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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:
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August 7, 2013
Product used: Atralin (Tretinoin (.05%) Gel)
Best treatment for me.
Cons:
First few months can cause bad breakouts and severely dry skin
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!
August 10, 2012
Pros:
- clears skin
- gives back self esteeme
- makes skin feel better overall
Cons:
- initial breakout
- requires patience
- once you start you cant stop
I stated breaking out in 7th grade and went straight to the dermo. got perscribed benzoyl peroxide , zania (spell check) then later diffren. skin stayed clear for years. Thinking that i didnt need it i stopped using retin a (diffren) for about 2 years . around march 2012 i noticed these small flesh colored bumps under my skin. long story short trying to get rid of tht not realizing tht i should just start retin a again.I dried my face out to the point of exema ! My derm perscibed me an exema cream and told me to use cereve cream ( which contains Cetearyl Alcohol and Polyglyceryl-3-Diisostearate both of these are very bad from acne) . Had i done my own research i never would have used this ! Needless to say my face broke out in the MOST HORRIBLE BIG PUS FILLED ACNE EVER. so what had started out as a few under the skin bumps had now turned into full blown acne ! To speed this story up i was then given solodyn pills , and pracasion clenser which helped later i was able to use retin a micro .04 , due to the fact tht i had used it years before my skin didnt really have a bad reaction to it , later they moved me up to .1 and i experinced breakouts im on week 3 and still purging but my pimples only last a week then they dry up and go away. my skin has really improved due to retin a ill never go off of it again! Also i want to encourage you all tht you will get through acne !! i was very depressed this whole summer , ive stayed in the house quit work and dropped out the last few months of school when i broke out i know how depressing it is !! But jus keep hope and despite what your doctors tell you do your own research make sure the products you use are really nocomendogenic despite what labels might say look up the ingredients yourself on [link removed], and DIET does affect acne cut out sugar,caffeine and dairy and watch your acne improve !! drink lots of water! prayer also helped me very much when i was depressed lol sorry this tured into more of an acne story than a re
January 1, 2012
Pros:
Acne 90% reduced
Smoother skin
Reduces scars
Cons:
Tough Initial breakout
Dryness (to be expected)
Flakiness
I began this treatment mid November, it is now Jan. 1. My acne was severe a year ago but has gone down with other treatments to a moderately severe type. I get cysts in three main areas of the face and regularly have 3-5 pustules on my face. Not to mention redness and scarring. My treatment is as follows: Apply Retin-A cream every night before bed and then follow with a moisturizer (Avene Clean-Ac). In the morning rinse with water plus apply moisturizer. Additionally receive dermabrasion once a month. In the first month I broke out severely, worse than what I looked like when I began the treatment. It is enough to make you doubt the medicine but stick with it! Now, on my second month, cystic acne is almost non-existent and skin is clearer than it has been in months. My skin is not as sensitive to the cream as others have posted. I find that applying a good amount (more than a pea) is very effective without causing irritation *for me*. I have zero pustules on my face (such a rare yet welcome change). I'm still in the early stages of treatment but so far so good. I'm hopping this will be my answer instead of having to go on accutane. I give this product 4 stars because I am still in the beginning stage of using it, but am happy so far. Best of luck to all~
November 9, 2011
Pros:
clears spots fast
if ever i'll get spots (tiny) it will be gone within 2 days
tightens/smoothes skin
reduces pores
reduces oil
fresh/glowing skin
decreases prominence of depressed scars as well as thickened scars
Cons:
stings/burns
itchy
this stuff is really good. i didn't experienced IB with this YET. i've used 0.01% before and it cleared spots in 1 week. i've used it again but now it's 0.025%. still no IB (getting nervous 'bout this everytime). for those who are confused, you have to wait at least 20 minutes before applying this because the formula is hydrophilic. it just simply means that if you put the cream immediately after washing your face, your skin will absorb the cream so fast because the pores are still moist and open. so if you don't want to wait 20 minutes just mix the cream with a drop of something oily (jojoba etc.) if you're not sensitive to it. it not only slows down the absorption rate, it also lessens the drying/irritating effect of tretinoin. anything water-based moisturizer will just exacerbate it (try it for yourself). if your face is not dirty at all, you may skip washing it and apply the cream directly onto your skin. cold cream is an option. i just really hope i'll never experience IB. i've never had smooth face since birth. it's always dull and sallow. but now it's glowing and healthy looking. if you don't want to have a red face, please get out of the sun at all times. if you can't then don't be surprised because you'll become very sensitive to it with tretinoin, add antibiotics like tetra/doxy and you'll double your sensitivity to sun. i'm glad my sensitive skin loves this stuff. i hope many out there will benefit this like me and others. God bless us all.
June 21, 2011
Pros:
Insurance covered it
Cons:
Dryness, redness, peeling, did not clear acne, made scarring worse
Retin-A was the first prescription I got from my derm when I started going my sophomore year of highschool (along with Benzaclin). At that point my acne wasn't too bad - a cyst or two a month on my chin and maybe a few small pimples in the same area, but other than that I was clear. I was really excited after the first two or three weeks - my skin started to look really clear and old marks had faded. Fast forward a few weeks and I started breaking out EVERYWHERE. I thought it was just an initial breakout and kept at it. Eventually I ended up at the full strength as directed by my derm, but my skin was never moisturized, and I continued to break out on my cheeks (never broke out there before!). I stayed on this stuff for almost 2 years before I realized that there had to be something better out there.
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.
January 2, 2011
Pros:
- No more acne
- Helps scarring
- Light
- Smells better than most acne products
- Little goes long way
Cons:
- Seems to have "stained" my face red
I'd rather have a red face than have acne. Appears to be working on acne scars but I'm not sure. Good product, only downfall is the red face.
January 5, 2011
Pros:
Clears acne
Slowly fades hyper pigmentation
Smooths skin
Cons:
Drying
Initial breakout
This cream actually works! I had my doubts in the beginning, but I really do see results. At first I didn't have that big of an initial breakout like I imagined, so I was glad. But then I started using MUFE HD powder with 100% silica and this made my forehead break out everrywhere :( It took a while for me to realize it was the HD powder, because I thought it was the medicine not working so I was really negotiating on switching creams. But I stuck with it and now ( a week later) almost half of the pimples are gone! Key things I learned from using Tretinoin cream
***wait 30 minutes after you wash your face before applying cream
***apply only a pea size! I used to apply a lot more but it made my skin reallly oily. you only need a pea size for your whole face.
***I switched my face wash to Purpose and it has also helped my skin. Use a face wash that doesn't have extra fragrances or ingredients. You just need the basic face wash that cleans, you don't need the added 'acne wash' or 'salicylic acid' or 'benzoyl peroxide'. Those extra ingredients may hinder the effect of the Tretinoin cream.
***get a full 7-8 hours sleep! the medicine works its magic on your skin while you are asleep and rested.
October 28, 2010
Pros:
-Dries out skin, especially useful if you're like me and have very oily skin
-Can already see an effect
-No IB for me
Cons:
-Leaves skin flaky.
Excellent medication, and free if your under the NHS :)
August 11, 2010
Pros:
Definitely cleared up my skin, but patience is key. Worked well to fade old scars.
Cons:
Dried up skin like no other. Lips were chapped and skin was red. Once stopped, your acne might come back, like mine did.
Definitely worth giving a shot. I recommend however to be on it as long as you can, because once you stop, your acne might come back.
Pros:
Clears skin
Smooths skin
Good for long-term use (anti-aging propterties)