Differin and Skin hyperpigmentation - a phase IV clinical study of FDA data

Summary:

Skin hyperpigmentation is reported as a side effect among people who take Differin (adapalene), especially for people who are female, 20-29 old, have been taking the drug for < 1 month also take Aha, and have Acne cystic.

The phase IV clinical study analyzes which people have Skin hyperpigmentation when taking Differin. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 5,708 people who have side effects when taking Differin from the FDA, and is updated regularly.

What is Differin?

Differin has active ingredients of adapalene. It is often used in acne. eHealthMe is studying from 5,740 Differin users. Check the latest studies of Differin.

What is Skin hyperpigmentation?

Skin hyperpigmentation (disorders affect the colour of your skin) is found to be associated with 640 drugs and 812 conditions by eHealthMe. Check the latest studies of Skin hyperpigmentation.

eHealthMe: drug outcomes in the real world

eHealthMe runs one of the largest post-marketing drug safety studies in the world. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Our data-driven phase IV clinical trials have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Tools to study our phase IV findings are available to the public, anonymous and free >>>.

On Aug, 23, 2026

5,708 people reported to have side effects when taking Differin.
Among them, 76 people (1.33%) have Skin hyperpigmentation.

Could Differin cause Skin hyperpigmentation?

Among these 76 people:

How long have people been on Differin when they have Skin hyperpigmentation? *

What is the gender of people who have Skin hyperpigmentation when taking Differin? *

female: 92 %
male: 8 %

What is the age of people who have Skin hyperpigmentation when taking Differin? *

What are other drugs people take besides Differin? *

What are other side effects people have besides Skin hyperpigmentation? *

Dry Skin: 24 people, 31.58%
Skin Exfoliation (removal of the oldest dead skin cells): 21 people, 27.63%
Skin Burning Sensation: 20 people, 26.32%
Pain Of Skin: 14 people, 18.42%
Rashes (redness): 13 people, 17.11%
Drug Ineffective: 10 people, 13.16%
Skin Irritation: 8 people, 10.53%
Scar: 8 people, 10.53%
Itching: 5 people, 6.58%
Rash Erythematous (redness of the skin): 4 people, 5.26%

What are the existing conditions these people have? *

Skin Wrinkling (wrinkle on skin): 2 people, 2.63%
Skin Discoloration: 2 people, 2.63%
High Blood Pressure: 2 people, 2.63%
Acne Cystic (skin problems that cause pimples): 2 people, 2.63%
Sleep Disorder: 1 person, 1.32%
Skin Exfoliation (removal of the oldest dead skin cells): 1 person, 1.32%
Scar: 1 person, 1.32%
Rashes (redness): 1 person, 1.32%
Premature Ageing: 1 person, 1.32%
Depression: 1 person, 1.32%

* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.

Do you take Differin and have Skin hyperpigmentation?

- Check whether Skin hyperpigmentation is associated with a drug or a condition
- Predict drug outcomes for up to one year with AI
- Get an AI agent to monitor your drugs continuously

Related studies:

Effectiveness of, long term effects of, and alternative drugs to Differin:

Differin (5,740 reports)

Browse all side effects of Differin:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Browse all the drugs that are associated with Skin hyperpigmentation:

Skin hyperpigmentation (640 drugs)

Browse all the conditions that are associated with Skin hyperpigmentation:

Skin hyperpigmentation (812 conditions)

How the study uses the data?

The study uses data from the FDA. It is based on adapalene (the active ingredients of Differin) and Differin (the brand name). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are not considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

How to use the study?

DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting your doctor. If there are any serious or long term adverse effects discovered in the study, discuss the study with your doctor to ensure that proper medication management will be in place if applicable.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI/ML algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Our analysis results are available to researchers, health care professionals, patients (testimonials), and software developers (open API).

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

DISCLAIMER: All material available on eHealthMe.com is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. All information is observation-only. Our phase IV clinical studies alone cannot establish cause-effect relationship. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. The use of the eHealthMe site and its content is at your own risk.

If you use this eHealthMe study on publication, please acknowledge it with a citation: study title, URL, accessed date.