It may take longer than 12 weeks before you notice full improvement of your acne, even if you use the medicine every day. Check with your doctor if skin irritation becomes severe or if your acne does not improve within 8 to 12 weeks.
Another randomized vehicle controlled parallel comparison trial of tazarotene cream at various strengths compared to tretinoin 0.05% cream and found tazarotene at higher concentrations (0.1%) was associated with improved mottled hyperpigmentation and fine wrinkles compared to the tretinoin 0.05% group.
Retinaldehyde is an effective alternative to tretinoin, offering significant anti-aging benefits with generally less irritation. While tretinoin is a prescription-strength retinoid used for treating various skin conditions, retinaldehyde provides a more accessible over-the-counter option.
Several different factors may affect the amount of time it takes for tretinoin to clear acne lesions and improve your skin: The severity of your acne. If you have very severe acne, it may take longer before your skin clears after you start using tretinoin. The strength of the tretinoin cream.
Your unique skin type
Everyone's skin is unique, and different skin types react differently to tretinoin and retinoids more generally. If you're a Dermatica subscriber, reach out to your dermatology team through your dashboard. Sometimes adjusting the concentration, or how frequently you use it, can increase results.
How do you maximize tretinoin results? To maximize the results of tretinoin, start slowly, apply tretinoin at night on perfectly dry skin and between two layers of moisturizer, wear sunscreen with SPF 50 every morning, and combine with niacinamide or hyaluronic acid to minimize irritation.
Adapalene tends to be better tolerated overall, with fewer reported side effects. Versatility: Tretinoin has a broader range of uses, including treating fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. Adapalene is primarily used for the treatment of acne vulgaris and may be less effective for signs of ageing.
Avoid other topical retinoids, and skin care products containing retinol, with tretinoin. You may also want to avoid salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and erythromycin gel (Erthygel), as these ingredients and products can cause dryness.
The strongest dose (concentration) of tretinoin is 0.1% which is sold as a cream under the brand name of Retin-A and is sold as a gel under the brand name Retin-A micro.
Tretinoin is prescription-only but adapalene is over the counter. Adapalene 0.1% gel is available over-the-counter (OTC) as a generic and as brand-name Differin. The 0.3% gel, along with the 0.1% lotion, cream, and liquid solution are prescription-only. All tretinoin products are only available with a prescription.
Microneedling is a more effective and permanent treatment option for comedonal acne compared with tretinoin. Patients' satisfaction with the improvement in acne severity is also higher with microneedling procedure.
Gently Exfoliate
No matter what, you'll likely get some dryness and flaking early on. If it bothers you, gently exfoliate. The best way is to massage the skin with a soft, damp washcloth. Don't scrub too hard—you could make your skin feel worse.
Signs you should stop using tretinoin
“If your face is red, tender, or very parched and peeling, these are signs you're overusing your retinoid,” Dr. Ansell says—either you're applying too much, or too frequently.
That's normal! Tretinoin speeds up cell death and renewal, and your skin needs time to adjust. These breakouts are temporary. If you experience severe irritation, talk to your medical provider, as other medications can help lessen the likelihood of your skin becoming irritated while you're using tretinoin.
Dr Malvina Cunningham: Retinoids like tretinoin and vitamin C work well together as they both promote collagen production and enhance each other's effect. Vitamin C is generally less of an irritant so these can often be applied in combination. Retinoids like tretinoin and niacinamide work well too.
“During the skin purge, your skin speeds up the cell turnover faster than it's used to so the substances clogging your pores get pushed to the surface of your skin faster, so you may experience slight inflammation, contributing to additional breakouts,” says Dr. Fernandez.
Alternating Tretinoin with Retinol
Retinol is converted to retinoic acid in your skin (which is what tretinoin is). Retinol is less irritating than tretinoin.
Tazarotene may get you results much faster than tretinoin, especially if you have a lot of very visible sun damage on your face, and in one study tazarotene worked more effectively for photodamage, fine wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, and coarse wrinkling.
You can switch between adapalene and tretinoin if you find that one medication isn't working for you and want to try another, though since both drugs are retinoids and work in the same way, you should not use both at the same time.
How long does a tretinoin purge last? Results will vary from person to person. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends waiting four to six weeks for any new skin care treatment to start clearing up skin. If you are experiencing purge symptoms after six weeks, talk to your provider.
Inconsistent use will not produce results. Period. Retinoids are inactivated by UV light, so must be applied at night. Additionally, retinoids can be inactivated by other topical skin care ingredients, most commonly salicylic acid.
You can further boost the efficacy of both retinol and tretinoin by exfoliating for better penetration. Treatments featuring the alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), glycolic acid, can be great for unblocking the skin's surface by removing dead cells.
Option one: The sandwich technique
After washing your face, apply a layer of moisturiser. Allow it to dry down for 5-10 minutes. Then, apply a pea-sized amount of tretinoin to your entire face. Allow this to dry down for 5-10 minutes.