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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:
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November 25, 2012
Cons:
visible line between redness of face and normally coloured neck (made my face REALLY red), skin became flaky, sore, itchy, irritated
After a while, acne started to get worse than before
I started using this on the advice of a doctor in combination with Clindoxyl. One in the morning and one at night. I can't be positive which was causing the flakiness and terrible redness that couldn't even be covered up with makeup, but they probably both contributed. Please don't use this if you have dry or sensitive skin!
October 3, 2012
I used the generic cream and I have to say... do NOT use this if you have acne prone skin... use the gel. This changed the texture of my skin and made the texture of my skin a lot better but after 5 months of use, continued to break me out. That's when I found out the base of this product contains ingredients that clogs pores. This cream would be better for those who are fighting wrinkles, not acne. Plus, the cream made me peel and flake for months, not weeks.
August 30, 2012
Pros:
Dries out pimples
Cons:
Dries your face out
Makes it peel
Burns when I put it on
Makes my face itch
Well I used it for a while a long time ago, but I got lazy and stopped. Then recently, about a week ago my face started breaking out like crazy, so I needed to start using it. As of right now, I'm using Clindamycin and Retin-A 0.01%. I use them morning and night. I don't know if I'm using too much Retin-A or what, but it really burns when I put it on. It dries the skin a lot too. Apparently it's really effective, and I really need to get rid of this acne. I'm still waiting for the initial break out, (not sure if it happened yet or if it's just the dryness). Whatever happens, I'm going to use this product the recommended 6-8 weeks before I make a decision about stoping or anything. I also found out that without insurance, it's pretty expensive ($100), but luckily I got mine for $5. My advice is even though it's expensive, you should get it, because apparently it does work (if you're persistent) and one tube does have a lot. :)
June 2, 2011
Pros:
-if used properly it really doesnt dry skin to bad
-clears larger acne, and most bumps
-good for wrinkles
Cons:
-face shaded red
-small pimples still exist
-occasional pore blocked
Tretinoin cream is a good producy, however does not clear acne completley. However, skin looks fresh in the morning and clears 90% of acne. Still a few emerge regularly. used for around 12 weeks
December 15, 2010
Pros:
- lessened blackheads
Cons:
- made my face's color darken, not matching with the rest of my body.
- made my face more oily and produce a "shine" look.
- made an increase in marks left behind from pimples.
Overall, I don't think this has helped me at ALL. When I first started using this, I would only get a few pimples every now-and-then, then they would go away quickly and my skin looked lovely. Since my mother put me on Retin-a, I have seen a increase in blemishes (not particularly acne) with visible marks all over my face. I became so self-conscious from this product that I started to wear make-up to hide my insecurities.
November 12, 2010
Pros:
-Speeds up the rate of skin cell renewal.
-Allows skin and acne to heal faster than it would alone.
-My tan skintone doesn't scar as dark as usual.
-The peeling effect may help unclog pores, but not always.
Cons:
-Burning, peeling and skin sensitivity.
-Worsening of acne just causes new scars to have to deal with.
-Didn't help nose whitheads.
-This is harsh on your skin and prescriptions such as Benzaclin or Benzamycin are more effective yet cause less sensitivity.
-Initial breakout was bad, but I keep breaking out continuously.
-If you have body acne, the small tube will not be enough.
-Overall, this did not work for me.
I've used 0.1% Tretinoin (brand name Retin-A) for a little over 2 months so far. My skin wasn't that bad to begin with, but it's gotten considerably worse with no sign of improvement. Benzoyl peroxide-based products kept my acne under control for the most part, but I still had whiteheads, comedones and a few pimples. I thought that Retin-A would be my saving grace, but my skin keeps getting worse. This causes the expected burning and peeling, but since my skin is so oily, it only really peeled around my chin. The plus side is that this unclogged most of my chin comedones, but my mouth area would start flaking pretty badly while the rest of my face was greasy as usual. The first couple of weeks my skin starting emerging with more comeones and small pimples. By the second month I had lots of new acne everywhere and I have a least one new zit everyday. I know that this causes acne to worsen due to purging, but I was already using a BP product, so I really don't know how much more purging my skin is going to do. I went from small comedones and a few pimples to a face full of pimples. I didn't have acne on my forehead before, but now I have dozens of tiny bumps. In 12 years of having acne, it's never been this bad. BP products make it hard for bacteria to survive on the face, but Retin-A does nothing to prevent bacterial growth. It just speeds up skin cell renewal. Retin-A won't address hormonal acne or oily skin issues. The bottom line is that after over 2 months, I'm not seeing any results. I know this takes a long time to work, but BP worked better, even though I still had acne. Retin-A may work for some, but now I just have dozens of new scars and pimples. I've read that it can take 3+ months for my skin to clear, but I know that the acne I have now is going to take a lot longer than that to heal. I do not recommend this product because products like Benzaclin and Benzamycin control acne with less harsh side effects
October 9, 2010
Pros:
I guess it reduced the redness a little. but my pimples were still highly noticeable
Cons:
it severely dried my skin and so made me peel like crazy! it looked like i shedding like a snake. i could literally brush my face and flakes would come off. gross. and the severe drying happened within the first three days i started using retin a. if i wasnt peeling (which was a daily thing for me with retin a) my face was inflamed. i was so blotchy and looked like i got badly sunburned. i tried hiding it with makeup, it just made me look tanner than kanye west. and im asian, so not good.
I'm 15 and have had acne since about 6th grade. and it is badddd. I've tried everything, netrogena, cetaphil, clarasil, aveeno, blah blah blah. everyone says its just puberty and it will go away when i get older, but that's years away, and i can't deal with acne till then. i bet retin a would have worked if i was more patient with it (i heard the full affects of retin a happens takes about 6 months to happen) but i was in the middle of the school year and just couldnt deal with any more peeling. so i quit. right now im trying benzoyle peroxide (i think thats how u spell it) i just started this week, and from the first wash i did with it my face felt clean and, weirdly enough, glowy. smooth too. so im hoping there are no downsides to benzoyle peroxide, but just in case i have my fingers crossed :) hope this helped.
December 11, 2009
Pros:
clear skin, smoother acne marks fading
Cons:
redness peeling
This stuff works rather well. I use it with minocycline and for the most part im very pleased!!!
November 29, 2009
Pros:
it will clear up most acne.
Cons:
it made my face extremely dry.
it will clear up most acne, but your face will become painfully dry and tight. i used eucerin lotion while on this product, but my face was too dry to be helped. it also smells pretty bad.
November 23, 2009
Pros:
lightened some old acne marks
Cons:
made my face peel uncontrolably.
I was prescribed this to help with some random stubborn acne marks on my cheeks and forehead along with to lighten some old post-acne marks. It didn't work to get rid of the acne at all but the dark marks did fade considerably. I wasn't able to continue using it for long and had to spread out applications further because it was so very very very very drying.
Pros:
seemed to help at first to clear up some acne
works sometimes as a spot treatment