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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December 15, 2010

Pros:

- lessened blackheads

Cons:

- made my face's color darken, not matching with the rest of my body.
- made my face more oily and produce a "shine" look.
- made an increase in marks left behind from pimples.

Overall, I don't think this has helped me at ALL. When I first started using this, I would only get a few pimples every now-and-then, then they would go away quickly and my skin looked lovely. Since my mother put me on Retin-a, I have seen a increase in blemishes (not particularly acne) with visible marks all over my face. I became so self-conscious from this product that I started to wear make-up to hide my insecurities.
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December 10, 2010

Pros:

"apparently" clears acne

Cons:

from what i've read dryness, redness, breakouts

you dont know how freekin happy I am I came here before trying this stuff. i was at the doctors last week and she decided to perscribe this stuff (0.04) to me. I was this close to using it untill i figured reading a few reviews couldn't hurt. so i did, and boy am I glad that I didn't blindly listen to my doctor and just try it. at the time it was perscribed i had a few pimples hear and there, nothing major, and I have sensitive skin. from what Ive read it would have just made a mess out of my face. anyways, I stumbled onto the regiment, and although I dont use BP I have started being extrealy gentle when washing toning and moisturizing, and what do you know, not a single new pimple yet :D (knock on wood) anyways, just thought Id share that, and to people thinking about trying it from what Ive read it does more harm than good.
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November 15, 2010

Pros:

Makes skin smooth
Made pores smaller

Cons:

Made face extremely red, itchy, flakey
Burned whenever I applied it
Initial Breakout never went away!

I was on this retin-a for over 9 months and it never fully cleared my acne. My initial breakout lasted about 5-6 months and I still broke out after that. It did however make my skin smoother. My skin went through cycles, it would be smooth for a week, then itchy, red, and flakey, and it would repeat. Also, my skin would become extremely dry halfway through the day and it was embarassing. Overall, I had high hopes because of the positive reviews but it didn't work for me. If your acne bugs you enough I would say try it, but your skin will never return to its original state :(
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November 13, 2010

Pros:

works for some people

Cons:

makes skin extremely dry, red, painful, increases sensitivity
makes you break out

First of all, I know that this product is supposed to regenerate your skin so all of the acne under the surface comes out at once...but for me, using this product was one the WORST DECISIONS I've ever made. Before I started using tretinoin, I had mild acne (~4-5 pimples on an outbreak) but I had a handful of small under the surface pimples so I decided to try retin-a. The first week nothing happened. Second week: ~7-8 pimples. third week: >10. I broke out in places that I've never had acne....between my eyebrows, on my chin, and around my jawline. By the time the second month came around, almost every surface of my face had a bump on it. To top it off, they were extremely inflamed and irritated from the medicine. (Btw, I use less than a pea size at night...and use an SPF 70 lotion in the morning to prevent sun irritation.) Anyways, this medicine made me get really painful and itchy cystic acne, little under the surface ones, and juicy ones. I toughed it out waiting for the result for 4 MONTHS (not exaggerating). During that period, I became extremely self-conscious and semi-depressed...I just kept thinking, it'll be worth it. My face was sooo bad. The acne that appeared took forever (~3 weeks) to go away and it left huge indents in my skin. Oh and NOTE: huge indents and large cystic acne cannot be covered with makeup! I tried, but makeup cannot hide the mountains and valleys on your face. I've since stopped using tretinoin and my skin has gotten a lot better. I went back to using Benzaclin once a day. My face is no longer inflammed and some of the acne vanished. I'm still trying to recover from the damage though. I have a lot of scarring on my face and still a lot of pimples but much better than before. This may work for some people, but BEWARE. If you do not have bad acne to begin with, DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT. I hope this review saves some people from experiencing my horror story. I really regret my decision to
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November 10, 2010

Pros:

I know this medicine works for some people, but it really did nothing for me. Even though I applied the product consistently and waited more than the typical 3 months before quitting, I saw no improvement and my skin was much worse than before.

Cons:

Acne worsened, at the rate my skin was deteriorating I was afraid it would become severe. I was even beginning to get cysts.
Skin started scarring towards month 4.
Skin had an oily, weird texture.
Hypersensitivity to the sun.

I know this medication works for some people, but I am only rating its effects on me. I feel that Tretinoin can be an effective acne treatment, but it's not for everyone and should only be considered as a last resort (or maybe second to last if you count accutane). I got a six-month supply for $50 and had very high hopes for the treatment but ended up quitting around the third week of month 4. Around the middle of month 3 I started getting at least one painful lesion a day, and my acne was the worst it had been in my life. At month 4 I realized that indented scars were forming and stopped using Tretinoin. I should have quit around month 3, but I pressed on in hopes of the magic clearing I kept hearing about in reviews. It never happened for me, Once I gave up, I got on birth control I ordered one of every product sold on acne.org. It was more expensive than the prescription medicine, but it helped in no time. In a little less than a month I'm down to <10 pimples (and they're tiny ones!), and Dan's AHA is fading my red marks fast. Birth control has never cleared me completely, but with Dan's regimen the results are astounding! I urge you to do yourself the favor and try less damaging products before attempting to endure the hell that is Tretinoin's initial breakout. I wish I had!
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October 9, 2010

