Suppose to use aczone everyday, tax daily after 1st 4 weeks, and duac everyday.

I have been doing that mostly. Some days I dont get aczone on till 12, or even 3pm, and then follow rest of routine. Taz daily usually ill see how skin face feels after 3 straight days, and may skip a day. Last night an afternoon I didnt use anything just to give me a break.

Hopefully im close to getting past IB stage. I have had some breakout, but not "bad bad" I guess. I still get some bumps/pimples, but hopefully it will be stable after a few more weeks.

I have my 2nd dr visit 11/23. The 1st one he gave me the aczone, tax, and duac.

I was on Tazorac for 7 weeks when i decided my skin was too red and irritated, so i took a break. that was a week ago. If i return to my routine will i suffer another IB? I've also been using Benzaclin for the past week and its been working wonders.

So I just went to the derm a few days ago and he put me on Clindamycin lotion twice during the day and Tretinoin Gel 0.25 at night.

My question is, should I wash my face before applying the Tretinoin? I just wasn't sure if the Clindamycin needs to be washed off or not first.

Haven't been on in a while but was looking around for a new acne fighter to try and was thinking about trying Epiduo.. does anybody have any info or results from using this ?

Also was looking at Skin ID does that stuff work??

So, I'm on RetinA 1% (have been for a while) I was wondering does anybody (on any topical not just retinA) use a toner? Or do you leave it out of your regimen purposely?

If you do use one please tell us which one..thanks.

I went on Clindamycin and Retin-A Micro about a year and a half ago, and since then I have had problems with facial flusing. Never had this issue before. But it really bothers me because I have fair skin and it is noticable. It happens when I get too warm or embarrased. I feel this hot flush hit my cheeks and sometimes my ears and chin even gets red. Then it stays that way for a while, sometimes over an hour or so.

Anyone else ever have that problem?

Hi there. I was recently prescribed retin-a, antibiotics and another topical that inst a retinoid to treat my acne. I just have a quick question. My dermatologist told me to apply retin-a in the MORNING, however, I have been reading different posts and forums and it appears as though everyone uses it at night. So I guess what I am asking is, should I continue to use retin-a in the morning or switch to using it at night?

Thank You for your HELP!!!!:)

Ive been using Ziana for about 2 months, my acne is not too bad right now, a few sortaa active pimples...not too bad, but quite a bit of red marks all along my checks, which makes it look pretty bad.
So.

(1). Ziana is considered a retonoid, right? but its a low concentration?

(2). How long did it take to start to really clear up. I keep hearing 3 monthsish, but is that just to start seeing the very first results?

(3).Would it be beneficial to incorporate 2.5% bp in the morning for an extra "kick" Ive been on Ziana for 2 months and i havnet had really any irritation problems, i started off once every 3 days and within 2 weeks i was using it once a night. I had a little peeling the first 2 weeks or so, but after that nothing (just redness)

(4). My last question would be. What is responsible for most of the clearing from Ziana, the antibiotic or the tretoin? and may it just take a higher concentration of tretoin to work for some?


haha im just starting to get curious since ive been on it for 2 months now. I feel like its getting better, i just dont know.

Just wondering if anyone was on Atralin and how it's worked for him or her...

Background: I had mild, very persistent acne starting when I hit 19...I did a six-month Accutane regimen after trying other solutions that didn't seem to work (including Retin-A Micro, although I didn't use it consistently or for very long...the IB upset me so much). I went on Accutane at age 21, about two-three months after I went off it I started to break out again. It wasn't enough to get me back on the Accutane, so I kept it at bay using Green Cream, BP 2.5-5%, SA, etc. Nothing really, truly cleared me up.

I'm now almost 24; I went to see the derm a few months ago and she gave me a ton of Atralin samples...I finally decided to commit to using it though I was super afraid since Retin-A Micro made my face red, greasy(er), and I broke out worse than ever. So far I've been on Atralin for a few weeks and my forehead (my biggest trouble spot) is covered in these flesh covered bumps that makes my forehead all bumpy. My jaw also has a bunch of bumps, and I've had a couple of whiteheads here and there. I'm trying to stick with it this time. I use it every night easily; I was on Level 6 Green Cream every night and my skin is pretty resilient.

I was just hoping to hear from anyone who's used this product and liked it.

i read somewhere that if it gets yellow...that it is like expired. my expiration date says march 2010 but i did get it a while ago..... the color of mine is like and off white...yellowy tinge (but barely and yellow at all lol)
please help....
maybe this is why its been 3 months and i am still unhappy with my skin????

