Tretinoin

I would totally recommend this product. Along with Clindamycin, my skin was completely clear in 1 1/2 months. It's taking a little longer to work on my back acne but I can tell it is working. I find this also helps minimize scarring. However, do not go off of it. I tried because I thought my skin would be fine but my acne came back and it was frustrating getting my skin used to the drying aspect of these gels/creams again.

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ando000

March 27, 2012

Pros:

Leaves skin smooth
Lightens the redness of scars
Works over time

Cons:

Must use at night because if you go in the sun you will be burnt easily

Fairly expensive

Requires prescription

It helps with the scarring as it lightens and make it look less swollen. I also suspect it helps with the acne aswell as i used to use Epiduo aswell. So my treatment plan is: Doxycycline pills in the morning At night i wash my face with benzac wash Apply ReTrieve Cream straight after If a really painful or stubborn pimple arises i sometimes use betadine or just load heaps of epiduo on it. Bottomline : IT WORKS

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kpalmsky

March 22, 2012

Pros:

Everything

Cons:

Burning and Peeling at first
Breakouts early in treatment

I am 26 years old. After having somewhat acne-free skin most of my life, I was surprised by a sudden, awful breakouts on my chin and cheeks that would last months on end. My doctor put me on Retin A .05% in November 2011. At first, it didn't seem to be working (I had 2 really bad early-stage breakouts - one at 1 week and one at 4 weeks) and it took until mid-January 2012 (with my dosage increased to .25% and Erythromycin topical added) to start seeing results. Normally I would expect to have one or two pimples per month, but I can say that I have now gone over 6 weeks without a single breakout. If one zit does rear its ugly head, it is small and gone within a day. Retin A is absolutely a miracle product for me. Regimen [evening]: Makeup off with cleansing towelettes; Wash face with Benzol Peroxide-based cleanser (nothing fancy); Exfoliate (also nothing fancy); Let dry 20 minutes; Erythromycin topical all over face; Let set 10 minutes; Retin-A gel all over face; Sleep. Regimen [morning]: Wash flakes off face with damp washcloth (Retin-A leaves little flakes as it dries); SPF 30 moisturizer.

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TiaraGibson

March 20, 2012

Pros:

cleared up my moderate acne
relatively inexpensive

Cons:

takes a few weeks to work...but what product doesn't?

I LOVE THIS STUFF!

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Mason51

March 14, 2012

Pros:

Helps acne alot,
evens skin tone out a bit.

Cons:

Takes time
Terrible Initial Breakout

With BP and SA not working at all for me, i went to derm and got this prescribed along with clindamycin. Im in week 7 and i can honestly say my skin is 95% clear which is a huge improvement for me who has had acne for half a decade. The worst thing was about week 3 until week 6 my face was constantly breaking out with bumps everywhere. I was told it takes until week 12 to see huge full results so im glad i have 5 more weeks to see my skin continue improving. and without insurance it is kinda expansive but to many of us suffering for years, cost does not a matter if we can have clear skin. I used tretinoin (Generic) .01% If used properly the small tube can last a very long time. A Little goes along way with this stuff!

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lauren381

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!

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Christina

January 27, 2012

Pros:

Smoother skin
Removes scars

Cons:

Leaves skin sensitive when using
Dry flaky skin

I was prescribed this medication for pilaris keratosis. It left my skin really red and very irritated. I rubbed a layer on my arms. It disappears very easily so I kept applying. When your doctor says just a pea size, Listen! I was anxious to remove the bumps on my arms. Kept applying and in combination, wore an unwashed shirt. My arms broke out in a horrible rash. I avoided the cream for a week and it cleared up. Now, I'm starting the treatment again using only a pea-size.

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ktbuffinet

January 22, 2012

Pros:

It works!
less pimples
smooth feeling skin

Cons:

a little dry

I have tried everything in the past! I did a 6 month course of accutane 2 years ago and it worked great. Unfortunately my acne is coming back. When I first started using retina I was using too much b/c I could not make a pea size work on my whole face. My face was burning and peeling because of it. I started putting a pea size in the palm of my hand and mixing a good bit of moisturizer in with it to make it enough to spread easily on my whole face. Best idea ever!! With what is left in my hand I usually just rub on my shoulders and chest to get rid of the few pimples i have there. Hope this helps you!! :)

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Kathryn6586

January 17, 2012

Pros:

Dry skin

Cons:

Clear skin
Smooth skin
No more breakouts

I have always struggled with acne and recently started breaking out in giant cystic acne. I went to the dermatologist and he put me on Tretinoin cream along with oral Doxycycline. This product has worked great for me. I didn't have a bad inital breakout like others stated that they experienced. I had maybe 1 or 2 new zits within the first few days and then my skin cleared up completely. I haven't had a breakout since. This product does cause your skin the be dry and flaky. I'd recommend scrubbing your face with St. Ives Apricot Scrub each morning to exfoliate and removed the dead skin and then apply a moisturizer...this has really worked for me. All-in-all a great product and I'd recommend it for mild to moderate acne.

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Jude

January 12, 2012

Pros:

Clears Acne
Smooths Skin
Easy to Use
Speads up turn over of surface skin cells

Cons:

Temporary Stinging while getting used to medication
Temporary worsening breakouts as medication works to push acne causing particles to the surface

Personally a wonderful product. After having undergone having my children my skin started to go haywire after I turned 40. Then got crazy after my hysterectomy in March of 2011! Acne on my face, back, chest and top of my arms. Not what you expect or desire at my age. As I'm on other very strong medications for a chronic condition, the dermatologist couldn't put me on Accutane type meds. He did try a bunch of other things until we got to a dead end and this was the only option. At first my skin dried out and I looked like a lizard, I broke out as it pushed the acne causing garbage to the surface and my face stung. I was also advised (and complied) that I should start out slowly. Applying the gel once every couple of days, waiting an hour and then applying a quality mosturizer. Then after a couple of weeks start applying every other day w/mosturizer after the gel has been on my face an hour. I pushed through the discomfort and acne though as I'd already been warned that I would experience these things and that given a few weeks, I would see the benefits. My doc was so right! Now after 4 months of use, my skin looks amazing. It's actually also taken a few years off my looks...yippee! I'd be crazy not to be thrilled about looking at least 7 years younger right? LOL So I'm happy to take that bonus! I suggest following a moderate application timetable for a few weeks before going to applying it every night and hopefully you'll enjoy the same results. I'm just so thankful I finally found some relief. Mine is covered, at least temporarily, by insurance. Normal cost is $300 w/out insurance. My copay is $40. That's a bargain for something that really works.

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