Re: Zyclara

My understanding about Accutane (Tretinoin) is that it is a Vitamin A derivative. Vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A) has as its symptoms dryness and fissuring of the lips and peeling skin. Why? I have no idea.

From an online pharmacy website:
"Tretinoin irritates the skin and causes the cells of the skin to grow (divide) and die more rapidly, increasing the turnover of cells. The number of layers of cells in the skin actually is reduced. In patients with acne, new cells replace the cells of existing pimples, and the rapid turnover of cells prevents new pimples from forming." One of its major side effects is increased risk from sun-exposure.

As I've said before, understanding the Tretinoin connection has to be a major clue. Maybe somehow it communicates to the lips to switch on the overgrowth but in many cases that communication isn't switched off. Or alternatively, due to having less skin layers and trauma to the external layer, the body's natural switch to both kill the traumatized cells produce more layers stays on indefinitely without ever being able to remedy the problem. Or, as was mentioned before, maybe it's just as simple as lowering your immune system and exposing you to secondary infections. It does seem weird that it would affect the mucous membranes of the lips if the cream is just applied to the Acne of the face.

Hope this helps and I hope more of this connection becomes clearer very soon.

Peace,
C.S.