Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Works about the same as the other two topical retinoids, tazarotene and adapalene, and lands in the middle of those two when it comes to side effects. Should provide partial clearing, but comes with sensitivity when you first start using it. It probably won’t be a total game changer but it should help reduce acne.
Topical Retinoid
How to Get It
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.
Used Tretinoin? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
December 31, 2008
Cons:
i peeled, peeled, peeled! face was red and raw. and my insurance wouldn't pay for it because i am over 35!
retin-a did nothing but make my face peel. it was red, raw and sensitive. i preferred acne to the mess retin-a made! i switched to differin and had much better results. and my insurance will pay for differin so that's a bonus.
December 27, 2008
Pros:
cleared up forehead
Cons:
Makes everything 10x worse. Every single little red mark/bump will come to the surface. I used the medication properly, increasing the dosage as I went for 3 months. I saw results, except that it turned me into a red tomato with ZITS all over.
I understand that the medication works by renewing the skins cells so your skin gets worse, but after 3 months of .1% it just wasnt worth it and I went off it. I never had sensitive skin, like I could pretty much use any product and never have dry/sensitive skin but this prodcut made my face BURN. The irritation is terrible. Now im on doxycyline 200mg and benzaclin to clear up this mess, and my skin is doing SOOO much better off this medication.
December 20, 2008
Pros:
None
Cons:
Destroyed my skin. Do not use this product. It is poison.
At age 44, I started to experience troubling breakouts after being acne free for years after taking accutane in my early 20s. Derm put my on Retin-A micro. Stayed on it for 12 weeks despite redness, creating more cystic acne all over my face because derm kept telling me this was normal and to push through it.
Bull. The redness came and stayed for the duration of treatment. I was instructed to use 1% each night. I used the prescribed pea size amount and waited until skin thouroughly dry. I now have wrinkles around my cheekbones that were never present before, huge acne scars, my face swelled so now I have VERY deep nasolabial lines that were barely noticeable before I used this crap. Now going on accutane thanks to this poison. Don't be fooled. If you are having bad reaction after 3 weeks STOP this crap before you do more damage. I look at photos before and after and it makes me physically ill. I doubt I will ever look like my old self again. Would like to sue for damages.
November 17, 2008
Pros:
-helps to reduce scarring
- increases time for pimple to heal
Cons:
- skin is extremelyyyyy dry (especially around the mouth area)
- major breakouts (i have two huge pimples)
- still waiting for final results; i have been using for about 3 months now & i hope my patience will pay off
November 9, 2008
Pros:
No huge pimples that hurt anymore
Cons:
little pimples (but i can deal with that)
that worst part is that my WHOLE face looks like i'm sunburnt!!!!
and i know i'm not cuz i haven't been outside for more then 5 minutes in awhile(cuz of school + winter)my skin is really dry and irritat
try it. if it seems like your getting horrible side effects, see your doctor. thats what i am doing in a couple days.
Apparently from everything i have read, it takes time but its awesome.
i don't even want to go to school, and show my face in public right now and i have used it for about 2 weeks, but in that time period only about 5 or 6 nights because of all the irritation.
October 31, 2008
Pros:
NONE
Cons:
It first dried out my whole face, then the I got more acne-pus filled everyone on my face-mostly on the parts that i did not have acne. My face is one-hundred times worse!!!!!!! I dont know what to do now--I regret using tretinoin.
Do not use this medicine!!!
October 17, 2008
Pros:
Inexpensive
Cons:
Made my face so sensitive that I couldn't lay on my pillow. Mild acne that the Retin-A turned into horrible cystic acne that only got worse after months of use.
I have tried to use this product several times, beginning as a teenager. I am now in my 30's and hoped it would make my mild acne disappear. My skin is still reeling from the negative side effects of this drug. It has never worked for me and unfortunately, it will never work for me. I just hope that my skin will go back to the way it was before Retin-A.
October 15, 2008
Pros:
helps a little bit.
Cons:
dries out skin A TON and leaves you flaky.
It didn't work for me. I used Retin-A hoping to clear all my breakouts, blackheads and ALL my pesky whiteheads, but it didn't help much. It made my skin flaky, and after 2 months I saw very little or no improvement, so I stopped using it and just used a gentle cleanser and a mouristurizer and my skin improved, so Retin-A isn't for everyone.
September 14, 2008
Pros:
I don't see anything good about my skin yet.
Cons:
I feel like my acne got worse and even have it in some places I've never had it, like my cheeks. My face is oily to begin with, and i feel like it made it oilier and irritated. My pores seem bigger too.
I guess I have to keep using it to see if it really works or not, and the instructions say that it may take up to 6-12 weeks. So basically, you have to be very patient because your skin will look gross for like 3 months. And I'm yet to find out if it's going to actually help or not.
September 11, 2008
Pros:
None, AT ALL!
Cons:
made my skin ultra sensitive, worse acne, irritation of skin, sensitive to sun, etc
I used retisol 0.01 then moved up to 0.025.After 10 months still no improvement!I wish I didn't stick with it so long, I wanted to believe that it was going to solve my acne problems and I believed the "IT GOT WORSE BEFORE IT GOT BETTER" which in reality proved to be false! In fact when I consulted another doctor he told me that it is true that you have to wait 3 months to see improvement,but that you SHOULD SEE an IMPROVEMENT. If you don't then its not working! Retisol made my skin so sensitive I couldn't go out to the sun even with 60 FPS creams. My skin reacted to anything anytime, I got these huge red spots that were hot and itchy. I couldn't put anything on my face as it resulted in a rash and my face was peeling of so bad.My acne actually got worse and i had breakouts in places where I never had before. Finally my dermy told me to stop that it wasn't working. And 4 months later, my skin is still having the side effects retisol caused!
BOTTOM LINE: DON'T USE THIS PRODUCT!
Pros:
great for wrinkles!