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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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March 18, 2008
Cons:
Unbelievable dryness on the face. It hurt to apply moisturizer and the medicine itself. Developed a rash on my neck from applying medicine to the jawline.
I am currently using Tretinoin cream 0.05% once a day at night. In the morning, I use Benzacline. I have mild acne and annoying cystic acne that affects my nose, temples, and jawline. When I first started, my skin was unbelievably dry and flaky. It was very painful. Since I've started using Cetaphil Facial Moisturizer, the discomfort has been reduced considerably. I apply a liberal amount in the morning after waiting for the benzacline to dry. Please make sure to let your face dry completely, about 10-20 mins before applying Tretinoin. I made the mistake of applying the cream when my face was not dry. My face was ok, but my neck got very irritated and itchy when I was lying in bed. It was so itchy I broke into a rash and I couldn't sleep. This went on for 2 days. I remedied this problem by waiting for my face to dry completely and by applying the medicine carefully to my jawline. Most notable improvement is that the skintone around my jawline is looking unbelievabl
January 28, 2008
Pros:
cleared blackheads on my forehead, also made it smoother
Cons:
Takes a while (>8weeks)
it worked pretty good for me. cleared blackheads on my forehead. still get a few postules once in a while, but those aren't as painful as before. it definitely made my skin smoother though. i feel that retin a is only good for blackheads, and asked my dermatologist about it and he also said that retin a is mostly used to treat black and whiteheads. so i am satisfied with it since retin a did what it's supposed to do. as far as drying and peeling is concerned, it did not affect me at all, and i tend to put a lot more than the recommended amount (one pea size, but i use amount equivalent to around 2-4 peas).
November 15, 2007
Pros:
This will make unattractive skin beautiful. It's an absolute miracle
Cons:
If used incorrectly, you resemble an alligator and suffer.
Wait 1/2 hour after washing your face to apply a tiny pea sized amount of retin-a mixed with a moisturizer - mixing it will make the small amount cover your whole face. If there's any moisture left in/on your skin from washing, it causes more irritation, skin must be totally dry. Start slowly, every three days, then every two, then every day. If you do it right you'll have almost no side effects. The cream is better than the gel for mixing with a lotion.
September 8, 2007
Pros:
This stuff is wonderful. I get constant compliments on my "glowing skin," and am often mistaken as a kid in high school (I'm 23 w/ 2 BA degrees & entering grad). When I applied for a p-t job recently, I was reminded that I had to be 18 to apply!
Cons:
*Flaking: I suffered extensive flaking until I finally found a combination of products that worked for me.
*Sunburn: You must wear SPF 15 or 30, and there are "no ifs, ands, or buts" about it. If you don't, prepare to suffer the sunburn from h*ll.
*Retin-A is extremely cheap. I can buy a tube from Wal-Mart for $35 without insurance ($7 with my insurance), and it lasts for 2-3 months. *With the right combination of products, irritation is minimal. "Don't go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me" by Paula Begoun is a great resource for finding effective yet inexpensive products. *Personally, the following regimen has worked extremely well for me: -In the morning, cleanse with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser. Follow with an antioxidant serum. Once dry, apply Neutrogena Healthy Defense Moisturizer SPF 30. It sounds gross, but my skin rubs off in weird little balls; massaging it off takes care of flaking. Once done, apply more moisturizer and follow with Covergirl Aquasmooth SPF 15 foundation.
-At night, cleanse with Neutrogena cleanser and follow with antioxidant serum. Wait 30 minutes, then apply a small amount of Retin-A .1% cream. *I have no flaking, stinging, or pain, and my derm approved of this r
July 17, 2007
Pros:
Has cleared my face completely!! Skin is Firmer and wrinkles are looking better. Scars have faded almost completely. Better skin tone. Less oil production.
Cons:
peeling!!
This does work really well. It took a good 3-4 months. But the results were worth it. It's scary in the beginnging. But stick with it. My face now looks poreless and smooth. Much better that what I started with. I will never stop using this!!
January 19, 2007
Pros:
I had REALLY severe acne just a few months ago. I have been on this medication for 4 months, and now I don't have acne anymore. I haven't had a cystic lesion for 3 months (yes I'm counting) and it feels great. It also has reduced my acne scars.
Cons:
Breaking out for the first few weeks.
