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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:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
March 9, 2007
Cons:
It is definately drying...but worth it! It did make my skin flakey at first...but once your skin gets used to it, it is not so bad.
GIVE IT A TRY!!
March 1, 2007
Pros:
Worked as well as benzoyl peroxide for a bit. Pimple turnover was reduced too.
Cons:
No long term improvements. Flakiness did not go away. Red marks persisted long time.
Went from BP to this on doctors orders. They say you have to wait 3 months to see full results. I used only non comedogenic sunscreen and aloe vera for moisturizer. Well I waited and on the third month I broke out bad. Didn't stop and the major peeling made it worse. Now I have alot of scars and I'm only recovring a few weeks later from the BP. Now this was just me. This prescription seems like a lot of hit and miss. For some people it works really well and others it doesn't. Some take couple months for full months and some say they saw good results after 6-12. I dunno except I am much worse off then before with acne in places I never had before. Just be careful with this one your taking a chance. PS I was using .1% retin a micro
December 27, 2006
Pros:
Clears up skin after many weeks
Cons:
too may side effects, skin becomes irritated, red spots, skin flaks off wich is imbarrasing if your in school or at work, takes too much time.
I started with retin a micro and minocline 8 weeks ago... i see very little results but there getting there ...it has many ups and downs and there was no steady improvment at all...just when it appeared to be getting better, it turned just as worse as the first week...my best advice it to follow the directions exsacly how they are written or your doctor recommends...i have tried proactive, differine, and accutane, but what i have had best results with has been bezamycine....that stuff doesnt solve the problem but it controls it
December 6, 2006
Pros:
Works somewhat for shallow rolling scars.
Cons:
None
Been using it now for 9 months on shallow rolling (soft edged) scars. Seems to plump up the scarred skin, reducing the crappy uneven shadows seen in certain lighting. I guess this makes sense because Retin-A has been proven to reduce wrinkles by increasing collagen. Using the .05% for now.
November 28, 2006
Pros:
It worked well, gave me smooth fab looking skin, was a one step process and worked fairly quickly.
Cons:
Burning feeling at random times, had to hide from sunshine, smells bad, stains sheets and clothes, sometimes made face red.
For me, this stuff really worked - at times the skin was flawless. However, I don't use it anymore because the cons were just too much. I felt like I was coating my face in a thick and sketchy chemical everyday and that outweighed my desire to look good - esp. when there was that burning discomfort involved.
November 18, 2006
Pros:
Good improvement, best yet for me!
Cons:
Intense peeling, very sore when applying, a redness of the skin and was worse for the first 2/3 weeks.
Hey,I'm 23 had acne on the face, chest and back for nearly eight years. Tried just about everything, and this has been the best treatment so far for me. I use the Erythromycin 2%/Isotretinoin 0.05% every night almost and occassionally during the day, along with Acnocin (Co-cyprindiol)an anti-androgen. The severity of my skin has improved drastically since using the gel aswell as my other meds. However it does cause peeling and redness of the skin, and is very sore to apply with tight feeling to the skin when its on. Also I do still have the breakout every month, but applying it in the day aswell helps at that time. And when I,ve tried cutting down the amount of applications my skin worsens again. Also its done nothing towards blackheads, but there not my concern really. However its worth it as my skins 80% better, but its dependant on the gel.I have also found using a naturally antibacterial soap and washing clothes,linen and towels in medical disinfectant, somewhat drastic but works.
November 12, 2006
Pros:
makes all the junk in your face surface and gets rid of active pimples
Cons:
leaves a lot of red marks behind. hopefully they will fade
i have been using retin-a micro for about 3 weeks now.. it made my face peel horribly for the first couple days, but then broke me out pretty bad, but i have faith in this, because ive seen a lot of testemonies saying that it takes time. i have a lot of red marks left, but they are slowly fading. if you have used everything and tried everything and its not working, i suggest you see a derm and get this product right away, also use a gentle cleanser... cetaphil works good because if you dont it will over irratate your skin and make you more red.
September 21, 2023
Product used: Stieva-A (Tretinoin (0.025%) Cream)
Seriously do your research and consider other options before using a prescription retinoid.
