Retin-A

Retin-A (tretinoin) can be prescribed by your doctor if you have acne that did not respond well to other methods of treatment. It is not supposed to be applied more often than recommended to avoid unpleasant side effects. Unless your health care provider recommended otherwise, this medicine is supposed to be applied once a day in the evening to the areas affected by acne or where it usually appears. You need to use clean and dry hands to apply the sufficient amount of this medication. If you have been prescribed the liquid form - you can use a cotton swab to apply the mediation evenly to make sure you are not using too much of it. Using more of Retin-A than recommended is not going to make your treatment more efficient and is unlikely to help you benefit more from it. If you have very sensitive skin, you may need to try applying Retin-A to a small area first to check how your skin reacts.

Taking Retin-A regularly will require patience, as you will not notice the first results instantly. In fact, it may take you several weeks to notice the progress, but during all this time you will need to apply Retin-A patiently and as prescribed. Just like regular medications taken orally, Retin-A can have side effects, such as dry skin, burning, stinging, redness, peeling, and itching. These side effects are normal and may appear at the beginning of your treatment while your body is adjusting to the dose prescribed. Unlike the mild side effects mentioned above, the following ones are more serious, and in case they appear every time after you apply Retin-A, you need to report them to your health care provider: peeling of the skin, redness, abnormal irritation, and blistering. If you notice any other symptoms that seem strange or severe- do not hesitate to contact your health care provider for more information and get the instructions you need. You may be also using other medications that are not supposed to be combined with Retin-A. Make sure you do not combine this medicine with the following: preparations containing sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid, or any preparations containing benzoyl peroxide. It's recommended to give your skin some rest between these medications and Retin-A. You can always learn more from your doctor about preparations you are not supposed to use along with Retin-A. Some other medications that can add to the light sensitivity are also not supposed to be combined with Retin-A, such as sulfa drugs, thiazide drugs, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and tranquilizers. If you missed an application of Accutane and remembered about it too late - you can just forget about it and carry on with the normal treatment schedule. However, it's very important that you keep this ritual in mind, as the condition of your acne and success of your treatment largely depend on the regular use of Retin-A, especially at the beginning of the treatment. If you still have any questions about your treatment, make sure you talk to your health care provider or pharmacist without hesitating.