Adapalene (Non-prescription)
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Adapalene is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover and reducing inflammation in...

Adapalene is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover and reducing inflammation in the skin.

Non-prescription adapalene is available only in 0.1% strength.

Adapalene is topically applied usually once a day before going to bed to all acne-affected areas of the skin, and not just on individual pimples themselves.

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January 5, 2012

Cons:

Bad Initial Breakout
Initial Dryness was Horrible

I have currently been on Differin .3 Gel for a little over 15 weeks (that's a little over 3 months). I use it once a day, at night after washing my face with a gentle cleanser (I find Philosophy's Purity Made Simple Cleanser to work best). Here's a little background on my skin: I've struggled with acne ever since I was 14. I've been on Bezaclin, the Pill, Doxycycline, and Epiduo, all to no avail. I had an adverse reaction to Doxycycline and after using it for 6 months, broke out in the most severe acne I've ever had in my entire life, so I refuse to take antibiotics for my skin. When I went to the dermatologist in late September of 2011, I had a few problem areas on my chin and cheeks, but that was basically it. After learning about my history, my derm decided to put me on Differin thinking my face was sensitive to benzoyl peroxide. At first, Differin made my skin scaly, flaky, and just downright DRY. I'm used to this though--being on topical acne treatments for years leaves no surprises. Fast forward two months and while the dryness had gone (for the most part), the breakouts were still coming. I am a little past month three and am still having major breakouts all over my face, with a concentration of cystic acne around my temples and forehead. I am giving Differin the benefit of the doubt. I know it takes a while for acne meds to work...but three months later and my acne is worse than when I first started. I'm disappointed, but I still have hope. I can't bear to start all over with a new med and have to face another initial breakout...again. Sigh. I wrote this review because I was sick of seeing "Within 2 weeks my acne was gone, HOORAY!" reviews. If you suffer from REAL acne, two weeks won't do squat. Two months might not even cut it. But I'm sticking it out. Anybody with me?
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January 3, 2012

Pros:

Takes at least 3 months to work

Cons:

Initial Breakout and sun sensitivity

I hav been using differin for about 3 months. when I started using it it did cause an inital breakout, but not as severe of a breakout when I first tried Retin-A. I first started with the lotion (sample), being that its the most sensitive. My insurance reimburses me so I have to make the initial purchase up front. Which is super hard! Being that the most cost effective way was Walmart which is still 142 dollars. I am 25 and never I mean had a single pimple or breakout on my face, I took plan B once and Bam I broke out with little tiny Closed Comedones all over my forehead. Horrible! I tried a lot of otc products, proactiv, dermalogica, etc. The constant changing of products caused acne I mean the big white kind all over my cheeks. This was horrible going from having healthy glowing skin to this was a life changer, suddenly I didnt want to go out was gaining weight my marriage was going down hill. I seeked out a Dermatologist which took 2 months to get in, but it was the best thing I ever did. I started on differin (2nd medication after a royal fail from retin-a) and Beyaz BC. I just recently started to use the dermalogica daily exfoliant every other day. which is super sensitive to get rid of the all the dry flakes and bare minerals for makeup which I only use every Friday saturday only when we have dinner or go out. I now use differin at night on chin cheeks and forehead and on my forehead during day. It has actually helped. The only down point is the scar and hypigmentation I have from the IB, Dont pick people its so Hard I know get your self some good make up and let it ride out. usually the differin will take care of it with in about 2 days. I hope I help someone like me because I searched this site everyday and nothing really helps. Good luck do not quit!
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January 1, 2012

Pros:

None, really

Cons:

Didn't clear up acne

I've been using this for 4.5 months, with no real noticeable results. Unlike many, I didn't really experience a noticeable IB - however it hasn't reallly worked either. I may give it a little more time, but at 5-6 months will be quitting. You get a lot of medicine per tube, though, so I don't view it as being prohibitively expensive. I'm on my first (and only) tube so far.
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December 31, 2011

Pros:

DOES work well with consistency

Cons:

Dry skin
Irritating
Worsens if you forget it one day
sensitive to sun

Alright, I just got off this stuff. This is not the review where I worship it or say it was a failure and blame it for all my problems, but it is my honest opinion. Does it work? Yes, it does work. It just wasn't for me. I tried Differin, using it once every night. After a few weeks of acne increasing, everything got much better. After usage, skin was dry and sometimes itchy. Also when using it with other medicines such as benzoyl peroxide, it burned. It would have worked fine other than the fact I was inconsistent. Each time you stop it, even for a night, you repeat the cycle of your acne getting worse, then better. My skin also became more sensitive to the sun. (Gosh do I hate the sun). Final summation: Use it if you have a good moisturizer and sunblock. Cetaphil makes a two in one. You MUST be consistent. It works, but it is no huge miracle worker.
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December 26, 2011

Pros:

Made my skin approx 70% clearer

Cons:

Worry about any side effects

I am really happy with Differin. In am 42 and have had acne since I was 13. Every pore was a pimple you could squeeze, and on top of that I was getting cystic huge throbbing mountains here & there, esp around cheeks and chin. Yes, the pill helped, but I now have high blood pressure from being a bit overweight and the pill is not advised. Then I went on oral antibiotics for 3 years without a break, and that helped too. But as I got older, this started to make me more prone to thrush. My Dr was reluctant to refer me to a skin specialist every time I asked, for years. So I went to a different Dr and demanded a referral. The specialist pushed hard for me to take Roaccutane but I completely refused as I'm grumpy enough being a single Mum with two children! She agreed that this happened to most people! And I would have to have a liver test before & after! - Alarm bells! So she prescribed (1% Adapalene) Differin SPARINGLY & only on affected areas + external antibiotics enderneath at night + in the morning under makeup) I refuse to listen to people who say makeup causes pimples coz I dont use makeup on my back chest & neck where I also get them!) Dr said to use Differin only on my face and "Phisohex" wash for my body where they aren't quite as noticable. Within a week the face pimples started clearing and the texture of my skin improved. I've been waiting for the flaking, soreness etc - NOTHING! I have one night break per week where I use and over the counter gentle pimple exfoliant,and smother on non-cosmodermic (?? non clogging) moisturiser, and I always wear sunblock if outside. I have been using it for 6 weeks now and love it. I intend to cut down to every second day in another month or so. Good luck - NOTHING to loose!
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December 15, 2011

Pros:

IT WORKS.

Cons:

Itchy, red skin (eventually stops)
VERY drying
Must be applied carefully (not too much!)

This stuff is amazing. It has completely saved my life. I had a sudden, horrendous breakout that caused me to go from perfect skin to almost 100 pustules on my face in the course of a week. By the time I got to a derm a month later, I was also developing cystic acne. I started using Differin. Here's a time-line of my experience (which I wish somebody would have given me when I first started, so I knew what I could expect!): Weeks 1-3: No real improvement. My skin actually looked worse because it was red and irritated and dry and flaky. Weeks 4-8: Noticeable improvement. Went from 2-3 new pustules every day to maybe 5-6 pustules a week. Cystic acne got worse and more consistent. 3-4 cystic spots a week. Skin still flaky and dry. Weeks 8-12: More improvement! Now only 3-4 pustules a week, with 1-2 cystic spots. But skin is EXTREMELY dry and painful at this point. It looked like crocodile skin. Weeks 12-16: TONS of improvement!! Now almost completely clear (*knock on wood*) No cystic spots, and maybe 1 pustule a week (and sometimes NONE!) Started using a moisturizer (Neutrogena Oil-Free Combination Skin), which fixed my dryness! Except for a TON of PIH marks (which I hope will fade in time!) my skin looks amazing. I am so, so, so grateful for Differin. My acne was so bad, I didn't know how I could go on living for a while... Differin saved my life.
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December 15, 2011

Pros:

Easy to apply
Significantly reduces inflammatory acne and blackheads
Convenient application - once a day at night

Cons:

Drying - just need to use a good moisturizer, and it isn't much of a problem. Did make my lips dry, so I needed to use lip balm.
Itchiness - decreased with continued use
Small rash-like bumps
Slight Redness

I've suffered from acne for years and years, with my breakouts being less severe as I got older (currently 21), and now only got around to going to a dermatologist to fix it. Throughout the years, I have tried a number of over the counter products that either used benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid that never seemed to do much for my breakouts, and only irritated my very sensitive skin. I also tried monthly peels, IPL treatment and facials with the same results. I was on minocycline for about one and half months before starting on Differin, and continued with mino for another month. Currently I'm starting on Bactrim in conjunction with my Differin treatment. The initial breakout wasn't as bad as I imagined, with most of it being concentrated around my chin and cheek area and lasted for a little over a week. While I haven't had any big, red, pus-filled pimples, I do have a lot of small red bumps that never come to a head and just linger, so it still looks like I have a big breakout. I'm not sure if that is part of the initial breakout since I'm still relatively early in the treatment or just because of irritation. Most of the bumps are concentrated on my forehead and temples, so I am going to reduce use in those areas to see if they clear up. Although I haven't been completely cleared, it has given me the best results of any treatment thus far. I did read in the information that came with the box and it did say that the side effects (dryness, redness, breakouts etc) do decrease over time. My suggest when using Differin is to start with a very gentle cleanser and moisturizer to keep irritation to a minimum, and slowly add any medicated parts to your regimen ONLY if need be. Remember to wear a SPF moisturizer during the day.
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December 4, 2011

Pros:

Clears skin!
Not over-drying
Inexpensive generic

Cons:

None!

Tried this when Tazorac became prohibitively expensive, very happy I did! Great for cystic acne and otherwise.
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November 28, 2011

Pros:

Removes Whiteheads
Prevents Acne
Removes Acne

Cons:

Non

I have been struggling with whiteheads and a little acne on my face. The whiteheads were the worst, all over my forehead and spread down to my cheeks. I them for 1.5 years and I got low confidence during this time as it was spreading. I tried everything nothing worked. I decided to see the dr and got Differin, I tried it on and no lies my Whiteheads already got better the third day, I was shocked. I have now used it for about 4 weeks and all my whiteheads are almost all gone. I actually couldn't believe it helped me so fast and I am grateful that I went to see the Dr. I do know that it can make you skin red and dry but since I have a olive colored skin I never got any side effects. Do not give up, my Acne is not coming back and my Whiteheads are almost gone. Give it a try I never believed in creams until now!
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November 27, 2011

Pros:

It works. It works. It works.

Cons:

You have to know how to use it otherwise you will get frustrated and stop the treatment.

As a looong time acne sufferer, I have tried everything but accutane. Here is how to use Differin successfully - it has changed my life. Beginning: super small amount on forehead, cheeks, and chin at bedtime ONLY. Do not apply on nose or between nose and lips. Do not apply to wet skin. Day one - you'll probably notice your face isn't so greasy but burns a little when you wash your face. Next night: apply same amounts to face the before bed. Next day you'll notice face getting red and maybe even peeling. Next night: do NOT use Differin. Skip one or 2 days. Then restart treatment. Your face needs time to acclimate. Give your skin a chance to recover and then restart Differin treatment. Trust me - it works!! ** I also take 10 mg of Progesterone b/c of my heavy periods. I noticed that as soon as I started taking the progesterone, my cystic acne stopped, but I still not got the break outs weekly. That's when I tried Differin again. Everytime I tried Differin in the past I got frustrated and quit - but this last time I took a small break in between to give my face a break and it worked :))
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website