i apply retin a micro where i have acne my cheeks and forehead. ive been using it for 1 yr and 5 months im 18 and im also going to quit it because it has left me cheeks and forehead alottt lighter than the rest of my face its very noticeable like a tan line. has this happened to anyone else?? it also never completely cleared my skin =(. how long will it be until my face goes back to normal? i want it all to be one color and not look so dented where i apply Ram.

Well its not as great as i was hoping for to be honest yes my mild acne has somewhat decreased as in the spots don't form like they use to but there still there under my skin casuein red marks and blotcheyness which is very frustrating as i was hopeing my complection would be alot more even after 6 months of retin a.

So all in all im very dissapointed with Retin A as yet again i find myself extremely frustrated knowing ive just had another 6 months of false Hope!

Think i'll through in the towel with topicals as none of them really seem to help and try to get my hands on Roactane.
(The crap you have to put in your body for a clear complection for fucks sake)

Hiya please can youhelp me. I have been onDifferin for 7 weeks and i am still breking out. Its made my skin much worse, but im still sticking with it. I also started 2 weeks ago using BP in the morning and usinga moisturiser with jojo oil.

Im getting really worried now it wont settle down in time for the wedding Im tempted to stop using differin as i dont want to be still breaking out due to thedifferin

Should i try facials, or maybe an antibiotic that wont cause a breakout,or maybe trying somethinglike ancezine as well.

Im so sad

So I started Retin A Micro in mid-July. 0.04%
My skin is combination, oily in t-zone, sometimes dry in cheeks.

I expected the initial break-outs and what not and I'm pretty sure it/they have come but i can't be positive. I apply a small amount to my entire face (chin, nose, forehead, cheeks). My problem areas are my t-zone, fyi; especially my nose. Anyways I wash my face with Cetaphil cleanser for normal to oily skin and then apply lubriderm sensitive skin lotion. Then I wait at least 30 minutes before I apply my RAM so my face has time to dry.

This is where my skin is at right now, it's been about 2 months. I have 1 pimple on one cheek, 2 pimples on chin, like 6 on forehead (small,not red), about 4 on my nose (red,small), and blackheads ALL OVER my nose and some on my chin. I'm starting to lose hope it seems and I am getting somewhat fustrated. Does anyone have any advice? Am I doing something wrong? How long is it supposed to take?

Another thing that bothers me is that I use SPF 85 EVERY DAY no matter what the weather, and I still have this weird seperation of color from my forehead to nose? Do you get what I mean? Like it seems my nose is just redder then my forehead between my eyes. Do you understand? Does anyone else have this?

Anyways, please please help me with any response you might have. I just need to know if I should stop, wait it out, etc. Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

Skin type: oily in the T-zone, very oily in the nose area, oily on some parts......well, just oily face, hehe. very prone to blackheads and whiteheads. before very prone to inflamed BIG acne, now, it's just some small blackheads and whiteheads.

I'm Asian. Actually, Filipino. So our climate, I think also dictates the usage of some products, and also availability. I have use many products. I have just recently discovered VMV Hypoallergenic Products. All their products are validated, in vitro and something, as hypoallergenic.

i'm starting a log today, but actually i've been on this regimen for the past month or so. The products that I use are:

MORNING:

1. VMV spring green line cream cleanser = NOT MEDICATED, this is my staple cleanser
2. VMV spring green line Retinoic acid + clindamycin = very mild!
3. wait for 15-30 mins for retinoic acid to 'do its thing"
4. VMV Armada SPF 30 = for everyday use, or SPF 45 for special occasions, since this serves like a foundation, very good

EVENING
1. VMV spring green line cream cleanser = NOT MEDICATED, this is my staple cleanser
2. VMV spring green line Retinoic acid + clindamycin = very mild!
3. wait for 15-30 mins for retinoic acid to 'do its thing"
4. VMV Illuminants with 10% glycolic acid + kojic acid (Glycolic Acid – 10%, Kojic Acid - 2%, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate – 8%)


Hair = VMV shampoo , very refreshing, before i get a lot of noninflamed acne in my hairline, now, can't say their all gone, but it's improving
Toothpaste = VMV toothpaste, wow, this product is the best! it really helped me with all the clogged pores in my chin and jaw area! believe me when i say, before i have lots of clogged pores, now it has drastically improved because of not using pore clogging toothpastes, and yes, toothpastes do clog pores!

