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Treatment with retinol lotion can smooth the fine wrinkles that occur with age, and can also help the skin withstand injury and prevent ulcers from forming, new research indicates.
The results, published in the May issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology , are based on a study of 36 people, aged 80 or older, who had 0.4 per cent retinol lotion applied to one arm and lotion without retinol applied to the other arm for 24 weeks.
The degree of wrinkling was rated from zero to nine (not wrinkled to severely wrinkled), and tests were performed on skin biopsy specimens.
Treatment with retinol was associated with a significantly less severe wrinkling, reported Dr Reza Kafi, from the University of Michigan Medical School, and colleagues.
The therapy increased the amount of in glycosaminoglycan and procollagen in the skin. The researchers believe the increase in glycosaminoglycan enhanced water retention, while the rise in procollagen helped make wrinkles less obvious.
- REUTERS
