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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3.4
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5
21.8%
4
32.3%
3
21.6%
2
14.8%
1
9.4%

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February 18, 2015
Awesome
In my freshman year of high school i started breaking out really bad. I had a whole bunch of white heads and red bumps all over my cheeks it literally covered my cheeks. I finally went to my doctor and he prescribed me Retin-A with clindamycin. This stuff cleared my acne within 2 weeks. I was so happy that it cleared up my face. You only need to use a pea size amount of the Retin-A a little goes a long way. The clindamycin was a lotion which i used in the morning. I used the Retin-A at night. The reason why i give this a four though is because I ran out of this medication and was to lazy to get a refill. I stopped using it for about 2 months and broke out again. I tried going on it again but my skin got immune to it. Now my acne is been the worst its ever been in years Im very depressed and sad at the moment. My acne now covers my cheeks again and my face is scarred and discolored I think its time to go on oral pills. Ive never tried oral pills before I pray to god and i hope they work because i dont know what to do and high school is not fun for me right now.
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September 30, 2014
Tretinoin + other products cleared my acne in 2 WEEKS
I had recently completely switched up my acne treatment medications. I switched my birth control to Loryna, started taking doxycycline hyclate (sp?) twice a day, and I also take 1 vitamin to improve skin, hair, and nails. On top of that I started using Tretinoin cream 0.025%. I watched a ton of youtube videos to see what it was all about and I watched and read all negative things. I was kinda scared to see how it would work on my skin so I have been using it every other night and wow, I have not had 1 breakout since. Before, I had a new breakout daily, sometimes more depending on stress but now all my acne has gone away. All I have left is a few acne scars from my really bad cystic acne below my nose and that will take time to go away. This product has made my skin a little dry, so I use lots of moisturizer and try to stay away from liquid makeup. But the dryness is nothing too bad. I would definitely recommend trying this product.
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August 24, 2014
The game changer
I have been using tretinoin for almost 7 years now and it has been greatly beneficial to my skin. Tretinoin helped my skin to reduce the size of scars as well as help prevent blackheads. Here are the combinations of topical applications I used with tretinoin -Tretinoin + Benzoyl Peroxide Cream + Aveeno Calming Cleanser = VERY DRY SKIN, peeling, redness, irritation, needed a great amount of moisturizer... sometimes the moisturizer was too weak to reduce the dry skin so I had to use something thick like sunblock. -Tretinoin + Oxy Benzoyl Peroxide Face Wash = Dry skin, redness, a small amount of peeling -Tretinoin + Clindamycin Phosphate + Cetaphil Everyday Cleanser = Best results, didn't over-dry the skin, kept the skin nice and tight, seems like my pores are shrinking, scars are starting to level-off with the rest of the skin, no peeling, no dryness. Tretinoin should be used at night because it makes your skin sensitive to UV rays as well as artificial sunlight. Try to apply this right before you go to sleep; my skin got oily when I applied this and went out. Only use a pea-sized amount to prevent over-drying/redness. Try to wash your face after 7-8 hours after you apply it on your face because it can irritate your skin.
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July 1, 2013
disappointing

Pros:

helps shrink pores on nose
doesn't irritate skin

Cons:

does not help acne at all

My doctor told me to try this out since my skin can't handle BP and SA is not doing anything for me. I apply it to areas where i tend to get acne every night before bed. I noticed that the large pores on my nose started to get smaller, but other than that nothing happened.
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April 23, 2013

Pros:

Non-greasy
Clears chin acne after a few months
Prevents new breakouts
Dries out new acne
Dries quickly
A tube lasts for a few months

Cons:

Pretty severe initial breakout that lasts about a month
Doesn't smell good
Can leave yellow residue if too much is applied
Can dry out skin (apparently it does so a lot for others but personally that wasn't too bad for me and I'd take dry skin over acne any day)

I highly recommend this product. I had chin acne that nothing, including BP, worked for. I am overall highly sensitive to BP and this product does not irritate my skin. I had an awful initial breakout - multiple painful cysts on my chin for about a month. I read on this website that many experienced the same thing and stuck it out. Then suddenly, acne started fading and I stopped getting new cysts and now my chin is clear except some scarring spots and occasional breakout. 4 stars instead of 5 for the initial breakout.
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March 25, 2013

Pros:

Works wonders
Clear skin

Cons:

Takes awhile
dryness
Flaking

You need to know that everybody is different. Some people see results in 2 weeks. Others in 3 months. The first couple weeks are the worst. Your face is flaking. Breaking out even worse than before. and your skin is red splotchy. But thats how Retin a works it peels off layers of the skin , and helps fight breakouts. And bring up all the acne that was going to come up anyways. Thats why people start breaking out alot. But that just means its working. After 4 weeks i saw results. Never been more happy with my skin today
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January 19, 2013

Pros:

* Works on cysts, Nodules, pustles, and papules fairly quickly.
* Small Whiteheads are typically gone overnight
* Acne scars look much better

Cons:

* Can be irrating
* Dry skin flakes
* Doesn't realy work on blackheads.
* Intial Breakout

I love Rentin A micro. My skin looks so much better and my forehead is almost completly clear. Some of the pores on my cheeks appear smaller and my skin isn't nearly as oily. The only bad thing is most of my blackheads won't go away and it gets really frustrating. If you are going to use Retin A micro, use a super gentle cleanser ( I love cetaphil), a nice toner ( clean & clear deep cleaning toner for senstive skin is nice) and a fantastic mostriser ( Clean & Clear's dual action one is amazing. It makes my skin ways softer and and I haven't gotten as many small whiteheads)
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August 21, 2012

Pros:

Inexpensive

Cons:

Unbearable initial breakout
Redness
Peeling

I have had acne since the age of 12 (I am 25 now). I fought for spironolactone which up until the past few months had eliminated all of my face and body acne. However, I had several tiny bumps on my chin that did not go away. So I was given Retin A Micro gel by my dermatologist who swore up and down that it was a wonderful medication that would eliminate my persistent acne. Three days after applying the medication, I had two large cysts and three bright red painful bumps. I have been on the medication for a month and a half and every day my face grows increasingly worse. I now have 22 active acne bumps and at least five red marks where pimples used to be. I wish I could stick this medication out, but I have been in tears every morning for the past month and a half. Makeup won't cover this many pimples, and many of my bumps are very sore. I will not be using this medication again.
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August 17, 2012

Pros:

Takes Blackheads away
Dries blemishes

Cons:

Can cause redness at first or can worsen for the beginning, but if you keep using it should be fine in couple of weeks or so.

I used this Gel in 2007 and my face got all red, my blemished worsened and I stopped using it. I am 27 years old female. Lived most of my life in Cold climate so blamed it on a hot weather of California. I workout every day, eat healthy, wash my face, wash my bed sheets once a week, sometimes twice, wash my towels and even iron them, I even tried not to use makeup and nothing helped! I went to the doctor and was proscribed doxycycline and Retin-A.I mentioned Retin-A gave me irritation last time I have tried so he offered to try light version of it Differin. I used his testers and when I was out of them looked up my meds and found my old REtin-A:)) I started using it and I should say I am impressed. Maybe it works better because I use it together with antibiotics, but even my blackheads went away. It works best if your face is well dried, so use it better after half an hour once you wash your face. Good luck everybody!
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February 28, 2012

Pros:

Don't see any yet

Cons:

I have been using this product for 7weeks now and my face is a disaster. I have such painful acne now that I have to take Advil to reduce the swelling in my face. Will this ever stop? I read mixed reviews about when the bream out period stops . It is so depressing , someone please let me know

It has not helped with any of my whiteheads
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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