No. No no. I started this with pretty clear skin but would get 1-2 deep pimples a month that I wanted to deal with. Plus anti-aging benefits. I knew there was a purging period and that I would need to stick with it for at least 3 months. Within the first 1-2 weeks, I already started purging. It started along my jaw line, then moved up to my cheeks. It lasted around 12 weeks. They were the worst breakouts I had ever encountered in my life. It started to fade, but then I was left with TONS of hyperpigmentation, despite my use of sunscreen. BTW, this stuff makes you super sensitive to the sun. 10 minutes outside would leave my face really red. The breakouts continued (but at a faster rate and were minimal compared to the purge), but I couldn't take it anymore. I lasted about 5-6 months, and left healing all the damage this has caused. The only thing I liked, is that it made my surrounding skin (i.e., areas now covered in acne), look glowy. I wish so badly that I could go back 6 months in time, and never touch this stuff. BTW - I did start slowly (2x a week for 3 months, then up to 3x a week).
March 18, 2019
You need a full year to TRULY know!
Been using retin-A cream for mild but stubborn acne that I still struggle with after accutane (accutane completely got rid of my moderate to severe level of acne, and since then I only get mild but stubborn whiteheads/blackheads that are small but persistent). Best advice I have is STICK with it to AT LEAST the 6-month mark - yes, 6 months!
BE patient and give your skin time. Slow and steady. IF you're dealing with beyond mild acne and have moderate to severe, I HIGHLY recommend accutane FIRST to get rid of the severe acne, because nothing beats accutane.
For Retin-A I have JUST reached the 6-month mark and have been using it nightly for the entire time. After the intial purge, I go through consistent cycles of breakouts and then they clear - but over the 6 months I CAN confirm that EACH cycle is less severe and heals FASTER.
I know a lot of people use the 8 to 12-week rule of thumb for topicals but honestly that is NOT enough time to tell. If by 6-months you see ZERO improvement in severity then of course revist your derm/doctor. But do not expect clear skin in 8-12 weeks. Everyone's skin and acne are different so please be patient.
At 6 months I STILL get the same cycle of breakouts and then it clears but like I said, each cycle has been less severe AND heals faster. If you think about it, I'm still only HALFWAY until I reach 1-year of every day use, so I can't wait to see how it progresses.
Be VERY patient. For me, the lowest possible dose (0.01) has worked best - I'd rather slow and steady and avoided the initial irritation of redness/flaking/peeling nightmare etc.
*My derm prescribed me the lowest dose 0.01 and said try to stick with it for a full YEAR to really tell if I can rely on this topical to maintain clear skin and get rid of the mild/stubborn acne
March 8, 2019
The only thing that's helped me through my teen to early twenty years
I did a review of retin-a five years ago when I was 15 years old. I didn't know a thing about skin care - barely washed my face once a day up until i started breaking out in cysts and clusters one summer. A dermatologist prescribed me retin a cream 0.05% and clindamycin for a initial 6 weeks - and to say the least the first couple weeks were pure hell. Breakout after breakout, more redness, more embarrassment, and my self esteem was at an all time low. However, I stayed with it by reading this forum and got clear by week 15. I was so clear that my doctor slowly got me off topicals that I ended up stop using it totally by the next summer. I stayed clear all the way until I turned 18 and started college, probably because my horrible lifestyle - eating crappy foods, partying all weekend, and stressing over exams. My breakout in college really was my worst ever during finals week, and I had to visit my dermatologist again. This time he gave me Differin gel, which only made my skin worse over a course of 12 weeks. I was breaking out in cysts everywhere, my nose, chin, cheeks, and eyebrows. I realized differin wasn't for me and took a tube of retin-a i had from a refill a couple years ago.
I knew what I was getting myself into by starting Retin-A again, and was desperate to clear my skin because my self-esteem and confidence was so low. I couldn't go out to see my friends, always stayed in my room, and couldn't even look anyone in the eye fearing of them judging my pepperoni pizza-like skin. I started in September 2018, and by December 2018 I was much clearer. It wasn't all rainbows of course, I still had the purging phase, redness, and flakiness period that is normal with Retin-a. I've been on the 0.05% cream for about 6 months now and still breakout, but my acne is very much at bay now. All I can say is that Retin-a is a miracle in a bottle. I understand how tough it is to have acne and depressing it can be to know that there are people walking around without a blemish, while people like you have to worry about what others are thinking of your zits. If you're struggling to find that one product that will clear you up, give Retin-A a try. It truly has saved my life and self esteem. And if you end up trying it, stay strong and push through, I promise it gets better 
Pros:
I apply Retin-A at night, after washing w/ Purpose bar soap. In the morning I wash w/ Brevoxyl and us Duac gel...then moisturizing is a MUST! This works for me and Retin-A is great. It has helped refine pore size and smooth out the texture of my skin