Tretinoin

I have mild acne mainly around my jaw line, but am susceptible to cysts in that area as well as on my chin. Tretinoin cream helped clear up my skin and keep it clear for a few weeks. I didn't break out at all when I started using the cream (as some people seem to experience) nor did my skin become very dry. I thought - finally - I had found a product that worked. However, about 4 weeks in to using the cream I started getting smallish pimples - especially in areas I didn't normally get them (on my neck and on my cheeks). It just seemed to get worse and worse until I stopped using the cream. I haven't used the cream for a few days now and my skin is beginning to look much better. I used tretinoin every evening for exactly 6 weeks. Some people report that tretinoin didn't start working for them for some time. What confuses me is that it worked for me for the first few weeks - and then stopped. Perhaps I should have persisted for longer, but I just couldn't face weeks more of bad acne.

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Anna

January 11, 2012

Pros:

It helped a lot with acne in a short amount of time.

Cons:

It REALLY dried out my skin. I got to the point where my acne was getting so bad right underneath my nose and down to my upper lip, that I put a ton of this stuff on every night. The acne went away days ago, but my skin is terribly chapped. It appears dry, it looks disgusting, and it burns extremely bad. It hurts to move my mouth anymore. This alone makes the medicine not worth it. I would rather have acne than have this.

It's not worth it because of how dry it makes your skin. It is especially not worth the money.

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crystalxo

December 9, 2011

Pros:

i didn't have any with this product unfortunately

Cons:

I have very dry skin to begin with and this only made it worse didn't exfoliate what so ever when my dermatologist put me on this my skin was pretty clear except for a butt load for red marks and some scars and after using this for 8 month my skin is back to how it was before i got rid of my acne only worse

not a good experience. pretty depressing actually still looking for the right product if nothing works soon im gonna have to try accutane cause this is just bloody ridiculous.

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Judy

December 7, 2011

Pros:

- cleared up scars?
- honestly, not really any...
- no initial breakout for me

Cons:

- didn't really work
- made skin more oily
- still get acne, maybe worse than before?

I'm 14, and I've been using this product for about 9 months, and there has pretty much been no improvement. I stuck with it because everyone said BE PATIENT! And it's been nine months.....and nothing. I thought I was supposed to see improvement after at least like 4 months... At first, it seemed like it was working, but then after a while, my acne just came back, and in places I don't usually have acne (my forehead). I have good days and bad days with my skin using this, mostly bad. Probably going to try something else. :

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Kim

August 29, 2011

Pros:

A few less pimples than usual
Unlike Clindoxyl it doesn't dye fabrics
Easy to use

Cons:

Dries skin
Red face
Didn't have significant changes

When I get breakouts, I get breakouts that can amount to around 20 pimples all in the chin area, including cystic acne. I used .04% Retin-A for a few months. I started with once a week than up to 5 days a week. I lowered the dosage because I'd have to scrub the dead skin off every day. It dried my skin out big time and it was very red. Someone even commented that I must have gone away to get such a tan. Sometimes my skin would burn to the point of tears in my eyes. I didn't think the product was worth it. I still got pimples, maybe aorund 15 instead of 20. I'd rather use Clindoxyl to help get rid of pimples than burning my skin off.

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lydiabb

August 29, 2011

Cons:

Not working well

I've been using this for 7 weeks and my skin in worse than ever. I wake up with hard pimples and have hyperpegmentation all over my face and neck. Very gross. But I'm going to keep with it.

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Trax

July 2, 2011

Pros:

-In the beginning stages, it helps clear up acne
-Gives your skin a smooth appearance
-Only have to apply it at night
-Mostly keeps your acne under control, until you are on it too long

Cons:

-Irritation
-Hyper-pigmentation
-REDNESS
-Dryness
-Nearly burns off your skin
-Peeling
-Have to reduce your sun exposure
-After a while, it will make your skin peel and look REALLY red and irritated

My derm put me on tretinoin 0.5% to combat my acne. At first, it worked really well. After I was on it about a year, it stopped working, and made my skin red and irritated. In the begining stages of using this medication, some days are fine, and your skin looks smooth and clear. Other days, you wake up with your skin peeling off looking like you stepped out of a zombie convention. While it did help me keep my acne under control for a time, it's very hard to deal with the peeling and redness. Once, my skin was so dry and burnt from this cream, it took me nearly a week (without using it anymore) to get my skin back to normal. This topical might work for you. If you have sensitive skin, I'd be wary. If you can deal with the peeling and the dryness, it's worth a try. Even though I mixed tretinoin with some non-comodegenic moisturizer, it still didn't work to help the dryness. Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this medication, because in the long run, it just doesn't prove effective.

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devan from WY

June 13, 2011

Pros:

-In the long run, got rid of 50% of my most severe pimples.

Cons:

-Side effects
-Burning
-Made me even more sensitive to the sun
-Redness
-Peeling
-Expensive

This medication took a long time to make any positive on my skin. I've been useing it for 10 months and only got good results after 6 months. The side effects were horrible, and painful (both physicaly and emotionaly). After almost a year of treatment I still have acne. People would ask me if I had a sunburn, then give me advice on sunburns AND acne.

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ecksbocks

May 23, 2011

Pros:

Prevented breakouts. At least I hope it prevented my breakouts.

Cons:

Didn't do much at all for my spots.
Worked ridiculously slowly.
Initial Breakout, although it wasn't that much for me.
Made my face very red.

I've been using Retin-A for almost 9 months now, and I haven't seen much improvement at all. I was very consistent with it, and only missed one night out of 9 months, and didn't apply too much or too little. The pea sized amount rule was followed. It didn't fade any of my red marks considering I've used it for so long. I think I'll start over and use Differin gel because that seemed to work for me last year.

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Gaby421

May 20, 2011

Pros:

-Helps acne marks

Cons:

-Very drying. Skin began to flake
-Initial break out

This product did not work for me however do not be discouraged to try it. It did work for me at first but then stopped. It also made the color o my skin darker for some odd reason. I recommend staying consistent. Keep using this product for three months before making a final decision in it.

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