I have mild acne that tends to flare up really bad. (like now) so my derm will see me at my worst point. I have a oily t-zone and alot of clogged pores that no one can see. I just push the sides of my nose and stringy pus comes out. (dont know how to describe it) What should i ask for? different, tazorac, retin-a etc. I have a light brown scarish area on my right cheek also and one huge nodule that i attempted to pop. (bad idea)

I have decided to use acne.org to track my progress through this random regimen I am trying. I started it two weeks ago since Monday of this week, but I figured maybe I could get some opinions back from people and how they are doing with the differin topical.

I am 19 years old... a female. I have probably tried just as much as everyone else that has stubborn mild/moderate acne. I have had acne since I was 11 and I probably started going to the derm when I was 14.

List of everything I've tried in order:
- over the counter products
- tetracycline 100mg, Retin-a, 4% BP wash
- Ortho trisprintec(BC), minocycline 100mg, differin .01%, 4% BP wash
- ortho trisprintec, minocycline 50mg, differin .03%
- proactiv, differin .03%

** I used proactiv ever since I can remember, not consistently until now.

The regimen I am doing now is..
Morning: Proactiv daily regimen (BP cleanser, toner, and 2.5% bp lotion)
Evening: Practiv BP cleanser and differin .03% on infected areas.

So.. to begin.. now that it has been two weeks into this regimen, I have seen very little change. I have had probably like 3 initial breakouts haha.. I don't know if this is normal on differin, but I get large, really sore pimples that just don't go away. I try extrememly hard to keep myself from picking and poking. If they are really bad, I make sure to wait until they have reached the surface than pop them. The majority of my acne is just on my cheeks and chin, Ill post pictures.

The good thing about differin is that it heals my pimples quickly, such as scabs and things like that. Before, they would be on my face for weeks, not maybe 2 to 3 days. My skin at first was very dry and itchy. Now its just itchy.. and somewhat dry.

I am going to stick through it until I see my new derm in October, so three months I feel is a good testing period of differin.

Currently I have two inflamed pimpls on my right cheek bone, my chin has broken out, and my left cheek near my ear has a bit inflammed pimples. My goal this week was to stop picking, I failed already. But.. I have limited the touching so that good.


These are the photos after week one of this regimen

Differin was one of the first acne topicals I was prescribed, way back when I was about 14. I'm 19 now. I've been to two different derms and they both keep me on this stuff, even though I tell them I've been on it forever.

...don't you get immune to this stuff after so long? I'm asking this, because I still have acne. After two rounds of accutane, five years of differin, and a billion different topicals paired with differin, I still have acne.

just wondering. ~_~ pretty sure differin isn't doing anything...but the derm keeps telling me to stay on it.

Hey all,

I just got prescribed with Epiduo about a week ago and I immediately noticed some pretty good results. I also take Minocycline twice a day. However, I'm noticing that the spots that used to be large area, soft zits with no redness, have shrunken, become a little inflamed, and red. I'm thinking that this is drying up the zit and extracting the bacteria from the area and hopefully clearing up everything, just taking a little time. But does anyone know if that's how it's supposed to work? It seems effective, but the inflammation is a little discouraging.

Thanks

Hi everyone, some questions:

1) I've been on a duac/doxy/Differin .3 combination for over a year now, and I've had pretty good success. It's come my acne relatively stable, but it's still an issue. I've thought about wanting to try to switch to Retin-A, which I'd been on in the past. I can't remember how it affected my acne, but I do recall it did a good job with some of my scarring, which is an issue for me (even if I dont have acne, all I see are the nasty scars).

2) How do you think Differin .3 compares to Retin-A .05 cream? My face can handle anything, but I didnt realize there was a stronger cream (.1), or I'd have asked for it. Should I try to go in again and bump it up? I dont want to sacrifice the control of my acne Differin had been doing if it's for a low strength Retin-A.

