RateItAll: The Opinion Network

STOP STOP STOP STOP USING THIS PRODUCT DO NOT IF U HAVE BAD SKIN GO ON ACCUTANE THIS PRODUCT PUSHES ALL YOUR PIMPLES TO THE SURFACE ACCUTAN ALWAYS WORKS JUSTNUSE THAT IF U KEEP HAVONG BREAKOUTS DO NOT USE THIS HORRIBLE

I was prescribed retin a micro after trying duac topical, other types of cream and even minecycline (which i had a bad allergic reaction to and have been advised to stay away from all tetracyclines unfortunately). I got into week 4 and stopped usage. I'm only on my 3rd day of not using. My skin got horrible. Was more like blistering and would get better (definitely not cleared up though) than much worse again. My skin is sensitive to moisturizer and I think the excessive drying having to use it only worsened. I really didnt want to give up on it but my face itches so bad, still, is extremely red and have bumps EVERYWHERE. I got so upset bout it all, I cried and my skin felt like it was on fire. I've never had my skin this intense, ever. Even without use hasn't gotten any better. I'm really afraid of scarring. I dont know what to do to help my skin get better. I have never had acne like I do now. I would get breakouts and cysts but never my entire face like it is now. My doctor told me after I said what was going on to stop use. I was worried I was having a mild allergic reaction. Since my skin was more like a rash/blistering and even my upper chest and arms seem to have constant goosebumps right now. I havent seen my doctor yet and I hope there is something that I can do right now to help fix this. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know!! I hated retin a micro, I didnt go through full treatment but I wanted something to help. Not cause me pain, embarrassement and RUIN MY FACE. I'm sorry but side effects that I have been having for 2 months or more... no thank you. I just hope I dont have terrible scarring now. If you have sensitive skin, USE WITH CAUTION! Again, anyone who has stopped use has any suggestions of what I can do to help my skin right now, please enlighten me!

I hate retin a. It doesn't work! I've been using it regularly for three months, I followed the directions and still I have a lot of acne. Acne is the only thing that's ruining my life. Tetracycline doesn't work anymore (but it worked wonders before I became immune to it). Benzoyl peroxide is a joke. Can somebody please help me and tell me what the secret to good skin is? I am panicking.

ok, i have just bin prescribed retina-a for my acne but it isnt that bad i get a reak out of a couple of odd spots but there in wierd places like next to my lips wich now i cant kiss my girl friend and afraid to go out and see her since she may reject me , i used the benzly peroxide for about 5 weeks but not evenly over my skin i put odd bits of cream on my spots wich peeled them away after 5 days of washing them with soap and moisturising like mad!!! i was so irrated !! self concious about my looks my skin began to peel and was red in some patches across myface but after geting an icecube putting in tissue and using against the rash it went down and i use abit of savlon well blobs of savlon over red patches wich decreased the redness overnight , so... i got this retina-a like 2 days agao i used like big amounts wich i shudnt but i need the spot to go from me lip and redness just irratating me , as soon as i put this on my skin began to peel greatly , but less as i used this it began to turn yellow and i was getting causious of the light irratating it , if anyone has any good idea wt cream to use and not oxy 10 since it peals skin please post yur comments quickly i really need chap working acne stuff since acnefree in 3 days costs 100 wich i dont have to spend on me face im only 14 lol

Pros: Very effective with preventing major outbreaks.

Cons: Many. Doesnt seem to help with mild acne, makes skin peel leading to redness, sensitivity to sun, and very dry, flakey skin.

Bottom Line: If you need something to prevent yourself from major outbreaks, its a good medication for you. If you are wanting to try it for mild acne- dont bother.

Hi I was just prescribed retin A for my moderate acne and i am really scared to use because of the breakout period.I was wondering how bad is the breakout period? What should I do I have very sensitive skin?

this stuff made my face RED like a lobster. my face initially got worse, then better, then bad. if you want RESULTS, i reccomend duac topical.

