Is it a good idea to put this on:

a) new pimples
b) popped pimples
c) acne scabs

Thank you.

I made an appointment to see a derm this Friday so that I can get my prescription for Retin-A. I want to use it with hopes of making my shallow scars, and redness fade away within a year.

Now I understand there are different levels. When the doctor writes the prescription, does he also assign me to a certain level or percent?

Should I start off with the 0.025%?

If I start using it at night only, would it initially make my face really red like BP? My face was red during the first month of using BP. Should I expect the redness from Retin-A to be worse or better than the redness caused by BP?

Hello, I’ve been using Retin-A micro for 7 weeks now and I still don’t see any major improvement. The first couple of weeks were bad. I broke out like mad (which was expected) and it left me with massive amount of marks and scars. Now, in my 7th week of use, I still breakout but not as much as I did three weeks ago. But the scars and marks from IB are still very visible. They don’t seem to disappear. So here comes my questions, is anyone going through the same experience as me? Or if someone had, how long did it take for the scars to fade? Is anyone still breaking out at week 7? When do you typically see full results with retin-a?


P.S as far as I know, I am using retin-a the correct way. I use a pea size of retin-a every night before I go to bed and put a oil-free moisturizer with sunscreen in the morning. For some reason, my face is still red, am I using too much retin-a?

First off, thanks for any feedback. I think its sick that people can share such deep information on for what is such a sensitive subject for alot of us.But....

I recently saw my Dermatologist and he has prescribed to me Atralin (Tretinoin) topical gel for my face. I'm also using Doxycycline. But I have cystic acne on my cheeks mainly and when I was younger I couldn't stand the site of pimples of whiteheads so I popped them as soon as they came up. I know now I'm paying for it and now that I'm out of high school its really not a big deal to me as was before. But the scars that are left are mainly red spots on my cheeks and the Atralin gel that I use at night removes the top layer of skin so new skin can form. But I guess what I'm asking is, IS THE SKIN THATS COMING OFF GOING TO DECREASE THE SCARS ON MY FACE? I've noticed a difference sightly but I'm not sure if its from the medcine or actually the gel. I'll get out of the skin and I can scratch off the skin on parts of my face. The best way I could compare it to is when your hands are dirty and you rub them back and fourth creating firction and the lines of dirt form. Thats what its like lol. So any feedback would be sweet, I'll give advice on your ?'s if you got em. Sorry its so long lol Thanks Yall

Hi everyone! I'm trying so hard to do something safe that works to clear up my skin. I literally have not had clear skin in 10 years and it's very hard to be patient. I started the acne.org regimen (with Benzoyl Peroxide) a couple of months ago, and I can only tell a slight difference.

I used Tazorac with Duac once before, a couple of years ago. I only used it for a couple months because I didn't have health insurance, but it really seemed to clear my skin up.

I am a little concerned because if I were to get pregnant, it could supposedly cause birth defects (even though from what I've read there are no documented cases of that). Also, my face was so super oily when I used it before.

I don't exactly know what I'm asking, just generally for advice or experiences since it's been so long since I used it. Has it worked, or failed, for anyone? How long does that oily stage last? What will happen if I tan while using it?

Thanks for reading!

I am going to Hawaii in about 7 weeks and my acne has mostly cleared up from tazorac. I'm still dealing with an occasional pimple or two and red marks, but for the most part it's been great.

My question is this: When should I get off Tazorac before I go to Hawaii? I don't plan on continuing to use tazorac indefinitely, and I would like ALL the side effects of Tazorac to be gone by the time I am vacationing on a tropical beach .

A basic rundown: I was on Accutane, and my facial acne dissipated almost completely. My body acne (chest, back and shoulders) however, didn't go away as quickly. My dermatologist prescribed me some Differin 0.1% gel, and I've been using it for roughly six months on its own--no other medicinal treatment. My back, chest and shoulders are almost immaculate; the occasional bump here and there but nothing that really persists. My face, on the other hand, won't stop breaking out. Things to note:

- My skin tends to get oily throughout the day.
- I have fair skin, and my skin is sensitive.
- I wash my face twice a day with Tea Tree Foaming Facial Wash from the Body Shop--once when I wake up and once before bed.
- I use St. Ives apricot scrub for sensitive skin once per week.
- I shave twice per week with an electric shaver.
- I apply Differin after washing my face at night with aforementioned tea tree wash.
- I take a vitamin D tablet every afternoon with my lunch.

