Treatment of photodamaged skin with topical tretinoin: an update.

The utility of topical tretinoin in combination with sun protection has now been formally established as a useful approach to the treatment of sun-damaged skin. The early observations of our group have been confirmed in numerous well controlled clinical trials. Moreover, a great deal is known about structural and even molecular changes induced by topical tretinoin, which account for the clinical benefits achieved by this agent. A great deal has been learned in a very short period of time, and these findings represent another major use of retinoid therapy in dermatologic disease.