I am a 18 years old and have had moderate acne since i was 14. Being fed up with every over the counter medication I finally went to my dermatologist at 16, and he prescribed retin-a. The first time i used it i was discouraged by the fact that my skin got worse for the first several weeks and discontinued using it. I thought i would give it another try about 6 months later. After using retin a for about 6 months (and following every step precisely) i no longer had acne! The trick is to stick it out and pay attention to ALL directions. DONT USE benzoyl peroxide or another agent used for acne. ONLY use a very mild soap that is non- comedogenic, fragerence free, and very mild. I use Clinque's facial mild bar soap. Also dont overwash your skin as this can make acne worse i noticed. Only wash 3 times a day maximum, spread out evenly throughout the day. The final thing is to use a moisturizer with this product for your skin can become red, flakey, and dry(which makes it more oily!)Also use a moisturizer which is non comedogenic, oil free, and fragerence free. As long as you follow the directions EXACTLY, you can have acne free skin too!

In my teens i always had acne nothing crazy just a couple of pimples mainly near my period...but now iam 22 and about a year ago my face went crazy my whole right side of my face was full of acne, my face was really really bad everywhere i went someone was telling me what i should use on my face even strangers would come up to me feeling bad ( thats how bad it was)...i went to my dermatologist and he gave me duac for the day and retin-a micro for night i must say i didnt believe it was going to do anything for me since i had tried everything under the sun including products i bought with a prescription. I still tried it anyways and i must say about 3 months later you couldnt even tell i had ever had acne that bad even my dark spots disappeared i was so happy, the only thing i didnt like about it was it made my skin extreamly sensative to waxing i had to begin eyebrow threading instead if not my skin will peel off with the wax (very painful) About 2 months ago i ran out of retin-a not thinking much about it and thinking i was finally cured of my horrible acne i didnt go back to get more......about 2 weeks ago my acne came back bad( but yet not as bad as the first)!!! I couldnt believe how horrible my face got in such little time...so i went back and am starting it up again i been on it for about 2 weeks and dont see much of a diff but since i have used the product before i have faith....my only main concern about this product is that your not supposed to use it while pregnant b/c of deformalities!!! very scary to think that and how my face will get when its time for me to have kids....i hope this will help alot of you guys trust me your not alone so in the meantime girls i recomend bare minerals i find it to be a decent cover up, the best are the moose cover ups if your really want to cover the acne up for a special event but beware it will make your break out more....so choos to wear it smartly.

ive been using this for two months now along with Duac topical gel and also taking minocycline oraly and i have seen little to no improvement. im a senior in high school and i feel like every one is starring at me. i dont know wether to keep using this or to switch to another product.

I have had acne since I was a teen and I am now 23 and it has eased up some what but I still get breakouts and I have scars. My derm. prescribed retina micro in the lowest dosage so that I will have less sideeffects. I am worried about the breakout period on how my skin will react. My skin is very oily so I'm not worried about the drying out. I have been using it for almost 2 weeks and I havent really noticed anything yet but he wants me to use it for at least 7 weeks . I was currently on differn gel and he said it wasnt keeping my breakouts undercontrol like the retin a would. I just hope this stuff works and the breakout period isnt horrible.

Of all the acne treatments I have taken, retin A had the most devastating effects on my skin. I had mild scarring from previous acne breakouts and my doctor prescribed me this cream in the strength of 0.025%. For the first 2 weeks there wasn't much difference but soon after my face became extremely red and the skin became extremely tight which made it look like the scars were no longer there. However, after using it for 3 months i discontinued it and thats when I couldn't believe my eyes. 4 weeks after discontinuing this cream the redness in my skin subsided, the scars re-appeared but now i had hundreds of tiny 'poke marks' all over my cheeks. Its been 10 months since I discontinued the use of this product and it's tough for me to walk around with my head straight. This thing is really horrible and I wouldn't recommend its use to anyone. I wish I had never used this poison.

