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Side Effects
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.
Used Tretinoin? Rate It:
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November 25, 2012
Cons:
For me it wasn't a cure, just an aid in my regime
I was prescribed Retin- A to be used in conjuction with Dalacin T around a year ago... and was given a course of antibiotics. The first weeks were horrible, I remember having a serious emotional breakdown when I found that nothing could cover my acne, scars, flaking, peeling, hurt skin. It was absolutely terrible but I remember the doctor saying that it would get better. During this time my skin flaked so much, I jokingly referred to it as "dandruff of the face" But alongside this I saw that my previously terrible scarred skin was healing... which I couldnt have been more thrilled about. I used all three of the products the doctor prescribed for around two-three months after which I noticed that I just wasnt breaking out anymore, all of the gunk underneath the skin had been extracted I guess. So I stopped using it because my doctor said I didnt have to anymore. I was so incredibly happy and I though that it was over... but I was sorely wrong. Around 8 months later my acne returned (i started using anti-biotics again and got a new perscription of retin-a) This worked for around four months and then stopped and I began breaking out horribly again. I have come to realize that my breakouts are hormonal... so any treatment I use on my skin will make no difference in keeping me clear. The point of telling this story is to just state that theres an internal root cause of my acne so Retin-A will never be a miracle cure. It does however do an amazing job helping to fade the scars from previous breakouts... it really can transform a face in two weeks when used consistently. I find the weeks I don't break out my skin can be virtually scar free when I use this... but it is harsh so some days I mix just a tiny amount with my moisturiser... also it thins skin so I've found sometimes when I've accidentally scratched myself It has made me bleed when I have been using it for a long period of time. All in all though... this has helped me while I've struggled with acne.
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.
August 30, 2012
Pros:
After about 3 months, it did clear up my skin
Skin was softer
Less wrinkles
Cons:
Horrible dryness and peeling
Breakouts come back and are terrible!
Skin gets easily used to product
Very sensitive to any light
This product was great for the first couple of months and then my skin got used to it and stopped working. When the acne came back, it came back like HELL! My back acne literally made my cry every night after my shower when I looked it; it was so bad.
Idk why my derm still keeps me on this because he thinks its a miracle product, yet it stopped working for me.
August 26, 2012
Product used: Atralin (Tretinoin (.05%) Gel)
Pros:
Feels good on skin
Doesn't dry my skin too much
Doesn't make skin oily
No burning
Improves skin texture and tone
Cons:
Peeling on the side of my mouth for the first few days
I am taking Doxy and using this at the same time. I take Doxy twice a day and I put Atralin on at night before I go to sleep and I also put CeraVe PM moisturizer over it. My skin has improved overall and my redness and acne (on cheeks, chin, forehead, sides) are slowly fading. It times time. But this is better then Differin. This feels so much better on your skin and it doesn't burn (doesn't burn at all!) or dry your skin too much. I love how it improves my skin texture and is also getting rid of my acne at the same time.
August 25, 2012
Pros:
Skin feels softer
Cons:
I'm on week 2 now...acne is worse
expensive
I've had acne since age 12 (6th grade) and have used several different products from Clean&clear to Acnefree to Ziana, differen, etc. But recent;y i've been breaking out on my cheeks and chin rather than my forehead and T-zones. The pimples are much larger now even though there are fewer of them! I've been on this product almost 2 weeks and i'm hoping this is the "purging" stage because my acne seems worse. I'm going to stick with it for atleast another month or so....
July 25, 2012
Pros:
tightens pores
shrinks acne overnight
makes your skin glow
eliminates wrinkles very fast
pinkish tone
Cons:
flaky and excessively dry skin initially
Not subsidized by government here in NZ :(
I suffer from mild to moderate acne since teenage years and this year i came across tretinoin ....which my husband was using before we met each other.... I tried it for one week and saw drastic results....since then i have been using it every night before bed ....and it has cleared my skin completely...The scars take some time to fade but they do go away. I use 0.1% and although my skin is super sensitive..i didnt experience a lot of problems ...but yea, skin was very dry ..but you can use misturiser for that ....during the day time. All in all, its a great treatment and worth trying. Gives amazing results but u need to have patience for atleast 1st month.
May 4, 2012
Product used: Atralin (Tretinoin (.05%) Gel)
Pros:
Keeps skin smooth
No irritation or redness even
Evens skin tone
Fades wrinkles
Cons:
You have to apply it every night:)
This is the only retinol that has worked(Taz,RAM,tretinoin generic) and has caused no real irritation or initial outbreak.
March 4, 2012
Pros:
none
Cons:
painful dryness and redness
more acne
takes a long time
I started having acne my senior year of high school because before that I pretty much had no acne. My dermatologist put me on tretinoin 0.05% starting in may of last year. In the beginning my face got so dry and raw it was very painful. Not only that but my face began to break out more. After a couple weeks the dryness went away and I now only had more acne. I used it for 6 months before finally stopping. I saw no improvement and honestly my acne was worst than it had been before and now I have horrible acne scars. If I could go back and choose not to use this I definitely would.
December 24, 2011
Pros:
-Less oiliness except for in the t zone
-Much less acne than previously starting
-More confidence
Cons:
-Dryness
-T zone oiliness by the end of the day
-Pricey
-Take a long long time to work
It is a great product but if you have hormonal acne like me you will still break out. I am going to go on ortho tri cyclen lo in about a month and think pairing them together will be perfect but for now I am genuinely satisfied with the results but am not as clear as I would like to be.
December 15, 2011
Pros:
I think it works.
Cons:
It may take a long time for this stuff to really kick in. It is also expensive without the discount card.
This is a long-term solution. It may work well if you have a persistent trouble area.
Pros:
Fades Scars
Brighter complexion
Reduces hyper-pigmentation