Tretinoin

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.

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Alex

January 16, 2007

Pros:

Controls my acne incredibly well (havent broken out for two years) and slows down the aging of the skin

Cons:

Broke out for 5 months straight before it started working. But if you keep with it, it WILL work. I still peel more then anybody I know, but a good moisturizer helps this

This is not just an acne medication. It slows down aging, and reverses photoaging. I figure if I don't stop using retina micro, in 50 years I will like 20 years younger then everybody else because I will have been using retin-a for 50 years. So stick with it for 6 months, and when all your friends start getting wrinkles, you will thank me.

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olli

January 14, 2007

Pros:

works

Cons:

same effect as differin, but with more redness and burning

I stepped up to Retin A after using differin for a few months, hoping to see more results. But even though my acne didn't get any worse, I had to deal with a red, painful face which was never an issue for me when I was on differin. After using Retin A for 2 months, I realised it was getting me nowhere and gave my face a medication break for 2 weeks, using only manuka honey as a face mask ( I really recommend this). Then I went back on differin and my face improved. I have recently found out about LIZ Earle organic face products' manuka honey face mask and together with differin ( and loads of aerobic exercise in the gym), my skin has never been better.

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Anna

December 27, 2006

Pros:

Works great on acne and oily skin, bonus helps speed up production of newer skin and reduces the look of scars and sun damage

Cons:

some redness, peeling and itching is to be expected, my skin also got more oily because this product expels oil from within the pores and does not allow for it to settle there and solidify into blackheads/whiteheads which clog pores and cause pimples

this is a long term treatment, don't expect miracles overnight, use sparingly and if your skin gets too red and sensitive try skipping a day, wash with a mild cleanser, to save money I buy J&J Baby Wash, 444ml for approx $5.99, it does not contain irritants, dyes or perfumes. I've been using retin A for over a year now, it has flushed all impurities out of my pores, this product is excellent for people with very oily skin but I would not recommend it to those who have acne lesions or cystic acne simply because it would irriate the condition and make it worse, in which case, one should see their doctor first. Now that my blackheads have cleared up, I have switched to a benzoyl peroxide product to keep my skin in check, furthermore, regardless whether or not you are using medications, STAY OUT OF THE SUN OR USE A SUNBLOCK OVER 40SPF !!! Your skin will thank you for life :)

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Laura

December 3, 2006

Pros:

works amazingly well, it's been the only thing that has consistently worked and at the moment i have beautifully clear skin -- somone actually complimented my complexion the other day (AND I HAD TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE SKIN)...

Cons:

extreme flakiness in the winter, sometimes it burns if your skin is sensitive

use in conjuction with a good moisturizer (i used SkinMedica) and stick with it, it will definitely clear up your skin...this last time i needed skin attention i had used tazorac for a long time instead of my usual retin a and while it helped, my skin was not *clear* until I started the retin-a (a plus side was that since the Tazorac had been in my system for so long, I had minimal initial breakouts). pair it with a Vibra Derm facial and you're all set

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Corey

November 28, 2006

Pros:

It worked well, gave me smooth fab looking skin, was a one step process and worked fairly quickly.

Cons:

Burning feeling at random times, had to hide from sunshine, smells bad, stains sheets and clothes, sometimes made face red.

For me, this stuff really worked - at times the skin was flawless. However, I don't use it anymore because the cons were just too much. I felt like I was coating my face in a thick and sketchy chemical everyday and that outweighed my desire to look good - esp. when there was that burning discomfort involved.

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Amy

November 18, 2006

Pros:

Good improvement, best yet for me!

Cons:

Intense peeling, very sore when applying, a redness of the skin and was worse for the first 2/3 weeks.

Hey,I'm 23 had acne on the face, chest and back for nearly eight years. Tried just about everything, and this has been the best treatment so far for me. I use the Erythromycin 2%/Isotretinoin 0.05% every night almost and occassionally during the day, along with Acnocin (Co-cyprindiol)an anti-androgen. The severity of my skin has improved drastically since using the gel aswell as my other meds. However it does cause peeling and redness of the skin, and is very sore to apply with tight feeling to the skin when its on. Also I do still have the breakout every month, but applying it in the day aswell helps at that time. And when I,ve tried cutting down the amount of applications my skin worsens again. Also its done nothing towards blackheads, but there not my concern really. However its worth it as my skins 80% better, but its dependant on the gel.I have also found using a naturally antibacterial soap and washing clothes,linen and towels in medical disinfectant, somewhat drastic but works.

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Nicky

November 5, 2006

Pros:

I use Abra detox complexion wash in the morning and at night. It is gentle and all natural. No drying. In the morning I use Benza Clin and at night I use Retin-A micro gel. My face started to show improvement within a week with no serious sideeffects

Cons:

The Benza Clin makes my cheeks sore for about a half hour but you can live with it. It's not that bad.

Definately wash your face with the Abra Detox Complexion Wash. It cost about $8 and you can find it in the health food store or on line. It is for oily and combination skin. It's a soap free AHA fruit cider was with plant surfactants to deeply cleanse and detoxify problem skin. Also use the BenzaClin in the morning and Retin-A at night..both after washing with the ABRA..you will see a difference.

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mia

October 23, 2006

Pros:

You know it works

Cons:

the process of using it

Use Aquaphor to battle the dryness. It is recommended by Dermatologist's for irritation to the skin. I have only been on Retin A Micro for 5 days and the peeling is intense. I have hormonal acne around my jawline and chin. After the 2nd day, I developed a blister on my shin from it. Yeah, it's real fun. But then I remembered Aquaphor, so I tried it, not alot, alittle goes a long way. but after an hour my skin looked great! and now i can seriously tell how well Retin A is working. Try it, it truly helps. Tip: If you feel slick, you used to much. **If you want to use make-up, apply Aquaphor, then wait 10 minutes, apply spf (for day), and wait 5 minutes, then apply makeup.

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Keep with it

October 18, 2006

Pros:

Definitely worth sticking with it.

Cons:

Made skin worse before it made it better.

I a 24 year-old woman -- I began to have moderate acne when I was 19 or so -- lots of red spots around my mouth, chin, and jaw-line. What finally worked for me was a combination of desogen birth control pills, clindamycin lotion twice a day, and retin-A micro once a day. It was a challange to stick with this regemin, as the retin-A really irritated my skin (painful, red, flaky skin). Also, my skin would go through cycles of getting better, and then getting worse (as the Retin-A sloughed off more and more layers of skin) -- but after about 6-8 months, my skin is perfectly clear! I found it is really important to use the cleomycin twice a day (once does nothing). I would wash my face, wait at least 10 minutes, apply cleomycin, wait at least another 10 minutes, and then apply about 2 pea-size drops of retin-A micro. If my skin became super irritated, I would drop retin-A usage down to once every 2 or 3 days. Good luck!

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