I've heard good things about Retin-A, so I asked my doctor and she said it could help my acne. But when I picked up my prescription it was for tretinoin, not Retin-A. Did I get the wrong acne medication?
Not to worry, you've got the medication you're supposed to have. Retin-A is a brand name for the drug tretinoin. Yes, even medications have brand names!
Retin-A has become the most popular term used when referring to topical tretinoin treatments. But many companies manufacture topical tretinoin. Some offer tretinoin treatments under brand names that you've probably heard before: Retin-A Micro, Avita, and Renova. Generic tretinoin is also available.
And don't think that generic medications are of lower quality, or that they won't work as well. Generic tretinoin will give you the same results as brand name Retin-A. All tretinoin products work in the same way, by speeding cell turnover rates and keeping pores free from blockages, or comedones.