3) I was prescribed the cream, but I forgot there was a gel. I've heard the gel is more effective, why would I be prescribed the cream? Again... its nice that Retin-A will help with scarring, but it's silly if I am on too low of a strength/the cream and have new active stuff come up, ya know? I have oily skin, fi that means anthing.

4) Is the belief that Retin-A does better for scarring than Differin true? Differin hasnt helped my scarring, but I think I remember Retin-A being helpful?

Thanks folks!

I've been using RAM for 3 weeks.. I noticed that it made me break out on my chin (before this, my chin was completely clear) so i stopped using it there. So, pretty much i've just been applying a thin layer to my cheeks and forehead, but everyone keeps saying how important it is to apply a thin layer to your WHOLE face.. Will my cheeks not receive the same benefit from the retin a micro that my they would have if i applied it to my chin too?

Writing this, I feel kind of silly, I mean, how do my cheeks know if my chin is getting RAM too, but I really just don't want to take any risks here!

1. How much should I be applying to my face? I'm applying it three times a week, at night, thirty minutes before bed. (mon, wed, fri)
2. Does it help fade red marks?
3. Is it too much to be applying it on my skin after shaving?

Thanks so much in advance!

I recently started using tazorac. Now I read that before applying it, you should moisturize. The thing is my forehead is already excessively oily, so should I still moisturize?. Usually I apply moisturizer and tazorac at night, and when I wake up in the morning I can feel and see the excessive oil. So, should I stop applying moisturizer?

My name's Jazy and i'm relatively new here, starting this Differin log to keep track of my skin's progress. I've got mild/moderate acne (inflammatory), nothing that can kill me but enough to put me down. Prescribed together with Dalacin T and Minocycline 50mg (reduced dosage), i hope this journey would be a pleasant one. Feel free to comment fellow peeps, or even relate and share your experiences!

Day 3: Yea, decided on this post like today hah. Anyway, skin seems to be worse, with dozen of whiteheads on both side of my face. Nothing inflammatory since i believe the minocycline would have taken of that. Pigmentation still not going away though. I really hope this is the notorious IB, cannot imagine something much worse. Got a party next week and i really hope things gets better.

Hey there,

I'm new here. I just started Epiduo about a week ago, and so far my acne has gotten worse - but I expected this. However, is it normal to get rather large cysts on your cheeks? I've never had acne on my cheeks before, and now I have started getting a lot of it on my cheeks. Also, school just started for me so I'm concerned on how long it will take for my acne to get better. How long does it get worse for?
Additionally, I've seen in a lot of these posts that you're only supposed to use a pea-sized amount of Epiduo. I am wondering if using more will affect my skin in any way other than burning or peeling. (I don't really have to worry about this, since I have very oily skin.)
Lastly, please keep posting about your experiences, because they've given me a lot of insight on how I should use Epiduo, and I love hearing the success stories because it only gives me more confidence that Epiduo will work for me!

Thanks,

Katelyn

So I started using .1% RAM 2 months ago to use on my cheeks because the pores are enlarged and it's bumpy (i guess it's tiny acne bumps under the surface). I had completely no other pimples on my face with the help of benzaclin.. Well for the last 2 months i've been using RAM on my cheeks at night and benzaclin all over my face in the morning, and I never really had any problems until just recently. Last week I had two AWFUL pimples on the far side of my right cheek and two semi bad ones on my chin. I thought those were a stray thing, but now I'm noticing a huge pimple on my forehead and two more on the right side of my cheek.. Needless to say this has me REALLY stressed out and depressed, I mean I haven't had pimples like this in 2 years.. So what can be causing it?!

I can only think of two things.. In the last two weeks I've started using a scrub mroe often I got from a very reputable acne specialist.

Secondly, I kind of sweat a lot.. If I get the slightest bit hot I start sweating, so I'm thinking that maybe this sweat is "washing" off the benzaclin in the mornings and it's like I haven't been using it.

I would just go straight to using benzaclin at night and test it, but RAM has given me some results.. I mean they're not great by any means, but there are few patches of pores that have definitely shrunk.. Then again, it really makes me red when I go out and I'm moving to LA soon so I'll definitely be getting a lot of sun. If there was some kind of make up that could help with these enlarged pores that'd be great, but I don't think they're out there

It's just so stressful and depressing, I haven't felt this awful in a long time and I really need your guys' help!

