On TikTok and across social media it has gone viral, with social media users promoting its benefits and some uploading videos boasting about obtaining it without prescriptions.
Aestheticians and dermatologists have raised the alarm about the dangers of obtaining potent skincare drugs by such means, with side effects ranging from aggravatedDr Ravenscroft said there were particular concerns around the trending tretinoin, which is only available via prescription in the UK “for good reason”.
“Treatments can have interactions with one another, or with other procedures, which is information that your doctor can provide you with. For example, something as commonplace as facial waxing treatments can cause problems for people on retinoid creams including tretinoin.”, who prescribes prescription products on a daily basis, told: “This trend is incredibly frightening and I’d urge extreme caution to anyone thinking about this.