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Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Differin (Adapalene) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 27 ratings/reviews, Differin has an overall score of 6.96. The effectiveness score is 6.89 and the side effect score is 8.07. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Differin review by 36 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Ineffective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: once daily) for the period of once daily / one month |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | no other drugs | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Benefits were intended to be no facial acne |
| Side effects: | | There were no side effects noticed |
| Comments: | | Was to be applied externally to the affected area every night at bedtime afer washing. |
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| | Differin review by 46 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of 8 yrs |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | metrogel | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | fewer breakouts (due to both Adapalene and Metrogel) and quicker healing time attributed to Adapalene. |
| Side effects: | | some minor burning that disappeared in a few days. |
| Comments: | | Used at bed time daily. |
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| | Differin review by 37 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | gel .3% (dosage frequency: 2 times a day) for the period of 4 weeks |
| Other conditions: | | enlarged pores |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The pimples become dry. At first there was formation of new pimples, but then pimples started gradually go away; overall the skin started looking healthier and cleaner. |
| Side effects: | | some bearable feeling of heat/burning |
| Comments: | | applied the gel in the morning and at night on nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin. |
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| | Differin review by 24 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | very oily skin |
| Dosage & duration: | | .1% (dosage frequency: every second night) for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | differin made my skin less oily and shiney and had a very small effect on my large pore size |
| Side effects: | | at the start my skin was very red. after a long period of using differin my skin started to become more oily again,but not as oily as before i started using it. also got small patches of peeling skin especially around the nose |
| Comments: | | after washing face at night i applied a thin layer over entire face every second night and washed it off in the morining |
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| | Differin review by 36 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | thin layers on affected skin area (dosage frequency: every other night) for the period of one month |
| Other conditions: | | dermatitis |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | purging of the skin, some clearing acne. |
| Side effects: | | Initial break-out, drying, peeling of the applied skin area. |
| Comments: | | differin was prescribed to treat moderate facial cystlic acne. it is applied once every other night on affected area. For the first month, the acne that were underneath the skin surface were pushed out, thus created the appearance of a break-out. However, this break out resolved over time and healed quicker than previous break-out experienced before using the medication. Drying and Peeling and all the typical side-affect of retinoid were observed. |
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| | Differin review by 28 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 1x/day (dosage frequency: 1x/day) for the period of 3months |
| Other conditions: | | na |
| Other drugs taken: | | na | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The acne I had on my face in the t-zone area disappeared within a week. |
| Side effects: | | The treatment side effects included drying of the skin in the areas that the product was applied. |
| Comments: | | I was directed to apply Differin to my face once per day after cleansing. I was directed to use as needed after the acne cleared up and discontinue the use of the product if irritation occurred. |
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| | Differin review by 38 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 10mg taken every day for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Exfoliates the skin. It is said to prevent or treat acne and acne scars. whether this is true is questionable. |
| Side effects: | | the drug induced some dryness and flakiness especially around the nose area and chin area. this side effect can go away after a while |
| Comments: | | the product is a gel that is put on every night. it supposedly prevents new blemishes and promotes exfoliation. the results for the blemishes were not satisfactory. |
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| | Differin review by 19 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1 (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of daily |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | my acne calmed down by 75%.still had some break outs when not used on time,but still nothing else would stop the break outs.everything I used just made it worse and mt skin was very dry and inflamed.those problems went away.my skin isn't dry it is back to normal even in the winter when its dry out. |
| Side effects: | | none |
| Comments: | | used every day after washing face.rubbed in until absorbed,and at night. |