With all of this in mind, can you give me some clarity? Is it the facial wash? Apricot scrub? The Differin? Maybe I'm not getting enough sun (hence the vitamin D). Or, just maybe, Differin's stopped working. My body's fine enough, but I get acne on my cheeks, jawline and at the side of my forehead--near my ears. What am I doing wrong?

I made an appointment with the dermatologist, set for October the 14th. I'd like it to be sooner, but that's as quickly as I could manage. A bit of clarity to ease my mind would be lovely for now.

Hi everyone. I'm a 37-year-old female. I had minor/moderate acne and switched from Ziana to Retin-A Micro after Ziana stopped working.

I'm on my 4th week of RAM and my face is a DISASTER. I have a throbbing, dime-sized cyst on my chin, a smaller cyst on my cheek, and many, many red, angry whiteheads on my cheeks.

There was a minor initial breakout during weeks 1-3 but this is bad. I'm just wondering if it is normal to get a severe IB at this stage. I guess I'm just having a panic attack and need assurance that this is normal and I should stick with it. Or should I stop the RAM altogether?

Please help. Thank you!

Well i'm prescribed to 25g but its not enough! I have to get a new prescription every few weeks, which is abit of a pain for my mum really, whos ill and won't be able to get the prescription for me for quite a while. What i'm asking is, does anyone know if theres anyway to get more grams per prescription. Or is there any cheap BP's i can get which has a larger quantity.

Ideally i would get Dan's BP, but i'm from the UK and it would cost to much for me!

Hey folks,

I really hope someone can help me out with this one. So, I'm using a 0.05% Tretinoin cream (Retin-A). I've never had severe acne; actually, I have pretty light acne. But I did randomly have a bad breakout on my forehead that left me with really dark scarring, so that's what I got the cream for. However, I now notice that I am peeling a bit, and I see a very small breakout of tiny red bumps that seem to be coming to the surface of my skin. I know those are standard symptoms in the beginning. But I also notice tiny little scratches on my cheek. You cant tell they're scratches until you look close enough; but, from normal view, they look like little red bumps (breakouts) or like a small patch on my face that forms a membrane over it as a result of healing. It stings a bit almost every other time I wash it....

is this normal? Or is there anyone that this has happened to and had it pass with continued use?
I would REALLY appreciate an answer!
Peace, Love
-C.

I'm on Tazorac cream (0.05%). I am on my 8th week with Taz. I also use Duac in the morning, most days I slack off with the Duac.

I apply Tazorac to my entire face. After 12-14th week or when my skin completely clears up, do I need to keep using Tazorac?

Question:

I have been using Tazorac for about 4 months with positive results. I am still experiencing break- outs, but have seen improvements in overall clarity and healing time. I use a small amount of Tazorac every other day. Also, I use aczone for problem areas and cleanse with a natural product "florida foam". The cleanser was recommended by my derm to combat excessive oiliness. I also use an OTC retinol to help improve clarity.

While the new prescriptions have helped my skin a lot- the oiliness is worse than ever. I've always had oily skin, but I feel like I'm 13 again. I use makeup for acne prone skin, and oil free products. I've tried various oil mattifiers for under makeup, but still need something to get rid of shine. I feel like I can never keep my makeup fresh, and I hate caking on powder. Any suggestions anyone?

Do you have to use retin-a constantly to keep the effects, or do you only use it for a period of time like accutane?

i'm LOVING tazorac, it's gotten my skin clear, but i do notice that when i forget to apply it for a day or two i'll get a couple of little zits...if you use this for a LONG time (as in two or three years) is your skin eventually "healed?" i'm just wondering because everyone in my immediate family had pretty bad acne into their late twenties, and i've kind of always wanted to have a family while i'm still young, and if i wanted to do that i'd have to stop using tazorac once my future husband and i start "trying" (teeheehee) because it's a category X tetratogen even in a topical form...not planning on any of this happeneing anytime soon, just curious, lol. i'm very future-oriented.

