Tretinoin
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Tretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover.

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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.

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5
21.8%
4
32.3%
3
21.6%
2
14.8%
1
9.4%

Used Tretinoin? Rate It:

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November 30, 2009

Pros:

fewer breakouts (especially cystic)
scars seem to fade faster (I mean sometimes I just can't resist popping!)

Cons:

it did dry out my skin pretty bad the first few weeks

I was prescribed this product (.05%) with minocycline for pretty regular cystic acne breakouts. The first few weeks I was really dry, but then I would just not use it for a night and use a facial scrub and lotion in the morning. Now (a month later) my skin is clearer and my old acne scars are fading quickly.
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October 26, 2009

Pros:

do what it claims

Cons:

the usual side effects (dryness, redness, initial breakouts, etc).

I am currently in my 8th week of micro retin-a (.04%) and i'm starting to see improvement. The key to this product is keep it simple. Do no use other harsh chemical on your face while on Retin-a. Do not exfoliate! wash your face with a mild cleanser, follow the instructions (pea-sized amount or less!) and most importantly, stick it through! Do not pick on it..you can try use Eucerin redness reduce lotion during the day. I know the initial breakout can be hard but you must preserver! good luck!
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July 21, 2009

Pros:

Cleared whiteheads and pimples

Cons:

breakouts

it depends on how you apply it if you use it as a daily moisturiser then you will breakout i discovered this the hard way , i changed my routine and then started applying it nightly the would wash it off the next morining and use an oil free saylic acid cleanser and toner with an oil free medicted moisturisr.
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February 5, 2009

Pros:

cleared my skin, made my skin smoother, stopped some of my oil production

Cons:

redness, drying, peeling first few weeks of treatment

this product really works if you can take the first few weeks. i used retin a 10 years ago and loved it and just went back on it. i told my dermatologist i have a love/hate relationship with retin a because of how badly my skin hurt the first few weeks. however, i smartened up my second time around and it hasn't been nearly as bad as my first treatment. just a few tips that have really helped me.1) cetaphil face lotion is a DREAM 2) only use this product every OTHER night for atleast the first 2 weeks of treatment then use daily 3) use a humidifier in your bedroom every night for extra moisture to the skin 4) if you can afford it try DERMALOGICA mutivitamin power recovery masque and DERMALOGICA daily microfoliant. most exfoliants are harsh and cannot be used with retin a but the daily microfoliant is a powder and very gentle on the skin and also exfoliates very very well. 5)use clinique redness relief mineral powder to cover redness. hope this helps some of you out and GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!
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November 15, 2008

Pros:

Clears skin (kinda) after about a month of usage

Cons:

smells, expensive,

This is a product where you MUST be patient when using. It WILL make you break out really bad the first 2 weeks, so don't give up!
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August 8, 2008

Pros:

works after like 15 weeks. does improve the size of your scars to make them very small and does smooth out bumpy imperfection on your skin such as my nose which has scars from picking and bumps from acne prone skin. i am clearer now than when i first

Cons:

you will get owned first 6weeks.
you better be on the right antibiotics or you will get super owned.
you get dry, mega red, pustules, and will gain some more pimples in other areas even if they dont have them yet :D.

Does work but takes a lot of time! first 2 weeks things were going smooth and i was like ok ok ty i didnt get pwnd like everyone says you will, after that i got a bunch a cystic-like acne, pustules up in my cheeks, acne in my jaw line which i never had, acne on my forehead which was acne prone but cleared up at that time and basicaly i didnt dodge the beginning pwnage lol. than i started taking the right antibiotic (first was doxycycline and than i took minocycline where minocycline save mah life) and than my postules immediately went down and my face was clearing up fast. (within 3 weeks of mino i was looking okay) the redness went down, the pustules went down, the ammt of more pimples a day went down, and now i just got blemishes f where acne used to be because thats how my skin reacts anyways.... it works! Without the right antibiotics for you and taking retin-A you will get owned LOL.i was super red, super messed up looking, and before retin a i had many whiteheads on my chee
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September 25, 2007

Pros:

evened skin tone, prevents wrinkles, cheap with insurance, easy to use.

Cons:

it TAKES time and demands our patience.

