my chest, but I got awful dermatitis from it, so I had to stop. I am prone to dermatitis as it were, so no surprise there. But, I think if I can complete a year or so of treatment, I should have spot free and smooth nice skin, that is less wrinkly overall. I still have pigment on my hands and forearms, but it has faded, whereas the skin on my face is totally free of pigment now. I am using .1% gel and it is very irritating for many people, it certainly was for me in the beginning. I have .5% cream and I think I am going back to that, as I had less irritation, but like so many of us, I want results fast, so I have been using the .1% gel. I use the retin A about 3-4 times nightly per week over just clean, dry skin, then wash it off in the a.m. and put on Tony Moly Green Tea Chok Chok cream which is incredibly soothing. I read on another derm's website about their $75 green tea cream for after retin a a.m. and then found the Tony Moly which is only $25. I also have used Skin Ceuticals Triple Lipid restore (about $139) and I love it, post retin-a a.m. use, but it's $$$.

Retin A is a strong vitamin A. Vitamin A in large quantities can cause birth defects in babies. For that reason alone I would avoid playing with prescription strength medicine in large quantities. Reminds me of those who put prescription lidocaine all over their legs before laser hair removal and then their heart stopped.