This product is really superb. I literally have tried everything on the market today and nothing has worked. My acne is gone and now I have the baby skin that i have always wanted. I know that the first few weeks of breaking out sounds scary, but really, it's for a good cause: to have awesome skin. PLEASE consider using this product because it is really worth the time and money.
December 21, 2017
Tretinoin Gel
I do not usually take the time to write reviews but I felt compelled to as I heavily relied on reviews to make a decision for my skin.
I am 27 and although not constant, I would frequently get deep, very swollen, under the skin blemishes that would result in weeks of redness/marks and they would often never come to the surface. Id say this has been going on for about 7 years. I have tried everything but nothing has made this problem better. I, like many of you was worried about the horrible "purge" on tretinoin however, I am in my 3rd week and My skin is more beautiful than ever. I cant say I am even experiencing any dryness or redness. (I am using CeraVe Am moisturizer with sunscreen) I am very happy with the results so far. I will add that I began taking generic Yasmin for birth control at the same time. My doctor said it has an aldactone derivative so, one may experience spiro benefits without having to take spiro alone. I hope this helps someone, I know having bad skin can send you into a very low place. There is hope. :)
June 18, 2017
Stopped working
I was prescribed tretonoin .025 cream in October, and it took about a month to kick in. I had the usual drying and peeling for the first couple weeks, then my skin started to really clear up. I have terrible hormonal acne around my moth and chin, and I enjoyed about 5 months of clear skin with this cream. Around april, my skin randomly started breaking out again in the same places it used to. I got the stronger 0.05 prescription about a month ago, and my skin has only gotten worse. I am also on ortho try cyclen lo birth control, and that is supposed to help but it isn't. Is anyone having an issue with this cream not working anymore?
July 24, 2017
I had the same issue, I think in the summer months the lighter formula the gel version of tretinoin will work well.
July 29, 2017
Ortho tri cyclen mAde me break out terribly!! I went on it for acne and had to switch because I had so many cysts from it!
August 16, 2017
the same thing happened to me i used it for a year and it worked great but then after a while it stopped working.. ugh
February 20, 2017
Good Product, Bad Regimen
I used Retin-A quite some time ago but never got past my first tube. It's compleatly to be expected to have some irritation and flaky skin and well as nasty breakouts for the first few weeks to a few months when trying a strong prescription acne drug such as Retin-A. However, it may be a little less normal to start using it and than days later being in enough pain that you start crying in class beacause your face hurts and having to go home. Okay, so I may be a little bit of a wimp but it was way worse than the 'minor irritation' my dermatologist had described. Imagine the warm stinging feeling you get putting on moisturizer after exfoliating or after a blackhead mask. Now imagine that but four to seven times worse and for hours. It sucked. Overall though I think my dermatologist jumped the gun by having me use a very high dose of Retin-A as my first hardcore acne treatment without having ever seen my reactions to different products before.
Retin-A works very well for some people and not so well for others. I think that is most people start at a low dose and work their way up to using it every day or every other day they will probably have positive results. Just keep one thing in mind: just beacause you have bad acne or similar oily skin doesn't mean you should be tough back to your face. All skin-types can be sensitive so treat yours carefully and be cautious with acne mess like Retin-A.
October 13, 2016
Hair loss after 2 months use
After a little over 2 months of use, retin a started causing my hair to shed abnormally. I have used retin a in the past, but never seriously, I'd use it here and there when I remembered but I was breaking out especially bad (I realized it was due to MAC waterproof foundation) so I was going back and forth between .5 and .25 every night. After a month or so my hair started shedding more than usual, and I tried contributing it to anything I could bc I had no idea retin a could cause hair loss. When I got close to 2 months of use I started reading around and realized hair loss was indeed a side effect of retin a, maybe rare but it exists. Retin a is essentially just Accutane you are applying to your skin, which afterall is your largest organ and main way you detox. Slathering it with Accutane would seem to lead to side of effects of regular Accutane. Since stopping I believe the shedding is slowing, but I am taking all sorts of supplements meant for hair and got special shampoos. If you start shedding while using this, don't dismiss that retin a may be the culprit. I have been using the Skin Cueticals acne kit with great results thus far (only a week). I have a derm apt soon and I might ask for Azeliac acid.
Pros:
Skintone/pigmentation scars seems to be looking more even. I haven't been on the medicine long enough to see a considerable difference in preventing acne, but the medicine seems to get rid of discolored skin from old scars very quickly.