I've been using tretinoin for over a year. About two weeks ago I switched from .05% cream to .1% cream.

Do you think that I should expect some sort of an initial breakout resulting from the new, more intense concentration?

I've switched before (with no noticeable IB, I think...), but going from .05% to the highest available strength seems like a bigger deal than going from .01 to .025%!

Thanks for any thoughts

Hi, so I'm currently on the 15th week of Retin-a Micro .04%. It seeems like over the last month my skin will do real good, like barely no breakouts, and then it will all a sudden breakout again. Though over the last few days I've noticed my forehead has broken out way more than usual. My cheeks are where most of the breakouts occur. My neck also breaks out too which is so embarassing. Should I not be putting this on my neck? I've been switching foundation brands like crazy also so could that be contributing to my breakouts? Will using a primer before applying foundation help prevent my pores from becoming clogged? Also, anyone use Rimmel Stay Matte? I just want clear skin again! On the positive note, I did have a date last night and was so worried that my skin would turn him off but it went great. Girls, I think alot of guys see through our unperfect complexions, like one guy told me, pretty always shines through, even with blemishes.

Is it fine for me to take a vitamin A supplement while using Retin-A?

hello guys.. i have a question rgarding what happened to my face since i used tretinoin cream 0.1%.. i am experiencing this since i used tret cream i think 1-2weeks ago.
my acne bcame hard and seems like its coated with some hard skin or something.. i cant xplain it. and not just my acne but some parts in my cheeks have it.. like a skin that has haredened and cracks? but the worse is that in my acne bcos seems its hardened and cannot be moved..i cant go outside right now bcos of this.. i went to a dermatologist about this and she gave me a gentle cleanser but it doesnt get rid of them at all.. does anyone who used tretinoin cream experienced this kind of problem? and if someone knows how to solve this i need all help i can get.. please help me i really dont know what to do right now.. u can pm me or rply in this thread.. please help me
Thank You..

Hi, i'm new to this forum and I was just recently prescribed Retin-a. So what's the problem? you may ask. Well, iv'e been reading a few post and everyone appears to be applying retin-a at night, however, my dermatologist told me to apply it in the morning. Does this make any sense and should I be concerned?

Thank you for your time!

4th week after wed i use taz daily along with everything else. What should i expect using taz daily now instead of every other day? I have some initial drying of skin but not too bad now. I get small bumps, which seem to come up after the night on Taz.

I will have to up the moistuizer with daily use of taz im sure.

Hopefully im passed the inital breakout stuff. To date i have not had severe breakout just red patches here and there on the face.

This is probably more of a vent but those of you who have been in the topical retinoids section for the last several months have seen my retinoid updates. Since the beginning of June, I was using Tazorac and completed 16-18 weeks of the medication. I must say that it was hell but at least it was summer and pretty much became an introvert. I would have breakout and more breakout but what kept me going week after week was that I was sold that if I completed the 12+ weeks, that I would see great results. When week 16 came around, I became more and more dissappointed. Just 10 days ago, I switched to Retin A Micro .1 gel. I wish I had great news to report but things are the opposite. I was hoping that the immediate switch of a retinoid to another retinoid would save me the whole "IB" and all the hell moments that I had in the summer. My breakouts feel and look worse than when I was on Tazorac. I really dont know what to say.

OK- so I have been using Retin-A micro since March. I haven't seen any major success, although my forehead has been smoother, but for the last month, I am having severe problems on the lower half of my face. I have never, EVER had pimples or blackheads along my cheeks or the area around my nose and mouth, only a few on my chin.

Right now- it looks like I have 600 small red dots all over- horrible. Terrible. I'm not touching them, I'm not doing anything differently, I have no idea what is going on.

So far it seems like RAM has been a major failure, but now I'm afraid that my face is ruined for life. I have never had skin this horrible, or even close.

Help! Anyone ever have anything similar? I have been trying to be SUPER patient with this stuff, but now this is getting ridiculous. I look like a freak.

Hello!

I am a 28-year-old female with moderate acne of the face and body. This is my first post.