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| | Differin review by 24 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Ineffective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | daily (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of three months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | There were little to no benefits to using differin to treat acne. while it may have helped exfoliation, it did little to treat current and to prevent future acne. instead of differin, using a separate skin exfoliation product in addition to an over the counter acne treatment might have been more beneficial. My acne worsened using Differin -- some say it is because the impurities are being purged from beneath the outer layers of the skin. I don't know if I completely buy this theory though I would have believed it if it showed some improvement after three months. Unfortunately, it did not. |
| Side effects: | | There were no side effects to the treatment except that it worsened my breakouts. However, it did nothing to take down the flares even after three months of treatment. Soon after I stopped using it, my skin improved. So now, I choose to use an exfoliation product and a separate over the counter acne treatment product. |
| Comments: | | differin did not help prevent acne or get rid of current acne. it worsened the condition though it was explained that as it helped the skin exfoliate, the impurities beneath the outer skin surfaced. however, there were no improvements after three months of application. |
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| | Differin review by 31 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | mild acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: every night after washing my face) for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The acne has decreased and I have not had major skin irritation or sunburn like I know other acne treatments can cause. |
| Side effects: | | Mild dry skin that improves with the use of cream. |
| Comments: | | I was prescribed the medication for moderate acne. I have been using it every night, a pea-sized amount all over my face except eyes, 30 minutes after washing and drying my face with a mild soap. I wait unitl it dries before going to bed, so it won't smear off. I use a moisturizing cream the next day with SPF of at least 15. |
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| | Differin review by 19 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: nightly) for the period of 15 weeks |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | Minocycline | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Dramatic reduction in papules and pustules. |
| Side effects: | | Some redness and slight dryness was perceived. Nosystemic side effects were noted, as adapalene is not very well absorbed by the body |
| Comments: | | Application nightly after washing. The first 2 weeks were unpleasant as irritation and breakouts where the most severe, after 4 weeks significant improvement was noted, optimal effectiveness being achieved by the 10th week. |
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| | Differin review by 28 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.03 (dosage frequency: nightly) for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | birth control | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The treatment easy and convenient and effective for skin turnover to prevent acne. |
| Side effects: | | Differin was drying and particularly the 3% solution. |
| Comments: | | You are to apply nightly to acne spots but I found it worked better as a preventive measure all over face once your face is used to the drying. Differin worsens any open wounds but is a great preventive measure |
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| | Differin review by 27 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | .3 (dosage frequency: once daily) for the period of 8 months so far |
| Other conditions: | | some fine lines |
| Other drugs taken: | | yazmin and soledyne | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | my acne cleared up within a few months, and now it is gone. |
| Side effects: | | You cannot wax your eyebrows! It thins your skin, so you can't wax. |
| Comments: | | I used the gel once at night. I also took an antibiotic and yazmin. I believe I will continue to use the differin even after I stop the antibiotic, just for it's benifits. |
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| | Differin review by 34 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | .01% (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of 3 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The Differin resulted in decreased body acne on the face and back. i also felt smoother, cleaner skin |
| Side effects: | | dry skin and skin irritation |
| Comments: | | Apply the Differin cream at night after cleasing skin. The dryness decreased after about 3 weeks of daily use. The facial acne was cleared up about 70% and the back acne was cleared up about 50%. |
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| | Differin review by 29 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Marginally Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: nightly) for the period of commenced a week ago |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | will see with time photo damage reduction. Sun exposure ++ growing up in South Africa so fine lines and facial scar due to dog bite. I have some medical training so am interested to see if any skin improvement |
| Side effects: | | none so far |
| Comments: | | taken for mild acne but curious about photo damage reduction. Will take for next year and see |
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| | Differin review by 36 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | topical 1X/day (dosage frequency: once daily) for the period of still using (6 months) |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I have noticed a reduction in acne breakouts, particularly painful cysts. I have also noticed improved skin appearance with more even skin tone. |
