Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Works about the same as the other two topical retinoids, tazarotene and adapalene, and lands in the middle of those two when it comes to side effects. Should provide partial clearing, but comes with sensitivity when you first start using it. It probably won’t be a total game changer but it should help reduce acne.
Topical Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Tretinoin? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
June 9, 2013
Okay...
Cons:
Can cause acne if used on spots without pimples.
It does help a little bit. I'm currently on it. I've used it for over a year actually... It's good but you need to use it on the actual pimple itself. If you spread it around to other parts of your face, you will break out.
April 9, 2013
Pros:
It cleared up my acne after 2 1/2 months.
Cons:
It made my skin extremely oily. My skin was actually less oily before the Retin A
It would have been perfect if I wasn't so oily. I have used it for over 4 months and it is still as oily as ever.
February 14, 2013
Pros:
too early to tell
Cons:
I'm starting to break out bad ...I'm in the third week
I'm on tretinoin cream 0.025% and clindamycin pledgets ...I'm on my third week of using them and I'm starting to break out bad....I've been crying about it and I just want to give up already because I've suffered with acne for a little less than 10 years. I'm 22 and my acne has gotten worse when I started going to college. I just graduated and I still have acne and lots of scars. I'm going to stick with it because I've been through hell and back with my acne so one more trip won't kill me!
January 10, 2013
Pros:
got rid of the black heads on my nose
a couple of pores have gotten smaller
skin is verrryyyyy smooth
Cons:
Skin is red
Skin is irritated
skin is burned
skin is dry
does not get rid of the pimples, just cleans out the pores
i used retin-a for 5 days now, i use it with benzyol peroxide, in ways my skin got better and in ways my skin looks horrible and red, and bad, dry burnt. people say i have discoloration, but i am definitely continuing to use this product, and i will show the results next tuesday................. <3
November 11, 2012
Pros:
It will have great results in the long run
Rids of blackheads completely!
Cons:
Initial breakout is HORRIBLE
Hyper-pigmentation
Patience is a virtue
I am on week 5 of tretinoin .05% cream. I was also prescribed Finacea cream and an antibiotic. I do not recommend any of these products (that is how I feel so far). My dermatologist did NOT warn me of the initial breakout of the tretinoin and I am LIVID. I have horrible skin now. I was on Epiduo for years before this and had a few break outs a month and just wanted to try something new to be 100% clear. BOY do I wish I could take it back and have those few break outs a month... I was being picky.
NOW my skin has severe hyperpigmentation, I have at LEAST 2 new pimples a day on my cheeks, and I am breaking out on my forehead now which I never did before...
On the small bright side, if I do not pick at any pimples (the picking is my fault, I get that) I see mall improvements in the lightening of the discoloration. At week 2 I was getting several cystic zits at once which I never had before either, but now at week 5 that has subsided (thanks goodness). So yes, at 5 weeks there are small changes, but if I could go back in time I would not have tried this, it is ruining my self confidence. I cry about it a lot and I avoid going out. And I just turned 21! I should be going out and feeling great!
I will continue to use tretinoin (and switch out Finacea cream with Epiduo on my follow up visit in a month) until the end of the year, and see how it looks. If it has the "amazing" results I hear about, I will be sure to follow up with you guys here and tell you if would recommend it then... But for now, I am headed to Sephora to buy hundreds of dollars of fancy makeup to cover up this mess on my face I never had before. Good luck to those in their first weeks with this devil cream.
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.
October 30, 2012
This is my very first review about any type of acne medication. I probably shouldn't since I am only a little 2 months into using the Tretinoin 0.025 cream, but I want to anyways. I will be straight up. The initial break out sucks. I am a very outgoing person and this breakout is making me just want to stay home and cry. It is hard to look in the mirror honestly. But I keep thinking to myself that all of the bad stuff under my skin is just being brought to the surface to be taken care of. I am not going to give up. I am sick of having acne ruin my life so I am going to take care of it. I am very determined and have faith that my skin will eventually get used to this cream and my skin will FINALLY clear up. I am not a quitter and even though I really want to give up on it, I refuse to. So to all those who may be in the same position as me, please don't give up! We can do this. And if this medication is making you feel ugly, do not let it. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. :)
Good luck, xoxo.
October 11, 2012
Pros:
Haven't seen any yet but I'm holding on to hope.
Cons:
+++Oily Skin!
Terrible initial breakout
I have tried nearly everything and after almost 15yrs on Diane 35 (controlled with light acne) I have had my acne return; along with chest and back acne. I refuse to use birth control and have tried everything short of Spiro and Accutane over the years.
My derm gave a rx for Retin A micro (gel) and suggested to start by applying it for 1hr/night before bed x1wk, then apply it nightly. I experienced no flaking/drying and instead my face turned into an oil slick!!! So incredibly disgusting. I could literally see oil dripping out of my pores. Needless to say, every doc I've talked to states that this is "very uncommon" and they have not heard of this side effect. I was switched to the Retin A cream at a lower concentration and advised to moisturize immediately following my am and bedtime wash, with the rationale that my skin was irritated and over producing oil (I've always had dry skin). The oil has been cut in half after 2wks use, however I have not experienced the peeling/drying effect that is supposed to happen with the cell turnover. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this experience?
I am currently experiencing an initial break out which has worsened my acne from mild to moderate/severe. I expected that and am hopeful that it will improve in a few months. I am willing to purposefully go through a difficult time in the short-term, for long-term gains, but it is not easy. Reading the other reviews has helped in knowing what to expect; aside from this oily side effect. I plan to give it another 2 months and hope for some improvement.
September 19, 2012
Pros:
make pimple dry quickly
Cons:
itchy, redness, leaves the scars
To be clear, i am using this cream with other oral medicine Doxcycline and Spironolactone, Doxcycline caused me upset stomach so i stopped using them now. Regarding Tretinoin, as everybody said i am having itchy skin, redness and yeah breakout too :(. Today is my 13th day, in the morning i saw three more painful cysitc acne apart from other existing acne and scars, its not fun at all.Hopefully it will go, i am so depressed with these acne. I have done so many things, tree tea oil, clarisonic mia cleanser, natural remedies like nutmeg, oatmeal honey facepack, baking soda etc etc..but everytime it is getting worst and endup going doctor. I will be more patience with this medicine hopefully i will get clearer skin within a month or two.
September 10, 2012
Pros:
can't say anything good yet ive been using it for almost 3 weeks
-cheap with insurance
-multi purpose
-can be used for acne, acne scars, wrinkles and prevent wrinkles
Cons:
flakiness
senstive to the sun
feels like you have a sunburn
cannot use mostriuzer with this at night just can only use retin a
when i first starting using retin a about 3 weeks ago nothing really happened to my skin it wasnt peeling or nothing it was just normal but then 3 days after my skin was starting to clear up and then i was like yes its working but then the next week my skin started to purge and i know thats part of the process so im going to stick to it but the purging isnt that bad how people make it seem like but it depends on the persons skin i will keep a follow up (:
btw my doctor said to only use retin a at night and in the morning put benzoyl peroxide to the affect areas
Pros:
Helps a little
Usually speeds up the process of pimple elimination