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.

I'm a 20 year old female, with prior terrible hormonal cystic acne. I have only been using retina a (0.05%) for a few weeks. However, prior to starting this medication I also orally took Doxycycline for about a month. I HIGHLY recommend starting this way, in order to avoid a tremendous initial breakout. The Doxycycline was able to kill all of the bacteria on the surface, and beneath my skin, so I never actually had an initial breakout at all! In fact, from the second I started using Retin A I fell in love. Since most of my acne has already cleared up due to the antibiotics, Retin A is mainly my source for fading my very hyper-pigmented acne scars, and preventing future acne flareups. So far, I am very very happy with this product. It is excessively drying, which is a downside for sure, considering I already have moderately dry skin, but with the right skin care routine (I am using Cera Ve Hydrating Cleanser, Cera Ve Moisturizer, and Cetaphil sunscreen spf 50 regardless of the weather) I think the dryness is a minor downside. I cannot wait to see what this does for the remainder of my scars. I have always been very self conscious of my skin, and never been able to be seen without makeup, and slowly, but surely I feel like I can finally have fresh, clear and exposed natural skin!

After thousands of dollars, derms, and years, FINALLY found a routine that works for me, and tretinoin is a necessary part. 7 mos ago I started using tretinoin 1%. My mom had used it and I knew how rough the start was - peeling, dry, sensitive, red- but was desperate, willing to stick through a few really bad months b/c I already feel terrible about my appearance so what's a few months feeling a little worse- I'll give it a last ditch, full on effort. Well, it was a REALLY rough few months, but I achieved my goal. Here's what worked for me. First, tretinoin. I jumped right in w/ the 1% (the strongest Rx, I think). IMPORTANT TIPS FOR STARTING T! - for the first while you'll want to use the gentlest cleanser possible - for me, PUPROSE. OTC, cheap, my derm recommended. She also told me to start using a cleanser with salicylic and glycolic acids in the AM when possible (but don't rush it). PAT skin dry, not rub, as it will be super sensitive soon. When using T(or any retinol product) know benzoyl peroxide and retinols counteract each other-don't use them at the same time of day. Also, give your face plenty of time to dry after washing and before applying T, because water increases the penetration of the T. Accoridngly a good moisturizer before T is critical- give it time to soak in esp in the beginning b/c T is so drying. Derm recommended CeraVe PM (OTC, $10). Use lotion liberally and T sparingly! Effect of T: first week, dry, no real change in acne. 3rd/4th, started getting much more acne, and very dry skin - I had to carry lotion to apply during the day. It was embarrassing - certain spots would get flaky during the day despite looking OK in the AM. Occasionally I would take a day or 2 off from T for this, especially if I had an important day coming up. Use a pea size amount for the whole face - dab in quadrants, then rub in. Best to do this at night so you can get some of the dead skin off in the AM before work. For daytime lotion, my derm recommended Cetaphil for oily skin (even though my face was now dry). I put some in a little travel tube and carried it in my pocket. Sometimes used hydrocortisone. It was really rough until about the 12th week. Then I started noticing gradual but real improvement in the acne (dryness started improving around week 8). I would still get some acne occasionally but much less frequently and went away faster. Small tube was expensive - $50 or $70 - but I still have more than 1/2 the tube left after 7 mos. It takes only the tiniest amount. Also- derm is NOT KIDDING about sun. I went from being able to be outside in a Louisiana summer all day without getting burned (maybe a bit pinkish) to getting sunburned literally in 2 hours from 10-12 am, sitting in half-shade under a tree on a day I skipped the