Tretinoin (Retin-A, Retisol-A) Reviews

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Prescription summary (1,147 votes)

How well it works

:):):)
3.3/5
Agreeability

:):):)
3.0/5
Affordability

:):):)
3.6/5
Common brand names: Retin-A, Retin-A Micro, Retisol-A, Stieva-A, Avita, Renova

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3 of 3 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Boo, Besswax, not yours inc.
Aug 25th, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):)
Pros:great for scarring and hyperpigmentation and acne
Cons:skins gets resistant eventually, IB sucks but doesnt last too long ( about 10 days for me)
Bottom Line:Not sure how people are using this but when i got it my derm advised to me wash my face at night, apply the retinol for one hour and then wash it off, i did this for a week, the next week i left it on for 2 hours then washed it off after that i started applying it nightly and it was fine i did have an initial break out but absolutely no redness, drying, peeling anything,....so if you are worried about that i suggest you let your skin get used to the product a little bit instead of leaving it overnight right away.
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2 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Ann, Texas
Aug 25th, 2009
How well it works
:):)
Agreeability
:)
Affordability
:)
Pros:helps with small white bumps.
Cons:EVERYTHING. i started out with a few small pimples and after 3 weeks of using retina, i ended up with a forehead full of big red bumps and the rest of my face was PAINFULLY dry, chapped, red, and flaky. had to see a new derm right away.
Bottom Line:it may work for some, but it was a complete disaster for me. i was left with my face in worst condition than how i had started out. use retina with extreme caution!
Recommended:No
Usage:Ann has used this item for about a month.
Price Paid:131.00
Acne severity:moderate
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Anonymous, PA
Aug 25th, 2009
How well it works
:):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:no more breaking out
Cons:It's taking a while to work, oily on t-zone
Bottom Line:I have mild, but persistent acne. I am almost 20 years old, and it has just started, so I want it to go away. I picked up this product and it is preventing new pimples from forming, although some under thte surface little bumps turned into pimples. I am on week 5 and I am def. going to continue using it and hope that it makes it all go away. But I did notice a pimple on my chest today, so I don't know if I should be worried? I never have had body acne, so I hope I don't start getting it because of this product..... O, and no redness or anything. and i'm using 0.05% plus s. acid. so I guess i'm lucky?
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for about a month.
Price Paid:30.00
Acne severity:light
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1 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Kat, Australia
Aug 25th, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:Some improvement to skin noted. As far as I understand, this product works by speeding up the rate at which your skin sheds... hence the flakiness. My skin was noticeably softer and smoother. Worked reasonably well for cheeks and forehead.
Cons:Skin was dry and flaky, did not prevent oiliness or those annoying hormonal flare ups along the jaw line. Definitely not the 'miracle cure' we've all been waiting for.
Bottom Line:Very expensive, takes a long time to see results, can cause skin irritation. Works well for minor lumps and bumps but not so much for the deeper stuff. Does not change oil levels. Causes drying.

I think that the amount of moisturiser you need to use to balance out the flakiness negates the whole point of using the medication.
Recommended:No
Usage:Kat has used this item for about a year.
Price Paid:35.00
Acne severity:light
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Peter, Milwaukee
Aug 24th, 2009
How well it works
:):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:)
Pros:reduced my acne by 50%
Cons:makes your skin oily itchy and irritated
Bottom Line:I used this for 14 months in combination with a prascion sulfur wash and it reduced my acne by about 50% so it did something, but it didn't solve my problem. It made my face much oilier, red and irritated. I'm also not a big fan of the fact that it increases skin cancer risk if you happen to accidentally get some sun exposure. I wouldn't recommend it.
Recommended:No
Usage:Peter has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:75.00
Acne severity:moderate
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2 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Anonymous, not telling, Florida
Aug 22nd, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:works really well! takes time for it to work, and at first your acne may get a little worse but after you are done with the tube, i have the 45gram size which lasts about 6 months, most likely your acne will be gone.
Cons:Acne gets worse at first for some, like it did for me, and takes a while to start working, for me it was about a month.
Bottom Line:it works very well after time
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:10.00
Acne severity:moderately severe
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1 of 1 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Anonymous, springfield, ma
Aug 21st, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:clearing up my acne
scars are going away nicely
makes skin feel smoth
Cons:makes skin super oily
Bottom Line:ive had this product for about eight weeks and i am finally seeing improvement. from about the 3-6 week period it made my face a whole lot worse. I was considering going off retin-a because it was getting really bad. But, I decided to wait and I am glad I was patient.
The thing i don't like about this it makes my skin super oily. i already had oily skin, but nothing compared to what it is now. but im going to get that checked out.
i didn't experience any redness or flaking like the other people reviewing this said, so I guess its different for everybody
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:15.00
Acne severity:moderately severe
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Hayley, Canada
Aug 21st, 2009
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:it works, unlike a million other products
Cons:none
Bottom Line:After day 2, my skin has cleared and it feels great! i dont know why for some people it took 6 weeks! i'm very happy wuth this purchase and i highlyy reccomend it to anyone with scars or spots.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Hayley has used this item for a day or two.
Acne severity:moderate
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1 of 1 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Grace, Texas
Aug 18th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:soft skin, evened skin tone, basically no pimples
Cons:dry, sensitive skin, oily as well
Bottom Line:i'm on my 8th week right now and my skin has improved immensely. my skin has been pretty up and down at this point. sometimes i can wear make-up, sometimes i can't, BUT i have super soft skin and no pimples. i do, unfortunately have an extremely irritated spot on the corner of my mouth. its over-dried i think. my skin is still pretty dry and flaky overall, and still pretty oily as well, but my skin looks so much better. it's lightened a LOT of scars and my blackheads on my nose and cheeks are beginning to go away. i'm still waiting for my 12 month mark, so hopefully it gets better from here! i'm really glad i stuck to it :)
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Grace has used this item for a few months.
Acne severity:light
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2 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Logan, Detroit, Michigan
Aug 14th, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:-Did clear up eventually
-Helped me for a year
-Skin was smoothe
Cons:-Made my skin sooooo oily and dry at the same time
-Eventually stopped working
-Expensive
Bottom Line:I started using the atralin, trentoin gel in october of last year. I had really bad skin, and really wanted this to work. For the first 1.5 months , my skin was TERRIBLE. like peeling and red and scabby and not any amount of makeup would cover it up. Then, until about april, my skin was on and off. Sometimes it would look great and other times it would be terrible. Then, from april through mid june my skin was GREAT! I had barely any zitds, but i still had to wear a lot of foundation because it left my skin blotchy and uneven. Then sadly, by the end of june, it seemed to stop working. I started breaking out pretty bad and my skin was oily ontop, and i was not happy. I was also on the Klaron gel, and doxycylcine, ad i think they all just stopped working. So, i went off everything, and switched to carleys clear and smooth, and im starting to see my skin improve! But people out there on retin-a, give it time, and it will work, but eventually its gonna stop, but its good for a year or so!
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Logan has used this item for about a year.
Price Paid:83.00
Acne severity:moderately severe
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