I have been on retin-a for about a week now and i can already tell a difference. but, my face is extremely dry and it peels. i skip a day here and there. is that okay? or should i just keep using it every day no matter how dry my skin is?

I am 25 years old and have been using Retin-A Micro for about 2-3 weeks now.
I looked up the side-effects and the "what to expect" caption on the Retin-A website which I highly reccommend. Therefore, I knew that there would be a bad period. Being on my third week of use, I think that I have passed my bad period and am seeing results that I really like. Yes, I have spots still coming out, but they seem to be mild and dont last very long. And phsycologically, I know that they are meant to be coming out so it makes me feel better. I suggest to all of you that you read up on their website and just keep at it. Not only will it clear up your skin, but it evens out your skin tones, clears your pores, and soothes fine lines!

When I first started using Retin-a-micro about 2-3 years ago I gave up around week 3 because my face substanial worsened. This time I stuck it out and have been very happy with the result. It takes a good 8-11 weeks to get all the nasty crap under the skin out...excessive pealing is normal. Try a non-oil moisturizer in the morning. MOST IMPORTANT DO NOT USE BENZOYL PEROXIDE PRODUCTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS PRODUCT IT NEUTRALIZES THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT TRETINOIN AND WILL CAUSE EVEN WORSE PEELING AND EVEN BLISTERING....This was what happened to me the first time I used Retin-a-micro I was using a Benzoyl Peroxide prescription wash with it and it was bad...my Derm recommended cetaphil gentle cleanser to use with it and it works great! Good Luck

i have been using retin-a micro 0.1% for about 6 years and I stil get horrendous breakouts, what should i do? email me at italianstalion49@aol.com

i am currently using the same benzaclin in the mourning and retin a in the evening and am experiencing the same painful cyst and small pimples and wondering if u found an answer or solution?i also have oily shiny skin and am 8 weeks in this treatment and wondering when to find results??

ive been on Retin A micro 0.04 and the 1st week it burned,dryed out my skin, and peel. This is my 17th day using Retin A at night and Benzaclin morning, (cetaphel as a cleanser, and aveeno miosturizer even tho i didnt have to use it that much cuz my skin wasnt so horrobly dry) , and i think im going through the initial break out but im not sure because people say its a bunch of lil pimples, and im gettin huge pimples that hurt like hell and its hard to pop them they take at list 3days to die! and some lil pimples. Anyways, like i get 3 at a time,blemishes, one goes away and im already getting one..is that the initial break out???? since it doesnt burn anymore im thinkin of gettin Retin A micro 01 percent, since its more stronger ,rite? is that a bad idea??? im really sad of not seeing results and i want some support =( i havent gone out for so long cuz im embarresed of this , my acne is not that bad but enough to make me feel uncomfortable.... any answers plz.. thank you guys and good luck wit it.

Have been using Retin-A Micro for about 7 months, in conjunction with NeoBenz (a BP product) micro in the morning and my skin is absolutely clear and fantastic looking. It took well over two months to finally see the results I wanted, and yes, the first few weeks were horrible, but guess what???? That's completely normal!!!! Retin-A does not work overnight, or in weeks, and it will make your skin PURGE! But, once you get past that point, you will have clear, wonderful-looking skin. I am sad to see so many people get upset and give up on Retin-A after only a few weeks of use. You are truly missing out! I once tried and gave it up as well, and I have the horrible scars to prove it. Now, I am clear and my scars are less noticeable. PLEASE stick with the Retin-A for more than a few weeks! You'lll see great results.

I have been on Retin-A micro for 4 or 5 months now and it has worked wonderfully! At first, it made me break out worse than ever, but it is supposed to do that. After about 10 weeks I stopped getting new pimples, and most of the older one were dried up! Now I just have a few red spots were pimples used to be, and the derm. said that with the continuation of Retin-A that those will go away too. I had tried everything, including Pro Active, and NOTHING had helped before Retin A Micro. I had had acne since I as 11, and I am now 20, so this is a HUGE deal for me not to have acne! My skin is dry from time to time, but I have another product from the derm that helps keep the peeling and drying to a minimum, and I'd much rather have a few dry patches than acne! If you can tough through a few weeks of even worse skin, it is definately worth it, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel!!!

I was on retin-a micro .1% for 10-11 weeks. I have always had dry skin, and all this did was dry it out more. I know that during a few weeks (on the site it says between weeks 3-6) you will get more breakouts because it is pushing up the all the of crap in the clogged pores. This 3-6 week period lasted all 11 weeks. All this did was make me breakout more and more. One week during the treatment my skin was pretty flat with minimal blemishes, but other than that, my skin got worse. This product is terrible. I used differin at night too, another retinoid, before the retin a for about a year and that worked very well, but i got immune to it so i had to swith to the retin-a micro. I also became immune to Tetracycline, which worked like a charm for about 7-8 months. Using differin and tetracycline together, which is what i did before the retin-a, worked flawlessly but noticed my skin got worse and worse because i was getting so immune to both drugs. Now i have come to the end of the line with both oral and topical treatments and i just started accutane a few days ago. Hopefully this will work for me. If this will help you, other orals/topicals that did NOT work for me were bactrim (O), minocycline (O), clindamycin (T), duac (T),and erythromycin (T). Every person's body is different and this is what did and didn't work for me. I hope this helps you with your decision, and good luck.

I have been using retin-A for about 10 weeks now. I had moderate acne and it was getting so bad that i went to the dermatologist. I've been on Accutane before and it worked for awhile but after a couple years it didnt. I tried everything else- proactiv, everything. Up until week 9, i was so frusterated because the Retin-A micro didnt seem to be working. I knew it took awhile so i stuck it out and now at week 10, my face is SOOOOO much better!! My skin is so much smoother and brighter and i barely have any new pimples! I still have a few red marks from old ones but they will go away soon and like i said im barely getting any new pimples! So not perfect yet, and it never will be absolutely perfect but i know it will only get better.
So if youre using Retin-A micro and doesnt seem like youre getting results, STICK IT OUT! Its hard but it WILL WORK.

I have been on a combination Rx of Doxy and Retin-A micro for the past 2.5 weeks. At first, I had severe flaking of my skin and and couldnt even wear makeup it was so bad. It has subsided, but I still have spots of dryness, especially around my mouth, chin, and outside corners of my eyes. I've always had flawless skin until this past summer, where I started breaking out...bad. I thought it had something to do with not working out anymore, since school and work prevented me from having any free time. Its winter now, and as many of you know its a hell-period for acne prescriptions on ur face. The acne on my back is completely non existent now, and my face is slowly clearing up. Its a matter of dealing with the dryness and redness now. I'm going to give both Rxs 2 months and if the dryness and redness dont subside, I'll have to try something else. In conclusion, my face looks A LOT better than it did 2.5 weeks ago, but it still needs a lot of work. Patience and a miracle is in order :)

I have been using Retin-A Micro for 3.5 months or about 14 weeks and it has been amazing! I had been using Benzaclin for the past 3 years and it just seemed to stop working and it was also getting expensive to refill it every 2 months after it expired. I tried regular Retin-A or Avita about 3 years ago and it gave me the biggest pimple I had ever seen after a few days so I quit. I prepared myslef to stick with the Retin-A Micro if I started to break out. After about 2 weeks, I got a few tiny pimples on my chin, maybe a couple on on cheeks, but nothing worse than what I was getting before. I have very oily skin, and my skin did not dry out at all. After about 4 weeks, my skin was starting to look brighter and I stopped getting new pimples. After about 5 weeks, I didn't have any pimples at all. In the past 2 months or so, I've had maybe 1 pimple and I blame that on hormones. I haven't had a pimple on my oily forehead at all! My forehead was always where I got the most pimples. So Retin-A is work sticking to for a few weeks. You only have to use it at night, so you can wear makeup during the day too. It doesn't expire fast and it was only $10 with my insurance. By the way, I am a 22 year old black female.

