Medical Encyclopedia

Differin is the brand name for adapolene, a topical treatment for acne. Differin helps your skin renew itself more quickly. That results in fewer pimples and blackheads. It may sometimes take eight to twelve weeks before results become apparent. If you can not immediately see any result of treatment revealing itself in difference of your acne you should not stop taking Differin. In some cases it will seem as though your acne is getting worse because unseen lesions will erupt as your skin is slowly deep cleaned and medicated. But you should bear in mind that it is a temporary effect which should not cause you to stop taking the medication. How long it takes to clear your pimples will depend on the severity of your acne. You should use Differin consistently even after your acne goes away on areas where outbreaks usually occur for prevention.

Differin is usually applied once a day at bed time. You should gently cleanse the affected areas with a mild non-soap cleanser and rinse with warm water. After pat the skin gently, dry it with a soft towel and apply a thin layer of the medicine. You should avoid the areas of eyes, lips, mouth and nostrils as these tissues are very sensitive and can be easily irritated by Differin.
Use Differin exactly as prescribed. You will be wrong thinking that the medication will work better and faster on your acne if you apply to excessive amounts of Differin or using it more that once a day. That will worsen the condition of your skin which will more likely get exacerbated. It can also cause severe redness, peeling, drying and flaking, burning, stinging or itching which occur usually at their worst during the first few weeks of treatment and diminish after sometime.

What else should be taken into consideration while using Differin for acne treatment is that you should avoid sunlight and sunlamps. Differin can cause your skin to be very sensitive to sunlight. In order to prevent that take such measures as covering most of your skin with clothing and applying sunscreen on exposed skin. Other weather extremes such as very cold or windy weather should also be avoided. You should be very careful and avoid using Differin when your skin is sunburned, wind burned, chapped or irritated or if you have any open sores or wounds. Do not do anything that can irritate your skin while applying Differin like using harsh or abrasive cleansers, soaps or astringents.