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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
October 6, 2010
Cons:
-Causes some dry/red/rough patches
-Causes some skin peeling (almost like after a sun burn) but is easy to get rid of and hasnt been severe.
-Makes skin EXTRA sensitive and fragile, so much so that even pressing my fingernail lightly on my face leaves a red mark.
I really like this prescription so far. I have only been using it for a month. The first 2 or 2.5 weeks I only used it every other night and on the nights I wasn't using it i'd sometimes use Clindimycin/BP combo cream, but that stuff makes my face SO DRY I've pretty much stopped using it except as a spot treatment (but I haven't had many pimples).
Now for the last few weeks i've been using it every evening.
I've noticed a big improvment. I've always had the habit that when I'm bored or something, i'll lean closely to the mirror and squeeze my blackheads/clogged pores. The last week or so when I've gone to do that, there really havent been any blackheads to squeeze!
In addition, I get a bunch of fleshcolored/white bumps on my chin and a few other areas. I think they're white heads but it seems alot of people have different definitions for what a white head is. Anyways, they aren't inflamed. Just clogged.
For so long, NOTHING i tried would do much for them. But now that i've been using this, the white bumps are finally going down!
I haven't been breaking out at all really for the last 10 days or longer. I never had a HUGE breaking out problem, my issues are mainly blackheads and white heads. But i always break out on my period, and I didnt for the last one. Plus the small pimples I get regularly havent shown up.
Finally, I have 2 pretty bad smile lines and I swear to you, they've already started fading! My mom even noticed.
The cons so far have been increased skin sensitivity, some peeling and some (one in particular) dry/red patches. The peeling for me has been pretty easy to get rid of. I just apply Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 (which exfoliates) and then apply moisturizer.
I will write again in a month or two but so far I am VERY HAPPY. :)
April 26, 2009
Pros:
Seems to be working
Cons:
Red, dry, peeling
I'm giving this a 4 rating even though I'm not sure yet... because, the real reason I'm putting this post is to tell people: STOP POSTING AND PUTTING RATINGS FOR THIS PRODUCT UNLESS YOU'VE USED IT FOR A LONG ENOUGH TIME. SOME PEOPLE HAVE PUT POSTS AFTER ONLY A FEW DAYS OF USE. THAT IS RIDICULOUSLY STUPID AS WELL AS CONFUSING TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KNOW HOW THE PRODUCT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!
February 22, 2012
Pros:
clears skin
softens skin
reduces wrinkles
lightens dark marks
Cons:
redness
dries skin
peeling
initial breakout
i started using tretinoin .025% about 5 months ago. i have used every acne product under the sun..every salycidic acid & benzoyl peroxide product, proactiv, glycolic acid, differin, retrinal, etc. i have had acne for 15 years ( half of my life! ) and nothing has worked better on my skin. after a few months i met with a facialist who recommended that i up the concentration, i called my dermatologist and asked him to up the tretinoin because it wasnt clearing my skin 100%. ive been using the .05 % for a month now and its working so much better. a few tips...meet with a great facialist! facials can be expensive but save up and go to the best one in your city and ask them what they reccommend. usually dr's will prescribe you a pill to try to fix everything and you should try topicals first before taking a pill everyday! antibiotics cannot be good for your system. use a gentle face wash 2 times a day, use a micro derm scrub and gently buff peeling skin in the AM. moisturize! one of the biggest faults wth having acne for me is i never used a moisturizer because i was scared it would cause me to break out more.use an oil free moisturizer. i love laura mercier's tinted oil free moisturizer because its light, has great buildable coverage, is nongreasy and has sunscreen in it. make sure to wait at least 30 minutes to apply the retin a! it wont work if you apply it while your skin is still moist and only use a little bit. i really think it works when its used properly. you will breakout when you start, but do not get discouraged, it means its working and bringing all the sebum to the surface. i hope i help someone, as dealing with this condition is so difficult. this regimen worked for me and i hope it does for you too!
November 2, 2011
Pros:
got rid of cystic acne
fades scars
smooths skin
prevents new breakouts
Cons:
expensive
have to use it for at least a few months (requires patience!!)
smelly
some skin peeling
need to wear high SPF sunscreen every day
This product works. I had acne on and off from the age of 14. I am now 31. Had my first bout of cystic acne starting at age 28. I had horrible acne on my cheeks that was relentless and left scars (also first time I scarred).
Used Differin, Duac, antibiotics, Finacea, stinky sulfur wash, facials. Nothing worked for the cystic acne until I started on Atralin (another awesome product) and Retin-A Micro.
I wash my face with Cetaphil only. Once in the AM, once in PM. Atralin or Retin-A Micro at night and clindamycin in the daytime, with Neutogena Spectrum SPF 100+ sunscreen. This is a must at high altitudes and to prevent reddening of skin due to increased sun sensitivity with these products.
I had to use this product for a year to get amazingly clear skin that looked like I had never had cystic acne. Still have scarring on cheeks but it is minimized and the pigmentation has faded with consistent use of Retin-A and sunscreen. You must use sunscreen for best results with your scars.
I went from feeling extremely negative, depressed and self-conscious about my skin (zitty at ages 29 and 30!!), to having to pretend it was not there, and be very disciplined about using the products in the order listed every day. Don't give up, wash with Cetaphil, and wear your sunscreen.
