I'm 15 years old and having to go through really bad break outs isn't the best. Last year in my freshman year of high school I decided to ask my doctor what I could use to get rid of the acne on my fore head. He gave me a prescription for Tretinoin Gel 0.01%. This product did help me a lot. I saw results in a month so it does take time for it to work. But since I only got three small tubes (what I call it) I ran out and sadly my acne came back! As time went by I never thought of asking my doctor for the same prescription. Just a week ago I went in to talk to my doctor again because let me tell you my acne has gotten worse than it has been before. Not only do I have acne on my fore head but also all over my cheeks which is really gross to look at! Yes that's how bad it is. My doctor prescribed to me again Tretinoin Gel 0.01% and on top of that 2 other medications to take in the day. I'm really hoping to see better results in about a month & it is uncomfortable at times but you have to be very patient.

I was so frustrated with acne that has plagued me for years, and thus went to the dermatologist. I was prescribed tretinoin, a minor antibiotic, and clyndamicin.gel. Tretinoin made my skin worse. Absolutely terrible. Yet, I persisted for a full three months with no improvement to my skin. And then, I stopped using tretinoin completely. My skin cleared up. Well, cleared up to the point it was at before tretinion. So, I used solely clyndamicin, which is just okay. On the contrary, this can work for some people. Stick with it for at least 2 months before you give up on it. I don't blame you if you do.

I wasn't going to write a review but I remember before starting my treatment I was skeptical of all the negative reviews although it may have been due to all the successful patients never writing reviews. I told myself if it worked I would write one to help my fellow acne sufferers. So I have mild-moderate acne ranging from near perfect at times (constant visits to the dermatologist) to severe cystic acne (worst depression of my life). But after I turned 21 and I still had acne, I realized I had to do something about it. Before I've been on bp and doxy but I've never been persistent enough to try retinoids. I started out with Ziana and I had almost no side effects and it helped (sort of). I tried it for around 5 months but I would randomly break out quite bad at times. Then I moved to retin-a micro .04 and I've been using it for almost 3 months now and results! I think the Ziana helped me transition but I still suffered from some breakouts during the first 2 months of retin-a micro (combination of regular breakouts, stress, and picking though I have to admit). In this sense the IB is not as bad as people think (although different for everyone). Just remember to persist, avoid touching your face, and moisturize and you'll have great results! Although it may be a bit early to say it, I have to say the confidence from having good skin is unexplainable. I should also note I'm taking bactrim at the moment. I might make an update at the 6 months mark as well.

It was nearing the ending of summer and I was desperate to rid myself of my pimples & blackeads before school started. I came by Retin-A coincidentally from my sister, before then I had never heard of it. And, being an ignorant loaf, decided on the first night to load it on like spot treatment... That was singularly one of the most horrible skin care decision I ever made. The next day, I litterally woke up to my whole face shedding like crazy! I was also red and irritated like hell. Of course I stopped using it immediately. It took my face 2 days to heal from all the burning, flaking, and irritation it wrought upon my poor face. My pimples were still there, however it did make my face a little brighter, something Dan's BP didn't do. That's when I decided to smart up and actually read(I don't know what I was thinking before... Geez) about what I put on my face. So yes, it turns out retin-A is amazing an does all these cool things to your skin by pushing out all those dead cells(which causes the flaking) and can be used as an anti-aging cream. But I also read about the horrible purging period, and all the irritation, flakiness, and general depression people went through before their faces got better. Was I really going to go through all of that torture? But I wanted my face to improve forever, right?? I live in Southern Cali, what if my face burns like crazy??? Well, I absolutely did not want to go through any of that "purging" period at all, I had school and I can honestly say I'd rather not bask in the humiliation it wrought me. But I still wanted to try Retin-A, since I had a lot of hyperpigmentation, which it had proven to lighten, and due to all of its rave reviews. So the only solution was to go SLOW. Now I know many of the reviewers have used this about 10+ months before anything got better, but I can say that that my skin positively improved with retin-A cream 0.04% within 2 months. I am also on tetracycline(hormones) and spironolactone(oil control), but retin-A had been the defining factor to having almost cleared 99% of my acne and scar/hyperpigmentation. My hypothesis is that what causes the purging period is how irritated and flaky your skin is, which causes more pimples and horror. It is also because retinoids HIGHLY POTENT, so your skin is definitely not used to it. The trick, I found, is to go slow, and to heavily moisturize. I used to have incredibly oily skin, but I brought that under control with spironolactone. Some of you might have problems with really oily skin if you don't moisturize properly when using this!! So my regimen to avoiding the purging period was: 1. Wash face(I use some generic liquid lather) 2. Wait 10-20 mins 3. Every other day ONLY AT NIGHT: Heavy moisturizer 2-3 drops jojoba oil Pea-sized amount of retin-A cream 0.04% I mix all of those on before putting it on my face gently. In the mornings I use a moisturizer with at least 30 SPF and 1 drop of jojoba oil(too much makes me shiny) before putting on my make up if I'm gojng out. I also moisturize daily with either a heavy moisturizer or jojoba oil or a mixture of the two. Now I've read that retin-A is less effective if not put directly on your dry skin, but take into consideration that this stuff is SUPER STRONG, and you will notice the difference either way! Also always use it at night, because sunlight decays its effectiveness. I initally thought using this while goin to school everyday would suck, but my skin is flake-free, irritation-free, and brighter than ever! My pores have also gotten subtly smaller, and my blackheads have greatly lessened out. I do get some dry spots and redness when I'm careless with moisturizing/sunblock, but this stuff really, really works. If you find the right way to use it that suits your needs, it WILL improve your acne. Acne: moderate to sever

