Retin-A (tretinoin topical) is a topical form of vitamin A that increases the speed of skin renewal. This medicine can be used to treat acne and is supposed to be applied regularly for better effects. Retin-A can sometimes make your skin more sensitive to the effects of sunlight, so you will need to avoid direct sunlight and artificial UV rays. It may be easier for you to get sunburn. Just using Retin-A is not going to help you with the acne. Taking this medicine is a part of a complete skin care program that you will need to stick to. Talking to your health care provider is recommended, as this is a good way to learn more about things you can do to make this drug even more efficient. You may need to avoid using certain skin care products, make-up and possibility exclude some products from your diet. The combination of all these measure will help you benefit from the treatment; otherwise the effects may not be as significant. Retin-A is a topical remedy and should be used only after discussing it with your health care provider and the number of applications will depend on certain factors that can be individual. A contraindication for using Retin-A may be personal intolerance – if you have ever had an allergic reaction to any topical remedies, especially tretinoin, taking Retin-A may not be the best idea, as the same reaction is going to happen again. An allergic reaction is the one thing that can render your treatment completely inefficient making it impossible for you to carryon with the treatment. If you get any of the following symptoms, it most probably means you are having an allergic reaction to Retin-A: hives, rash, swelling of your feet, hands, face and tongue and rash. Any cases of an allergic reaction are supposed to be reported directly to your health care provider or local emergency center. You aren’t supposed to apply any more of Retin-A if you developed an allergic reaction, as it is going to be inefficient and can only worsen the reaction. It’s important to keep taking this medicine, even if the condition of your skin gets worse. This is a normal reaction and there is nothing to be afraid of. You will need to use Retin-A regularly and just as prescribed to see the first results after several weeks of the treatment. Retin-A is not going to cure your acne – but with its help you will be able to keep acne under control. You may need to apply Retin-A after your treatment is finished, but will be required to do so with less frequency – just to maintain the result achieved. If you do not see any obvious results of your treatment, even though you apply this drug as prescribed – have some patience and carry on with the treatment. If you stop suddenly – it will take you even longer to get the results you need after resuming the treatment. The secret of the success of your treatment lies in the fact Retin-A should be applied regularly without missing any applications. Inform your health care provider of any cases of skin reactions that seem serious and make you feel miserable, as some changes may need to be made to your treatment schedule.