Tretinoin facts for kids

Tretinoin is a special kind of medicine that comes from vitamin A. You might also hear it called all-trans retinoic acid or ATRA for short. It's often used to help people with skin problems like pimples and a bumpy skin condition called keratosis pilaris. You can find this medicine under different brand names.

What is Tretinoin?

Tretinoin is like a super-powered version of vitamin A. It's an "acid" form, which means it's very active. Our bodies naturally use forms of vitamin A for many things, especially for healthy skin and good eyesight.

How Tretinoin Helps Your Skin

Tretinoin works by helping your skin cells grow and shed more normally.

• For acne, it helps to unclog pores. This stops pimples from forming and can make existing ones heal faster.
• For keratosis pilaris, which causes small, rough bumps, Tretinoin helps smooth the skin by preventing dead skin cells from blocking hair follicles.

Using Tretinoin Safely

Tretinoin is a strong medicine, so it's important to use it exactly as a doctor tells you.

• It's usually put on the skin as a cream or gel.
• It can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so using sunscreen is very important when you use Tretinoin.
• Sometimes, skin might get a little red or dry when you first start using it, but this often gets better over time.

Images for kids

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  This picture shows how Tretinoin is made inside the body.