sunscreen/lotion. Don't skip the sunscreen, or you'll be in pain AND throw your whole routine off for several days! During this time I was also taking spironolactone. Started with 50mg/day in AM, then progressively upped to 100mg in am and 100mg in PM. W/ this, I noticed decreased oiliness in my hair and skin. I posted a review of my experience w/ spiro on that page... but in short, 1) do get your potassium levels checked as recommended by dr., esp if you're taking high doses and 2) it works wonders (at least for me) for monthly flare ups if I increase my dose the 3 days before and 4 days after my period starts 3) nice unexpected side effect, I wash my hair only once a week now, instead of e/o day- it's not oily, but not dry! Perfect. Even w the T and spiro (and BC, and morning/pm lotions/cleansers) I was still getting periodic cysts (small whitehead every 1-2 wks, a large one 1x/mo). I'd tried minacycline before (bactrim upset my stomach too badly) and the M helped, I always took full rx, but acne came back shortly after stopping. So I took an extra long course of M - 6 or 7 weeks. Finally total success. I have not had any acne for the past 2.5 months, even though I have been traveling and not great at keeping up my normal routine. NOTE: don't forget that antibiotics mess w/ intestinal bacteria! Take probiotics or eat yogurt w/ live cultures, etc. I neglected this twice and paid the price after meals including lots of veggies/fiber. Seriously important. So... for the past 2.5 months ZERO ACNE! Also overall much nicer complexion! Still have scars fading slowly , but my face doesn't get shiny in the middle of the day; neither is it too dry. Pores are much smaller (still a little visible on nose, but no blackheads. I can live with that!). SUCCESS. I still try to be vigilant. It was too long a road to backslide now, especially given how terrible the first few months were w/ acne and dryness. here is my current routine: AM: 1. wash face with skinceuticals LHA cleansing gel for oily / problematic skin (recommened by derm, OTC but I can't find in stores, have to order online. Expensive but worth it - derm stressed importance of LHAs / glycolic acids to help get rid of scars more quickly). 2. pat dry (new towel e/o day) 3. Apply a cream with benzyl peroxide, preferably also w LHA. My derm recommended Effaclar Duo - 5.5% BP, 0.4% microexfoliating LHA. OTC, 15-20$. HOWEVER also at one point to try to get rid of the last of the acne I switched this out for Rx erythromyzin / BP cream. This was effective and non-drying but expensive and HAS to be refrigerated. I'm back to the Effaclar duo which is sufficient. 4. Cetaphil SPF 30 lotion for oily skin; especially generous on drier areas. Give time to absorb *once I switched this out on my own for CeraVe am, but for some reason this did not mix well w/ the rest of my routine - flaky in day even if skin did not feel dry. Cetaphil is cheaper anyway, and derm recommended 5. Makeup - bare minerals, wash brushes at least 2x/month; use q-tips should any problematic areas occur - no double-dipping a potentially acne-bacteria-laden brush into concealer! Fortunately not a recent prob. 6. 100 mg of Spiro. Off to work. Stay well hydrated. Try not to touch face. Plan: Should cyst start to occur, immediately start mina. also, for 1 week. take w food but no dairy. PM: 1. Wash face (gently) with PURPOSE cleansing gel (OTC, very gentle, $5-10, can find at any CVS). * once every 2 weeks, I now use clarisonic sensitive head, and SKIP the T 3. Liberally apply CeraVe PM. Wait 10-15 mins 4. Thinnest possible layer of T 5. Switch pillow case frequently; wrap hair in satin hair scarf to prevent transfer of oil / product (my fave: littleblackscarf). Heard silk/satin pillow cases also idea (absorb less oil) but I don't use. 6. Take BC, also take spiro if 3 days +/- mense. This is prob the longest review ever on this site, but hopefully some of this info will be helpful to someone - adult acne can seem hopeless, and first months of T can be the PITS - and T may not be sufficient alone- but once you get to the other side, it's so worth it. Best of luck, everyone!