I'm in the middle of my third week of using Retin-A Micro (0.1%), and my skin looks and feels horrible. It has caused me to break out worse than I have in a couple of years. I also have a lot of peeling and red blotches on my skin. It now stings to wash my face with my Neutrogena facial cleanser. It even stings when I just splash some water on my face! During the first couple of days, I applied some of the Retin-A Micro gel onto my chest and back as well as my face, but I stopped because it caused so many (of what appears to be) chemical burns that it looked as though I'd been whipped with a scourge.

I always wore makeup to go to work, but now I don't feel comfortable going anywhere --not even to the gym-- without covering my face with concealer. Unfortunately, though, it is difficult to cover skin that is peeling or flaking. The deterioration of my complexion is having a devastating effect on my self-esteem and it's shaken my confidence immensely.

I feel very discouraged by the notion that it will probably take about 3 months for the Retin-A Micro gel to produce any positive results, and I'd like to know if any of you have found the wait to be worthwhile. I am, at this point, strongly considering dumping this medication because I'm worried that the breakouts and peeling will never go away.

Incidentally, I am also taking Solodyn for my acne (I started on the 19th of last month), but it is having no discernible effect. (Of course, it's hard to tell since Retin-A Micro is doing such a number on my skin right now.)

Any advice or personal anecdotes you may have to offer would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Ollie

I've been using Tazorac for 4 months now and I feel like it hasn't done much for my skin. I use a pea sized amount of Tazorac at night, and apply it to my whole face. I then follow up with DUAC and apply it all over my face as well. I was thinking about swapping out Tazorac with a basic salicylic acid face wash from clean & clear. good idea or not?

Is Claravis or Sotret a generic version of Accutane?

Do the differe mg of capsules come in different sizes? ( Such as 10mg, 20mg, 30mg, do they get bigger the higher mg they are?)

Do you have to have severe acne to be prescribed it?

've been sampling Epiduo for about a week, and at first had major flaking and irritation.. I try to keep it away from my eyes and mouth but it always ends up affecting those areas as well. I just picked up my prescription epdiuo gel and doxcyline. a few minutes after i took the pill i felt an uneasiness in my chest. I've had moderate to severe acne since I was 12.. I tried muriad, clearskin, and proactive all with the same result of working for the first month then going back to normal. so fingers crossed, we'll see how this goes! I'm going have progress posts bi-weekly.
How long have you been using Epiduo? Are you seeing results? Did it have any negative side effectsfor you?

Alright so i have been on retin a micro for almost 8 weeks. I use it in the night and duac in the morning. There is no doubt that the retin a has helped to clear my white heads, it has, but by this time i should have stopped breaking out, or at least thats what im told on the web, but i havent. I still break out after about a week in a half. Its not terrible breakouts but still i hate it. The breakouts seem to be getting less as severe though. Im just wondering, does this mean the retina is just still working? or should i ask my derm for something else. Im currently in puberty so i know its going to happen sometimes, even if retina does work, but i just want your opinion do you think its working for me?

Seems today i got some breaking out on the forehead area. Not big one just a collection of small bumps under the skin. I have made it 2 weeks almost 3 without really looking at my skin in the mirror. I come home today and Im like D##N. I wash my face right when i noticed it. Now I will be worried about it till it looks like its clear.

Hey guys!

So...I've been taking RAM 0.1% for 9 weeks. My initial breakout was absolutely terrible and not improving so I started to take mino 2 weeks ago. My breakouts are less severe now (I still have a lot of marks from my past zits and my skin is very oily--But I don't even care about that right now, I just want no pimples and marks!) So I'm assuming the mino is what's helping my breakout lessen in severity right now...but I've heard mino has terrible long-term effects... so I want to ask this one important question!!!!

Has anyone successfully weaned OFF minocycline (after presumably getting clear from it) while on retin-a micro?

or can I please just have weaning-off-minocycline stories in general?? or any advice/suggestions??


like what do people normally do after mino to stay clear and how long do they stay on mino before going off it?

thanks so much! and please...details appreciated...I don't mind reading a lot!

I'm using .1 % tretinoin cream and I'm still prone to breaking out I've been using BP during the day but my skin is just beyond irritated all the time is there anything I can use during the day that will cause less irritation but still help improve my skin/prevent breakouts?