Tretinoin

I would totally recommend this product. Along with Clindamycin, my skin was completely clear in 1 1/2 months. It's taking a little longer to work on my back acne but I can tell it is working. I find this also helps minimize scarring. However, do not go off of it. I tried because I thought my skin would be fine but my acne came back and it was frustrating getting my skin used to the drying aspect of these gels/creams again.

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Sabrina

April 16, 2012

Pros:

Cleared my skin!

Cons:

Makes it worse before it gets better.
Takes time.
Drying
Can make skin more sensitive.
If you stop you're acne will come back, HOWEVER it will not be as severe as before.

I've been using this product for at least two years. I stopped for a moment then started back on it again with another medication. I have to say this (along with now, Clindamycin) has done miracles on my skin. Something my dermatologist told me (and I don't think most people know) is that your skin WILL get worse before it gets better. But after about 3-4 weeks of a major breakout the zits dry up and disappear. I still get acne, but they're minor and they move on fairly quickly. For drying and sensitivity I just take a day off (I apply twice a day) and put on a good moisturizer (like Eucerin).

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Chloe B.88

April 11, 2012

Pros:

It works with a lot of patience!
Gets rid of those annoying whiteheads and blackheads by regularly exfoliating the skin.
Removes small wrinkles.
Clears skin:)

Cons:

Makes skin sensitive to the sun. You you need to wear sunscrean at all times.
Redness, peeling and the intial breakout (mine lasted around 7 months).
Can be emotionally draining.

I have been using retin A for just over a year. I had moderate-mild acne, most of which were whiteheads and blackheads and the occasional red pimple every month. I had A LOT of blocked pores, and so, my initial breakout lasted a looong time (7 months in total), consisting of irritated, red, peeling skin and not to mention, red, INFLAMMED acne (very much like cysts... never had I experienced these before, at times I just wanted to stay at home and cry). My body was in inflammation mode, to the point, that blood tests actually alarmed my doctor, because my white cells were constantly in low numbers. But after a lot of mistakes, I finally got the rountine which worked for me and ofcourse my skin gradually adjusted to the Retin A. My advice: Don't use too many products, just wash your face with mild cleanser (I use Proactiv Cleanser... this is considered mild for my skin) 2-3Xdaily. Don't over scrab your face, gently exfoliate with your fingers in shower/bath. Use a little bit of Retin A to start off with and then gradually you can use more, but remember less is more (trust me, I never could stick to this advice!). If your skin turns really red and inflammed, take 1-2 nights off. Take some fish oil, and try to eat healthy (this can help reduce inflammation in the body), don't pick at your pimples (I am a hypocite for saying this, becuase I always picked at them...and prob still would if I saw anything in my face!). Lastly, have loads of patience. I waited 13 MONTHS to see results. Now, I have almost completely clear skin, I have no active pimples, 3-4 very small whiteheads. Retin A worked for me, but in reality all Praise and Thanks is due to God alone.

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Kate

April 5, 2012

Pros:

Definitely exfoliates
Very, very few new pimples.

Cons:

Dry flaky skin
Sensitivity to sun

I have been using this for a week, and thought I'd review now, and then after a couple of months. I have mild-moderate acne... primarily just little comedones that bump up my skin and look unattractive. Eventually most of them turn into a full fledged zit, but they are always so tempting to pick and try to squeeze out. Doing so caused more acne and cysts, and so I've decided to seek professional help. Benzoyle and Salicylic Acid alone were not enough. I tried mild cleansers, harsh cleansers, Alpha Hydroxy... everything. Nothing really helped. It's been a week on Retin-A (PM) and Clindamycin+Benzoyl (AM) and I haven't had much new acne... The bumps are still there but I'm assured that in time they will go away. My doctor recommended combining the Clindamycin with the Benzoyl in the AM as the Benzoyl helps keep your body from developing a resistance to the Clindamycin. This is combination with the Retin-A seems to be doing good things, but dealing with all of the peeling is a lot to handle. Reading these reviews is the only thing that is keeping me going right now!

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cely

March 29, 2012

Pros:

it works!!!!
got rid of my cystic acne
havent had a break out in over 3 weeks

Cons:

takes a while. patience is key but well worth it.

my acne was the worst of the worst. wasnt that bad wen i was a teen but im 23 now and my skin was gettin very teenagerish on me. cystic acne everywhere no matter what i did it wouldnt go away. i was embarassed to even leave my house. was on proactiv but it just made it worse. so i finally went to my dermatoloigist. nd he prescribed me the minocin pills, clindamycin lotion during the day and apply tretinion .0.025% at night. i got such such low dose because my skin was dry and peeling from the proactiv so my doctor thought it would be best if i started with the 0.025%. i guess theres a 1% nd a 5%. idk maybe my next appointment ill go up in concentration because my skin has gotten back to normal. no more peeling or dryness thank god. so no more acne but of course all of the craziness that was on my face left dented scars, scars, hyperpigmentation w.e you want to call it. brown nd red spots. which the tretinoin is slowly but surely suppose to treat also. fingers crossed i just want my face back. will update once the scars go away.

