Tretinoin

I'm in my 30s and have been battling acne since I was 12. The Retin A cream doesn't work for me. It breaks me out worse than anything. I wouldn't recommend slathering your face with a thick, heavy cream-even if it has retinol in it. The gel however, works nicely for me. It is lightweight and it gives me a decent peel, but I still find that I need help from baking soda and Pretika facial brush to fully exfoliate my skin

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S.G.L

June 22, 2010

Pros:

most insurances cover it to make the co-pay cheap for the patient. Exfoliates skin, definitely adds a glow to the skin, and it seems to heal red marks well.

Cons:

initial breakout, takes a long time to work, leaves skin feeling oily. (Theres only a small amount of active ingredient, the rest is a very heavy cream to moisturize you.) If you don't keep applying it, it will not work.

Only use if you are going to be consistent with it. If you know you'll slack off, don't even bother. If the oiliness the next morning from use bothers you, you might slack off.

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kimberli

June 18, 2010

Pros:

-At one week I can already see a noticeable difference
-Most of my pimples are already gone
-skin looks smoother and more radiant
-smaller pores!

Cons:

-DRY DRY DRYNESS!
-I feel like my face is peeling off
-Applying moisturizer, while helpful in the long run, burns like all hell

I've decided to review so early because of the success of this product ALREADY. Today is day seven, and I can see my face clearing up before my eyes. The ONLY drawback is the severe peeling and itchiness that comes with that. My recommendation is to use this long before you have any special occasion or a lot of public outings because you will look like a red blotchy, flakey mess unless you constantly apply moisturizer. I wish I had started this sooner! My dermatologist told me to use Cetaphil antibacterial soap morning and night, the cream before bed and gave me a prescription pill. All of this combined is working wonders!!! Tip before use: Make sure you get a moisturizer for SENSITIVE skin and start applying morning and night the moment you start using this. I didn't start peeling until the 3rd day, so I ignored the moisturizer and am severely regretting not knowing this!!! My doctor said it was very important to keep up the regimen "even though you're face is going to feel like it's peeling off". My assessment so far: WORTH IT!

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Katie

June 16, 2010

Pros:

covered under insurance
It works, but slowly

Cons:

Initial Breakout
Dryness and peeling

I have been using Tretinoin .05 (Stieva-a) for just over 3 months now. I've been a bit scared to give a review so as to not jinx anything, but I know how important these reviews are to those, like me, who take a look at these reviews regularly if not daily. I would say my condition was moderate because although I didn't have many pimples, those that I had were big, round, red and very angry. The pimples/cysts were concentrated on my jawline and were the type that could never be popped. It would take a month just to go down, and I still have the marks to prove it. The first few weeks, I would say 3, were hard to get through because of the initial breakout. However, it wasn't as bad as some reviews have mentioned. I remember being terrified after some of these reviews, however many other reviews gave me the strength to carry on with treatment. After 4 weeks my pimples stopped altogether. My skin was no longer hot and itchy, it finally felt normal. I too was terrified to try this. It took me 3 months to use this prescription but I wish I used it sooner. However, I don't use this all over my face, just on the affected areas. On other areas I use 2.5% BP. On those big scary pimples during the breakout period, my derm gave me clindoxyl to use during the day. Right now I'm using 2.5% BP avoiding hyperpigmented area so that I can use hydroquinone 4% on red/brown spots, Dan's AHA lotion with Nutrogena Dry Touch 30 SPF during the day. At night I use the BP on everywhere but the hyperpigmented area in which I use Stieva-a and hydroquinone. My only issue now is hyperpigmentation. My spots are getting lighter but who knows how long it will take to completely disappear. To those in your first few weeks stop reading all these reviews, they make you crazy! Just have some patience and if in a 2-3 months it doesn't work, go back to your derm/doctor. Good Luck to all of you, I know how difficult this time might be. Go out and enjoy life, time will go by f

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Alyssa

May 21, 2010

Pros:

-Clears Acne
-Lightens & fades blemishes

Cons:

-Very drying
-Peeling
-Irritation
-Sensitivity to the sun

At age 8 I began going through puberty and began developing blackheads,whiteheads and cystic acne.Of course,being so young,my mom though nothing of it.In 5th grade,my mom finally took me to the dermatologist because she knows there's history of bad acne in our family,she had bad acne,my sisters did and my grandpa did.They prescribed me this.It did take a while to help,and my skin eventually began clearing up very good.Then the first day of 6th grade hit,I broke out horribly and my acne went out of control and this actually began to burn my skin and made my blemishes worse,although I was very young so I don't count that as a negative.I do recommend it.Now I'm currently on Accutane,but in the future when I'm older,I'll go to this for wrinkles cause I've heard it works.

