POSTED UNDER Retin-A Reviews
Just Started Retin A!
UPDATED FROM Nikkimaxim
Ok..my skin started getting better, then started...
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Ok..my skin started getting better, then started breaking out again..two cystic ones one on each cheek and many tiny ones along my cheeks and jawline, then my period starts a few days later. This has to be hormonal. Going to get some birth control at a walk in clinic on monday, most likely orth tri cyclen lo. Going to use that and continue my .05_ retin a cream. Two ladies that I work with swear that this birth control helps with their acne. But everyones different. We will see! Has anyone had success with bcp and retin a??
UPDATED FROM Nikkimaxim
Been using just the .025% until i run out, as...
been using just the .025% until i run out, as opposed to what I did about a week ago, where I alternated the .025% with the .05%, and my skin is getting better already. But who knows with this retin-a!.. I start using the .05% tomorrow and I will be using it every other day for a few weeks, until my skin gets aclimated to it. Posted week 5 and week 6 pictures. I have more scars because of the breakout that occured last week during the alternation of the two creams. However, i'm not sure if I broke out because I did that, or if it was just another purging phase..
Replies (13)
Gosh, doesn't this stuff just feel like a roller coaster sometimes?! I'm trying to get up the courage to start it again, but ugh, not sure I want to deal with the breakout roller coaster again.
I'm definitely glad I had the finacea to help (and going every three days at first helped) but you are so right....last Friday I woke up completely clear for the first time in almost a year...two weeks later, oily and sprouting three fresh angry red bumps...wth
yeah had,that minor breakout last week, but things are clearing up AGAIN..but that could be due to the,fact that im only using the .025% again..we will see once iI switch to using the .05% cream every other night..
iI know the feeling girly!!
I hear you with that. If you are like me you question every little thing you changed, or altered and wonder if that could be the root of the problem. Its maddening, lol!
Dont use anything other than retin a. Are you using it every night? If not, try to start now. It will be the most unconfortable feeling - peeling, stingin, tightness, itch, and acnes. Pleaseee if you could bear the pain, then there is no reason not to use it every night. No pain no gain. Just use retin a itself nothing else, that way you are not left thinking what you are doing wrong. Just be consistent. So start doing it now girl. Hope for the best :)
Yeah, I'm consistent, just waiting for the ups and downs of the cycles of purging to end :((
Yah. I feel you. Its like it will never end. What strength are you using?
.025...I actually really like it but I would love to fast forward to a perfect complexion...true to form, the minor break out from a couple days ago has vanished into thin air...I'm sure it'll be back next week, but whatever. My skin is 200% better but I still have the marks, and a few of those tiny under the skin bumps on each side of my chin (been there so long I'm thinking about naming them). Oh, it's week 9 I think...
Im glad its getting better for you. Soon it will be at its best. :) Mine is 90% better. Just a few brown spots and its fading fast. I still have dry skin and it still peeling and it still hurts, but not as sore as it was before. Hoefully i get my nice skin back before the year ends. We can do this pals!
Hi!! Im back! Today is my 4th week on retin a. My face is soooooo much better. My acne is now under control. Theres only two very tiny pimples and one acne vulgaris left. Acne scars are almost gone. My friend saw me today. She said my face is glowing and that my acnes are gone. She didnt notice the two tiny pimples. And also my sister came to visi me tonight . She said my face is becoming beautiful again. I am so glad that I found retin A. I will continie using it (twice a day as prescribe) until next weekend then will cut down to only once a day for maintenance. Retin a is now my new best friend. Thank y. Retin a. I forgot to mention, i went back to my doctor after two weeks of using retisol and asked to change to retin a. I like retin a better than retisol. I love love love it. Got my confidence back. Thanks guys :)
Hi guys. Just wanted to share this to you.
Dr. Fulton answering a question about retin-a I am using Retin A® but I do not seem to clear up. When I developed Retin A® in 1969, it was quite an irritating formula. The more the skin peeled the better the acne would respond. However, during this peeling phase all the acne impactions are coming out so there may be an appearance of flare up of the acne condition as all of the impactions are being evacuated. Once all the pores are clear, the acne is under control and not visible . Also, if a patient is considering Retin A®, they should use the Retin A® gel and not the Retin A® cream. The Retin A® cream contains isopropyl myristate, which is an aggravator of the acne condition and sometimes patients will get worse because the formulation of the Retin A® cream. There are also new formulations of the Retin A® on the market, such as Micro Retin A® that are better formulated creams than the previous product. The key is to keep the skin visibly peeling in order to get a rapid clear up. If there is no peeling whatsoever, your particular formulation is not working very effectively on your skin. You should see at least a little peel once a week to know you are at the right therapeutic level. Also, you may need to work with your physician or esthetician during this early phase to help extract out all the acne impactions that are coming to the surface. This will lead to a more rapid resolution of the problem
So the more the peeling the better :).
UPDATED FROM Nikkimaxim
Using my response, to a message, as my...
Using my response, to a message, as my review:)
my skin had like only one zit, until I started alternating between my .025% cream and my .05% cream, for a few days, now I feel like I went through another purging phase or my skin was just irritated..its hard to tell. Tomorrow is the start of week 6 for me..im just going to finish the .025% cream, which I have probably one days use left, then start using the .05% cream every other day, for a week and work up to everyday. Its just strange that my skin would breakout like that again. I had about 8-10 zits..they were small though, not big like my day 17 picture that I have posted here. Ehhh, we will see what happens..:/
my skin had like only one zit, until I started alternating between my .025% cream and my .05% cream, for a few days, now I feel like I went through another purging phase or my skin was just irritated..its hard to tell. Tomorrow is the start of week 6 for me..im just going to finish the .025% cream, which I have probably one days use left, then start using the .05% cream every other day, for a week and work up to everyday. Its just strange that my skin would breakout like that again. I had about 8-10 zits..they were small though, not big like my day 17 picture that I have posted here. Ehhh, we will see what happens..:/
Replies (9)
Hi Nikkimaxim and other retin-a users! I just wanted to put my two cents in. I have been on Retin-A since August 1 in conjunction with Doryx antibotic pills, and I am very happy with the results so far. My journey is very similar to yours with the breakouts happening around the same time as well as the severity of the breakouts. Just to let you know, I was not happy with my skin and starting to feel like it was really starting to work until the 15th week, but after the 15th week, my face started clearing up, breakouts were non-existent, and my face was starting to feel smooth. Now, I am patiently waiting for my dark spots to fade, which I don't expect to show significant improvement until June or July because my dark spots were very deep in discoloration. I predict that time to see significant fading because I have been on retin-a before for 8 months, and it was a miracle. I felt the prettiest and most clear I have felt in my life! The results remained up until around 4 months after I stopped using it (due to lack of funds for insurance), then I started breaking out again, to the point where I broke down and payed that 200$ a month for my insurance. So, stick with retin-a! It is AWFUL and discouraging the first 3-4 months, but happy days from there. Lastly, just because you're clear, that doesn't mean stop using it! Continue with retin-a. Your doctor will probably put you on a weaker prescription and/or have you use it 2-3 times a week instead of everyday. Wishing you the best (because I know how it feels)!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us - its very encouraging to hear!! Did you stay on the Doryx even when you were off the Retin-a for a little bit? I'm just curious how much of the clearing might have had to do with that, and how much was the Retin-a? Also, would love to know if you were on the cream or gel version of Retin-a...actually, you should just start your own review because I want to know EVERYTHING if you had good results, haha! Tell us more!! :)