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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:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
December 14, 2010
Cons:
- dry around mouth area for the first week, that's it
OMG. i love this product with all my heart. I was so reluctant to use it after reading all these reviews about the initial breakout and what not. But honestly, whatever it is, it's all worth it. Im a 16 year old girl and I've been on Minocyclin (tetracycline) for almost a year now. That reduced the big HONKERS...but i mean, i still had the pigmentation that was almost as bad as the pimples. and id still get 4 or 5 pimples. The dermatologist gave me retin A micro .04% in September, and im telling you it was the best thing that's ever happened to my face. The pigmentation was the biggest thing on my face, like red marks everywhere. And after consistently using it for 4 months, my face is about 95% clear. I can only say good things about this product. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. :)
September 3, 2010
Pros:
-Under the surface acne dried up
-Clear soft skin
-Hyperpigmentation going away
Cons:
-Dries out dry areas even more
-Does make for some pustules
-Skin gets very fragile
I have a good base of very fair skin marred by large cystic pustules, scabs and scarring. I have done a combination of laser therapy, chem peels, and use Tretinoin every night. So my review is based on the combination of these elements, but I LOVE the stuff. My skin looks AMAZING! It keeps pustules from remaining hot and flared and quickly brings them to a head, and promotes rapid healing. However, it doesn't "clean" your pores...I feel like there is still gunk in there and the tretinoin just makes it kind of dead gunk instead of active, pimple-causing gunk. Also, it does dry out your face, so I use hydrocortisone cream or ointment on the dry patches. I wouldn't be caught dead without this stuff though. It stops a breakout in its tracks!
August 24, 2010
Pros:
-Did wonders for reducing hyperpigmentation
-Skin is more smooth & firm
Cons:
-First few weeks of inital breakout/redness can be very frusterating
-Must be extremely careful not to overuse it
I really urge people who are dealing with both hyperpigmentation & acne to try this product. After using Retin-A Micro .04% for two months, I noticed a drastic improvement in the dark marks I had, and was able to use less and less makeup as the weeks went by. No other product before has helped me with the discoloration at all. The side effects can be harsh at the beginning, but stay positive..It is so worth sticking to. Like all other acne medications, it may take more than just a few weeks for your skin to adapt and see full results. The key is to be very patient. And remember, less is actually more with this product. Given the choice, I can honestly say I would use Retin-A for years to come.
July 7, 2010
Pros:
Diminished fine lines and acne greatly. Can't even be compared with any other skin care products.
Cons:
None.
Feel sorry for the people who can't use it because this product does miracles for acne and fine lines!
October 27, 2012
Pros:
It works!
Perfectly clear, smooth, even-toned skin
Smooths wrinkles
Cons:
First two months are bad
Need sunscreen all the time
Not most elegant texture
I have used Retin-Am Micro Gel 0.1% for two months. Before that I used Tazorac Cream 0.05% for four months. Both are prescription retinoids. As with any retinoid, your skin will look worse for about two months, on average. There is no point in writing a review during this time because your skin is not supposed to look good. You just have to be patient and let the medicine do its thing. Your skin will turn red, hurt, flake, peel, itch, and develop lots of bad pimples. This is all part of the process. You can minimize this by starting slowly - only apply the medicine every second or third day for a few weeks, and slowly work your way up to every night. Use a good moisturizer (with Retin-A Micro, you cannot use the moisturizer at the same time as the medicine) and many people will also need something to kill bacteria to help reduce the breakouts at the beginning. I hate antibiotics because they always stop working, so I used benzoyl peroxide 2.5% in the morning and the medicine in the evening. Tazorac was great, and gave me really smooth, glowing skin that was not red at all, but it didn't kill all the pimples, and even after four months, I still had one nodule at any time. My doctor switched me to the Retin-A Micro, and that got me completely clear. I have zero pimples. Zero. My skin is perfectly clear and I don't need makeup at all. The only drawback is that I am slightly pink, unlike with the Tazorac, which made me totally white, but I have grown to like that bit of color and choose not to wear foundation as it kills the rosy glow. It also smooths wrinkles, which is nice as I am 34 and vain as ever. You can see it working - anywhere on your face that there are old acne scars will peel more, as though the medicine somehow can target those damaged areas and peel them away. I do use SPF 30 every day to prevent sun damage, and a good moisturizer in the morning. I highly recommend this product to anyone who can be patient and wants
January 22, 2012
Pros:
It works!
