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
May 27, 2011
Cons:
drying
breakout from the first few uses.
made skin tight
Made my skin peel and break out from the first few uses, but the spots was relatively fast to disappear. The tube is biggg! so it will last a long time. But remember to use a oil free moisturiser. I got it prescribed from my doctor so it was free.
May 17, 2011
Pros:
-Works better than anything else I've used on fine lines
-Skin has a great texture (once cleared); very fresh and young looking
Cons:
-Initial break-out lasted three and a half months.
I started using this at the age of 29 after going to a dermatologist to ask for a product that combatted the whiteheads on my forehead and my emerging fine lines :) I was warned about the initial breakout, and it did last as long as I was warned, if not slightly longer (like other posters, I checked this board frequently to compare my progress to others). I just reached the 3 1/2 month point, and the final bumps are just going away. The initial breakout was not horrible, but definitely worse than any other breakouts I'd had (my skin had fairly clear throughout my life with just a few blemishes here and there). Makeup seemed to cover it up mostly but it was more bumpy than usual (my mom, ever tactful, did ask me if I had a rash on my forehead). So, it feels like forever, but once the IB is over, it does seem to be worth it. The texture of my skin is much improved, and once the redmarks from the IB fade, I'm sure it will look even better. Also, I noticed an improvement on the areas that didn't break out (mostly my cheeks and under my eyes) fairly quickly, and the texture is smoother than I've seen in a long time. One thing that I'm REALLY impressed with with this product is the way it worked on my fine lines around my eyes. I'd just started using a few over the counter products in the last year or so as I'd begun to see some lines around my eyes, and they worked moderately well, but the lines are definitely much reduced now, and I think I now look younger than my 29 years. I feel like this will be a great product to use through my 30s and later. Overall, I think it's worth the pain, and hopefully I'll look even better in the next few months! (Oh, and one tube lasts forever. I'm still on my first tube, and probably have at least a month left before it runs out.)
May 8, 2011
Pros:
Lightens scars
Clears Skin
Company offers a rebate form (pay no more than $20 for prescription)
Cons:
Peeling
Dryness
Sensitivity to sunlight
I use Retin-A at night and Duac in the morning. It has really helped clear up my skin and fade scars. It does make your skin really dry, and you start to peel, but this usually goes away within a week. I got a drug rash from this stuff on my chest and back, but it cleared up quickly with hydrocortisone cream. I would recommend Retin-A, but I'm not sure how much it can do for people with deep scarring. I only have surface scars, and it clears those up really well.
May 6, 2011
Pros:
Evened out skin tone
Cleared a lot of the acne
Starting to fade scars and wrinkles
Pore size has become smaller
Less white and black heads
Cons:
Mild skin dryness and peeling
Initial breakout
I am getting married in 4 months and went to the Derm to see if there was anything I could do to improve my complexion for the wedding. I have been applying clindamycin (spelling) in the morning and trentinoin .025 at night. I had a pretty bad initial breakout around 2.5 weeks and almost gave up, thank goodness I didnt! My skin hasn't looked this good in a long time! I cant wait to see the improvements over the next few months! I gave the product a 4 as the dryness and mild peeling doesn't make it perfect.
April 26, 2011
Pros:
Get rid of pimples quicker than other products
Fades hyperpigmintation i think
Helps with scarring too i think
Cons:
Dries out skin
Takes for ever to work
Makes skin uneven if you dont put it all over your face.
I bought this for 10 dollars since it is covered by insurance and before it i had not much acne just lots of hyperpigmintation and hypertrophic scarring and i have been using tretinoin 0.01 for a month now and im pretty sure its working. I got an initial breakout around the 2nd week and i think it lasted for about 2 weeks and now im starting to see better results. Im not getting pimples as much and my hyperpigminatation and hyper strophic scarring is fading i think. The weird thing is that the first week i started using it my skin looked pretty good, i thought the tretinoin was working really fast but i guess it has to get worse before it gets better. My doctor told me to wait at least 6 weeks for best results but i doubt it will work that fast maybe a few more months like everyone else on here. Hopefully by the second month my scars will fade, sucks i got acne about a year ago at age 18!! Wish i got it earlier like normal people when they were young.
