While it can irritate the skin at first and you may not see results for months, it can help promote smoother, healthier skin. It works by promoting peeling of affected skin areas and unclogging pores. Topical tretinoin has been on the market for 24 years. Be careful not to get it in your eyes, mouth, nose, or mucous membranes. 4. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Excessive washing and scrubbing can cause irritation. It can also help reduce the appearance of surface wrinkles and dark spots due to sun damage. Tretinoin is in a class of medications called retinoids. All rights reserved. Talk to your doctor or dermatologist to find out if tretinoin is a good option for you.© 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Other things to mention when you talk with your doctor are:If your doctor or dermatologist thinks that tretinoin is right for you, make sure you know how it should be used, how long it will take to know if it’s working, and signs that you should stop using it.Before you apply tretinoin, make sure your face is clean. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3956/tretinoin-topical/details Some side effects of tretinoin topical may occur that usually Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects Erythema, peeling, dryness, burning/stinging, and/or itching occurred most frequently during the first 2 weeks of therapy.Most of the dermatologic side effects were mild in severity (approximately 63%), and approximately 34% were of moderate severity.Dry, peeling, scaling, and/or flaking skin occurred most often in the gel formulation.1. Tretinoin (Altreno, Atralin, Avita, Retin-A) is used to treat acne. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects. Tretinoin is also known as retinoic acid. These side effects should lessen as your skin adjusts to the medication.Stop using tretinoin and talk to your doctor if irritation doesn’t improve within a few weeks, or if you develop: Tretinoin can be a safe, effective treatment option for acne. Available for Android and iOS devices.We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information - If you’ve tried retinol but don’t think it’s working, ask your doctor if tretinoin could help with your skin concerns.Tretinoin as a topical skin treatment isn’t new. But they’re not quite the same. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Penederm Inc, Foster City, CA. They both promote rapid exfoliation and stimulation of collagen and elastin, which leads to smoother-looking skin. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. In the first few weeks of treatment, it’s normal to have mild to moderate redness, dryness, peeling, and itchiness. Topical tretinoin (retinoic acid) treatment for liver spots associated with photodamage. All rights reserved. If you don’t see improvement within 12 weeks, or if you have significant improvement and wonder if you should start using it less frequently, talk to your doctor.Remember, tretinoin is likely to irritate your skin a bit when you first start using it. When used by mouth side effects include shortness of breath, headache, numbness, depression, skin dryness, itchiness, hair los Retin-A is one of those brand names, which shouldn’t be confused with retinol. These include high dose, breakdown of the skin barrier, and liver disease. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Titusville, NJ. Side Effects. Tretinoin is a prescription-strength topical cream or gel. "Product Information. Retin-A (tretinoin)." Rafal ES, Griffiths CEM, Ditre CM, et al. 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