Hi!

I've heard that Retin-A also are being used against sun and pigmentation damage. Probably by decreasing the amount of melanin in the skin.

Is this true? Does Retin-A (or Differing for that matter), give you a lighter skin color?

I'm satisfied with my skin color, and gets a tan pretty easily. I'm therefore worried that it will give me a lighter looking skin.

And does it give you a thinner skin permanently, or just only while being used?

Any ideas?

I am on the .5 Taz for the past 2.5 months- still breaking out on jawline and side of face. should I up the dose? Anyone care to share positive stories on if this will end soon?

retin a does absolutely nothing for me, if anything it makes my acne worse, is this common?

Hey i was on Dans Regimen for about a month and a half....it works great but i can just tell it wont work very well against the scarring,I dont want to be left with red marks on my face. its getting rid of the pimple but leaving red marks. Anyways i'm switching back to retin a, i've used it in the past and it works wonders it completely fades the pimple and scar after 2 or 3months of treatment....i was just wondering..will it be ok to moisturize with Dans moisturiser while using reting a..?

Hey everyone I went to the Derm on the 16th (Monday) and he also gave me Epiduo with a prescription of Doxy 75mg once a day. When I got home I quickly went online and started reading posts on how horrible the IB is when using retinoids so I tossed it in drawer with no intent in using it. I didn’t know that Epiduo was a new topical. I didn’t think it was any different than any other retinoid topical. Has anyone had any luck with this stuff? Should I start using it?

I was just wondering if its a good idea to use .3 differin gel daily with the regimen because my dermatologist reccomended differin. what do u guys think?

Hi all!

I have been on tretinoin .1% and eryacne (a topical antibiotic gel) for about 2 months now. I only have acne on the lower area of my face so I haven't applied the medication to my forehead. And now the lower area of my face is bright red! As you can probably imagine it looks really weird having one half of your face normal skin color and the other half looking like a tomato. Now I'm already using a moisturizer for 2 weeks 2 times a day but that hasn't done much. So I really don't know what to do now.
Should I stop applying the meds for a week or something like that? And if I do that will that mean I will really fuck up the progress?
Thanks!

This is my first time posting on any type of on-line forum. I feel like information from the members on acne.org has been so beneficial and I hope someone will come across this forum if they are considering Retin A.

I have oily, sensitive skin with moderate acne. Having sensitive skin really limits the number of products you can try and tolerate. I was really at my wits end... I have limited funds, so I can't see a dermatologist and try expensive products. After reading up on different forums/reviews I wanted to try Retin A. The reviews scared me, but I was desperate. I was able to get a prescription from my doctor and she prescribed Tretinoin Cream 0.05%. She gave very basic instructions, BUT they are so important to follow.

I've had only minor skin irritations from Retin A and for someone with super sensitive skin, that is pretty amazing. For starters, I use jojoba oil as a moisturizer at night after I shower and jojoba oil with lavender oil (3 drops of each) in the morning as a moisturizer. I don't mind the oiliness at night because its moisturizing to my skin. In the morning, lavender oil prevents it from being extremely oily to start, but I still need to blot my skin throughout the day, so its something I can't avoid. At night, right before I go to bed, I put on the Retin-A using my pinky finger, with the minimal amount that they recommend. Be aware of your skin conditions... if your skin got a little too much sun that day or is starting to show irritation from Retin-A applications from before, give it a days break. I even stopped the lavender oil for a day when I found it made my skin more irritated. I might be diluting the effects of Retin-A by having jojoba oil on my face, but its worked for me and I haven't experienced the extreme irritation that other people have. I can tell my skin is tolerating the Retin A much better now. I did have minor irritations that lasted a week or two tops. I had minor peeling and redness, but nothing anymore. If my skin takes a downwards spiral, I will be honest and post something to update.

As weird as this may sound to some people who aren't familiar with it, I use jojoba oil to wash my face. I apply the oil and use my fingertips to gently exfoliate, then I wash it off with the acne.org cleanser. Other products that I have really come to NEED in my routine include milk of magnesia mask (buy the original flavor; generic brands work fine), which I apply after a long day. It helps with the oiliness without overdrying. I apply a thin layer and sometimes leave it on for a whole hour before I gently remove it by applying the jojoba oil (which I shower with on), then wash with acne.org face wash. I also NEED to drink apple cider vinegar diluted in water (1/2 a teaspoon with a 12 oz of water, about) around lunch and maybe dinner. You have to figure out how much of the taste you can tolerate. If you need to dilute it more, then do, because if it taste bad, your not going to want to drink it. I drink it with a straw and cold water taste better. I just recently started Manuka Honey mask, which I do once in a while. You hear so many great things about honey face mask, but I never saw or felt results until my sister introduced me to Manuka honey. And with Retin A, you NEED a good sunblock. The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer 35 SPF is an affordable and effective sunblock for my skin type. Using a gentle shampoo/conditioner may be beneficial, especially if you have long hair. I like Earth science fragrance free shampoo, which is relatively affordable on vitacost. I use Dr. Bronner's body wash. Don't do try all these things at once, but I would recommend getting a regular skin routine down before you try Retin A... so you know how to take care of your skin when you do get minor irritations.