| Side effects: | | I initially experienced mild facial redness, which lasted the first three days of treatment. |
| Comments: | | I apply Differin gel once per day to treat facial acne. I have noticed a considerable reduction in acne breakouts. |
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| | Differin review by 34 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | localized acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: once a day at night) for the period of still taking - 1year so far |
| Other conditions: | | low thyroid |
| Other drugs taken: | | armour thyroid | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Differin has practically eliminated my acne. I also used it on my forehead, where I have brown spots from a college-days sunburn (appx 10 years ago). The spots have clearly faded, though are not completely gone. |
| Side effects: | | Side effects were peeling and some redness, but only occurred the time that i used too much Differin. I knowingly put more than prescribed on my chin in hopes of getting rid of an outbreak before vacation. The redness and peeling was very noticeable. |
| Comments: | | Treatment includes adding only about 1/3 pea sized amount to my chin area and the same amount to my forehead after cleansing at night. This I do daily. I combined this with a regular alpha-hydroxy exfoliation night creme (applied after the Differin dries) in order to catalyze (by my own approximation) the skin rejuvenation/renewal. |
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| | Differin review by 42 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | .3% (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of 3 months |
| Other conditions: | | no other conditions |
| Other drugs taken: | | Persa Gel | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Differin does help reduce the number of pimples for an acne patient. It did not eliminate them in my case, but reduced them by about 50%. |
| Side effects: | | Dryness and flakiness were the two most common side effects that I experienced. In addition, my skin became more sensitive to environmental stresses like wind, cold, and sun. Consequently my face often appeared flush. |
| Comments: | | I used a non-soap cleanser to wash my face twice daily. In the morning, I followed this with an application of Persa Gel and then a sunscreen. In the evening after washing my face, I would apply a moisturizer, then the Differin, and then spot treated pimples with Persa Gel. |
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| | Differin review by 29 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Marginally Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Elarge pores blackheads around nose & cheeks |
| Dosage & duration: | | .3% (dosage frequency: once nightly) for the period of 3 months |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The Differin did seem to help clear up the occasional blemishes I would get. made a slight improvement in the size of blackheads on my nose and cheeks but didn't aleviate them entirely. |
| Side effects: | | My skin became more sensitive although this happened after about a week of use not in the beginning. There were times when my skin felt warm. My skin peeled a little bit and felt and appeared dry. There was some periodic itching. My skin became more sensitive and something like a scrape would hurt. Additionally and most noticeably even though I avoided my eye area the differin would make the skin around my eyes sore, red and flaky. I'm not sure how it spread to my eyes when I avoided rubbing it in anywhere close, but it did. |
| Comments: | | I was directed to apply once or twice a week and build up to once per night as tolerated. I was able to tolerate once per night application for the entire course of treatment. There were some negative side effects (itching, sensitivity, warmth, and redness especially around my eyes) and not much in the way of positive side effects. I am now considering asking my dermatologist for a different prescription. |
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| | Differin review by 27 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | .3 mg taken every night for the period of from 2007-present |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I have had acne since the age of fifteen (15). I tried several treatments, but the one that has shown improvement to my skin has been Differin. With Differin, there has been a reduction of blemishes, my skin feels and looks smoother, and the hyperpigmention of my skin has lightened significantly. |
| Side effects: | | Side effects included dryness and irritation of the skin, which were both in part, very mild. |
| Comments: | | apply a thin layer every night to clean skin. |
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| | Differin review by 28 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | once per night application (dosage frequency: once per day) for the period of 5 months |
| Other conditions: | | keratosis pilaris |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | reduced acne and refined skin texture. Helped to prevent new breakouts to a certain extent. |
| Side effects: | | Dry skin. After washing even with the mildest cleansers I noticed my skin would be very tight and uncomforable. |
| Comments: | | Differin is a retinoid, supposedly the mildest of all retinoids. I was prescribed this for mild, yet persistent acne. While it did help clear up the acne it also caused me to continue to get more pimples in areas I didnt normally get them. So it was a slight paradox.
I would have continued to use the medication of it wasnt for the dryness and tighness I used to get after water touched my skin. My skin never felt comfortable. I gave it a good 5 months but my skin never seemed to adjust.