Dried out my skin, made the pimples peel and made the spots look scarred with red ugly new skin.

My daughter began Retin-A Micro 4 weeks ago. She had tried pro-Activ and many other things. About 2.5 weeks into the treatment, her skin was the worse I had ever seen. She had a small burn on her chin plus........she was more broke out then ever, skin peeling and looked so oily..she wanted to quit, I could tell. But I felt as her Mother she needed to stick it out. We are now on 4 weeks. Her skin ha a few pimples left but looks like a baby's skin. Its smooth and her color is wonderful. My guess is in just another 2 weeks, you will never know of her acne nightmares. I have read many ratings on Retin-A and it seems to be in the 3rd week people give up because there skin looks awful. Not really a fair rating till you stick it out. Again we are in week 4 but I see a major difference and beautiful skin. I also want to add as her Mom I did a lot of praying for her too. I believe He cares about even the smallest details of our life.

First of all, for all those people who say that it made their skin worse and/or made their face peel... It's always wise to read up on all the possible side effects of a medication before you use it. Especially when it comes to your appearance. Retin-A Micro's website specifically states that it may make your skin peel like a sunburn and worsen the condition. That's because it's bringing all of the grossness that causes pimples to the surface so that it can get rid of them! This is a GOOD thing! You're just going to have to deal with another few weeks of having those annoying, painful pimples. You've gone this long, what's another couple weeks? Just make sure you read up on it BEFORE you get discouraged. My experience has been much like many of those that had skin-peeling and worsening conditions. I've only been on it for 3 weeks now and FINALLY I am seeing results. My acne (mild to moderate) got worse and my skin was peeling and it was SO annoying, but within the last couple of days I have had NO new breakouts and the ones I had and that it caused have calmed down and smoothed out. I believe that within the next 2 weeks my skin will be breakout-free. I use the recommended application at night after washing my face. In the mornings I use Klaron lotion (also an Rx) which is heling with the redness and irritation. I am also sure to use a good oil-free moisturizing lotion with SPF 15. Make sure (ladies) that if you're putting make-up over that it is oil-free as well. I'm sure that this product doesn't work for everyone, but if you're thinking about asking your dermatologist about it, it's definitly worth it!

simplystevie is right. I used Retin A for 3 weeks. In that time my acne went from moderate to severe. I stopped using it and 2 weeks later my face looks horrible. Retin A is the worst mistake I ever made for acne treatments. I would not recommend it to anyone. It doesn't even deserve one star.

This crap is terrible! my mom went to the dermatologist and gave it to me to use and all it did was make my skin red, itchy peeling. i was so embarassed when i had people come up to me at work and ask me what happen to my skin.i didnt even want to go in public! made my acne worse then it was before! i woudlnt recommend you pay a cent for it!

i have only been using this stuff for 2 1/2 weeks but you know what it is making my skin scab and bleed so forme i do not thinkthis is the one. it is horrible i am g girl and i can not even hold my head up when i walk around college.

i was on retin-A for about 5 months and it did not seem to have any effect so I stopped using it. I switched to Tazorac which is a medication similar to retin-A and it had a lot more effect

i started using Retin A about 5 weeks ago. While at first the results were encouraging, i have started to experience the dreaded peeling most of you have described and i think the "bad period" has started for me with the breakouts. it is not encouraging at all and can drive you to tears at times but from the testimonials i have read, i think what i am experincing is normal.The pimples are not as bad as they used to be so i will continue to use the product. I would highly advise the discontinuation of cleansers with salysic acid since this aggravates the peeling..i'll keep you updated.Sunscreen is definitely a must!

I started using Retin A when I was 14 or so, and switched to Retin-A Micro when I was 16. Retin-A Micro is gentler, even in higher doses, because of the microspheres so I experienced less side effects. My skin was dry and itchy at first, but my skin is mostly clear and glowing on most days. I've never had absolutely clear skin, but I had severe acne with cysts and everything, and now I just get a few tiny zits here and there. It controls oil all day if you use it in the morning, but be sure to use a moisturizer in the morning if you're applying it at night. Your skin is naturally drier at night, so using Retin-A at night may make it dry in the morning. I'm trying out Tazorac to see if I can zap the remaining zits, but if not, I won't stray from Retin-A Micro again because it's simply wonderful.

