How it Works, Uses, Side Effects & More

Available as a topical cream, gel or liquid, tretinoin is a retinoid medication that’s widely used to treat acne and reverse many of the visual signs of aging. retinoids for acne is also commonly known as ATRA, or all-transretinoic acid.

The most common use of tretinoin is to remove acne. Tretinoin acts quickly and effectively to remove acne from the face by clearing skin pores and preventing pimples from developing as they normally would.

This has made topical tretinoin one of the most widely used and effective acne treatments on the market today.

As well as being used to treat acne, tretinoin is used as an anti-aging product and as an oral treatment for leukemia. It’s a safe, effective medication that’s been approved by the FDA and has hundreds of thousands of users every year.

Like almost all medications, tretinoin is available in a range of strengths and has a variety of potential side effects. In this guide, we’ll cover all of the essential knowledge about tretinoin to help you stay informed as a potential user.

What is Tretinoin?
Tretinoin is a retinoid medication that was originally developed to treat acne. As a medication, it was developed in the late 1950s and approved for medical use in 1962. Today, tretinoin is sold under a variety of brand names and is available around the world as a generic medication.

In the United States, tretinoin is most commonly sold as Retin-A, Tretin-X, Refissa, Renova and Avita. Internationally, a variety of generic medications contain tretinoin, such as Stieva-A cream.

Tretinoin comes in several different dosage forms. It’s most commonly sold as a cream, but it’s also available as a liquid solution, as gel and as a jelly.

As a first-generation retinoid, Tretinoin is chemically related to vitamin A. By affecting the way in which skin cells develop, tretinoin (and other retinoids) can reduce the development of acne and prevent many of the common aesthetic signs of aging.