Does tretinoin cream have side effects?
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A brief sensation of warmth or stinging may occur immediately after applying the medication. Skin redness, dryness, itching, scaling, mild burning, or worsening of acne may occur during the first 2-4 weeks of using the medication. These effects usually decrease with continued use.
Can tretinoin damage your skin?
Remember, tretinoin is likely to irritate your skin a bit when you first start using it. In the first few weeks of treatment, it’s normal to have mild to moderate redness, dryness, peeling, and itchiness. These side effects should lessen as your skin adjusts to the medication.
What are the dangers of tretinoin?

More common
- Burning, itching, stinging, scaling, or redness of the skin.
- chapping or slight peeling of the skin (mild)
- darkening of the skin.
- lightening of normal skin color.
- lightening of treated areas of dark skin.
- redness of skin (mild)
- unusual dryness of skin (mild)
- unusually warm skin (mild)
What happens if you use tretinoin everyday?
Tretinoin is a powerful prescription retinoid medicine used to treat acne and signs of skin aging, like fine lines and wrinkles. Generally, it is fine to use tretinoin every night, but you may not want to because of the initial side effects, especially when you first start.

What should I avoid when using tretinoin?
Avoid using skin products that can cause irritation, such as harsh soaps, shampoos, hair coloring or permanent chemicals, hair removers or waxes, or skin products with alcohol, spices, astringents, or lime. Avoid using other medications on the areas you treat with tretinoin topical unless your doctor tells you to.
Can tretinoin affect fertility?
Tretinoin must not be taken by patients who are pregnant or who may become pregnant. There is a high risk that tretinoin will cause the baby to be born with birth defects (physical problems that are present at birth). If you can become pregnant, you will need to avoid pregnancy during your treatment with tretinoin.
What happens when you stop using tretinoin?
If you stop using the medication or are inconsistent with your treatment, any improvements you see may disappear over time. Always use the product as prescribed by your healthcare provider (Rodan, 2016).
Who should not use tretinoin?
You should not use tretinoin topical if you are allergic to it. Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice. Some brands of tretinoin topical are not approved for use in anyone under 18.
How do you stop the side effects of tretinoin?
How to avoid tretinoin side effects
- Tretinoin is typically applied once per day in the evening.
- Apply tretinoin to affected areas in a thin layer on clean and dry skin.
- Once the cream absorbs into the skin, apply a moisturizer to soothe the skin and combat potential dryness.
How long after tretinoin can I get pregnant?
In healthy adults, it takes up to 1 day, on average, for most of the tretinoin to be gone from the body. The makers of oral isotretinoin suggest that females stop using isotretinoin one month before trying to get pregnant.