I would like to know if this is a normal side effect of the tretinoin cream?

Hello,

According to the product monograph, the main side effects are burning or stinging, itching, dryness of the skin, rash, scaling, redness, and discoloration of the skin. These diminish over time, except for the dryness, which seems to persist for as long as the product is used.

If your skin becomes very red, crusty, blistered or swollen, it is important to temporarily stop treatment and notify your doctor.

To answer your question, tretinoin cream is more associated with hypo- or hyperpigmentation of the skin, or redness due to irritation as mentioned in the monograph. Therefore, I recommend that you monitor the evolution of your spots, i.e. if they evolve over time (e.g. increase in size, appearance of pain or inflammation) or seem to persist without improvement, I advise you to consult your doctor in order to re-evaluate the treatment or other possible causes.

I hope I have answered your question,

Samantha Hui, pharmacy student

Under the supervision of Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist