Adapalene (Non-prescription)
Read All About Adapalene (Non-prescription)
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5
17.9%
4
31.4%
3
23%
2
16.4%
1
11.3%

Used Adapalene (Non-prescription)? Rate It:

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September 20, 2010

Pros:

Hasn't worked
Might take patience

Cons:

Could make acne worse

Its alright, i have been using it for 3 weeks now, it hasnt done anything yet, but the first week and the second are, hell your face will become dry and your eyelids will be flaky and your whole face will sting... its sh*t but its worth a try..
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September 9, 2010

Pros:

No breakouts

Cons:

Area around eyes (eyelids/under eye) EXTREMELY dry and red

I went to my dermatologist last week for a prescription medication to treat my teenage acne breakouts. He gave me some samples of Differin and after only a few days the area around my eyes were very red and dry. Any sort of moisturizer or healing ointment made the area burn unbearably. I was crying, my eyes hurt so much, even though I was sure not to get any product close to my eyes. I've been told to wait it out, but it's too much for me at the moment.
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September 8, 2010

Pros:

if you have oily skin it makes your skin dry

you start to see improvements over time

Cons:

makes your skin really flakey especially around your eyes and around your mouth

itchy skin

I've had acne since i was really young (end of primary school) and it got worse when i started high school. I started with all those over the counter/proactive type solutions, they did not help at all, then i saw my local GP and she prescribed me with antibiotics, that didn't work either. I went back to my GP and she sent me to a dermatologist and she prescribed me with roaccutane. Roaccutane helped when i was on it but after a few months i stopped the course my acne came back. I went back to my dermatologist and they put me on it again but the same thing happened and my acne came back. I went to my dermatologist and they wanted to give it a third go, but 2 months after my third course my acne came back. They then wanted to try differin, and i got prescribed a gel solution which is 0.1%. I've only been on it for about 2 weeks and i can already see an improvement to my skin. The first few days were the worst because of all the breakouts i had and the peeling of the skin. But now i can see improvements to previous scars and hopefully i'll be seeing more improvements over time. Even though im only 16, i've been through a lot of sh*t because of my acne and now hopefully this will solve the problem. My dermatologist recommended this plan MORNING: - wash face with Benzac AC wash (5%) - moisturise with neutrogina or cetaphil cream NIGHT: - wash face with neutogina or cetaphil cleansers - apply a thin layer of differin over affected areas
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September 3, 2010

Pros:

when all else fails, this COULD help.

clears acne BUMPS

not much discomfort if applied at night

improvements in 4 weeks!

Cons:

first week = embarrassing.
I've never seen my face so splattered with acne before.

do NOT put on non-acne areas. ONLY ON AFFECTED AREAS. I accidentally applied it all over my face like Benzol Peroxide and I had VERY dry peeling skin the next day that took a week to recover.

redness, hyper-pigmentation is annoying. I looked like I have the ASIAN glow 24/7

if you apply to NON-acne areas (or even near it, because it spreads at night), your skin will be very thin and weak th

I've only been on it for a month, but I've seen incredible improvements. I am an Asian young adult male and proactive, sulfur, all other face washes, benzo, didn't work for me. For a time, jojoba oil worked but it wasn't perfect. Now I use Differin .3% at night, then I apply Clyndamicine 1% in the morning. There are VERY FEW acne bumps on my face. I had moderate/severe acne before. The only thing I hate about it right now is the hyper-pigmentation and redness it causes. I look like I have the Asian glow 24/7 and if it gets NEAR non-affected places on your face, it will make that area VERY sensitive and prone to "bleeding." For instance, near my chin, I don't have acne but sometimes I put differin near there and everytime I rub my face to wash it, I rub that area of the chin and now I have these thin scabs in that area because I basically rubbed off the layer of skin there too much. Differin definitely helps ACNE and I saw improvements in 2-3 weeks though the redness was misleading. If I'm in a club and it's slightly dark, you can't see the bumps haha but I definitely look wasted (redness).
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August 29, 2010

Pros:

-I used little sample tubes, and it did clear up some big zit
-a little less oily
- only apply at night time(opposed to 2 times a day for some topical gels)

Cons:

- takes a LONGGG time to work (3 months, and STILL no results!)
- huge zits that don't go away
- dried my skin out

