Retin-A (tretinoin topical) is most often prescribed to treat acne, but your health care provider can recommend it for some other purposes. Don’t get worried if the condition of your acne gets worse. It means that Retin-A is efficient and you will see some improvement in a couple of weeks. Before your doctor can prescribe this medicine he will need to know if you are taking any other drugs and if you have some health conditions that can interfere with the treatment and make it less efficient. Make sure you do not apply Retin-A to broken skin, get it into your eyes, mouth, nose or swallow it. If any of the things mentioned above happened, rinse the area affected and call your health care provider. You need to use this drug for as long as recommended by your doctor or until the acne sores disappear. Do not apply any other topical medications before talking to your doctor about it.
Do not use Retin-A if you are pregnant or breastfeeding without previously discussing all the risks and benefits with your doctor. When using Retin-A try to avoid prolonged sun exposure as your skin may be more sensitive to radiation. Cover the area that you apply the cream to, or stay in shade when it’s sunny. Side effects are generally related to the condition of your skin. Tell your health care provider if the following symptoms persist or become bothersome: scaling skin, warmth in the skin, your skin becoming lighter or darker. You can also experience increase in acne sores and blistering of your skin. Do not apply more of the medicine than recommended. A thicker layer of Retin-A is unlikely to produce better results.
Brand names: Retin-A, Avita, Renova, Aberela, Stieva-A, Vesanoid
Generic names: Tretinoin
