Common uses

Differin is used for the treatment of acne.
Before using

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to adapalene. FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Differin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Differin without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Directions

Differin should be applied once a day at bedtime. Wash the affected areas, then apply a thin layer of the gel. Avoid eyes, lips, mouth, and nostrils. If you are using a single-use pledget, remove it from the foil just before using, and discard it after applying the medication. Do not use if the seal is broken.
Use Differin exactly as prescribed. Applying excessive amounts or using the gel more than once a day will not produce better results and may cause severe redness, peeling, and discomfort.

Cautions

Avoid getting this medication in your eyes, in the creases of your nose, or on your lips. If it does get into any of these areas, wash with water. Do not use Differin on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, irritated, or broken skin. Also avoid using this medication in wounds or on areas of eczema. Wait until these conditions have healed before using Differin.
Do not use skin products that contain alpha hydroxy or glycolic acid while you are also using Differin.
Avoid using skin products that can cause irritation, such as harsh soaps, shampoos, or skin cleansers, hair coloring or permanent chemicals, hair removers or waxes, or skin products with alcohol, spices, astringents, or lime. Do not use other medication skin products unless your doctor has told you to.
Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). Differin can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result.

Possible side effects

In clinical trials with adapalene topical gel, the total incidence of adverse reactions related to treatment was 4.2% (28 reports from 661 participants). The most frequent adverse reactions reported were erythema (0.9%), dry skin (0.9%), skin irritation (0.6%), burning and stinging (0.6%) and acne flare (0.5%). Other adverse experiences which were attributed to treatment or were possibly related to treatment but occurred less frequently (in less than 0.5% of patients) were pruritus and one instance of sunburn.

If you take too much

Adapalene gel is intended for cutaneous use only. If the medication is applied excessively, no more rapid or better results will be obtained and marked redness, peeling or discomfort may occur. The acute oral toxicity of adapalene topical gel and solution in mice and rats is greater than 10 mL/kg. Inadvertent oral ingestion of adapalene may lead to the same adverse effects as those associated with excessive oral intake of Vitamin A including teratogenesis in women of childbearing years. Therefore, in such cases, pregnancy testing should be carried out in women of childbearing years. In the event of accidental ingestion of the product, an appropriate method of gastric emptying might be considered.

Additional information

For women: The effects of Differin during pregnancy and breastfeeding have not been adequately studied. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, notify your doctor immediately. It is not known whether Differin appears in breast milk. If you are nursing and need to use Differin, your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding while using the medication.

Drug interactions

There are no known interactions with other medications which are likely to be used topically and concurrently with adapalene. Absorption of adapalene through human skin is low; therefore, interaction with systemic medications is unlikely. As adapalene has the potential for local irritation, it is possible that concomitant use of abrasive cleansers, strong drying agents or irritant products may produce additive irritant effects. Other cutaneous antiacne treatments (e.g., erythromycin topical solution, clindamycin phosphate topical solution 1% or benzoyl peroxide products in concentrations up to 10%) may be used in the morning when adapalene topical cream, gel or solution is used at night.