Thank you SO much!

alright, so i'm on my 10th week and i've notice i'm getting these small pimples on my forehead and cheeks again.. it's very annoying. just 2 weeks ago it was perfect with nothing on it and i've never had any pimples on my nose , EVER. i've been wiping those spots sometimes though with the back of my hand because it's oily and i don't have a tissue handy.. can it be that?

hey, im 15, female.
started retin a micro about a month ago.
i think i already had the initial break-out but im not positive.
dont really know if its working yet. (:
but i have high hopes.
did it work for you?
im on 0.04 or 0.4 i forget what it says lol
but yeah, if you've used it tell me all of this PLEASE-

age-
gender-
what perecentage-
how severe is acne-
where is acne-
did it work in any way-
how long did it take to work (if it did)-
(if not..) how long did you use it before you gave up-


THANKS AND PLEASE DO THIS.

I used to have an account here a few years back..I think my user name was fadetoblack. I've been battling acne since 6TH GRADE. I am about to start my sophomore year of College this fall.

Well, I got clear last time [10th grade-2006] because of Triaz pads, tazorac, doxycycline, and MD forte cleanser. I also got blackhead extractions from my derm. I got one glycolic acid peel and it did wonders on my skin. This was all within 6-7 months.

My insurance wouldn't cover my derm anymore and slowly my acne started to come back.
Last summer, it got real bad and I had to see a new derm. He prescribed me benzamycin and 2% erythromycin. It worked for 5-6 months. Then it came back. Jan 2009 was the last month of my clear skin. When I went to see him again 2 months ago and he prescribed me the same meds again along with doxycycline. Erthyromycin stopped working so I had to replace it with Clearasil's 10% benzoyl peroxide.

I decided to do a clinical trial that my old derm was involved with. I had to use cetaphil's cleanser and moisturizer. I was also put on tazorac 0.1% and Aczone 5%. THAT COMBO RUINED MY SKIN.

On August 13, I went to go see the "old derm" to get a chemical peel. However, she was on vacation and her PA was filling in. The old derm had previously mentioned that if the study/clinical trial didn't work she will put me on accutane. The PA and the staff told me my acne is "not that bad" and accutane is only for severe acne. She gave me a 20% salicylic acid peel which was only left on for like what, 15 seconds, and then she told me to go wash it off. That cost $200!!!!! I got ripped off. The PA also gave me brand new meds to play around with because she doesn't think I need accutane while the DOCTOR does.


NEW REGIMEN:

Morning:
Ocave Wash [Sodium Sulfacetamide 10%]
Duac Gel
Neutrogena SPF 15 moisturizer
Solodyn 90mg

Night:
Ovace Wash
Atralin 0.5%

My face is a mess. I move into my dorm on August 30. I have extremely bad hyperpigmentation, to the point where I'd rather have pimples. I have blackheads/clogged pores everywhere. I also QUIT SMOKING!!!!!! April 12 was the last day I had a cigarette. Clear skin > smoking


TODAY: I'm assuming couple of my blackheads came out due to the Atralin. My overall complexion isn't so good. My mom is getting a blackhead extractor sometime this week to get everything out. She's a nurse and I trust her over the PA anyday. My chin was peeling due to the peel this past few days and now there's even more clogged pores around that area. The texture of my skin is so rough.

I have skin.

More specifically, I have skin which is blemish prone, and harrassed by red marks.

I have taken everything for it (clearly an exagerration, but that's how it feels sometimes): Doxycycline and Zineryct when I was 13, Dianette when I was 14, Roaccutane when I was 18, and now I am on Tetralysal (which I'm not happy about - I don't believe in taking antibiotics for acne, it's not a long term solution) and I'm using BP in the day and Differin at night. I've been on the antibiotics since January, as with the BP, and the Differin since February, and about 3 days ago I went out to buy my first bottle of Cider Vinegar (a tip I picked up from this site) and I'm drinking it (diluted of course) in the morning and evening, hoping for a miracle.