April 21, 2011
Pros:
Starting to clear
Brings stubborn ones to surface
Cons:
Dries out skin
Flaky
IB (Extremely bad)
Still have white head (early days though)
I started using this Tretinion 0.05% back in FEB but after the initial breakout, I freaked out and stopped using it. I had huge, massive ones and they just didn't want to pop. I was only using it for a week before I stopped. I discovered this website and started reading most reviews. I must say the reviews have helped me get back on it. One week back on it and I must admit that the stubborn ones are quickly finding their way to the surface. My skin is still very rough and bumpy at the moment but I expect that at early stages. Morning skin is flaky and has redness, I assume this is due to sensitive skin. Routine: At night,after washing face with gentle cleanser and I wait for 20 mins. Then I apply a small amount of the gel all over face and jawline (wait for 20 mins). Then wash off. Apply generous amount of moisturizer and go to bed. In the morning, wash face with gentle cleanser and moisturize daily. So far there are still are few stubborn ones (Cystic ones), skin is still blotchy, little bit itchy, dry, redness and scabby. Fingers crossed they these will all disappear in time. I can feel my face tightening up and some places are really feeling smooth. Any suggestions would be great.
April 20, 2011
Pros:
effective
has anti wrinkle proporties
cheap
Cons:
it takes time and it works slowly
I live in iran,my derm recommended this for me and told me to use it not only for acne also to have a younger looking skin,its really effective,I use 0.05 percent as named locacid and it hydrates my skin! interesting but it really does.
April 14, 2011
Pros:
-better skin texture
-cleared up even the big, deep pimples
-feels light on your skin
Cons:
-took almost a full month to really get things to start to clear up
-mild burn sensation during second week of applicaiton
-cannot put lotion on top of product, will peel up and look like dry skin
you have to be patient, very patient. it took the full 5-6 weeks of consistent use (1-2x/day). It seemed like nothing was happening and then all of a sudden my skin cleared up. It's no completely blemish free but what remain are small and hardly noticable and i assume they will eventually go away too.
April 4, 2011
Pros:
shrinks zits
lightens scars
soft skin
Cons:
dry skin
kinda itches
hard to tell if inital breakout?
My doctor suggested this to me for me to unclog my pores and lighten post acne hyperpigmentation. At first I was hesitant to use this because of the intial breakout I read about, I was already breaking out 1000x's worse than usual and couldn't deal with more acne. However, much to my suprise I didn't notice much of an I.B. at all. Yes, I still got new pimples, but nothing crazy like I thought. It made my current zits less red, imflammed, and smaller. I was so excited! Make sure you wait 20 minutes after washing your face to apply this. It is a little drying but not too bad. I notice it after a while, but doesn't 'flake off'. My scars are lightening, finally! And overall my skin looks healthier. I've only been using this for about two weeks, so I'm excited for the future!
April 3, 2011
Pros:
*clears up acne
*fades hyperpigmentation
Cons:
*initially, very drying (expect flaking)
*takes weeks, if not months, to work
I'm not sure if it was a new med I started or the tremendous stress I was under, but I started breaking out with bad acne last fall. This shocked me since I'm 40. I finally went to the dermatologist in November; he prescribed Tretinoin Cream .025. In the beginning, I had tremendous drying with flaking so I only used it every other night. My skin eventually adjusted. Still, I continued to have bad breakouts which was incredibly discouraging. I read reviews of the product - they all said to be patient. I also read to wash your face and then wait 20 -30 minutes before applying the cream. I started doing that 2 weeks ago. It's made a significant difference. My skin is now clear and has been for over a week. IIn addition to acne I also have melasma (skin discoloration on my cheeks and forehead). I'm starting to see a slight improvement with it but think it will take more time. My skin gets CRAZY shiney from the cream. I've been using blotting papers from Boscia (you can purchase at Sephora for $10) to keep it under control.
Pros:
Made spots disappear faster
fade spot marks
less greasy