It started working for me within the second month but by the sixth my skin was clear and smooth. I was fortunate that my acne did not get worse before it got better but some friends were not as lucky. Retin-A also helped lighten existing scars from my acne. I would recommend this product to anyone with patience because it does pay.

I have been using retin-a micro .04% for about 11 weeks now and it killed all those potential pimples hiding under the skin(you can feel bumpiness by pressing on the skin). although it made me miserable during week4 through week8 and i almost gave up. but now at 11 weeks, my face is sooooo smooth and it doesnt peel like it used to. sad thing is that it doesnt clear the existing hyperpigmentation left by previous pimples(those were there before i jumped on Retin-A micro)but it does clear possible hyperpigmentation formed by pimples while you are on it.

I've been using this product for 10 weeks now, and i havent broken out since the 7th week. My acne has been steadily, not very fast tho, getting better and better. I beleive that by week 12 i will be acne free. This is a great product if you use it right. I suggest using cetaphil face wash with it. Use the face wash once in the morning and once at night. apply the thinest amount of retin-a you possibly can. But if you quit before weeks 10-12, your prob gonna break out a lot. i broke out in week 3, 5, and 6. but now ive gone 4 weeks without breaking out.

did nothing for my acne. after the two weeks of skin peeling, the redness in my skin improved a little but my acne remained the same and it did nothing for the oiliness.

I was on Retin-A for almost a year and a half and never saw any improvement. It made my skin very irritated and my breakouts became more severe. It also made my skin feel greasy. I hated it and would not recommend it.

This stuff is crappy. It made my acne worse and it smells gross. It also feels really greasy.

As 'sameasalways' says, you need to follow the rules to avoid all the side effects. I have used this product on and off for years and whilst it has never 'cured' my acne, it is the only thing that works consistently. I also would not recommend daily use until your skin can tolerate it and I prefer a lower strength. Also, as your skin improves you do not need to use it everyday. My skin is certainly better on my face then on my chest and back on which I do not use retin-a as it is not practical to apply to these areas. So retin-a seems to helping more than the anti-biotics I am taking [doxycycline]. I do also think it helps with 'anti-aging' [nobody tells you that you will start getting wrinkles before you get rid of your acne!] It does concern me how wrinkly I will be if I ever stop using retin-A!

I think people need to be careful when they use this. Its important to use a moisturizer each morning with sunscreen. Also, Important to start using this stuff and as soon as burning sensation starts to occur then you taper off and don't use it for 3 days ....then you use it again. Do this for however long it takes and then after awhile you can use it every day with no irritation. Its not truly dryness but more that it causes your skin to peel. If you use too much of it, or you put it on after washing your face, or you use it too often or with other acne meds, you can have really bad results (burning, redness, itching, and peeling skin). The key to success with this medication is to follow the rules exactly and not try to side step them. Also this medication (as it says) takes about 6 to 8 weeks before you will see results. Once your face is used to this and the six week period is over (by two months you should be able to use it every day or every other day at night, and your skin won't be breaking out all the time either anymore by then). I used to have to use Nivea cream in the morning on my face in some areas my skin felt like it was burning so badly.....but that only lasts about a week provided you do not use scrubs, washcloths, other acne meds and you taper off whenever the burning starts to occur. Worked wonderfully for me and also on a side note, this medication increases your collagen through long term use and helps with aging as a result.

This didn't do anything but dry out my skin.

This was absolutely the pits!! I was so excited to start using it, but all it did was dry my skin out. The acne did clear up but my skin felt like leather (literally)!

I used this Product for several months. I have moderate to severe acne and this product made it worse. You could literally peel layers of skin off because it was so dry. I was in pain and had to switch medications