7 replies to this topic

[leslie788]

HI. I was put on tretinoin .025% and I used it for about 12 weeks and it didn't get better so it was upgraded to .05%. I have been using this for 2 weeks and my red marks seem to be getting redder. I thought maybe .05% would work better because my skin actually seemed to peel with it unlike the .025%. Why should the .05 work but not the .025? Is it normal for them to be getting redder? Help!

[AsiaXiah]

Redness is a common side effect of the retinoids.

Usually, the stronger the dose, the redder your skin gets. That's why I was first on Tazorac (strongest topical retinoid) and then had to move down to Differin, and then to Retin-A Micro, in hopes of relieving the redness.

The thing is, when doctors prescribe retinoid topicals, their main goal is to get rid of acne. So, even though you get redder with the stronger dose, technically, the stronger dose is working better if you're shedding more and getting rid of acne.

However, the redness can end up being a really hard thing to deal with. I would talk about it with your dermatologist ~ he or she might instead recommend Differin, or some other medication that may be less irritating to your skin.

[leslie788]

Redness is a common side effect of the retinoids.

Usually, the stronger the dose, the redder your skin gets. That's why I was first on Tazorac (strongest topical retinoid) and then had to move down to Differin, and then to Retin-A Micro, in hopes of relieving the redness.

The thing is, when doctors prescribe retinoid topicals, their main goal is to get rid of acne. So, even though you get redder with the stronger dose, technically, the stronger dose is working better if you're shedding more and getting rid of acne.

However, the redness can end up being a really hard thing to deal with. I would talk about it with your dermatologist ~ he or she might instead recommend Differin, or some other medication that may be less irritating to your skin.

So are you saying that my red marks getting redder means they are going away?

[iluvsprite]

^ Its expected of redness to occur during retin-a.. wait a few weeks and it should start to fade away.

[leslie788]

^ Its expected of redness to occur during retin-a.. wait a few weeks and it should start to fade away.

though i put it on my whole face and only my red marks seem to be getting redder, not the rest of my skin

[stressedoutVThokie]

im experiencing a lot of red marks now and im using differin.. im getting over a pretty bad breakout.. is differin supposed to clear the redness as well?

[biscotte]

retin a will make the red mark desapear much much faster.

[AsiaXiah]

^ Its expected of redness to occur during retin-a.. wait a few weeks and it should start to fade away.

though i put it on my whole face and only my red marks seem to be getting redder, not the rest of my skin

Okay, let's first define what we are talking about when we say "red marks".

If you guys are referring to acne scars (i.e. pit scars) that are abnormally more pink or red than the other areas of your skin, retinoids will do very little (but will have some effect) on relieving the redness. It might go from red to dark pink, but you really can't expect more than that with topical retinoids.

If you guys are referring to red patches of skin where you apply the medication, those can actually get worse with continual use. At first, it's expected you to get redder until your skin gets used to it. But if you see continued redness after months of application, you're either going to get really bad redness/flushing with continued use.