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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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October 30, 2014
4 Months of scarring and frustration
*Advice or comments are encouraged.
I have had mild-moderate acne since I was 13 and I am now almost 21. I decided that I want to have completely clear skin. I was previously only using soap in the mornings and my face had maybe 3-5 pimples at a time. On tretinon, it took me back to my middle school acne where I have acne all over that I am trying to hide with hoodies, collars, etc. I saw the dermatologist and he put me on .025% tretinoin and told me to use a benzoyl peroxide wash in the mornings. I can't say I went through an initial purge. A constant purge is more appropriate. I went from have pimples to having zits and cysts, some of which had to be injected to remove and left scars. My skin would look like it was starting to clear and then it would erupt with acne-so depressing to be so close. I was boosted to .05 in month 2 and same thing. My skin broke out and cleared up super-fast, but it was a continuous thing. Today has been month 3 and I have been using .1% for a week with the same results. This stuff makes your skin look smooth, but it also makes you look like you have been out in the sun and your skin is dried out. It is frustrating to get new zits where you have dry skin. Anyway, this has been a last ditch effort before accutane. I will use for another month with my fingers crossed. I have followed the instructions completely and have maintained a healthy diet. Read the reviews here, but IGNORE the people that said they have used it for a week or two and their skin cleared. It does not work that fast and they have yet to go through the initial purge, which lasts much longer! Also, ignore the reviewers who were prescribed an antibiotic at the same time. It is more likely the antibiotic clearing the skin rather than the tretinoin.
October 20, 2014
Awful experience with Retin-A
I want to start by saying that this product apparently has worked for many people, but please be aware that it does NOT work for everyone. I have been struggling with moderate acne since my teens (I'm now 31). I went to the doctor and she prescribed Retin-A. She did not warn me that my acne might get a LOT worse before it got better, and for an extended period of time. I really wanted to give this a shot, but after 9 weeks on the product and my acne was significantly WORSE than before I started using Retin-A, I just couldn't take it anymore. It was difficult to cover all of the cysts that were popping up on a daily basis with makeup, I started avoiding leaving the house, and I didn't want my boyfriend to see me without makeup. It was terrible, and it was affecting my self-esteem as well (I am normally quite a confident individual). Who wants to suffer through weeks and even months of painful, cycstic acne in the hopes that your acne may or may not finally clear up?! I finally decided to explore a natural route, and about a week ago I went to see an acupuncturist who specializes in Chinese Medicine. I stopped using Retin-A the same day. I received an acupuncture treatment, started taking Neem herbal supplements daily, and have reduced my carbohydrate intake. To wash my face, I'm using a natural Syrian soap called Chami, that's it. No moisturizer needed. Almost ALL of my cysts from using Retin-A have already dried up, my skin is much less oily, and I'm feeling so much better about my skin! I'm also using a Fuller's Earth mud mask every other day (commonly used in India, called Multani Mitti). I can't believe I spent all this time on Retin-A when a natural approach would have worked much better in the long run. It's only been a week, but the results so far have been very promising. If you're going to use Retin-A, just make sure you understand the risks!
November 21, 2013
Miracle Cream!
Cons:
Causes sensitivity
Flakey skin
I'm 19 years old and I've always had bumps/clogged pores/blackheads on my forehead and nose for as long as I can remember. It was the worst, because no matter how much make-up I'd use, it would be impossible to cover up (especially in certain lighting). It was bothering me so much that I asked my doctor to put me on birth control pills, solely for the purpose of acne. She did, and I stuck to the pills for about 10 months until I realized that my skin was getting much worse (huge painful cyst like acne on my jaw line/neck/chin/cheeks/around my mouth STILL ALSO had the bumpy skin) it was so awful and embarrassing. I just recently went to the dermatologist and was prescribed Minocycline 200mg per day and 0.025% Tretinoid cream to be applied every night. Literally, after 2 nights of using this cream my face was 99.7% clear! I put my make-up on and you couldn't even see a blemish. Now, I have been using it for almost 2 weeks, all of my dark spots from acne are fading very quickly, a couple of new zits have popped up but I'm not even mad because it's cleared up so much of what was already existing. I'm aware that there is supposed to be a "purging" period, but I am 2 weeks in and haven't experienced that yet. Very minimal flakes around my nose area. I did make the mistake of using this cream too close to my under eyes and it did burn very much when I used make-up remover in the same area. Overall my face always has a warm sensation now, not painful though. I don't remember the last time my skin has been so smooth, I could not be happier. I can't wait to see more results with this product!