I think I've already gone through the Differin IB (at least I hope I have) and I'm just tackling a few spots on my cheeks. Nothing too severe.

My skin looks great with bronzer actually... It's a shame that I'm fairly sure this just exacerbates my situation, but I'm sure, that just like almost everybody on this site, the need for daily self-esteem seems to triumph the desire for a flawless complexion.

Anyway... The differin seems to be working. I'd like to hear from people who are using Differin at the moment, or who have done in the past. Is it a long term product? As in - will it continue to work if I continue to use it? Will it continue to keep me clear? I ask because I know that for me, antibiotics stop working after a few months.... a these ones don't seem to be working anyway. The first time I went on Doxycycline they worked like a charm. I was flawless.... but then my acne migrated from my forehead to my cheeks and came back with a vengeance.

Everything I've tried has worked. For a while at least.... but I had to stop taking Dianette because of migraines/weight gain/reduced libido etc etc. And I'd rather not take a pill... but if Differing and BP don't work then I'm seriously considering Roaccutane again... not that I want to have to go through all that again, but because it really did work... and I think that if I have the good sense to try and maintain some kind of anti-acne regime post-Roaccutance I might just stay clear.

Anyway, it'd be lovely to hear from anyone who has the miracle cure/has tried Differin as a long term solution.... or just to hear from you...

I'm a fifteen year old female, have had acne since I was eleven, I believe. Usually I have several white heads on my chin and forehead, blackheads on my nose, and once in a while a red, deeper type of acne (cyst? idk if that's really what I have, but it seems to fit the description). I rarely get acne on my cheeks.

From having acne for so long, I have a lot of red marks, mostly on my forehead, chin, and above my mouth. This is what bothers me the most, and I've tried some skin lightening creams that didn't really do much. So, time, I guess, will hopefully cure this.

I've been using Proactiv for one year, eight months this month. Yeah, I know. It didn't do much for me, either. Today, I was at the doctor for a physical, and she prescribed Differin, so, here we go.

I stopped using Proactiv today, and here's what I'm doing with Differin:

-washing face 2 times a day w/ gentle soap (right now I'm using Ivory, but I want to change to something else before long)
-apply Differin at night, before bed

And, well, I guess we'll see if it works. Any recommendations on anything else that I should do?

Today: my skin is average. Nice after I washed it. Red. New red/whitehead breakouts under nose. Nothing else unusual.

And, hm. Been hearing some not so great stories about Differin. Any good stories out there? To inspire me? ;]

To try and make a long story short...

I am 16 years old and started suffering with acne 3 years ago. After trial and error with random drugstore products for a year I went to a dermatoligist and was perscribed Differin (on a diagnosis of mild/moderate acne). I used it for a year and a half and my skin was phenomenal! My skin's texture was great and I only suffered from occasional, small pimples.

However, at the beginning of 2009 my derm switched me to RetinA "for prevention." I reluctantly made the switch to RetinA and my skin is in the worst condition ever. It's constantly oily, I have several (some severe) pimples, many blackheads, huge pores, lots of flakiness in my chin/cheek area, and what i think are some kind of chemical burns from the RetinA.

After 8 months of RetinA torture I am finally being switched back to Differin (YAY).

On to the advice i need: (my skin: combination/oily)
I don't ever remember using a very strict regimen with Differin and I was wondering if anyone had a regimen that has really been working for them (with the use of Differin of course!) Ideas for cleansers, moiturizers, toners?, and anything else would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
(Sorry for the lenght of this post :/ Just thought some backgroud would help)

Hi everyone! Alright, so I'm completely discouraged about my acne regimen and I really need some advice. I went to the derm a couple of weeks ago and I was prescribed Clenia Foaming Wash (5% sulfur), Doryx, and Retin-A Micro 0.04%. Now let me start by saying that I'm almost 20 years old and I've been suffering from acne for 7 years now. I've tried EVERYTHING - Differin, Tazorac, Clindamycin, Spironolactone, birth control, Minocycline, Azelex... the list goes on. My face was finally clearing up around April and May and then I made a bad decision and started using Everday Minerals Makeup. It caused closed comedones and whiteheads to pop up all over my face and eventually turn into full-blown acne. My face has not improved since. Now I know to avoid mica at all costs.

