However.... does work, to a certain extent. I find the 3 month rule bullsh*t. The retin-a 0.05 only started to show signs of improvement at the end of june (i started in february, 5.5 months ish) and that was only after a HORRENDOUS belated purging phase. I had a lottos under the skin bumps prior to retin-a, thus why i got it, and since then i only have a few on my face and nothing else, I'm not 100% clear but around 80%. The under the skin bumps only went away around month 5 though, so be patient. Use sunscreen.

I've only done one round of Retin A. Fortunately I did it when the only thing I had to do was stay home and hide for a week and a half. Yes, you will peel like you have never peeled before. If you're someone who doesn't have the luxury of getting to stay home and hide, I would recommend something else. BUT, I have also found that If i put a tiny bit in with my nightly moisturizer it works pretty well in maintaining clear skin once the "uglies" are over. If you really want clear skin, just bite the bullet for a week or two, and make sure you DON'T OVERDO IT. It's worth it in the end.

I am 15 and have quite a bit of acne on my face, so after a year or so of doing Proactiv (which amazing affects wore of after a few months), I decided to ask my doctor for solutions and she gave me Retin-A (0.05%) and Minocycline. I found that the Retin-A wasn't really working at first and having naturally oily skin, didn't have the dry skin I heard talk about, so my doctor bumped up my percentage to 0.1%, which almost immediately gave me dry, flaky skin, which I know is supposed be a part of the process, but I didn't find any changes in my acne, the old was still there, the new still coming in, so I went back to my and got something called Differin XP, which is another topical cream (0.3%) which gave me the same side effects and results as Retin-A, so I have recently stop using it and switched back to Proactiv which seems to be working again for me. I feel this product can work if you can live with the side effect of constant dryness and peeling, since I would normally stop applying it for a week because my face would become so dry, sensitive and red, even with constant mosturizing. Also at the beginning my acne will flared up, but a few weeks later it started to go down a bit.

I just started a new skin regimen after my visit to my dermatologist this past friday. She prescribed me 1% Retin A for the night, along with clindmycin gel. I also just started to take doxycyclin pills as well. However she has me wash my face with 5% Benzoyl Peroxide wash every morning. Has anyone else had this routine and seen results? Or any advice for the retin A and the dryness?

Hi I'm 15 years old and I'm a female. I have been using this cream for a little over 2 weeks. Before using this product , I break out in the typical t-zone ( cheeks , chin , and forehead). I have mild acne but still noticeable. I'm very insecure about it. But I been flaking up with this product and it almost seems like I'm breaking out more then I did before this product. I'm also very red. I know have to be patient. But when should I see results ? Are my experiences so far normal ? I just would like to know because so far with this product , I'm discouraged.

I am a 22 year old female with mild-moderate acne. However, I started using MAC makeup on my face, and it caused a terrible breakout that just wouldn't clear up. So I went to my derm and he prescribed retin A coupled with clindamycin. I have only been using retin A (a generic brand, though) for roughly 4-5 weeks. I know it takes 6+ weeks minimum to work, so I am patiently waiting! It finally seems to be improving and I cannot wait to see results! I was a bit apprehensive to give it a try based on reviews, but I gave it a shot. I wanted to share my routine that seems to help a lot with the dryness/flaking/oil. I'm the morning: I wash my face with Acne Free face wash, which is pretty mild with only 2.5% BP. I've used this for years and have always had good results. I use witch hazel on a cotton ball as a toner (I LOVE this and it is SO cheap!). In the morning, I use cetaphil oil control lotion (which seems to help a bit with the oil). A bit spendier, but worth it. I try to leave time to wait 10 min before putting on clindamycin because that's what has been recommended. However, being a flight attendant with an insane schedule, I only have time about half of the time to wait... And it's been fine. After that, I do my normal makeup routine. HINT! The combination of both medications and the dryness make my skin SO oily (and previously I had normal skin) BUT I just use a thin layer of baby powder on a blush/bronzer beush over my makeup and I can go all day with no oil :) and trust me, I have tried the fancy bare minerals/MAC/Clinique cure for oil, and this has been my godsend. And, again, it's SO cheap! PM routine: wash my face with acne free face wash again. Along with witch hazel as a toner. At night I use a heavier cetaphil lotion for dry skin. It's far too heavy and "oily" for day wear, but it does a lot of repairing at night! non comedogenic, of course. Again, I leave it for 10ish min (or more) and apply the retin A. A SMALL amount! Pea sized is all :) If I could stress one thing, it would be START SLOW. I did every 3rd day for 2 weeks, every other day for 2 1/2 weeks. I JUST started using it every day. It has helped a lot with the dryness. I didn't have much of the initial breakout I read about right away, it got a little worse, but nothing major. About the 3rd or 4th week I started breaking out more. But nothing terrible or cystic and they clear up fast. I have been very unhappy with my skin the last couple of weeks, but I can tell things are getting better. There are horror stories, but I can tell it will be worth the wait, and the wait hasn't been that bad. My advice is to take things slow, use everything in moderation, moisturize, and be patient. I will review this in a few weeks with an update. I really just wanted to help those currently struggling with dryness and oil who are going through this process as well. Good luck!

I have treatment resistant moderate acne. Very little prevents new acne on my face from forming, and this is no different. However, this is a fairly drying product, and i use it every night because it seems to reduce the amount of oil on my skin. I think this drying helps my existing pimples go down faster. Note: Its effectiveness is reduced with exposure to benzoyl peroxide or direct light (sun or flourscent), which is why you will probably be instructed to apply it at night. It's a shame - I would LOVE to apply it in the morning - my face would be so much less greasy during the day! Overall, I recommend it, though I wouldn't expect anyone with moderate/severe acne to see significant clearance from it.

I am going into my third week with using Retin-A and I am having the hardest time pushing through with this. I am 21 years old and have been battling acne since I was 15. I am reading all the reviews on how it needs to take roughly 6 months to be effective and to see results, but I am fearful that it will continue to make me break out in these purges which is resulting in these left over red spots. People that have cleared up.. is your complexion clear of the red left over spots that these purges create?

already been using tretinoin for 9 weeks and i get lesser pimples now and they go away much faster. nonetheless, i still get pimples and it sucks. my hyperpigmentation scars are lightening up so that's good. although i now have oily skin, i don't know if it's because of my puberty and my androgens acting up or because of the tretinoin. so if anyone could help me with the oily skin problem please do comment. thanks! will update after a month

I have been using this cream for 3 weeks today and I am not sure if it is ever going to work. I am 22 years old and I have always had perfect skin, but I have been battling acne now for about 6 months and I am just at my breaking point. My dermatologist prescribed me Minocycline 100mg and Tretinoin Cream 0.025% but 3 weeks after taking Minocycline I had some terrible reactions to the medicine so now I had to quit taking that and I am only using the cream. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient but that is EASIER said then done. I have let acne control my entire life for the past 6 months..I go to work and then I come home and get in bed. I feel like all it is doing is making my blackheads worst and it's just not working! Not to mention I already have horrible red spots all over my fave that I just can't seem to cover with makeup or ANYTHING. I'm hoping someone knows what I am going through and can calm me down because all of my friends still have perfect skin and they just don't understand what I am going through