Treclin Gel

What is Treclin Gel Used For?

Treclin is used on the skin to treat acne vulgaris, specifically where comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), papules, and pustules are present. It's a translucent yellow gel supplied in 30g or 60g tubes.

Although it treats a condition that can look similar, Treclin is not a rosacea treatment. If you have rosacea, you must not use Treclin (see the warnings section below). If you're unsure whether your symptoms are acne or rosacea, your prescriber can help you determine which it is.

How Does Treclin Work?

Acne develops when dead skin cells build up and block hair follicles, trapping sebum – the oil your skin naturally produces. Bacteria feed on this trapped oil and multiply, causing the redness and swelling of inflamed spots.

Treclin contains two active ingredients that tackle different parts of this process:

• Clindamycin (1%): An antibiotic that limits the growth of the bacteria associated with acne, and the inflammation those bacteria cause.
• Tretinoin (0.025%): A retinoid that normalises the growth of surface skin cells and encourages them to shed properly, so they don't clog your hair follicles. This prevents sebum building up and stops early acne lesions – blackheads and whiteheads – from forming.

According to the Patient Information Leaflet, these two active substances are more effective for acne when combined than when used separately.

How Long Does Treclin Take to Work?

Treclin 1% gel typically takes several weeks (sometimes 12 weeks) to reach its optimal effect. It is not an overnight fix. It's important to keep using the treatment even when your skin starts to look better, as this is simply an indication that the medication has started working. Keep using it exactly as prescribed for the full course.

If your symptoms persist after 12 weeks, contact your prescriber for advice. They may need to reevaluate your treatment and could suggest an alternative approach.

How Effective is Treclin Gel for Acne?

The clindamycin and tretinoin combination has been tested extensively, and the evidence consistently shows that using both together beats using either one on its own. For example, two randomised controlled trials found that over 12 weeks, the clindamycin 1% and tretinoin 0.025% combination was significantly better than clindamycin alone, tretinoin alone, or a placebo gel at reducing inflamed spots, blackheads and whiteheads, and total spot counts. More people also ended up with clear or almost clear skin.

Another randomised double-blind trial discovered that significantly more people achieved a two-grade or greater improvement in their overall acne assessment with the combination gel than with either ingredient alone or a placebo.

Treclin gel's formulation also proved more effective than tretinoin alone for inflamed spots and than clindamycin alone for blackheads and whiteheads in European multicentre studies, with a faster response time being recorded with Treclin than either ingredient alone.

It's important to remember that everyone's skin responds differently, and results depend heavily on consistent use of Treclin. The medication works best when it's applied every night for the full course your prescriber recommends.

How to Use Treclin Gel

The recommended dose is a pea-sized amount, applied once daily at bedtime. Do not use more than your prescriber has advised or apply it more often. Using too much gel may irritate your skin, and it won't give you faster or better results.

Treclin shouldn't be applied at the same time as other preparations you put on your skin, including cosmetics. If you've been using products containing sulphur, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, or any chemical abrasives, you'll need to wait until their effects have subsided before starting Treclin. Your prescriber will tell you when it's safe to begin treatment.

How to Apply Treclin Gel

Applying Treclin properly makes a real difference to how well it works and how much irritation you get. Here's the routine:

1. Use a mild soap and warm water, then pat your skin dry with a towel.
2. Squeeze a pea-sized amount onto your fingertip.
3. Dab the gel on your forehead, chin, nose, and both cheeks, then gently spread it evenly over your whole face.
4. Keep the gel away from your mouth, lips, eyes, nostrils, mucous membranes, and any broken or eczema-affected skin. If it gets in your eyes, rinse with plenty of lukewarm water.
5. Wash them thoroughly once you've finished applying.

Be careful when applying to sensitive areas of skin, and don't use Treclin with other topical products.

Can You Use Treclin Long Term?

Treclin gel is not intended to be a long-term treatment for acne. You should use it for only 12 weeks and consult your doctor if symptoms have not improved by then, as your treatment plan may need to be reviewed.

To get the best results from Treclin acne gel, apply it exactly as prescribed and do not stop using it as soon as your acne starts to clear up. It may take several weeks to have an optimal effect.

What If You Use Too Much Treclin Gel

Using more Treclin than recommended won't get you faster or better results. If you do apply too much, you may notice marked redness, peeling, or general discomfort.

If that happens, gently wash your face with mild soap and lukewarm water, and stop using Treclin until all symptoms have cleared. Then you can start again as prescribed.

What if You Forget to Use Treclin

If you forget to apply Treclin at bedtime, simply apply the next dose at the usual time. Don't double up to make up for the missed dose. Applying extra won't help and may irritate your skin.

Treclin Gel Side Effects and Cautions

Like all medicines, Treclin can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Most reported effects are skin reactions at the application site, and they're classed as uncommon rather than something most people should expect.

This section covers the side effects and what to do if you accidentally swallow the gel.

Side Effects of Treclin Gel

Here's a table of the potential side effects reported with Treclin gel use:

If you'd like to know more about possible Treclin gel side effects, read the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with the medication. You can also report any adverse reactions to the treatment via the Yellow Card Scheme.

Accidental Ingestion

Treclin is only for use on the skin. If you accidentally swallow it, contact your doctor or go to your nearest hospital casualty department or A&E immediately.