I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing something wrong with my daily skin regimen. Do you think the combination of the sulfur face wash (I use it twice a day) and the Retin-A Micro (I use it at bed time and in the morning if I'm not going to be out in the sun) is too harsh for my face? I don't mean in terms of dryness because I've been using it for 3 weeks now and I don't have any dryness. I have normal skin and my face can handle pretty much anything. But do you think the combination of these two harsh products is just inflaming my skin and causing the acne to flare up worse than it would if I was just on the Retin-A? I know tretinoin gel causes your face to get worse before it gets better but I'm just so discouraged with this whole process that the increasingly terrible condition of my face is taking a toll on my relationship and on my mental health. And none of my friends understand how acne could possibly cause me to become so depressed but it really truly gets me down.

Oh and one more thing... Most of my acne is along my jawline and I've been told that acne in that area is caused by hormones. I was taking the minipill which is known to cause acne rather than cure it. So I stopped taking it recently in hopes that it would magically rid me of my acne. Unfortunately I'm not able to take regular birth control pills anymore because last time I was on them I got a blood clot and found out I have a blood disorder. But anyway, still no results.

I just really need some advice. How long will this "purging" stage take? And is it normal to get all these little tiny bumps and whiteheads ALL over my face? Should I stop the Clenia and switch to something gentle like Cetaphil or Purpose even though I'm not experiencing dryness? And should I be using a moisturizer? I use Purpose Dual Action Moisturizer about once or twice a week. Would it be better if I used it every day so my face doesn't produce too much oil? Lastly, I just stopped taking Sprionolactone and Minocycline (I've been on those for years) because my dermatologist wanted to try Doxycycline instead. Could this be another cause of the worsening of my acne? I just don't know what to do and I'm becoming increasingly depressed about all of this. And it all happened at once so I have no idea what could be causing this. I drink plenty of water and have a healthy diet but I'm just so confused.

I'll probably end up keeping a log on here to note any changes and hopefully an eventual improvement! By the way, this is week 3 of my regimen. I heard it can be the worse so maybe this is why I'm so upset about all of this.

Wow, I am SO sorry about how long this is. I guess I've been needing to spill all my thoughts out for a while now. Sorry again! Any advice or any form of response would be deeply appreciated. Thank you so much!

As of now I'm using Ambi Moisturizer with SPF 30 in the day, and St. Ives Collagen Eslatin at night. The St. Ives has really been stinging and I don't think it's doing a good job moisturizing my skin, esp. on my Retin-a regimen. Any suggestions for a good nighttime moisturizer? Btw, I have combo/oil skin.

Hey Guys, here is my background acne info that I discussed in a previous post:
After experiencing a really horrible breakout throughout the summer, I finally went to my doctor since nothing seemed to helped. I've never been to a derm before and although I made an appointment, I ended up seeing my primary care doctor for a physical and told him about my skin going haywire. On Aug 7th, he prescribed me Doxy (100 MG), that I have to take 2X for 2 weeks, and 1X a week thereafter. I've been taking the Doxy since the 8th with food and no problems so far. He also gave me Erythromycin Topical Solution USP 2% that I've been using since the 8th as well. I'm supposed to use it 2X a day which I am, sort of like a toner, I use it after I wash my face before applying a moisturizer but I don't really know if it's helping. ***Lastly and most importantly, he gave me 0.025% Tretinoin Cream (Retin-A). He told me to start off using it slow, 1X a day every other day for a week, then use it every night thereafter. I started using the Retin-A on the 7th (at night) after following a regimen of Clean & Clear SA Wash (2% SA), Erythromycin Topical Solution USP 2%. It's been about 5 days since I've been using the Retin-A (every other night) and the most signifcant change I've seen is that my hyperpigmentation is beginning to lighten up and the tone of my skin is more even. As far as my actual pimples, I have been breaking out. Before I began this regimen, when my skin was going haywire, it was more like 1-3 pimples, and lots of clogged pores an white heads. Now it's just pimples, esp. in those areas where the clogged pores were visible. I know Retin-A works by purging the skin but isn't it too soon for an IB to happen? From what I've read the initial breakout happens around week 3. Im terrified for the IB because I go back to school on Aug 30, and makeup is NOT helping. I don't know if this could be the IB, but I'm wondering so because im actually having pimples now, and more of them, I will post pictures soon. But around day 2-3 of using Retin-A, I did experience dryness which I dealt with by using a good moisturizer. That for the most part has subsided, I've just been getting breakouts. Although they are bad, they're not as bad as what I've been reading relative to other IB stories, but like I said I'm doubtful (yet hopeful) that this is the IB. What do you guys think, is it too soon?



