I have used Retin-A for quite a while (10+ years) and had very god results with it. I got some redness when I first started using it, but not that bad. It has helped my skin a lot and I only flake on the spots when I use too much. The flaking and redness are temporary and flaking is masked by a good natural moisturizer.
Now I'm doing internal cleanses since that's what I need too.