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glowguru3

May 9, 2010

Pros:

Reduces moderate acne over time
Hyperpigmentation fades

Cons:

May take a long time for results to appear
Peeling/Itchiness over the first few weeks
Makes skin dry

I used Retin-A for 10 months now and before I got acne frequently. I also had a lot of hyperpigmentation caused by the acne. I use the product every night (my dermatologist told me to), after cleansing with a mild cleanser, right before I go to sleep. During the first few months I noticed my skin was peeling and dry all the time. By the 9th month, I noticed my skin was generally clearer and a lot of my hyperpigmentation was fading. So I guess the bottom line is that you have to be really patient when using this product to truly see the benefits.

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Kelly R

May 2, 2010

Pros:

-Skin clearing after about 2 months
-Any acne clears up relatively quickly
-Still get some break outs during pms
-Red marks are fading

Cons:

-peeling all over face and neck especially during the first month
-can't use it on more sensitive areas like cheeks and chin
-red blotchy marks on skin (usually clears up after a few days

I had moderate acne on my forehead and blackheads on nose. The tretinoin made my face hell the first month but it's now the 2nd month and I only get a few pimple but the black heads aren't really going away. The red marks from past acne is definitely clearing up. I found that if you're getting irritation and flaking on the areas where you don't apply the tretinoin, try applying it in the morning a 1/2 hour after you wash your face. If you use it at night, the medicine may be rubbing off onto your pillow case and getting on the other areas of your face. In my case it was my cheeks that were affected.

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moniii

April 20, 2010

Pros:

-easy to use
-shrinks appearance of pores
-erased nasolabial line on the right side from smirking all the time
-shorter breakouts
-made existing scars more shallow

Cons:

-initial breakout is devastating
-takes time
-doesn't help much with oil control

This is my 3rd week on this regimen and I'm completely frustrated. I know that the product is working because all the impurities that is has drawn out disappear within 2-4 days. The surrounding skin is AMAZING in comparison to day 1 on this, so I know it's doing it's magic. I have read for some it takes as long as 6+ months to reap the full benefits. It may seem like a long time, but otherwise you'd still be breaking out doing nothing proactive about it. I say give it a go if you're as desperate as I am. What's another few months of zits? They'll be gone and take away the little reminders with them :) BTW I am 23, have super fair, oily, and sensitive skin, dark blonde hair, and hazel eyes... strange combo I know. I blame genetics. Oh, it's already gotten rid of about half a dozen scars, the kind that look like you've poked a needle in your skin or something. Also, when I used to tug at my damaged skin it looked crepey(sp)? Now it looks like it's a lot more plump and ALIVE. Ahh, I'm stoked to see how my face will look at the end of this tube :)

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Kristen

April 14, 2010

Pros:

blemishes are almost completely gone
no IB
skin is smoother and softer
basically cured my acne after only a few weeks
dries up my oily skin

Cons:

smelly
wish the red marks would go away faster

I never had completely flawless skin, but my acne was never so bad of a problem that I needed to see a derm or anything. I would get the occasional pimple but nothing horrible. Well, I decided to go on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo birth control pills to get rid of the mild acne I had...BIG MISTAKE. After 3 months of taking the pill, my acne had gone from mild to moderately severe. I had huge blemishes all over my face and got pimples in areas I never had them before, like my cheeks and jawline. It was horrible :( After going off of the pill, my acne was still pretty bad so I decided to see a derm. She prescribed Retin A along with brevoxyl, minocycline, dove soap and nizoral shampoo. After almost 3 weeks, my acne is WAY better. No more blemishes at all. I use the Retin A every night before bed and it has helped me so much. The peeling is the cell turnover, which indicates that the skin is healing - and it shows. My skin is softer, smoother, and most importantly, acne free!! I think I got lucky on the IB front because the birth control pill had done a "great" job of bringing all my pimples to surface already, so that's probably why I didn't get the IB. The only thing is I still have PIH marks (red marks left from the acne). It's only been a few weeks so I'm still hopeful, and they have definitely started to fade a little. I'll post again in a few weeks. Bottom line, Retin A did wonders for my acne and once the red marks are gone my skin will be looking better than before I went on the Ortho. P.S. my derm told me that Ortho Lo is really bad for acne, and that the only FDA approved BC pill for acne is Ortho Tri Cyclen (regular, not Lo). P.P.S. I know this is a review for Retin A, but using the Nizoral shampoo as a facial cleanser every couple days has worked WONDERS on my acne too! Good luck everyone :)

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rebeq

April 12, 2010

Pros:

Smooths skin texture, reduces blotchiness, prevents pimples, helps pimples heal faster

Cons:

Takes a full 3 months to have effectivenss and causes initially breakout for the first 3 months (the most acne I have ever had at one time), dry and flaky skin but adjustment occurs through time (I used Retin A micro to decrease this), thinner skin which requires sunblock

Did not totally cure my presistant adult acne, but much reduced it, enough so that it doesn't bother me when I wear a little makeup. The acne is smaller and easier to address. My skin is glowing and smooth. It is the best exfoliator out there plus it has anti-aging benefits. It is the backbone of any mulitple regimen acne plan because it helps other products penetrate the skin better.

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