*Some wonderful members replied saying that it may be too early for an IB and that using my SA cleanser may be too harsh. My updates since then will follow this post....

The following pics are from 8/16/09 with and without flash:
FLASH
Front: http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/558/81609.jpg
R: http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/6725/r81698.jpg
L: http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/25/l81609.jpg

NO FLASH
Front: http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/7929/nf81609.jpg
R: http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5391/nfr81609.jpg
L: http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5374/nfl81609.jpg

Retin-A Micro was my miracle cream!! I used Retin-A Micro at a constant 0.04% concentration for the first few months. After the first month of terrible break outs, my face started to recover. By the forth month, I got rid of all my cysts, my forehead was completely clear and the only problematic area was my cheeks. I would only get the occasional white heads here and there but it mostly under control. By the 5th month, I decided to switch to 0.1% hoping that it would clear up my face more effectively. The first month of using 0.1% was terrible, I thought it was normal that my skin would break out like it did when I initially started because it was a new cream and slightly stronger. I was wrong, by the 10th month, my face had actually worsened so I switched back to 0.04%. Throughout this entire time, I was using a Neutrogena cleanser with Salicylic Acid and a moisturizer with SPF 15. I did some research and I found out that apparently it's not a good idea to use medicated cleansers with Retin-A Micro so I got a new cleanser that was not medicated by Bioré. That was probably the worst product I ever applied to my face, I ended up using Bioré for a good two weeks before realizing that it wasn't any good. I ended up with three cysts and many many white heads. Instead of returning to Neutrogena, I decided to use La Roche Posay's cleanser along with Effaclar K as a moisturizer (I know, I know, dumb idea to use as a moisturizer). It just wasn't the products for me so I went back to Neutrogena. The problem with Neutrogena is that it doesn't do much to my face, it doesn't improve or cause anything and that's the best I can get. I really need some help finding a good cleanser and moisturizer because my skin is not improving and it's at it's worst in years! I'm not sure if Retin-A has done all it could and if I should move on to another product. I loved Retin-A but it's only the second product I've tried, after this awful benzoyl peroxide gel I used to use. I'm going to ask my dermatologist for some suggestions on cleansers and moisturizers but I also want to know what you guys think because sometimes I feel like I trust you guys more than my own dermatologist.

I'm not so fund of applying tonnes of chemicals on my face, because today I was apply a moisturizer and I had this awful burning stinging sensation, clearly from all the trash products I've used. I really want to try something more natural that wont make my skin overly sensitive like La Roche Posay did. I really need a good moisturizer and cleanser because I'm almost certain it's not the Retin-A that's breaking me out.