October 16, 2013
Really works. For those starting out, Persevere!
Pros:
Clears acne
Helps with PIH
Better skin quality
Cons:
Bit flaky at times
IB may be frustrating (varies per person)
I wasn't going to write a review but I remember before starting my treatment I was skeptical of all the negative reviews although it may have been due to all the successful patients never writing reviews. I told myself if it worked I would write one to help my fellow acne sufferers. So I have mild-moderate acne ranging from near perfect at times (constant visits to the dermatologist) to severe cystic acne (worst depression of my life). But after I turned 21 and I still had acne, I realized I had to do something about it. Before I've been on bp and doxy but I've never been persistent enough to try retinoids. I started out with Ziana and I had almost no side effects and it helped (sort of). I tried it for around 5 months but I would randomly break out quite bad at times. Then I moved to retin-a micro .04 and I've been using it for almost 3 months now and results! I think the Ziana helped me transition but I still suffered from some breakouts during the first 2 months of retin-a micro (combination of regular breakouts, stress, and picking though I have to admit). In this sense the IB is not as bad as people think (although different for everyone). Just remember to persist, avoid touching your face, and moisturize and you'll have great results! Although it may be a bit early to say it, I have to say the confidence from having good skin is unexplainable. I should also note I'm taking bactrim at the moment. I might make an update at the 6 months mark as well.
June 15, 2013
Meh
Cons:
Side effects
Burning skin
Ineffective
Ive been prescribed retin a for years and years now and never had success with it. It causes a very bad purging stage in the beginning which I am fine with. But I could never use the product as recommended because it would make my skin raw from the extreme peeling. I got chemical burn when I used it as recommened and didn't realize what was happening with my skin. It makes my skin very sensitive and burns when ever I use it. It's not the product for me..
January 9, 2013
Product used: Atralin (Tretinoin (.05%) Gel)
Pros:
At nights I take an antibiotic called Bactrim in addition to the Atralin gel. Before I apply the gel I wash my face with Purpose (which I highly recommend instead of Cetaphil). In the morning I take Spironolactone, a testosterone blocker for hormonal acne, and use Clindamycin pledgets (more effective than the gel version).
Cons:
The first two weeks of using Atralin my face broke out significantly. But, I've used this product before and I expected this to happen knowing that it would soon get better and it did after about a month, its still not all the way there yet. If you do break out BareMinerals foundation works much better than liquid foundation and it allows the skin to breathe. Your skin might be dry so use a moisturizer (I use Neutrogena SPF 30) and then apply a primer.
Overall, this routine works for me. In order for Atralin to work you and your dermatologist need to figure out the right combination of products for your skin. I see many complaints about the gel not taking effect, the product may be colliding with your choice of make-up or moisturizer. Experiment with different products until you find the right one. It will take a lot of trial and error, but once you figure it out it will be gratifying.
November 12, 2012
Pros:
Cleared up acne on chest completely
Cleared face
Glowing skin
Better texture
Cons:
Smells bad
Too much can make skin flaky, and irritated
Interacts with other face washes and medications
Reddens face and makes me more prone to blushing
You have to use this product consistently and as directed. Wait 20 mins after washing your face before applying. Use a mild face wash with an exfoliation. I use St Ives, apricot scrub for sensitive skin, it's cheap and gentle. I had no initial breakout. I was afraid this would happen and it kept me from trying it for a long time. I didnt want additional scars. I'm really glad I finally tried it! I saw results in about 2 weeks! It hasn't really helped with hyper pigmentation... But overall it has cleared up my face dramatically. I now only get a few pimples on my chin vs. whiteheads, and pimples everywhere that where painful. My chest is completely clear, but a shade redder than before. I think it's worth the trade off. If you are curious about this product and have bad acne it def. worth a try. I'm not nearly as self conscious anymore. I tried everything else. Medications and natural remedies. This had worked the best.