Pros:

I guess it reduced the redness a little. but my pimples were still highly noticeable

Cons:

it severely dried my skin and so made me peel like crazy! it looked like i shedding like a snake. i could literally brush my face and flakes would come off. gross. and the severe drying happened within the first three days i started using retin a. if i wasnt peeling (which was a daily thing for me with retin a) my face was inflamed. i was so blotchy and looked like i got badly sunburned. i tried hiding it with makeup, it just made me look tanner than kanye west. and im asian, so not good.

I'm 15 and have had acne since about 6th grade. and it is badddd. I've tried everything, netrogena, cetaphil, clarasil, aveeno, blah blah blah. everyone says its just puberty and it will go away when i get older, but that's years away, and i can't deal with acne till then. i bet retin a would have worked if i was more patient with it (i heard the full affects of retin a happens takes about 6 months to happen) but i was in the middle of the school year and just couldnt deal with any more peeling. so i quit. right now im trying benzoyle peroxide (i think thats how u spell it) i just started this week, and from the first wash i did with it my face felt clean and, weirdly enough, glowy. smooth too. so im hoping there are no downsides to benzoyle peroxide, but just in case i have my fingers crossed :) hope this helped.
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August 6, 2010

Pros:

May get rid of acne after a couple months

Cons:

Redness, peeling, burning, itching.
Made acne worse.

I used retin a micro .04% and it was the worst thing ever. My skin was at its absolute worse after week 7
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July 16, 2010

Pros:

Only mildly drying, doesn't bleach fabric, improved skin quality and lessened acne for a few months

Cons:

Worsened acne after month 4... and not just "the old breakouts are back" routine. This product caused me to break out in a way that I never had before.

Here was my experience with retin-a micro: After years of failed "treatments", I was convinced this was my ticket home, and after 4 months on retin a (started with .25% then increased to .1%), my skin looked better than it had in a while. I have sensitive skin but I hardly experienced any drying effects, and my skin actually even started to glow. The pimples I did get were smaller and went away faster, and it worked better on blackheads than any other product I've used. Around month 5, and almost overnight, my skin began to break out in a way it never had before. I started getting clusters of small, highly inflamed acne all around my mouth/chin. Within 2 weeks, it had spread up my cheeks. These pustules would creep up constantly, hurt like mad, fade (but leave red marks) in a day or two and then reappear another day later. I've suffered from acne for close to 10 years now and this was one of the worst times of all. I kept telling myself that it was just the medicine working because so many reviewers say to "just stick with it and it'll work". Finally I couldn't take it anymore and quit using retin-a - I noticed an immediate improvement. It took 2 months for my skin to get back to any version of normal, and my skin still acts differently than it ever did before. Please please please pay attention to your gut while using this product because for some people, it can have a really adverse effect. I wish I would've stopped sooner. Disheartened by what chemicals did to my skin, I started researching and reading everything I could about holistic approaches to acne. I came across Seppo Pussa's book Clear For Life, and I can't recommend it enough. If you're tired of treating the symptoms without addressing the cause and if you're ready to actually work for clear skin, it can change your life. 1 month into this new approach, my skin is on the road to amazing. And what's crazy is that I'm not using any chemicals, topicals or pills to do it. Ser
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June 12, 2010

Pros:

While using it:
- dried up pimples quite fast
- gave me a funny glow

Cons:

6 Months later:
- gave me an oil slick
- made pores more enlarged
- gave me a shiny layer or skin that made me look very oily even when i just washed my face
- made me break out in cyst
- mutiplied whiteheads by 100
- made me break out in many places i never break out
- made me angry and obssesd to find cure
- never returned my skin back to "normal"
- made my skin so sensitive that when i wake up to brush my teeth, my upper lip would turn red

I've used Tretinoin Cream 0.025% for 6 weeks broke out around the 2nd week Kept on using for 6 weeks When i stopped it made me break out worse than ever. I didnt have bad skin to begin with, i just wanted to clear my whiteheads and i end up with a lifetime regret of using this crap. 6 months later, my skin is still shiny and 10xs more oily, i have severe whiteheads on both my cheeks and cyst on my hair line, temples and cheeks. I hate it, if i could go back in time, trust my i would have never used it, it ruined my life. I hate it.
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May 4, 2010

Pros:

didn't work for me

i was using this for 3 months and it didn't work for me it just made things worse :( it made my skin peel and it looked really bad and red. my derm prescribed me spironolactone and doxycycline & i stopped using the topicals and wow my skin looks so clear after 1 week!! so if your a girl and topical medications are not working for you it could be hormonal acne like mine, so give spironolactone a try it also makes you less oily :)
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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