After experiencing a really horrible breakout throughout the summer, I finally went to my doctor since nothing seemed to helped. I've never been to a derm before and although I made an appointment, I ended up seeing my primary care doctor for a physical and told him about my skin going haywire. On Aug 7th, he prescribed me Doxy (100 MG), that I have to take 2X for 2 weeks, and 1X a week thereafter. I've been taking the Doxy since the 8th with food and no problems so far. He also gave me Erythromycin Topical Solution USP 2% that I've been using since the 8th as well. I'm supposed to use it 2X a day which I am, sort of like a toner, I use it after I wash my face before applying a moisturizer but I don't really know if it's helping. ***Lastly and most importantly, he gave me 0.025% Tretinoin Cream (Retin-A). He told me to start off using it slow, 1X a day every other day for a week, then use it every night thereafter. I started using the Retin-A on the 7th (at night) after following a regimen of Clean & Clear SA Wash (2% SA), Erythromycin Topical Solution USP 2%. It's been about 5 days since I've been using the Retin-A (every other night) and the most signifcant change I've seen is that my hyperpigmentation is beginning to lighten up and the tone of my skin is more even. As far as my actual pimples, I have been breaking out. Before I began this regimen, when my skin was going haywire, it was more like 1-3 pimples, and lots of clogged pores an white heads. Now it's just pimples, esp. in those areas where the clogged pores were visible. I know Retin-A works by purging the skin but isn't it too soon for an IB to happen? From what I've read the initial breakout happens around week 3. Im terrified for the IB because I go back to school on Aug 30, and makeup is NOT helping. I don't know if this could be the IB, but I'm wondering so because im actually having pimples now, and more of them, I will post pictures soon. But around day 2-3 of using Retin-A, I did experience dryness which I dealt with by using a good moisturizer. That for the most part has subsided, I've just been getting breakouts. Although they are bad, they're not as bad as what I've been reading relative to other IB stories, but like I said I'm doubtful (yet hopeful) that this is the IB. What do you guys think, is it too soon?

So I went to the derm about 2 weeks ago. She prescribed me to use retin-a in the night and cleocin in the morning(i got Fougera Clindamycin, the generic version). I went on these because I have developed this weird redness on my face, nothing to do with acne. 2 weeks into my regimen, the redness is gone! . Buttttttttttttttttttttttttt, I am suffering with the IB right now, having the breakout on my cheeks and neck (i did have acne prior to the redness but Dan's regimen took care of it). So I was wondering how long did your IB last? Also, how much retin-a/clindamycin should i use? I use a pea size amount on my cheeks, chin, forehead, and neck (meaning, i do a pea size on each cheek, etc.). Should I be using less or more? Another quick question, I get REALLLLLLLY oily/greasy looking like 10 minutes after I apply the medications, is this normal? So, whadda think of this regimen?

A little over a month ago I went and saw a dermatologist (come to find out he is actually a physician assistant). The guy was kinda weird- he talked a LOT and kept asking me the same freaking question in a million different ways, like he was trying to catch me in a lie or something. He also kept telling me that my dad has broken blood vessels in his nose. My dad definitely doesn't....and considering this doctor has never met my dad or seen even a picture of him I have no idea why he kept insisting on this...
Then, although I no I'm not a doctor, this guy keeps telling me I am transitioning from teen (I'm 22) acne to adult roseacia (? spelling). He kept telling me that after I work out my face is red for hours.....which is not true. How would he know, anyways???? He also said he could tell it was roseacia (again, ? spelling) because my cheeks were red. For one thing I was completely embarrassed (I'm bad at spelling) because I am so self conscious about my face and I wasn't wearing make up and for another I was kind of getting angry with the guy.
The "doctor" went on to prescribe me three medicines- Solodyn (after saying something off hand about it possibly turning me blue), Benzclin and Differin. He said to mix the Benzaclin and Differin together and use it once a day. He said that it would clear up to 70% of my acne. I asked him if there was anything that could clear up 100% and he just laughed and said no, not effectively.
So, now I've been using these medicines for almost exactly 5 weeks and my face has just gotten progressively worse....and worse...and worse. I'm breaking out in places I've never broken out before in my LIFE (under my chin and on my neck). I've called the dermatologist's nurse twice now and both times was told to wait until I had been on the medicine for 6-8 weeks. I completely understand that it takes awhile (forever to someone who's just wanted to not have to wear makeup for just one freaking day) but this isn't just an initial breakout. This is crap. Not only am I breaking out but my skin tone has gotten really splotchy, too. I've got a few dark spots and I've never dealt with anything like that before.

So what do I do now?? I have suffered from moderate to now severe acne since I was about 11 or 12 years old. My dad had acne from about 15 through his mid 30s and I do NOT want to deal with this that long. At all. Unfortunately the only other dermatologists anywhere near here are not accepting new patients and if they are it won't be for months. There are other doctors in the same office of the guy I went to, though. Should I wait another week or two and see what happens or do I try to reschedule with another doctor now?