Retin-A, A Form Of Vitamin A Cures Acne And Aids In Skin Renewal

Retin-A General Information

Generic Name: Tretinoin topical

Brand Name: Retin-A

Retin A is the brand name for Tretinoin topical. Tretinoin is a type of Vitamin A which helps in skin renewal.

Retin-A Uses

Retin-A is used for the treatment of acne.

How Take Retin-A

Before the application and after it, the hands should be washed well. The portion of the skin where the drug has to be applied should be cleaned and dried. Skin irritation might result from the medicine’s application on wet areas. The treated area should not be washed within one hour of Tretinoin Topical application. Other skin products should not be applied on the treated area within one hour. An excessive amount of tretinoin gel can cause the medication to pile up. In such a case a thinner layer of gel should be applied from the next application. This drug makes the skin more vulnerable to sunburns and hence sunscreen and protective clothing should be used. An improvement in the skin might take weeks or months to get noticed. The acne might get slightly worse after the initial application for a short period of time. If the irritation persists or if conditions do not improve after 8 weeks, then it should be communicated to the doctor.

Retin-A Warnings

The medication might harm an unborn baby. The medication appears in breast milk and so a lactating mother should inform his doctor before using this medication. Sunscreens with minimum SPF 15 should be applied to prevent sunburns while going out. One should prevent this medicine from coming into contact with eyes, nose, mouth and lips. The medicine is not to be applied in sunburned, irritated, chapped, windburned, dry or broken skin. Areas of injuries and eczema should also not be treated with the medicine. One should wait for the areas to heal before applying this drug.

Retin-A Missed Dose

Missed doses should not be compensated with extra medications. Tretinoin should be used as per the doctor’s instructions. Applying more medicine or a greater frequency of application does not mean that the medicine would produce faster healing effects. In fact, it might lead to side effects. If the time for the next application has already approached, then the missed dose can be skipped to make the schedule regular.

Retin-A Side Effects

If a user faces side effects like hives, swelling of face, lips, tongue and throat, then it should be reported to the doctor. Some of the less serious side effects include redness, burning, irritation, stinging, itching, warmth, tingling, swelling, dryness, peeling and discolored skin.

Retin-A Storage

Tretinoin topical can be stored at room temperature away from moisture and heat. The gel formulations of Retin-A are highly inflammable and so it should not be brought into proximity with open flame.

Retin-A Overdose

Tretinoin topical has not been found to be associated with overdose symptoms.

Retin-A More Information

Tretinoin topical should not be used with skin products containing sulfur, salicyclic acid, benzoyl peroxide and resorcinol to avoid severe skin irritations. There are some drugs which interact with Tretinoin topical and make the skin more sensitive to natural and artificial sunlight. These include a diuretic, tetracycline, minocycline, antibiotics like lomefloxacin and ciprofloxacin, Sulfa drugs like Septra and Bactrim, fluphenazine, perphenazine, chlorpromazine and promethazine. During the period of treatment with the medicine, one should abstain from using skin products like harsh soaps and shampoos, hair colors, skin cleansers, hair removers and waxes and skin products with alcohol, spices, lime or astringents.