After using many acne medications ( never used Dan's BP though), Retin-a (0.025%) stood out as the solution to clear my acne. Every night I put a lot of Retin-a (0.025%) on my skin for 3 months and my skin was almost clear. I knew in a few more weeks I would be completely clear and It turned out to be true. Retin-a is one of the few products that clear my acne. The Retin-a I got from the doctor was a very easy to spread cream, very creamy ( 0.025%). Definitely recommend it!! Pros: Clear acne completely New skin ( made my skin very white) Cons: Takes along time to work ( 3 months at least) Irritates skin at first ( redness, itchiness) Makes skin oily and shiny ( at least for me) ( its shiny because it makes your skin very thin) Dry flaky skin ( only at beginning)

I've been using Retin-A .08% and a 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Face Wash since August 31st, 2014. I've had mild acne since 6th grade, I'm in 12th now and it's stayed relatively the same. So far, I've definitely noticed that my skin has become a lot smoother and my hyper pigmentation is DEFINITELY fading. As for the first 2-3 week 'horror' period of breakouts, mine haven't been severe whatsoever, which really surprised me! I was absolutely terrified that my acne would be seriously aggravated for this period, as it was for many other people using this medication. I had a few stray pimples pop up on my cheeks, but they were gone within 3 days MAX. My forehead is the worst area as of now, but it's quickly healing! They're bothersome but are easily taken care of with the BP face wash. I do have peeling, mostly around my mouth and chin, but a quick application of Cera-Ve moisturizer clears it right up and I'm good for the day! There's been absolutely no redness, either. Though, I do have a sneaking suspicion that my 2-3 purging isn't bad because of the Deja Vu Exfoliator I used before switching to Retin-A. I'm not trying to advertise for another product, but maybe see if anyone else encountered this and what it could mean? When used once a week the exfoliator took off the first layer of dead skin, which is essentially what Retin-A does, so maybe my skin wasn't so bad to begin with which is why the purge period wasn't/isn't so bad? I don't know, replies would be appreciated! Just, DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT think of using these two products together. So to sum up this review, I'd definitely recommend Retin-A, and patience IS key. If the regiment doesn't improve acne within the first 4-9 months, I'd definitely recommend seeing a dermatologist to talk about alternative. Retin-A just might not be for everyone!

I've been using Tretinoin for almost 15 weeks now and let me tell you it hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine. I am a 21 year old female that was getting painful cystic acne around my chin, mouth, and cheeks that seemed to spring up out of nowhere. I went to my dermatologist who prescribed me a combination of clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide for mornings and Tretinoin .05% for nights. I went through a bad initial breakout around my 3rd week in that lasted about my 6th week. I was VERY depressed and felt so hideous that I hardly left my house. If you're in this phase of your treatment...I know how you feel and what you're going through. The redness, itching, flaking, burning...are all really annoying side effects that can honestly seem to last forever and destroy your self esteem. I was very very ready to just throw the Tretinoin in the trash and never look at it again. Instead, I decided to research. Everyday I would come on this site and read the hopeful reviews and try to tell myself that I just had to stick with it. Eventually, after about 2 and a half months I stopped getting the painful acne. Pimples became few and far between. The burning went away and the flaking became manageable. The pimples I get now are almost invisible and go away much quicker. I can finally look people in the eyes again without feeling disgusted with myself. But the number one thing is...you HAVE to stick with it. DON'T GIVE UP. And don't listen to the reviews that say they've only been using it a few weeks or a month. This takes time! It even says to give it up to 6 months. Now I'm dealing with hyper-pigmentation...but Tretinoin will help with that too. You MUST MUST MUST use it everyday. Don't skip. And always wear sunscreen. Tretinoin works by speeding up the cell turnover process...making you really susceptible to sunburn. I'm not 100% where I want to be...but that's only because I have become obsessed with my skin. However, I'm light years better than where I was 15 weeks ago. Don't stop it. Keep telling yourself that Tretinoin is a marathon...not a sprint. Don't give up.

This is a review specifically for Retin-A Micro. For years I had been trying to get rid of closed comedones on my forehead area that just never seemed to go away. I was prescribed Retin-A Micro by my dermatologist. At first I found it to be irritating (I have very sensitive skin) and it make my skin dry and flakey. I decided to use it every two days instead. After about 3 months, I noticed that the closed comedones were turning into blackheads....I wasn't sure if that was progress or not, but continued using the product nonetheless. I would say it took a good 6 months before I saw any good results. Now, I hardly have any closed comedones (whiteheads) left. You have to be patient, but it does work.

I've been using this in conjunction with BenzaClin and it seems to be helping. It has helped to make the pimples I do get stay less inflamed and I've been getting much fewer cystic acne. I use it at night and it has a good texture like a cream, and no side effects like burning.

I wasn't going to write a review but I remember before starting my treatment I was skeptical of all the negative reviews although it may have been due to all the successful patients never writing reviews. I told myself if it worked I would write one to help my fellow acne sufferers. So I have mild-moderate acne ranging from near perfect at times (constant visits to the dermatologist) to severe cystic acne (worst depression of my life). But after I turned 21 and I still had acne, I realized I had to do something about it. Before I've been on bp and doxy but I've never been persistent enough to try retinoids. I started out with Ziana and I had almost no side effects and it helped (sort of). I tried it for around 5 months but I would randomly break out quite bad at times. Then I moved to retin-a micro .04 and I've been using it for almost 3 months now and results! I think the Ziana helped me transition but I still suffered from some breakouts during the first 2 months of retin-a micro (combination of regular breakouts, stress, and picking though I have to admit). In this sense the IB is not as bad as people think (although different for everyone). Just remember to persist, avoid touching your face, and moisturize and you'll have great results! Although it may be a bit early to say it, I have to say the confidence from having good skin is unexplainable. I should also note I'm taking bactrim at the moment. I might make an update at the 6 months mark as well.