This is my second review about Tretinoin and I feel that people who haven't used this product for at least 4-6 months should not write anything on Retin A. It takes time and beggs for our patience, but it is worth it. It is also important that we don't use any other irritating products along with Retin A as it will make things worse. One time I exfoliated my skin and the next day I had major breakouts. My doc told me not to use anything else with Retin A as it is doing its job slowly but surely. I use a gentle cleanser (Cetaphil) twice daily and use a good quality sunblock year round and I am happy to say that my skin is now clear and glowing. I had to force myself to stop fretting over my bumps and put my energy somewhere else and one day I woke up with clear skin. Obsession and impatience will aggravate acne. We live in a time where we want instant gratification and this attitude doesn't work with Retin A. Obsess less, be patient, be gentle and one day you'll wake up with clear skin.
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September 24, 2016
After more than 5 months of use, no more
I started using Retin-A 0.050% in April and it is now September, so I've waited a while to see if it really works. Unfortunately for me, this does not seem to have helped at all. Week 1: major peeling Week 3: still peeling + HORRIBLE BREAKOUTS (worst I've had in my life - I'm 33 and have suffered through acne since my teens) Week 5: no more peeling, but very bad purging phase. I can't even go out anymore :( Week 6: I went back to the doctor to ask for an antibiotic to use while my skin is still purging while on Retin-A because I couldn't take looking like Frankenstein's bride anymore. Week 8: Skin got better, but probably due to Minocycline, which has always worked for me but gives me the worst side effects. I was willing to go through the side effects just to have clear skin this time. Week 18: Finished my course of Minocycline. Skin is still better. Week 20: Started breaking out again because I've stopped Minocycline. Week 22: Skin looks worse than before I started Retin-A and I'm almost finished with my first tube. I won't continue with this anymore. I'm sure this works for some people, but it didn't for me. I went through a horrendous purging phase that was not worth it at all for me because even after 5 months, the medicine hasn't worked. I know a lot of people are saying to stick it out, but that will only really work for some. I don't want to give false hope. I only give it 2 stars because it is very affordable (I do live in Canada).
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March 6, 2016
Decent product
Currently suffering from mostly acne marks, but i still have a few pimples. Am 22 now and have had acne for years, the last 4 years i've been getting a ton of leftover acne marks. My acne marks are on my lower face (cheeks/sides of mouth & under my chin) My dermatologist prescribed me Tretinoin microsphere .04% and clindamycin phosphate topical lotion 1%. Been on it for almost a month now (i use tret every other night and clind every morning), only change i've seen is my skin has gotten smoother but my acne marks are still there. I do believe they are fading but i'm not sure if its the medicine or just time. (I've had these marks for easy a year) I am also taking 500mg of Vit-C twice a day so that may be helping it as well. I do believe the clindamycin has really helped me stop breaking out, ive only got a few pimples now. I do have a question about the Tretinoin, everyone is saying they have a 'purge' but i've been using it for almost a month and have not broken out at all (not like i have a problem with that though!) and ive only gotten peeling skin a few times. Is this normal? I'm not sure if it's working or not.. I took this stuff years ago and the first week i broke out horribly, so maybe now i just don't have as much 'junk' in my face?
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January 4, 2015
different experience than most

Ok, so I have combination skin, but mostly oily. My backstory: I got on birth control and it started to clear up, other than the few days before my period, id start to break out a little, but that was it.. then randomly my BC stopped working and my skin turned...... absolutely horrible. I had two large cysts on my face (they were super painful and about the size of a large pea under my skin) and i had dozens of blemishes, where i would usually have like one or two before. I was getting super worried bc i don't want scars! and nothing was working! I was pretty reliant on just washing my face with St. Ives Apricot Scrub. And that was all good until my BC stopped, then nothing worked at all. I went to the doctor and got prescribed Retin-A. I started my treatment December 15th. I was suuuper worried because i read all of the reviews of "its going to get a LOT worse before it gets better! just hang in there!" and i was freaking out bc i thought "it's already bad enough, i dont want to go thru more, even WORSE stuff." but i tried retin-a anyway.... with little expectations..... and here's the weird part. My skin is almost completely clear. after like 3 weeks of using it... ? I guess I'm still waiting for the 'awful' phase but like ??? my skin was getting progressively better within a week. I asked a friend who uses it too and asked how long they were using it until the "purge" phase came around and they said like 4 days. So im confused, but i guess this is good ??? Idk. I use it every night . I do a light layer on all my face then dab it on thicker on my trouble areas. It dries my skin out pretty bad ( warning to everyone who uses liquid foundation - moisturize before you put on your foundation or your skin will look like its peeling after you put your foundation on.) but yeah, i still have hyper-pigmentation, but thats no big deal to me bc 1) its better than not having acne 2) i use foundation anyway when i go out 3) my boyfriend understands my skin issues and he's super sweet. i just didn't like having painful acne. so yeah. i read something that said "don't trust anyone who says their acne got better in 2 weeks... they're lying.." but mine basically did. I'm still using it religiously, (every single night after i shower) and my skin just looks healthier. i don't know if this will help anyone but i wanted to share my experience, bc almost everything i read before i started using it said "it's gonna get so much worse before it gets better!!" and that wasn't the case for me. PS- im a 17 year old girl. thanks! (also: email me if you want to see my skin before and after - [edited out] ( wouldnt let me put actual link )

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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website