Retinisation is not a result
The flaking at week three tells you a retinoid is present. It tells you nothing about whether it is working.
FILE
ENTRYL-02
FILED2026-03-08
LENGTH4 MIN
SUBJECTSRETINOID, TOLERANCE
Retinisation is the epidermis reorganising under an accelerated turnover signal. It resolves in four to six weeks whether or not the dermal effect ever materialises. People read the peeling as feedback and escalate frequency; the barrier fails; they conclude retinoids do not suit them.
- Week 1–3: tightness, fine flaking, transient erythema. Expected.
- Week 4–6: resolution. Nothing visible is happening. This is normal and is where most people quit.
- Week 8–12: measurable change in roughness and fine lines. The first honest read.
Three nights a week, indefinitely, beats seven nights a week for eleven days. The protocol card in the box says this. Almost nobody reads the protocol card.
SPECIMEN ENTRY. FIGURES ARE ILLUSTRATIVE PLACEHOLDERS WRITTEN FOR THIS DESIGN AND ARE NOT CLINICAL CLAIMS OR MEDICAL ADVICE.RETINOIDTOLERANCE