Tretinoin
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Tretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover.

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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.

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3.5
1649
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3
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2
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1
8.6%

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September 2, 2007

Pros:

Ugh

Cons:

See below.

Pain in a tube. Made me flaky, bright red and only exacerbated breakouts. Thinking it had to get worse before it got better, I continued using it for over a year. Nothing. The only thing that has helped me is washing my face with a mild soap (such as Dove) and leaving it the F**K alone. That's my cynical two cents, anyway. :)
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August 31, 2007

Pros:

clears acne

Cons:

irritates,red skin, hurts,peels but only for like the 1st 3 weeks.

im already on my 10th week and i stopped breaking out on my 8th week even tho the 8th week i had the nastiest break out of all. now my skin is free of acne, but what it did left me are some acne scars from the breakouts it gave me and on my forehead some scars that look like little holes from blackheads or sumthing anyone else had that?? and how long does it take to fade this scars i hate them so much im misserable.. can anyone tell me how many weeks more for those scars to fade??? plzz thanks
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August 30, 2007

Pros:

It really works!!!

Cons:

None

Although most people say their skin became quite dry/irritated to start with, i never noticed any dryness, redness or irritation. In the first 2 weeks my skin seemed to be getting worse but after that...no more spots. I have been using it for 2 months now and had a spot last week (not bad, one spot in two months- i used to have spots all the time). If you do get spots, however, this dries them really quickly which is always a bonus!!!
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August 25, 2007

Pros:

None.

Cons:

Extreme burning like my face is on fire for at least ten minutes after I put it on. Made my acne become much, much worse. I had tried Benzaclin for about four months before and Benzaclin did nothing for me either.

Retin A made my face feel like it was on fire and did not clear up my acne. It made my acne signifficently worse and I hate it. I think I'm going to try Azlex next. I just want to walk around with a bag over my head because of how horrible my face looks.
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August 25, 2007

Pros:

It really works after a few weeks and I got great improvement with only a few acne spots here in there after 6 weeks.

Cons:

In Kaiser Insurance, it is only about 10$ but it is almost 80$ without insurance at all!

At first it gets worse. If you read their website it says why it gets worse in the first few weeks. It says that the tretinoin is pushing the acne towards the surface of the skin and it also dries it up. It may look worse, but if you keep on using it, it will get better. Then it gets washed away. After about 8-12 weeks you should have only few acne spots here and there. You really have to stay with the product till the end for it to work. You can't expect the results to happen in a few weeks. I was about to end it during the 5th week, but I still used it. By the way, I am only in my teens.
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August 23, 2007

Pros:

uhh......

Cons:

redness, irratation, sunburn easily, more pimples!

Iim 16 and was on retin-a twice. once a year ago and once two weeks ago. the first time i used it i saw no improvment! and I remember a time in which i woke up in the morning and my chin (my problem area) was completely red and irratated. the second time around i woke up every morning with 2-3 new pimples. i looked up info. on it and it said that retin-a was supposed to bring out pimples so they could be "washed away" so i kept using it hoping that my skin would get better. it didn't it got worse! i hate retin-a with a passion. now i am on spironolactone and duac and i'm praying it works!
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August 21, 2007

Pros:

zero pros,

Cons:

makes the face redder, gives u more pimples, gives the skin a bad tough dirty pimply texture

i've used this for about a week, my skin has gotten worse, i haven't noticed any irritation that others have felt, but it definitely hasn't cleared up the acne at all... i think this treatment is a waste of time
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August 19, 2007

Pros:

Treats existing acne

Cons:

Really bad side effects, especially if u have a darker skin complexion. Makes your skin more sensitive to sunburn (could be permanent, even after you stop the treatment), and lightens skin tone. Mild itchiness and redness. Does NOT prevent breakouts!

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a medium/tannned/dark skin tone. After using it, it lightened the skin on my face 1-2 shades. Now the rest of my body is 1-2 shades darker than my face. Also makes my face red, which looks realy weird on brown skin. If you must use it and have a medium/tanned/dark skin tone, use it in very very small amounts. (The size of a green pea is enough to cover your entire face). Also, use sunscreen. Before using this product, I never sunburned in my life, but after using it, I started to sunburn pretty easily. The worst part is that it does not prevent breakouts! It only treats the exisiting acne, but once they are gone, you will breakout again. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone because it will ruin your complexion if you're medium/tanned/dark skinned and it will make you sunburn much more easily if you're light skinned (light skin sunburns easily).
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August 18, 2007

Pros:

If used everyday consistently, great benefits. Be patient through the first few weeks, that's the only way to get through the redness and flaking stage. After that stage, you see the benefits. Much better skin texture too.

Cons:

I'm in my 40's so insurance looks at it as a cosmetic Rx instead of medically needed. I paid $82.00 for a tube of .1%, but it goes a long way. I would say four months.

I am on my sixth week of using it nightly. Personally, this is the best my skin has looked since I was a young child.
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August 16, 2007

Pros:

- -

Cons:

takes a long time to work

The beginning is was burning, red, itchy and it seemed like an explosion of a lot of acne all over the cheeks. Very bumpy and pus filled it hurts. I'm still sticking to it right now, the cheeks seem less, but around the jaw line and just near the neck it's increased and around the hairline of near the ears. I see it's red and blotchy now too where it use to be the worse and it looks like scarring or little holes from whiteheads. Not sure yet if it'll work completely, since it's still growing pimples but less with pus.
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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.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

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.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website