Where am I now? I still get a few pimples. I had a huge zit on my right temple just a few days back, but the timing between a arrival of a new pimple has become longer, that I am no longer so preoccupied with my skin. I was at a point where I seriously thought I would be stuck with adult acne the rest of my life and I'd better start looking for some make up ( which I don't do well with because it always breaks me out even more). Nobody is going to look at my skin and say "Wow you have amazing skin" but I'm just glad that I am at a point where I feel like I won't get noticed for having acne. And maybe one day, I'll look at my skin and think "wow, I have amazing skin". The thing is I'm not in a rush to cure my skin overnight, but I am really happy with the results of Retin A. Its important to think holistically, like I exercise, drink lots of water, and have a pretty healthy diet (I'm pescatarian). But at the same time, I did all those things and still had acne, so Retin A has really been the only thing that has worked to stop new pimples. I would still consider other things like stress, or if you have a very limited, poor diet. I'm also on birth control, which I have been for a long time.

Other things that I have tried but would NOT recommend: applying apple cider vinegar topically, apply lemon juice topically, calamine lotion (does minimize redness from pimples but wouldn't you rather just be done with getting new pimples??), vitamin B5 (i was on this for about a year to prevent oiliness and I started to get pustules on my cheeks. I don't know why I didn't stop sooner, but I wanted a cure for my oily skin. I went the cheap, inexpensive way of buying vitamins from healthfood stores. I feel like the Milk of Magnesia mask and drinking apple cider vinegar has actually helped with my oiliness), proactive, Benzoyl peroxide, sulfur soap bars... these things may work for other people, but it did not work with my skin type. I've been told that I have Candida and the Candida cleanse pills did work but only temporarily. I think it worked some because acne can be related to your digestive system. My sister works for a well-known natural/preservative free skin care company that sells at Sephora. They have good products, but I still had acne. Right now, I have an inexpensive skin routine going that works for me and I'm not curious about other products that only lots of money can buy.

Good luck and learn to listen to your skin, so you can figure out what works for you and what doesn't. Don't look for overnight cures.

So I started using Taz a little over a week ago. So far I have only used it four times and am only using it once every three days (i.e. Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday...). I put it on over my moisturizer as directed by my dermatologist. So far I have not noticed any redness, peeling, itchiness or anything at all, really. Does this mean I should start using it more frequently because my skin can obviously handle it....or should I just stick with this for a couple weeks to possibly avoid a horrible IB? Any POSITIVE experiences with Taz are very welcome.

Quick history about my acne...I've always had mild to moderate acne ever since I first started college. I have tried ProActive, Murad (bad reaction), Exposed Skin Care System (worked great for 4 months), and the occassional drug store fix. About a month ago, my face was breaking out extremely bad so I headed down to Dillards and spent almost $70 on the Clinique 3 step system! After about 3 days of use, my face got extremely dry, flaky, itchy, and broke out even worse. I tried to stick with it, but my face felt like it was melting off. I was fed up and decided to go to the dermo once and for all. I don't have insurance (thats why it was a last result). She prescribed me this Epiduo gel and CeraVe face wash and moisturizer. She said to only use the gel once every other day and I tried that but my face was getting really oily, so I've probably made a bad choice and have been using it twice a day but I don't really have any dryness or burning going on. Also, she prescribed me Minocycline 100 mg 2xday. I am now about to hit the 2 week mark in 2 days and my face is STILL broken out. At first, it looked like it was getting better after a couple days and now its way worse again. Can anyone else relate? Did your skin get better after the 2 week mark? I'm just tired dealing with acne, I'm 23 years old and thought I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore.

Can I use both together? AHA has been working very well for me but my dermatologist wants me to use Retin-A Micro at night. Should I just give up on using the AHA or can I continue using it in the morning?

