RT Journal
A1 Kafi R, Kwak HR, Schumacher WE, et al
T1 IMprovement of naturally aged skin with vitamin a (retinol)
JF Archives of Dermatology
JO Archives of Dermatology
YR 2007
FD May 1
VO 143
IS 5
SP 606
OP 612
DO 10.1001/archderm.143.5.606
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archderm.143.5.606
AB Objective 
    To evaluate the effectiveness of topical retinol (vitamin A) in improving the clinical signs of naturally aged skin.Design 
    Randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, left and right arm comparison study.Setting 
    Academic referral center.Patients 
    The study population comprised 36 elderly subjects (mean age, 87 years), residing in 2 senior citizen facilities.Intervention 
    Topical 0.4% retinol lotion or its vehicle was applied at each visit by study personnel to either the right or the left arm, up to 3 times a week for 24 weeks.Main Outcome Measures 
    Clinical assessment using a semiquantitative scale (0, none; 9, most severe) and biochemical measurements from skin biopsy specimens obtained from treated areas.Results 
    After 24 weeks, an intent-to-treat analysis using the last-observation-carried-forward method revealed that there were significant differences between retinol-treated and vehicle-treated skin for changes in fine wrinkling scores (−1.64 [95% CI, −2.06 to −1.22] vs −0.08 [95% CI, −0.17 to 0.01]; P<.001). As measured in a subgroup, retinol treatment significantly increased glycosaminoglycan expression (P = .02 [n = 6]) and procollagen I immunostaining (P = .049 [n = 4]) compared with vehicle.Conclusions 
    Topical retinol improves fine wrinkles associated with natural aging. Significant induction of glycosaminoglycan, which is known to retain substantial water, and increased collagen production are most likely responsible for wrinkle effacement. With greater skin matrix synthesis, retinol-treated aged skin is more likely to withstand skin injury and ulcer formation along with improved appearance.Trial Registration 
    clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00272610