I started using Atralin last October after using Epiduo for 6 months (which did nothing for me except make my skin incredibly greasy). The first 3 months with this were TERRIBLE - my face broke out more than ever and I had the worst flaky skin. I barely wanted to look at myself in the mirror. I stuck it out, because the next step was Accutane...and I only wanted to take that if I absolutely had to. After toughing it through those 3 months, my skin gradually began to improve. I have now reached a point where my skin barely ever breaks out. I no longer have large breakouts or any of the tiny bumps that were once all over my face. I don't have to wear makeup. It hasn't even been a year and my skin is completely different in the very best way. Full disclosure: I use Atralin at night and Aczone in the morning combined with Ortho Tri Cyclen and Spironolactone 100mg. I didn't start breaking out until I was 22 (until then my skin was pretty much perfect). I tried a number of things before I found a combination that worked for me - patience is a must!

I've been using Tretinoin .025 Gel for about a week now. I apply it every other night for my little pink/skin colored bumps on forehead/T-zone. So far, it's dried my skin out and made it pink :( my breakouts seem to have worsened a bit but nothing crazy. I have read that there is an initial breakout but since I have VERY mild acne to begin with I can deal! BE WARNED: this product makes your skin SUPER sensitive since it sloughs away layers of your face like crazy. I've had to stop using my PanOxyl Cream Wash, because although it normally works for me, the Tretinoin makes my skin far too sensitive for the PanOxyl. I've switched to Cetaphil wash, Hibiclens wash and CeraVe moisturizer.

i'm 15 and i have mild acne, mostly acne scarring on my cheeks and sometimes medium sided pimples on my forehead. i went to the doctor and she prescribed me the Tretinoin Cream in 0.025%. after reading many of these reviews, i was nervous for the initial breakout to be bad. After a few days, it made me flake and dry and it was a very uncomfortable dryness. I had to skip a night of usage because it was so dry. because of this, i bought a clean & clear moisturizer and i use Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes in the morning, it really helped with the dryness and the peeling on my face, i really recommend using these products. It has been 12 days of use and i do see an improvement in my skin, although when my skin started getting dry i got a few breakouts on my forehead which are mostly flat now, so i think i'm passing the initial breakout period which means this medication is working fast. my face currently is very soft and i see a good improvement. Also, before i apply the tretinoin, i wash my face with clean & clear morning burst (wait 20-30 minutes of course) then apply and go to sleep. I highly recommend the products i mentioned in this and i will make an update in a few weeks.

I use the tretinion in the evening and the acne.org regimen in the morning. I waited until my skin was clear (thank you acne.org) before introducing this product. I did not have any issues of initial breakouts. I think because I was using BP in the mornings. I would highly recommend using the acne.org regimen first for a few weeks before introducing this product. My face is clear and I couldn't be happier.

I have only been using this product for a couple weeks but it is merciless when it comes to surfacing all those zits lingering in your pores. I don't think it is causing any new acne, it is just bringing out what I would get in the future because I am breaking out around my chin and jaw which is where I would normally break out but my cheeks and forehead are still clear. Most of the reviews I have read were positive and reassuring, however most of the authors have been using it for over a year. If you think you are strong enough to handle the monstrous breakouts coupled with dry skin and peeling for months at a time, then this product for you. But if you're like me -- impatient and eager for instant results, I do not recommend you board this train ride.

I have been using Retin-A for about a year now, and the results have been truly amazing. I am a 15 year old female who struggled with acne as all teens do, and my derm prescribed me with Retin-A, Clindamycin lotion, and gave me a list of lotions and facial washes be recommended. I will tell you my routine, but if you don't care, scroll down to see the actual review. I use Retin-A .025 every other day because I'm a red head with sensitive skin at high altitude. Every morning, I wash my face with cetaphil, and apply my moisturel face lotion immediately after. Note that the lotion and face wash neither have acne fighting ingredients in them. I then apply sunscreen, and after either my makeup or the Clindamycin if I'm not wearing makeup. At night, I take my make up off If I wear any, and wash my face and use the moisturizer again. I then apply Clindamycin lotion. If I apply Retin-A that night, I wait 30 minutes after moisturizing to apply Retin-A. My derm told me this step is extremely crucial!! And then go to bed. When I first started using this product, my acne never got extremely severe, but my face peeled pretty seriously for about 5 months. I was embarrassed to be in public with my flakey skin, and no matter how much moisturizer I used, it wouldn't go away. No matter how much I exfoliated lightly, the flaking wouldn't go away until about 2 months ago. But truly for me, this was the only con. I had acne and I was ashamed and extremely insecure. But retin-a has changed my life. My skin is completely clear now, and on the way to recovery from my old scars. I would completely recommend this product to a VERY patient person, who follows their dermatologists orders. And remember everyone's skin is unique and may not be as pleasant ad mine was during the process. Many people's acne gets extremely worse before it gets better with Retin-A. But if you use the product properly and adjust it properly to your skins needs, then this product will work similar as it did for me and for you. Disclamer: just because I had much success doesn't mean everyone will. Some people's initial break out lasted 6 months before it got better. But whatever you do, if your derm prescribed this, DO NOT discontinue use! This is an extremely Long process, please do not give up! :)