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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3.5

Used Tretinoin? Rate It:

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prestige worldwide

June 3, 2012

Pros:

smooths skin, heals existing acne,helps with discolorations, SLOWLY helps with shallow scarring

Cons:

makes your skin much more susceptible to the sun, can't really go out in public with it because it makes your skin oily

This product works very well for clearing acne and smoothing the skin. I just wished I would have used this product years ago so I wouldn't have any scars. I use Retin a micro pump at .04%. I had my acne pretty much under control before I started using this product but my skin was still in bad shape. I had small bumps, scarring, discolorations, and the occasional big red bump. I have used this for a month now and I only very very small whiteheads, usually after a night of partying too late. This is helping with the discolorations and GREATLY helped in evening out texture. I originally wanted to use this product for shallow scarring but it hasn't done much in that department but the progress so far has given me hope. By the way, I didn't experience any initial break out. Overall this product is amazing and I highly recommend it.

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Sprout73496

May 6, 2012

Pros:

acne reduced within the first week
smoother skin
tighter pores
reduction of fine lines

Cons:

initial break out---only 2-3 days for me
minor skin flaking
hard to spread pea size on face

I have been through two 6 month rounds of accutane in the past 4 years. I love my skin when I am on it, but when I stop, about 1 year later my skin's oil production kicks into high gear. I knew I needed to find something post-accutane to control the oil and therefore the break outs. I went to my derm this past week after I woke up with face full of bumps and white heads and over unbecoming complexion. He suggested the folllowing: Clindamycin 150mg oral twice a day Ziana gel before bedtime (clindamycin phosphate 1.2% and tretinoin 0.025%) In addition, I use a the white dove bar soap and Aveno ultra-calming lotion (oil free!) in my skin regiment. (Tip: to get the pea sized amount of gel to spread, mix it with your moisturizer....only use pea size of the gel, using more will cause severe irritation! Start with a low percentage and go slow.) When I began this treatment,the first 2-3 days my acne did get worse, but this morning (day 7) I woke up to much reduced acne and silky smooth skin with decreased oil. My suggestion to everyone that read this board is to have an honest discussion with your derm about each treatment you are on. I had been on Differin for a while before this regiment (it wasn't working at all!!) and he had to explain to me that retinoid treatments are very patient specific. While they act with the same mechanism over all, each med hits a slightly different receptor. If one gel isn't working for you, go back and ask for a different prescription! My receptors didn't respond to Differin, but they did to Ziana. :) p.s. Ask for samples if you are going to do this treatment...enough to try for 1-2 months. Then you can decide if that gel/cream is the best for you. Good luck!

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Cynthiafightingacne

April 28, 2012

Pros:

It worked after a long time of waiting ang dark days
Slowly gets rid of the marks left behind

Cons:

The largest con would be the waiting time, I waited entire 3months to stop breaking out.
My acne has gotten more severe than what I started with
Dries my skin a little
Would be a little expensive without insurance coverage

I started it (0.025%)with minocycline 100mg in November, and the initial breakout started one week after that. Every breakout had left a red deep mark after that, which was very esteemcrusher!!! I almost cried every week, and avoided to look into mirrors anywhere I go,it was an extremely frustrating and horrible period. Until the end of my second month and entering my third, I realized that the breakout frequency is slowing down, even though it was still a lot! I was very aware of my diet at that time and drank lots lots lots lots of water!!! And at the end of January, the breakouts stopped all of a sudden!! Oh!i was using retin a with neostrata level 3smoothing cream during the day And all the until now, I only get small bumps when I eat junk food or pull an allnighter..and these do not leave any marks and has no heads, they just come and go in 2-3days at most. So I believe my acne is under co ntrol so I asked to drop minocycline to 50mg.and everything worked well until now. I be still got the red marks that are fading slowly but at least I have not gotten even one major break out after January, not even my menstruation, I do think diet is a factor but I sometimes eat unhealthy food and no reaction shown :)so just don't eat too much and drink water and eat veggies and fruits!!and relax as well cuz stress is the beauty killer!! And be optimistic that it will work!!i came to this site almost everyday during the breakout stage and wished to see some encouraging words, and because of that I toucghed through that awful time and now enjoying the skin I have now:):):) Btw,I have been having acne since 13 yes Los, and it is our privilege to have acne as teens:) I'm 19, and I guess I can still call myself a teen:):) Hang in there people!!!things will turn out beautifully!!u have to believe in that to make it happen!! U r beautiful no matter what:D

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Sabrina

April 16, 2012

Pros:

Cleared my skin!