Swallowing Treclin can cause side effects affecting your stomach and intestines, including stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. If this happens, stop using the gel and contact your doctor.

Treclin Acne Gel Interactions and Warnings

Like all medications, Treclin 1% gel may not be suitable for everyone. You should not use the treatment if:

• You are pregnant or planning a pregnancy
• You are allergic to clindamycin, tretinoin, lincomycin, or any of the other ingredients
• You have a chronic inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
• You have a history of colitis linked to past antibiotic use, characterised by prolonged or significant diarrhoea or abdominal cramps
• You or a family member have ever had skin cancer
• You have acute eczema – inflamed, red, dry and scaly skin
• You have rosacea, a skin condition affecting the face causing redness, pimples and peeling
• You have another acute inflammatory skin condition such as folliculitis, particularly around the mouth (perioral dermatitis)
• You have certain severe forms of acne involving pustular and deep cystic nodular lesions (acne conglobata and acne fulminans)

If any of these apply to you, don't use Treclin. Instead, speak to your prescriber, who can suggest a suitable alternative.

Warnings and Precautions

There are a few important things to be aware of while using Treclin:

• Contraception is essential: If you're a woman of childbearing potential, don't use Treclin unless you're using contraception. This is to ensure the medication cannot harm a developing baby. See the pregnancy section below for full details.
• Stop for gut symptoms: If you develop prolonged or significant diarrhoea or abdominal cramps, stop using Treclin and talk to your doctor immediately.
• Protect yourself from the sun: Avoid natural and artificial light, including sunlamps and sunbeds, as Treclin can make your skin more sensitive to sunburn. Use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and protective clothing such as a hat whenever you're outside. If your face does become sunburnt, stop using Treclin until your skin has healed.
• Tell your doctor about eczema: If you have atopic eczema – chronic, itchy inflammation of the skin – speak to your prescriber before using Treclin.
• Watch for skin inflammation: Talk to your doctor if acute skin inflammation develops while you're using the gel.
• Check the ingredients: Treclin contains methylparahydroxybenzoate (E218) and propylparahydroxybenzoate (E216), which may cause allergic reactions that can be delayed; butyl hydroxytoluene (E321), which may cause local skin reactions or irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes; and polysorbate 80 (E433), which can cause allergic reactions.

Treclin is unlikely to affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.

Treclin Gel and Other Medications

Tell your prescriber about any other medicines you're taking, have recently taken, or might take – including products bought without a prescription and herbal remedies. The following are particularly relevant:

• Products containing sulphur, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, or chemical abrasives: Wait until the effects of these have subsided before starting Treclin. Your prescriber will advise when you can begin.
• Medicated soaps, cleansers, and scrubbing solutions with a strong drying effect: Don't use these during treatment with Treclin.
• Drying or irritating skincare: Take care with abrasive soaps, and with soaps, cosmetics, and products containing high concentrations of alcohol, astringents, spices, or lime.
• Other antibiotics and corticosteroids: Ask your prescriber for advice before using Treclin alongside erythromycin, metronidazole, aminoglycosides, other antibiotics, or corticosteroids.
• Neuromuscular blocking medicines: These include muscle relaxants used in anaesthesia. Tell your doctor if you're due to have surgery.
• Warfarin and similar blood thinners: You may be at higher risk of bleeding. Your doctor may need to take regular blood tests to check how well your blood clots.

Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Fertility

Don't use Treclin if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy. If you find out you're pregnant while using it, stop straight away and speak to your doctor.

The reason comes down to tretinoin, which belongs to a group of medicines called retinoids. When retinoids are taken by mouth, they're known to cause serious birth defects – affecting the way a baby's face, heart, and brain develop – and to increase the risk of miscarriage. That's why oral retinoids come with strict pregnancy prevention rules.

Treclin is applied to the skin rather than swallowed, so far less of the drug reaches your bloodstream, and that level of risk hasn't been shown with the gel. However, because the possibility can't be completely ruled out, the same precaution applies.

If you're a woman of childbearing age, that means using contraception throughout your course of treatment and for a further month after you stop – the extra month allows the medicine to clear from your system before a pregnancy could happen.

You also shouldn't use Treclin while breastfeeding, as it isn't known whether the ingredients pass into breast milk and could affect your baby. The Patient Information Leaflet doesn't give any specific information about Treclin and fertility – but if you're trying to conceive, or need acne treatment while breastfeeding, speak to your prescriber about alternatives that would suit you better.

Are There Any Treclin Gel Alternatives?

Yes, if Treclin isn't right for you, there are several other acne treatments available through Prescription Doctor. Your prescriber can advise which suits your skin and the type of acne you have. Some of the medications we offer are:

• Dianette: A combined hormonal treatment for women with acne linked to androgen sensitivity.
• Lymecycline: A once-daily oral antibiotic, often prescribed alongside a topical treatment for moderate to severe acne.
• Skinoren: A cream that contains 20% azelaic acid for treating spots and blemishes caused by acne.
• Oxytetracycline: An oral tetracycline antibiotic, used as an alternative when other oral antibiotics aren't suitable.

For more information on the full range of treatments we offer, visit our Acne page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Treclin Gel