November 8, 2012
Pros:
Scars are slowly fading.
Patience is required
Cons:
Initial breakout was really bad.
Still breaking out
I started my treatment in August and its been three months. Scars are slowly fading and skin around the mouth along with my nose peels the most. On 0.05% the generic form. My skin is getting smoother and feels like a baby. I can't wait until I am finished to see the amazing results. Warning: Initial breakout is really bad i had at least 5 new pimples every day with the head coming out it was horrible but I kept on. You know what they say when the going get rough keep going.
July 26, 2012
Pros:
- clears up acne
- brigthens face
Cons:
- flakes
- dry patches
- excess oil on skin
Well i reviewed this product a month or two ago. I have now been using this product since April 2012 and it is now the end of July 2012. So around 4 months of trying out this product. Honestly my acne was not very severe to begin with, it was very light except when i became very stressed out. As i mentioned in my earlier review i did have verrrryyy dry flakey inflamed skin for the first month and a half. My acne cleared up but has come back atleast once or twice while still using the product, except when my acne shows up now it goes away in about 3 days. I was using tret 0.05 but just recently got switched to 0.025 becuase of the dry patches that kept showing up on my face. I could not handle having dry patches while the rest of my face was beyond oily. Conciously putting on lotion to an oily face was just not working for me. So far with the 0.025 version my face is not as dry, however my acne is not drying out as fast. :/ Also, the oil on my face is still very bad. I will continue using this product for at least one year before I completely give up on having perfect skin. I can definitely tell that i have had a change of heart about this product, especially considering my sensitive skin type. I though that it would continue to make my skin glow and look amazing but it did not live up to expectations. Bottom Line: If you have severe acne this product will definitely help you. The pros will definitely outway the cons. However, if you are like me and have very light acne, this product may be a little too much for the skin.
June 22, 2012
Pros:
Gives your skin great skin texture.
Heals acne fast
Exfoliates
Helps reduce acne
Heals hyper pigmentation
Heals indented scars somewhat
Cons:
Does not completely get rid of acne
Makes you peel like crazy in the beginning
Very red skin
Gets way worse before it gets better
Took me 2-3 months to see results
Alright, let me be realistic about Retin-A. Retin -A is an amazing product. It made me skin texture amazing and completely got rid of my blackheads on my forehead and nose. Here's the thing though: I did a rave review on this site many months ago talking about how great Retin-A is and how much is helped my acne. I used to get 5 new pimples a day. Retin-A reduced my pimples to about 1 every 3 or 4 days. However I would still suffer with a small breakout around my period. Although it was healing my hyper pigmentation faster than normal and reduced my acne, I decided enough was enough. Retin A wasn't doing enough to completely clear my skin. I still felt like I had to wear full coverage foundation when I went somewhere. So I decided to drop the Retin-A and start Dan Kern's Regimen. I was terrified to stop using Retin-A since it took me from moderate acne to light acne and made my skin texture so amazing. But right now I've been now two weeks without Retin-A and on the regimen and it was the best decision I made. My skin has just began to clear in only two weeks. Yes, when I stopped Retin-A my face blew up and was getting 5 new zits a day again. But now after two weeks I am now getting no new breakouts and that's much better than two to three months of waiting for results while your face is freaking out. However I am going to wait about 2-3 weeks for my face to be completely clear on the regimen and I am going to pick up retin-a again, only in the smallest concentration, and only for the purpose of keeping up that great texture I got from it and getting rid of hyperpigmentation. The texture of my skin is not bad now, but when I touch is I feel the dryness. With Retin-A my face was baby smooth (Exfoliating all that peeling ofcourse). So, yes, I do recommend Retin-A and I think it's worth it, however I wish I did Dan Kern's regimen first and then incorporated a small concentration of Retin-A later to avoid that nasty period of purging.
Pros:
Clears acne fast
Smooths skin/shrinks pores
Evens skin tone