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Side Effects
Tretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover.
Tretinoin is usually applied once a day around bedtime.
Used Tretinoin? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 8, 2008
Cons:
takes awhile to start working. little breakout and peeling at the beginning.
my doctor prescribed me .025% tretinion cream after i was done with accutane for about a year. iv been using it the last couple months. after a tiny breakout and flackiness my skin is now so smooth and even. i dont really get any zits so thats nice too. i think its a good product to use if you have redmarks or have just finished accutane.
December 24, 2007
Pros:
Didn't dry your face out, no glossy finish after
Cons:
Made my face feel like i broke out in hives - caused me to itch so much. Also, it didn't help and it made my face look like i had a rash
It is hit or miss, i'm sure its worked great for some people and awful for others - whatever but what everyone would agree on is this - it smells soooo bad!
December 20, 2007
Pros:
I don't know them yet
Cons:
Makes my skin breakout so much worst than it used to!And its all red, sensitive, itchy!
Hi guys! I just started to use the cream for about three weeks or so and my skin is worst than ever! But after reeding all your messages I feel better and I know I have to be patient but I just want to know if any of you experienced a side effect that I am having. Sometimes my skin gets itchy and it becomes like a really red spot. Is it normal?
December 20, 2007
Pros:
Exfoliates skin, reduces oil
Cons:
Not many
I used Retin-a 2 years ago and my skin was the best it ever has been! My skin started to break out after about a year and I stopped using it. BIG mistake! I spent the next 18 months broken out and depressed-avoiding all social situations and not living my life to the fullest. During this time my derm was putting me on every other treatment out there (old and new) and using me as her guinea pig. She put me on Ziana and while it was starting to work I was still breaking out in horrible pus filled zits! I waited through the 12 weeks and then switched derms. I am now on Doxy, Retin-a .04% at night and Clindagel during the day. Things are improving but now I'm in week 3 and am breaking out a little. I am upset but optimistic-this has to work! So, now I wait.
November 11, 2007
Pros:
none
Cons:
Severely dried face day after day with absolutely no end
This product was the last thing that the family doctor was able to perscribe to me before i had to go to the dermatologist and it was absolutely terrible. I had been using until recently every day for SIX months and i saw no results at all except for dry flaky skin that had to be visciousy scrubbed of with a moist hand towel. My acne only worsened over the six month period that i was using it. I would never recomend this to anyone. I am now on accutane and wishing i had done it sooner considering the fact that all my acne should be gone within 4-5 months.
November 9, 2007
Pros:
This did a lot to clear up my skin in the first 6 months or using it, it was easy to apply and only took a minute, I didn't need to use any other products at the time
Cons:
After the first 6 months, the effectiveness started to wear off
It worked really well at first, but declined in effectiveness after a while.. seems like a good temporary solution, but should not be looked at for a long-term solution.. though after I went off the retin-a, my face never got as bad as it was before I used it
November 7, 2007
Pros:
I have been using this product for about 2 weeks, and I can tell a difference in my skin already!! I can't believe it. My husband is even impressed because other things that I have used, didn't work!
Cons:
Expensive without insurance, dries my skin out, but it is worth it with all the oil I have on my skin.
Try it. I love the gel, I hated the cream that I was precribed in my young days, but the gel is it. I really works. I have really bad acne, hormonal problems, and other female problems, and this stuff has boosted my confidence in myself. I love it. I will continue to pay for it with or without insurance.
October 5, 2007
Pros:
has reduced the appearance of past acne scars and dark spots, has evened out my complexion. If this treatment fails to treat my acne I will def keep using it to even out my complexion and treat dark spotds as it's working a wonder
Cons:
initial breakout and has made my skin sensitive and a little sore
I have mild acne predominantly on my chin and forehead. I'm on my fourth week and have so far experienced what many here have already described; peeling, dryness and latent pimples coming to the surface. Looking past these initial side-effects (time will tell if they will subside) I can see my skin 'improving', my pores are smaller and although my skin 'feels thin', old marks left from healed pimples have almost faded if not entirely dissapeared which is a fab because I have a tanned complexion and scarring is more visible with this skintype. In terms of the flakiness i'm just putting up with it becuase any kind (even mild) exfoliation is painful. Also I tend not to put moisurizer on because it just seems to mix in with the dry skin flakes and in my experience that just clogs up my pores causing breakouts. I'm skeptical it will work on my acne but it's fab on erasing dark spots
September 24, 2007
Pros:
It cleared up my acne very quickly (within days!). My skin is very clear now. I have scarring around my mouth from severe breakouts and my skin was quite uneven, but the cream has made my skin really smooth and is helping with the red marks.
Cons:
Some spots on my face, like at my temples and along my jaw get itchy and peel slightly. I use moisturizer now though and that seems to work. I'm just not used to using moisturizer because before it would always make me break out.
I use just a little bit every night after I've put moisturizer on and it seems to work extremely well. I don't think my skin has been this consistently good for years. It's such a relief to not have to put on foundation every time I go out in public! Going to the gym without any makeup on is now totally doable.
September 3, 2007
Pros:
I have some minor scarring issues, and Retin-A seemed to help with redness over a period of time.
Cons:
I have cystic acne, so I figured that this stuff might actually help me to get rid of painful lesions faster, but it only made it worse. I've used it for almost a year, and I quit using it a week and a half ago. My face is now clearer and softer.
This might work for some people that have mild acne, but I don't think it is good for people with cystic acne. I have better results using Dove sensitive skin soap, and a gentle exfoliator. For spot treatment, melaluca has a roll on stick applicator which works miracles. Anyways, it's worth trying if you don't have horrible skin, but I wouldn't recommend it for people with cystic acne.
Pros:
keeps my skin very mild and clear. evened out my skin tone and smoothed it out a lot.