So while it worked pretty good for the acne, it also caused to much skin dryness. So I moved onto a new treatment method. |
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| | Differin review by 25 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | once a day (dosage frequency: once a day) for the period of over two months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | oral birth control | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | My acne was considerable decreased. I had hoped to see some anti-wrinkle effects as well but did not. |
| Side effects: | | It did dry out my skin somewhat. Some days seemed to be worse than others. Also some areas of my face were worse than others. |
| Comments: | | I was prescribed differin gel for acne treatment. I applied it once a day at bedtime. |
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| | Differin review by 35 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | mild acne, white heads |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: every night) for the period of 3+ months (still using) |
| Other conditions: | | oily skin |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | My skin was really red (I am very fair skinned) from using harsh products (Obagi) and benzyol peroxide. The redness started to improve within the first week. I just used a mild cleanser and the differin. I had less whiteheads the first two weeks as well but then had a purging period for a couple of weeks. My skin is defininately clearer now but not perfect. Did not help at all with oily skin. |
| Side effects: | | None |
| Comments: | | PM: Wash face with mild cleanser. Apply pea size of gel. AM: Wash face with mild cleanser. Apply sunscreen |
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| | Differin review by medical professional caring for 15 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | small amount (dosage frequency: nightly) for the period of one week |
| Other conditions: | | hyperpigmentation |
| Other drugs taken: | | hydroquinone 4% topically, Benzaclin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The patient saw effective acne control within 4 weeks. She still had occasional acne lesions but saw clearing of most of the comedones. Because there were few new acne lesions, the hyperpigmentation she got along with the acne was not happening, and the hydroquinone helped to clear the hyperpigmentation she already had. At four weeks, her skin tone was even. |
| Side effects: | | Dryness at the corners of the mouth was the major problem. I find if you apply moisturizer or a small amount of vaseline to the area prior to apply the Differin, the irritation will resolve quickly. |
| Comments: | | Medication is easy to use, and high patient satisfaction. |
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| | Differin review by 22 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Acne problem |
| Dosage & duration: | | Apply it all over the face (dosage frequency: every night) for the period of 2 months |
| Other conditions: | | Pits and blemishes over the skin. |
| Other drugs taken: | | Azee | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Texture of the skin has improved a lot by regularly going for peel sessions and by using the prescribed drugs which has to be used through out the treatment period. |
| Side effects: | | The negative side is controlling acne during the treatment period is little tough as new skin appears , so one has to keep his face clean by having lots of water and constantly washing the face with the face wash solution prescribed. |
| Comments: | | The treatment is to improve the skin texture,complexion by constantly going for peels and derma-rollers once in 15days.The above mentioned medicine is prescribed to be used through out the treatment period. |
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| | Differin review by 40 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 0.1% (dosage frequency: daily) for the period of 1 yr |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | i used the drug for acne. after 2 weeks of use i noticed fewer pimples with lessening severity. after 1 month all pimples were gone. |
| Side effects: | | i used the drug for acne. after 2 weeks of use i noticed fewer pimples with lessening severity. after 1 month all pimples were gone. i did not notice any side effects. |
| Comments: | | i used the drug for acne. after 2 weeks of use i noticed fewer pimples with lessening severity. after 1 month all pimples were gone. i did not notice any side effects. i applied the gel every evening before bed. |
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| | Differin review by 46 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Marginally Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | acne |
| Dosage & duration: | | 1 per day (dosage frequency: 1 per day) for the period of 3 months |
| Other conditions: | | sensitive skin |
| Other drugs taken: | | tetracycline | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | cleared acne, dried skin out considerably. Was very easy to use. Did not take much to use. No smell or fragrance. |
| Side effects: | | created such redness and irratation my face looked worse from that then it did from the acne. Created cracks around my eye area that was very sensitive. My skin burned and stung. Skin became so dry it itched. I was embarrased by the redness and flaking. It almost looked like my skin was burned |
| Comments: | | apply nightly to clean skin |
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