Cons:

Makes it worse before it gets better.
Takes time.
Drying
Can make skin more sensitive.
If you stop you're acne will come back, HOWEVER it will not be as severe as before.

I've been using this product for at least two years. I stopped for a moment then started back on it again with another medication. I have to say this (along with now, Clindamycin) has done miracles on my skin. Something my dermatologist told me (and I don't think most people know) is that your skin WILL get worse before it gets better. But after about 3-4 weeks of a major breakout the zits dry up and disappear. I still get acne, but they're minor and they move on fairly quickly. For drying and sensitivity I just take a day off (I apply twice a day) and put on a good moisturizer (like Eucerin).

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Chloe B.88

April 11, 2012

Pros:

It works with a lot of patience!
Gets rid of those annoying whiteheads and blackheads by regularly exfoliating the skin.
Removes small wrinkles.
Clears skin:)

Cons:

Makes skin sensitive to the sun. You you need to wear sunscrean at all times.
Redness, peeling and the intial breakout (mine lasted around 7 months).
Can be emotionally draining.

I have been using retin A for just over a year. I had moderate-mild acne, most of which were whiteheads and blackheads and the occasional red pimple every month. I had A LOT of blocked pores, and so, my initial breakout lasted a looong time (7 months in total), consisting of irritated, red, peeling skin and not to mention, red, INFLAMMED acne (very much like cysts... never had I experienced these before, at times I just wanted to stay at home and cry). My body was in inflammation mode, to the point, that blood tests actually alarmed my doctor, because my white cells were constantly in low numbers. But after a lot of mistakes, I finally got the rountine which worked for me and ofcourse my skin gradually adjusted to the Retin A. My advice: Don't use too many products, just wash your face with mild cleanser (I use Proactiv Cleanser... this is considered mild for my skin) 2-3Xdaily. Don't over scrab your face, gently exfoliate with your fingers in shower/bath. Use a little bit of Retin A to start off with and then gradually you can use more, but remember less is more (trust me, I never could stick to this advice!). If your skin turns really red and inflammed, take 1-2 nights off. Take some fish oil, and try to eat healthy (this can help reduce inflammation in the body), don't pick at your pimples (I am a hypocite for saying this, becuase I always picked at them...and prob still would if I saw anything in my face!). Lastly, have loads of patience. I waited 13 MONTHS to see results. Now, I have almost completely clear skin, I have no active pimples, 3-4 very small whiteheads. Retin A worked for me, but in reality all Praise and Thanks is due to God alone.

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cely

March 29, 2012

Pros:

it works!!!!
got rid of my cystic acne
havent had a break out in over 3 weeks

Cons:

takes a while. patience is key but well worth it.

my acne was the worst of the worst. wasnt that bad wen i was a teen but im 23 now and my skin was gettin very teenagerish on me. cystic acne everywhere no matter what i did it wouldnt go away. i was embarassed to even leave my house. was on proactiv but it just made it worse. so i finally went to my dermatoloigist. nd he prescribed me the minocin pills, clindamycin lotion during the day and apply tretinion .0.025% at night. i got such such low dose because my skin was dry and peeling from the proactiv so my doctor thought it would be best if i started with the 0.025%. i guess theres a 1% nd a 5%. idk maybe my next appointment ill go up in concentration because my skin has gotten back to normal. no more peeling or dryness thank god. so no more acne but of course all of the craziness that was on my face left dented scars, scars, hyperpigmentation w.e you want to call it. brown nd red spots. which the tretinoin is slowly but surely suppose to treat also. fingers crossed i just want my face back. will update once the scars go away.

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blockhead

March 28, 2012

Pros:

-reduction in acne and clogged pores
-diminished broken capillaries
-smoother, brighter complexion
-smaller looking pores

Cons:

-takes a while to begin working
-NEED a good moisturizer
-peeling, flaking, redness, and burning for the first few months