less pimples
smooth feeling skin
Cons:
a little dry
I have tried everything in the past! I did a 6 month course of accutane 2 years ago and it worked great. Unfortunately my acne is coming back. When I first started using retina I was using too much b/c I could not make a pea size work on my whole face. My face was burning and peeling because of it. I started putting a pea size in the palm of my hand and mixing a good bit of moisturizer in with it to make it enough to spread easily on my whole face. Best idea ever!! With what is left in my hand I usually just rub on my shoulders and chest to get rid of the few pimples i have there. Hope this helps you!! :)
January 20, 2012
Pros:
- clears up whiteheads
- clears up acne spots quicker
- healthy glowing skin
Cons:
- use to much and burns really bad
- dry skin can get bad and hard to manage
- redness
- hard to cover bigger pimples with makeup after using product
Im hooked. I started using this product on 4/5/2011 and its currently 1/19/2012. Ive been through the highs and lows and must say the initial purging stage lasted for 5 months for me. I barely wanted to leave the house and i was mortified every time i looked in the mirror. To make matters worse i had started a brand new relationship and my face had pimples that could have their own zip codes and my whole face was pretty much falling off. Now its a whole different story..my skin looks WAY better than it has ever. I still get a random breakout here and there but nothing terrible. I still get dry skin around my nose and chin but once again nothing terrible. I have to say the only pro and con and the same time is when you get a big pimple "pastule" the medicine is a love/hate. I end up panicking putting too much on and the pimple goes from red to pealing and horribly SHINY. Its kinda scary and mortifying but my own fault for putting to much on. Makeup will not stay on, it seems to slide right off and cake on the dry skin at the edges of the pimple. I know my review seems harsh and scary but honestly it has done wonders for my skin. At the age of 26 i finally feel like i have enough control over my acne to be happy. My biggest issue with the medicine is that insurance will fight you to cover it. They say its only for 19 and under but my doctor fought and i got it for $50 not the retail price of $364.
December 25, 2011
Pros:
-Cleared acne
-Clearing previous scars
-Bright and glowing skin
Cons:
-Redness and peeling
-Takes time, very gradual healing process
-Initial breakout and breakout after 2nd month
I've been waiting to review this product for fear that I will have another breakout, but here goes...I have been using this product for 3 months now in conjunction with 100 mg per day of spironolactone. I started out with Retin-A Micro .04% for 1 month, then moved up to Retin-A Micro .1% for the last 2 months. I have had chronic acne since I was 13, and cystic acne since I was 18, am now 26 years old and have finally found a product that works for me. The spironolactone stopped the cystic acne from returning, but the Retin-A has changed the texture, appearance and quality of my skin. It will take a long time to work, and if you try and use a lot of product at once, you'll get a bright red burned face. Be patient and stick with it, it will be the best choice you ever make for your acne. Few important notes to share with you:
-I had a terrible, awful initial breakout, worse than I've ever had. However, I stuck with it and things started improving. I had 2 more serious "breakouts" since starting the product, but seem to be over the major hurdles after about 3 months. STICK WITH IT, it will get better.
-I have some occasional redness and peeling, but I would simply recommend using a good moisturizer at night and during the daytime and a little gentle exfoliation to help get rid of any flakiness.
-It is clearing my overall skin tone and previous scars, I hope that if I stick with it, they will all fade.
-For women with cystic acne, highly recommend pairing with Spironolactone.
-Also, my doc gave me antibiotics for the first month and also for the week during my period when I am prone to breakouts which very much helped to reduce additional breakouts.
September 4, 2011
Pros:
Cleared up some bumps
Made my skin a bit smoother
Seems like its going to work
Cheap (only 19 dollars for 10 refills, in the bahamas things are more expensive so this is a good price)
Cons:
Initial Breakout
Have to be careful about the sun.
Im 15.. And Ive tried so many things that didnt work on my acne.. this is my second dermatologist. He gave me Retin-A 0.0025% to use AT NIGHT, Clindamycin Gel 39GM to use in the morning, Dianne 35 pill to take to regulate my hormones (I have hormonal acne) and some 5000 IU Vitamin D Pills. He says the vitamin a and d will work together to help the scars. My face hasnt been getting red or feeling worse or anything yet but my face has always been pretty immune to that stuff when it comes to acne products.. I guess its cause I live in the bahamas where the sun is blazing on your skin all the time so my skin is pretty used to it.. I know that my face is going to get worse, but
Its gotten alot better so I know when it gets worse its ntohing I cant deal with... Ive dealt with it for years so I think I can deal for atleast 1 more month or so. Dont be scared to try it, If it drys your face use moisturizer with SPF in it, Its best just using it at night. Be smart!!! lol Ive used: Clearasil, Proactiv, MaxClarity, Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, St. Ives, some weird thing Clear somthing..... Facial Masks, Lemon Juice, Vitamin E and Honey, Doxycycline i think its spelled like that.. and one more thing he last dermatologist prescribed to me. NONE WORKED. But I feel as if this is going to work because my skin is already smoother (:
June 15, 2011
Pros:
I've seen nothing but improvement.
No initial breakout
Months-old red spots have faded remarkably in 2.5 weeks.
Cons:
Spendy
The price is seriously the only con I could come up with. I'm 21 and have only had acne for the last year and a half. Each doctor has told me that it's the climate that I moved to that has caused my skin to freak out. I was in dry Central Oregon all my life, now I live in Portland. I feel like I've tried everything. Proactiv, glycolic peels, microdermabrasion, antibiotics, birth control, all with no luck. It's only been 2.5 weeks that I've been using tretinoin, but I have had no adverse reaction to the cream .025% I credit that to having taken two months of doxycycline immediately prior to starting. I stopped the doxy because the bloating was out of control :/ Anyhow, I wish I could be on both tretinoin and doxy to speed the results, but just the tretinoin alone has already faded my very, very red marks, and with the great foundation I use, they are virtually invisible. My texture is improving and I have had no peeling, no redness, no dryness, no discomfort. None. I've read some awful things about peoples reactions to this but my results have been stellar so far.
Pros:
- BABY SOFT SKIN!
- blackheads are gone
-pores are smaller
- deep pimples are gone
-hyper pigmentation/ red marks significantly faded