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