Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
This topical retinoid medication provides partial relief at higher prescription dosages, but don’t look for complete clearing. Relatively affordable and comes with less side effects than tretinoin, the other affordable topical retinoid. As a bonus, it improves the look of skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles a bit too.
Topical Retinoid
How to Get It
Adapalene is available in strengths up to 0.3% by prescription. Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one. Adapalene is also available over-the-counter in 0.1% strength. Here are some places you can find it online.
Used Adapalene? Rate It:
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February 27, 2011
Cons:
My IB basically never stopped
I've ALWAYS never liked Differin.
I first used it back in 2007 when my acne flared up after going through a stressful year in university.
Back then, I was completely clueless of retinoids or any other prescription medication.
I used it for a month and a half and I must be a freak of nature because it made my combination (normal/oily) skin into an OIL SLICK. It clogged my pores like crazy and made my scars look like melasma. I eventually stopped using it and stuck with good ol' BP and SA. I had beautiful clear skin for the next 2.5 years.
Then another stressful year in school hit. I went straight to the docs and got prescribed this sh*t again! I figured to give it a try... maybe this time it'll help. JESUS CHRIST! It was the worst decision EVER!!!!!! I broke out HORRIBLY on my oily areas (tzone) and it clogged my pores WAYYYY worse than before. My skin was at its all time oilist!!! My jawlines started sporting cystic acne and uggghhh, it was just awful-- just in time for the holidays too!!! NEVER AGAIN! I don't know why I keep trying with retinoids. They never agree with me! At least I got this for free.
November 6, 2010
Pros:
-POSSIBLY helped clear my skin after 2.5 months, but only with the help of other products
Cons:
-gave me the worst acne of my life
-made my skin red and a little yellowish
-caused breakouts on my cheeks (I have never had a pimple on my cheek)
-made my acne painful
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT USING THIS PRODUCT unless you are ready to endure awful, painful acne for the next 2 months! I warn you, it takes months to work and the acne in the meantime is unbearable. I am 22, in college, and did not want to leave the house the entire summer. My derm. prescribed other medications to go along with it, (another topical and Birth control) and that is only when my acne started to improve. I am convinced that the birth control solved my issue. Save yourself the aggravation and try something else!
November 6, 2010
Pros:
Goes on smooth, no residue, clear.
Cons:
Expensive, ineffective.
I used Differin in high school for about a year and it didn't do anything. Now, as a 26 year old adult with acne, I gave it another go. I started it about a year ago this month and have used it consistently since. Absolutely no effect whatsoever. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...yeah. Anyway, it's insanely expensive. Even with my BC/BS insurance, it's $80/tube. Because of this, and maybe this is where I've gone wrong, I use it very conservatively. I cover my whole face with it every night, but I use a very thin layer and the least amount of gel I possibly need in order to coat my face. Doing it this way lets the tube last for about...4 months, maybe? Without insurance, I think it's something to the tune of $200/tube. Yuck. Even if you could stretch it out to 4 months, that's $50/month for a product that is no more effective than water.
October 12, 2010
Pros:
NONE!!!!!
For those of you who used it and HATED it as I did. Those of you who had the worst break outs of your lives and stopped it, how long did it take to recover??? Because right now my skin is TERRIBLE and I stopped it about 5 days ago.
September 24, 2010
Pros:
-worked very moderately
-okay with antibiotics
Cons:
-ages to work
-sensitive to sun, peeling etc
please please please, if you are concerned about your skin, concerned enough to be on an acne site looking desperately for solutions, forget all this bullsh*t and go on accutane, it saved my life 3 years ago and is now doing it again. Bite the bullet, just f**kin do it. PLEASE.
September 21, 2010
Pros:
None.
Cons:
Worst break out of my entire life. My face turned swollen red where I put the medicine, I got around 15 new break outs in one week. Previously I only get 2-3 a week. It is literately a nightmare, the scars are so bad, that I honestly don't know what to do.
The worst decision ever, yeah your supposed to break out, but I have never broken out this bad my whole life. I as a 17 year old guy, felt like crying when I woke up and saw how bad my face had gotten and debated wether or not to even go to school. I also have a massive amount of scars that I am feeling helpless about, and a bunch of recovering blemishes. I don't think a week of this is worth it, I can't imagine living like this for a month or so. Defiantly not worth it for me, or anyone who doesn't have acne that bad. I know its hard to hear, but I would do anything to not make the choice to start using differin. Just trying to help inform before you go down this path.
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.
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.
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!
July 31, 2010
Pros:
-it had a nice consistancy, I guess
Cons:
-it was VERY drying, and I am almost never dry, even while treating my acne
-it didn't do anything to clear my acne
Basically, I tried differin for 2 months as a topical gel treatment. The dermatologist told me to put it on every night. What happened was my skin was completely dried out and flaking but all of my acne was still there, so in an attempt to reduce the dryness I had to try several kinds of moisturizers that ended up clogging my pores and my acne got worse. So I had awful acne and a very, very dry face.
Pros:
Nice consistency?
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