August 5, 2011
Pros:
+ treated all acne
+ soft skin
+treated PIH
Cons:
- initial breakout
- 3 months to see results
- redness/drying/flaking
IT WORKS. I saw initial results at 3 months and full results at 9 months (ie no more acne no more marks, just normal skin), so it takes a loooonnng time to work. It's hard to be patient but its worth it. I had combination normal/dry skin with tons of non inflamed, under the skin whiteheads which would turn into forever pimples and sometimes cysts. Nothing super super serious but definitely annoying and confidence killings. I think if you are patient and use retin a correctly you will see results!! So, use a tiny amount, wait 20 minutes before applying and use a good lotion on the dry spots and DON'T PICK. Around weeks 3-10 brace yourself for the IB and wait it out, its worth it!!! My best to you all!
May 15, 2011
Pros:
Makes skin super SUPER soft (eventually!)
Does keep your skin clear fairly consistently.
Cons:
Absolutely awful IB (peeling, redness, painful)
START SLOWLY
Not amazing at getting rid of red marks, just takes time.
I've now used retin A 0.025% for about 3 months and I'm starting to really see (and feel) the benefits.
The initial breakout began around weeks 3 & 4. It was quite nasty but I attribute this to using retin A too often, too quickly.
***Start Slow***
On my prescription it said use twice daily, no no no! I would recommend applying it once every other night for like the first week.
I ended up having a bumpy, scaly type rash on places I never usually had spots. It took a few days of not using retin A (and having a few days off work :/) for it to go down. Very upsetting! Still get the occasional little spot but I haven't experienced anything I would consider being detrimental to my face for a while now. Happy :)
January 14, 2011
Pros:
Gets rid of bumps and deep painful cysts
affordable with insurance
little bit goes a long way
Cons:
Takes a long time to start working
dries skin pretty bad
can burn with first weeks of use
When I started using this product back in the beggining of December the doctor told me to use every 3rd night. But my skin was already so bad I figured, how much worse could it get. So I used every night, with an occassional break on a night here and there when my skin got so dry. i have now been on this for 5 weeks, and the bumps have REALLY dissapated. No more deep painful cysts THANK GOD! My skin no longer hurts to the touch, which is AMAZING. It still gets kind of dry but no where near as bad as when I started. I use aveeno baby lotion on my face. It doesn't make me break out and its made for sensetive skin. I love it. I use it everyday before I put my make up on. I do, however, still have the red marks from previous acne. i am hoping they go away in time. That's the only reason I even wear makeup now, since the bumps are gone I don't need to cover those =) So far i am impressed with tretinoin cream. It DOES take a while to work, so you DO have to be patient. And I didn't get much of an IB (initial breakout), I would totally reccommend this product to people!! =)
November 26, 2011
Pros:
Clear skin
Shallow pimples
Smooth skin
Increased skin turnover
Cons:
Some redness
Initial peeling
Initial breakout
I was suffering from moderate acne and was prescribed 0.05% tretinoin by my dermatologist. I had tried every OTC product and homemade remedy from tea tree oil and turmeric, pH balanced soap, proactiv, AcneFree, shaving excessively, not shaving. It was actually getting pretty desperate because nothing worked. I finally broke down and made an appt with a dermatologist and was put on a regimen of tretinoin, doxycycline, and benzaclin, which is very common. I think most people who suffer from the initial breakout are prescribed tretinoin by itself. The doxycycline and benzaclin are things that may lose effectiveness over time, but for the first ~3 months, they do well to keep the initial breakout produced by tretinoin to a minimum (and you don't want to be taking an antibiotic for an extended period of time). The first couple of weeks of using tretinoin, I noticed my skin get scaly and then peel aggressively. However, once the peeling subsided, my face was almost smooth. After 6 months, my derm started to ween me off the doxycycline, and the acne has stayed away for the most part. I still get one or two pimples every 2 weeks or so (this is a dramatic improvement), but they are typically shallow and go away after a few days. I think with tretinoin, most people tend to get discouraged after a few weeks because their acne gets worse if they are not using another complementary product, but I would highly advise sticking with it for at least 3 months. It really does get better.
February 27, 2011
Pros:
Fantastic skin
Reduces acne significantly
Cons:
Takes time (time which you would have spent with acne anyway)
Initial breakout (again, this would have happened naturally, albeit at a slower rate)
Having posted a review last september after only 3 weeks of using retin-a, I now realise I was hasty in doing so. I claimed there was no IB for myself, however there was about a week later, lasting up to week 10. Around the following weeks was nothing short of a miracle, though. I now have so few spots I can allow myself to get annoyed at just 1 small blemish. My skin glows, and more importantly the ladies are noticing! :p So overall I'd say stick with this treatment and it will get you clear!
February 5, 2011
Pros:
-clears up acne and scars
-as well as even skin tone
-changes life :)
STICK WITH IT!!!
Cons:
-takes a long time to work around two moths to see and real improvement
-may look worse at the beginning
-May look bad with sunscreen (oily) but ignore that
- low self esteem when starting
Well for everyone here I'm here to tell you I have struggled from acne and have had acne since my 8th grade year and have has oily and scar skin due to acne. I have tried alot of products On tv and they have failed me and many other people. So I went to my doctor and received 2 products TRETINOIN AND CP 1%. Use both once daily and use sunscreen in the mourning before you go outside always!!! It takes 2 months to see improvement so be patient !!!! And remember to put a pea size amount .. Wash ur face before applying and wait 20-30 min ....it will work for u like it worked for me :)) I hope u have success
Pros:
I saw some results very quickly
Easy to apply
Goes on smoothly
Havent seen many 'initial break outs'
HELPS WITH WRINKLES!
This is the *only* thing i've tried that does anything to get rid of white heads and flesh colored bumps