I've been on it for 3 months, it DESTROYED my skin! I've never had that many pimples, but I wanted to get rid of the one's I've had. and I knew acne was supposed to get worse before it got better... BUT it has been 3 months, and it completely destroyed my face! I have acne everywhere! I NEVER got zits on my chin, but now I have them , and they won't go away! (showed up around my 2nd month of using it and still here...) I do NOT recommend this product! Seriously, not even worth ANY money.
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August 23, 2010

Pros:

removes acne
fades away scars

Cons:

dry skin
itchy and irritating sometimes

im 16 had moderate acne so i was perscribed diffren with evoclin and solodyn my acne was removed within a couple of weeks and so were my scars but my skin was left so sensitive that i developed aresia and it sux because i play baseball and im always out in the sun. but nevertheless i recomend it its an awesome way to get rid of acne but works better wen perscribed with evoclin and solodyn the ultimate combination
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August 21, 2010

Pros:

* Erases dark pigmentation scarring by 80% (even old scarring I've had for years! [noticed this after 2-4 weeks!])
* Assists the redness and puffiness of pimple
* Simple to apply and to sleep with it on
* it will WORK over a period of CONSISTENT use!!
*Texture is smooth and doesn't smell foul

Cons:

* Dry eyelids!! (I don't seem to understand this "side effect" since it's not applied anywhere near my eyes..) -- this bothered me drastically since when I put moisturizer on it burned!
* Sometimes will be itchy if too much is applied... face will go RED as a tomato!
* Putting more than the required dosage will result in flaky skin!
* Takes a while to notice results, since it MAY make acne worse before seeing improvement

Give it a chance! After using it for a while (2-3) months you should have improved skin. I had plenty of whiteheads on my chin and scars from popping them. After 2 weeks use (mind you I overdosed), I noticed they were all GONE! Though dreadful scars included! It seems to work best on problem areas such as the chin, nose (clearing blackheads) and the forehead. Maybe it was just me,. but I felt that my screen had also "tightened" up and felt smoother. My cheeks are not fully cleared but there IS an improvement since not being on the cream before. I would apply it on at bedtime since it seems to work best when your body is rejuvenating itself. Sometimes I would apply it on SLIGHTLY in the morning if I noticed anything big or if bothered me. For me, I noticed results first on my chest then on my face. Keep in mind this cream will be expensive if you don't have coverage for it, but I think it will be well worth the money if you stick it out and not give up because you don't see something DRASTIC! Creams are not taking internally, and because of that, will take a longer time to do its job. I was also taking Minocycline (50-100mg) while on this which seemed to control and keep the acne at bay. You WILL need a tetracycline to assist Differin if your case is severe.
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August 17, 2010

Pros:

~does clear your skin
~easy to use
~doesn't sting or burn
~lasts you a long time

Cons:

~initial breakout was BAD
~takes a while to work!
~very dry skin & dry eyelids..which is weird.

it works! I've been using this for 2 months and my skin is finally almost clear. originally, my acne was moderate. now, I'd say it's "very light" or even less than that. I did have an initial breakout like other reviews stated. my acne was worse than it was to begin with. it lasted a couple days, and I didn't want to leave the house. it was awful. but, my skin is finally clear, and it was worth it. don't give up! it takes a while to work! awesome product!
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August 13, 2010

Pros:

-reduces appearance of pimples
-reduces time pimples take to go away
-relatively long lasting for one tube

Cons:

-initially makes skin very dry
-can take a long time to start working
-some initial purging

Many people tend to give up too soon on this product. Personally, it took me just over 4 weeks to notice alight differences and more than a month to get a more substantial change. there were occasional breakouts, but this can't be entirely attributed to differin. a daily regime needs to be followed for successful results, and it can take a few weeks to get a good regime working in the first place; 2 weeks for me. When you do get pimples whilst using differin, i found that they were smaller and went away in about 2-3 days. However i found differin was not as good in preventing cystic acne, but size and time were still reduced. an important notion to consider is that differin is not a miracle cream/gel, like i said before you need to get a good regime going that doesn't just include topical treatments. However, sunscreen is important in preventing hyperpigmentation. when starting your treatment, your skin will most likely become very dry. it is a good idea to use a night moisturiser (lotion or cream) maybe 20-30 minutes after differin application for atleast the first 2 weeks. doing a bit of research before hand is great, which is probably why you are reading this. i personally recommend differin, as long as you use it persistently. i wish you all the best :)
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August 9, 2010

Pros:

hopefulness

Cons:

dry eyelids, though never put near my eyes, dry skin and aggravated my acne

used it for 6 weeks with no results whatsoever! it actually made my acne worse!
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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.

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.