Abstract
The sense of beauty is one of the most important human needs. The cosmetics and pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of cosmetics, cosmeceutics to improve the appearance. Retinoids, due to the mechanism of action, have a wide spectrum of applications but also a large range of side effects.
Isotretinoin since 1982 is considered to be the strongest drug affecting all the etiological factors of acne pathogenesis and ensuring their complete remission. In this study, the effect of retinoids on mucous membranes with particular emphasis on isotretinoin was analyzed.
The most common side effects of oral retinoids include: dry and red labial diarrhea, drying of the nasal mucosa and impairment of the protective functions of the eye. Genital dysfunctions are the most rarely described case in literature. However, this topic is still an open topic and requires further analysis.