Why is my skin worse after starting tretinoin?

Topical tretinoin commonly causes redness, peeling, dryness and stinging in the early weeks, and skin can look worse before it looks better. The prescribing information describes this directly, and notes that improvement often takes weeks to months rather than days.

This is the point at which most people stop, which is worth naming in advance. It is also why how you use it matters as much as whether you use it, and why the specifics of frequency and strength are decisions for your prescriber rather than for a comparison page.

Some reactions are not part of ordinary adjustment: severe blistering, crusting, swelling, or skin that becomes badly irritated rather than gradually settling are all reasons to contact your prescriber rather than wait it out. Tretinoin also increases sun sensitivity.