Review of Unlisted Brand Retin A by felgoj
If your health ins covers this it's a great deal. I remember when I used this & didn't have health ins, it cost a great deal more (though I don't remember the $, this was over 10 yrs ago). Generally it's dispensed by Rx only (I don't know if that's changed in recent years).
I used to use Retin-A for acne as a teen & then in my late20's for sun damage (hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, thickened skin, enlarged pores). It worked great & improved my skin texture nicely, though the results took some time to develop (6-8 wks).
However this product has its pitfalls. Since it thins the skin, it's absolutely mandatory to wear a good strong sunblock while using Retin-A. Definitely be careful to protect your skin well in the sun. It can also cause irritation, dryness & sensitive redness. The redness was unpleasant for me. And definitely flaking! My face would randomly flake badly on my chin & around my mouth & I wouldn't know it till I looked in the mirror. My face would flake despite gentle scrubbing to remove flakes when I washed my face, & also no amount of moisturizer stopped it. This resulted in a lot of public embarrassment & paranoia (lol). My face would flake whenever it felt like it (BIG flakes) & controlling this was hit or miss (hence the paranoia).
I also had to use Retin-A on a specific schedule - I didn't use it every day but every 3rd night before bed, so I had to keep track of on/off days. All of this was ultimately tiring, regardless of the benefits...so when I finished my last tube I didn't renew it.
The nice thing is that I can always restart again in the future. It's a wonderful, effective product (albeit very strong). I'm in my late30's now & my skin really needs to look better, but Retin-A isn't something I want to commit to at this time. It requires responsible care & longterm commitment. I'd rather do a home TCA peel instead (but only in the wintertime).