Garfield asked
Does Atralin or Tazorac build collagen..?my doctor prescribed them after scaring occured on my nose after fraxel..been using Atralin for 1 month now and don't see much results..what is best for building collagen?
Answer
Neither Atralin nor Tazorac build collagen. They are two different drugs in a class known as retinoids. Retinoids are very commonly used for various skin disorders such as acne and facial wrinkles. Retinoids are actually a derivative of vitamin A and have a somewhat complex mechanism of action. In a nutshell, they are are important regulators of cell reproduction, and cell proliferation and differentiation. They are thought to be most beneficial in terms preventing the brown discoloration of scars, but unfortunately, that scar tissue is still there. The drugs you mentioned certainly can help the outward appearance of a scar, but they will not get rid of them.
There is no drug, as far as I'm aware, that builds collagen. I believe collagen can only be injected into a patient and cannot be specifically grown with drug therapy. I am not an expert in that area so I unfortunately don't have much information on that part of therapy.
