| abstract |
Various skin disorders, excluding acne are treated by topical application to the skin of a retinoid-composition including a retinoid in a dermatologically acceptable vehicle at such a concentration and applied in such a way as to induce desquamation of the skin to ameliorate the disorder. Preferably, the compositions contain greater than 0.1 weight percent tretinoin, and more preferably at least 0.2 weight percent tretinoin. The vehicle is preferably a solvent for the retinoid such as an alcohol/glycol or hydroalcoholic vehicle, but it is also possible to apply the retinoid in a non-solvent vehicle such as emulsifying or suspending the retinoid in a cream, dressing, gel, ointment or liquid polymer, with or without penetration enhancers. The treatment achieves rapid amelioration of skin disorders such as photodamaged skin, hyperpigmentation, rosacea, premalignant cancers including actinic keratoses, wrinkles, superficial scarring, epidermal atrophy and atypia, and keratosis pilaris, by daily or every other day application for about one to two months. Thereafter, the high strength applications may be tapered off, and the treated skin maintained with more conventional lower concentration compositions. |