When using Tretinoin gel, do I leave it on all night or do I wash it off after use?

When you are using your tretinoin gel at night, you should leave it on. Very rarely I will direct some patients to apply their retinoid and then wash it off after, which is called short contact therapy. However, I only recommend this for patients who are having a very hard time tolerating their topical retinoid. A little dryness and irritation is normal when using a topical retinoid, so unless you are having an abnormal degree of irritation with the product, you should leave it on after application. 

Thank you for your question.  You can rub in the tretinoin gel at night and wash it off with a gentle cleanser in the morning.  Tretinoin is very strong, so I usually recommend to my patients that they start using it twice a week, then increase up from there as long as there are no side effects.  An in-person consultation with board-certified oculoplastic surgeon would be able to provide more information.