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blockhead

March 28, 2012

Pros:

-reduction in acne and clogged pores
-diminished broken capillaries
-smoother, brighter complexion
-smaller looking pores

Cons:

-takes a while to begin working
-NEED a good moisturizer
-peeling, flaking, redness, and burning for the first few months

I am 25 years old and have always had mild-moderate acne, blotchy skin, excess oil, large pores, and a generally ruddy complexion (basically...just bad skin). I began Retin-A (0.05% cream, generic version Retino-A) exactly 10 weeks ago. I'm writing this review because for the first 8 weeks I desperately wanted to quit using the product because my skin looked HORRIBLE. I had constant peeling, even MORE oil, flaking that would not go away, and redness. I was on the verge of stopping but read some reviews that encouraged me to keep going, and I'm very glad I did. Around week 9/10, my skin made a turn for the better and for the last 1-2 weeks has looked fabulous. I can now use the Retin-A almost every night with no more redness or peeling (I still have minor flaking but I exfoliate with Burt's Bees Exfoliating Scrub about 3-4 times per week which takes care of it). While using this product, you NEED a good moisturizer. For the first 8 weeks, I tried 3 different moisturizers but none of them got rid of the flakes and peeling. Finally, I began using Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream which is AMAZING. It does not burn at all when I apply it and it completely gets rid of all flakes for the entire day. Without this moisturizer, I'm not sure I could even use Retin-A. Find it at CVS: a large tub is about 15 dollars. I want to let everyone know that even if you are discouraged right now and think your skin is looking so much worse, KEEP USING IT! It will get better. You just need to find the right moisturizer and let your skin get used to it. For some people, this may take about 3-4 months, so hang in there. If you're having trouble finding a good moisturizer that does not burn and gets rid of flakes, buy Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (it is noncomedogenic). This is the only moisturizer that worked at all for me. I apply Neutrogenia SPF 85 sunscreen and then the cream atop that as needed in the morning. I will update again in a month to let you all know how it is g

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ando000

March 27, 2012

Pros:

Leaves skin smooth
Lightens the redness of scars
Works over time

Cons:

Must use at night because if you go in the sun you will be burnt easily

Fairly expensive

Requires prescription

It helps with the scarring as it lightens and make it look less swollen. I also suspect it helps with the acne aswell as i used to use Epiduo aswell. So my treatment plan is: Doxycycline pills in the morning At night i wash my face with benzac wash Apply ReTrieve Cream straight after If a really painful or stubborn pimple arises i sometimes use betadine or just load heaps of epiduo on it. Bottomline : IT WORKS

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kpalmsky

March 22, 2012

Pros:

Everything

Cons:

Burning and Peeling at first
Breakouts early in treatment

I am 26 years old. After having somewhat acne-free skin most of my life, I was surprised by a sudden, awful breakouts on my chin and cheeks that would last months on end. My doctor put me on Retin A .05% in November 2011. At first, it didn't seem to be working (I had 2 really bad early-stage breakouts - one at 1 week and one at 4 weeks) and it took until mid-January 2012 (with my dosage increased to .25% and Erythromycin topical added) to start seeing results. Normally I would expect to have one or two pimples per month, but I can say that I have now gone over 6 weeks without a single breakout. If one zit does rear its ugly head, it is small and gone within a day. Retin A is absolutely a miracle product for me. Regimen [evening]: Makeup off with cleansing towelettes; Wash face with Benzol Peroxide-based cleanser (nothing fancy); Exfoliate (also nothing fancy); Let dry 20 minutes; Erythromycin topical all over face; Let set 10 minutes; Retin-A gel all over face; Sleep. Regimen [morning]: Wash flakes off face with damp washcloth (Retin-A leaves little flakes as it dries); SPF 30 moisturizer.

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TiaraGibson

March 20, 2012

Pros:

cleared up my moderate acne
relatively inexpensive

Cons:

takes a few weeks to work...but what product doesn't?

I LOVE THIS STUFF!

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Mason51

March 14, 2012

Pros:

Helps acne alot,
evens skin tone out a bit.

Cons:

Takes time
Terrible Initial Breakout

With BP and SA not working at all for me, i went to derm and got this prescribed along with clindamycin. Im in week 7 and i can honestly say my skin is 95% clear which is a huge improvement for me who has had acne for half a decade. The worst thing was about week 3 until week 6 my face was constantly breaking out with bumps everywhere. I was told it takes until week 12 to see huge full results so im glad i have 5 more weeks to see my skin continue improving. and without insurance it is kinda expansive but to many of us suffering for years, cost does not a matter if we can have clear skin. I used tretinoin (Generic) .01% If used properly the small tube can last a very long time. A Little goes along way with this stuff!

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