So, I've been faithfully using Tretinoin Cream o.1% for the past thirteen weeks. My skin has gone from not-so-bad to a volcano-eruption-in-face-form, with no end in sight. I know that tretinoin can take up to 6 months to work, but I recently found out that this cream contains Isopropyl Myristate.
Is it possible this comedogenic ingredient is causing the tretinoin to not work at all for me?

I'm going to my derm in exactly a week, and I want to ask him to prescribe me Retin-A Micro gel o.04%. I have a quick question: will switching to gel cause another IB? Although my face is already a train wreck, I don't want to have to deal with more scarring after wasting my time for 3 months!

is the gel supposed to be lumpy?

so my pores are hideous. like, makes my everyday living a burden.

I hide in my house until night time.

I'm a guy and sumtimes try using makeup to cover my ugly pores on my nose. on front, and sides. its disgusting.

they get worse weekly, and even if i drink alcohol, the next day..eugh.

so i complained to my derm and she noticed some "acne" on my cheeks...that actually was coming (and did)

but, Epiduo she presicribed me...little samples. and WOW.

it took a few days to work, but the lil samples i used on my nose since it is the only real problem i have...i wish i could explain how much my pores hold me back in my life.

so, my pores litterally close up and dissapeared!!!!!

but, sometimes, i would add lotion after showering cuz it had like, soft little flakes on top of the old pores taht were noticable up close.

but wow! what a difference.!

but , i ran out of samples for a week, and my pores returned.


shame. but, i just got my prescription and starting again.

its great --it lets me know that htey only show so hideous cuz they are congested and full of gunk~!

but, it has not helped with my rediculous oil production. oh well, i can care less, id take oil over holes on my nose anyday.




EPIDUO! life saver!

i got 3 refills and the tube will last forever sicne im only usin on nose.

I was prescribed Retin-A by my doctor a few months ago. But i am not sure if it is Retin-A or the Micro. On the box it says tretinoin, and i believe it is a .01% soulution, (Cant look at it right now, not at home).

So what is the difference and which one is actually the better way to go?



Ok so i got home, and the box and tube says tretinoin gel. 0.01%. Is retin-A the cream and micro the gel?

go on an antibiotic as well!!!! better yet, start the antibiotic 2-3 weeks before it. this board is a broken record. "omg i started differin/retina a/etc. and i have worse acne than when i started. should i get off it" no. you should not get off it. stay on it for 3 months at least. thats how long they say it takes to work. me on the otherhand, followed what my brilliant dermatologist said and used clindamycin in the begining while using differin. differin at night, clindamycin in the morning (in the begining i alternated nights so it wouldnt overdry my skin). why is using an antibiotic so important? well, retinoids often result in an initial breakout. this is because they cause the skin cells to have faster cycles and push everything that is underneath the skin to the surface faster. so you would get a few months worth of pimples in a much shorter time. how to prevent this is by using an antibiotic that will do something about the acne being purged out of your skin. i had no initial breakout, and clear skin in about a month using differin.

How's it going guys?

I've had mild acne, nothing horrble but enough, you know? I eventually went to a derm, after Proactiv failed. She gave me Taz, and I was applying after washing with Purpose and applying a moisturizer ontop of it. Initially broke out, then cleared up. I slowed the use of Taz, and my skin pretty much cleared up. Then I got a few sections of pimples, applied a little too much, and went to the beach later that day...WITHOUT SUNSCREEN! Ahh.. the next few days my skin was hoirrible; peeling and so red. Now it's been over a month and it's STILL red, only where I applied it that one time. What to do., what to do? I got a new moisturizer, the Original Eucerin and it makes my face feel great, and have been washing with Olay sensitive skin, both for maybe 2 weeks, without a big improvement. HELP MEE! Again, pimples are not the problem, just the redness!!

ANY help would be greatly appericiated!

Hello everyone. The day i took my last pill i began using duac in the morning and differin at night. I have noticed fleshy bumps pop up on the side of my face and forhead where i would normally not break out. The majority of them are not red..they are more of whiteheads than anything. However, i am wandering if this is normal even though i just got off my course?

thanks everyone

For those of you who are using Retin-A long term, doesn't it suck constantly protecting yourself from the sun? Do you ever turn red at times?

I have been on Tretinoin .1% and tetracycline since June, about 2 months into it and my face was smooth as can be.. it has been 4 months about and I'm starting to get a lot of bumps on my forehead and some white heads on my cheeks.. WHAT IS GOING ON? i want my smooth skin back with no annoying bumps! the bumps on my forehead seem like clogged pores which i thought would go away no problem while on retin-a but it seems to not be working. Helppp me please!