I am 25 years old and have always had mild-moderate acne, blotchy skin, excess oil, large pores, and a generally ruddy complexion (basically...just bad skin). I began Retin-A (0.05% cream, generic version Retino-A) exactly 10 weeks ago. I'm writing this review because for the first 8 weeks I desperately wanted to quit using the product because my skin looked HORRIBLE. I had constant peeling, even MORE oil, flaking that would not go away, and redness. I was on the verge of stopping but read some reviews that encouraged me to keep going, and I'm very glad I did. Around week 9/10, my skin made a turn for the better and for the last 1-2 weeks has looked fabulous. I can now use the Retin-A almost every night with no more redness or peeling (I still have minor flaking but I exfoliate with Burt's Bees Exfoliating Scrub about 3-4 times per week which takes care of it). While using this product, you NEED a good moisturizer. For the first 8 weeks, I tried 3 different moisturizers but none of them got rid of the flakes and peeling. Finally, I began using Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream which is AMAZING. It does not burn at all when I apply it and it completely gets rid of all flakes for the entire day. Without this moisturizer, I'm not sure I could even use Retin-A. Find it at CVS: a large tub is about 15 dollars. I want to let everyone know that even if you are discouraged right now and think your skin is looking so much worse, KEEP USING IT! It will get better. You just need to find the right moisturizer and let your skin get used to it. For some people, this may take about 3-4 months, so hang in there. If you're having trouble finding a good moisturizer that does not burn and gets rid of flakes, buy Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (it is noncomedogenic). This is the only moisturizer that worked at all for me. I apply Neutrogenia SPF 85 sunscreen and then the cream atop that as needed in the morning. I will update again in a month to let you all know how it is g

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facegeek6

March 9, 2012

Pros:

clears congested skin
minimizes break outs
helps with fine lines

Cons:

dry skin
takes time

I've been using this for more than 25 years. I use .025% but have used this in .05%, and .1%. If the strength is too high it can cause breakouts, bumps, and redness, not to mention you will be dealing with dry skin acne. Drs. like to prescribe this at .05% and .1% thinking that all people are the same, but I think they should start slow, and then work your way up, if needed. The if needed part is important. When I was in my 20s .05% was fine, but not so in my 30s. My forehead can handle the .01% but the rest of my face cannot. It causes worse breakouts on my cheeks, nose, and chin. Starting with the .025% will keep you from having a major purge, and redness. We all have to go out in public, and when your skin is bad, you just don't want to. I believe this doesn't work for a lot of people because the strength is too high. Between the redness, flakies, and cell turnover with the higher strengths, my skin didn't get better after 4 months, and sometimes it was worse. I stopped using Retin A when I was pregnant, and when I went back on it after I had my baby, my skin went haywire. I stopped using it because my skin was always inflammed, and my acne was severe. The dr. changed it to .05% and it didn't get better. I stopped using it for 6 months altogether because I couldn't handle the redness, and my acne was worse on it than without it. It wasn't until I agreed to the .025% that my skin got better. Less is more with this stuff. My skin finally cleared, and I didn't have the redness, congested skin, and bumps. I sometimes alternate nights with the .05% and the .025% if my skin gets a little oily, but not for long because my skin will get red. They say your skin gets used to this stuff, and I don't think it does if your on the wrong strength. My skin did not like the .1% and the redness stayed for months after discontinuing it. Less is more with this stuff.

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Bola

March 6, 2012

Pros:

Works!
Reduces lines and oil on my face

Cons:

Driness,
Slow action

It really works, but require patience. I used this with Acanya, so.....? My face is clearer and glows, will continue using this.

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Ashley

March 1, 2012

Pros:

-Cleared up most of my acne
-Lightens acne scars
-Dries pimples out
-Speeds up healing process of acne

Cons:

-Dries Skin out a lot
-Take a very very long time to see results

It took about 7 months to see real results using this product. I got hormonal acne in High School. It was never really bad, but moderate acne. I went to the Derm and he put me on tretinoin cream. I have combination skin but this dries up my skin pretty badly. I have learned ways around it for my skin though, which I will share with you if you are having the same problem. Now when I first started using this in August my skin dried out a lot but didn't notice a difference in acne. About October is when my acne got really bad! I wanted to stop using the cream because why would I want to use something that wasn't working? My derm told me to stick with it so I did. I'm glad I did too! Around January is when my skin cleared and I officially have no acne. I get acne around "that time of the month" but besides then I don't. Now for how I get around the dry skin. Here is my everyday skin routine. Night time. -I wash my face with cetaphil for dry skin -I apply Olive oil, yes olive oil (Don't knock it till you try it!!! It has done wonders!) -Then I apply my tretinoin cream -Then on my nose because it gets very very flakey I apply Vaseline. Morning Time. -I wash my face again with cetaphil -And just apply a lighter moisturizer so my face doesn't look shiny throughout the day! I use the neutrogena oil free moisture for sensitive skin. I also take fish oil pills which help not only with your health but your dry skin as well!!

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