How to Treat Bad Skin Reaction from Retin-a Micro?

I used retin-a micro on some parts of my body to treat kp, discoloration, scars, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, etc., but it only made it worse. The peeled/peeling areas are now dark brown/red, some places are shiny and smooth and other spots are dull. It feels tacky when I touch it (not dry like it should be). I've since stopped using it after almost 2 months and now I'm trying to figure out how to treat this problem. The picture attached is the crook of my arm.

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by J4nc

Doctor Answers (2)
Community Comments (1)

Retin-A reaction

Retin-A should absolutely not be used on any parts of the body but the face, and needs to be supervised by a physician. If you say this is what your arm looks like 2 months after stopping the application of the Retin-A, then I'd say you need to see a dermatologist as soon as possible for an evaluation and possible medications. This is not a good situation, and you need to see an expert for proper care.

Skin break down from Retin-A treatment on the arm

Stop using the Retin-A immediately, it is designed to treat the face and not the arms. The skin in this area is much thinner than on the face. You may try using some over the counter Hydrocortisone 1% cream for a few days. If you are not improving then you may need to be seen by a dermatologist.

Comments (1)

J4nc 26 Dec 2012

I saturated the photo a little bit using a photo editor- it is not that red actually. It is now brown, sort of like melasma on the face. I only stopped for 5 days now. I guess I should be making an appointment to a dermatologist.

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