5 replies to this topic

[dsrfgsertwe]

I think I'm really giving in this time.
I've seen three dermatologists, and they've all given me retin-a or renova and then retin-a.
my acne hurts but i don't have enough of it for them to think i should be on pills/steroids/etc (the side effects wouldn't be worth getting rid of my amount of acne, they say.)
i never stayed on the retin-a for more than about three weeks (i know you're supposed to do it for at least three months), but the regimen i was using isn't working anymore and i don't know what else to do anymore.
so, i'll finally listen and just stick to it.

the thing is, i have to HAVE TO wear makeup every day. there's no way i'm going out in public with my amount of scars without makeup. the reason i always stop using the retin-a is because it makes my face so dry that my makeup always looks horrible. i've tried using a crapload of cetaphil lotion over it, but it doesn't help.

can you moisturize AT NIGHT BEFORE applying retin-a/renova and still get results? if not, which moisturizers do you recommend? i just need someone to tell me something i can do besides staying in my house for three months.

[Zitophobe]

I asked my derm this and he said never moisturize before applying the Retin-A, and always wait at least 30 minutes after applying before you use any moisturizer, as it can reduce the efficiency of the Retin-A.

If it is drying your face that much, it sounds like you're using too much - try applying only once (at night) and only a very thin layer. Are you using the gel or the cream.....I've been told the cream is better for dry skin sufferers.

As for moisturizer, I'm in the UK and use Dermol, which is very gentle but also contains an antimicrobial.

Good luck and stick with it, I've been using Retin-A for 7 months, your skin eventually gets used to it.

[kcr]

Hi, I just started using tretinoin last week and have not had any peeling or dry skin yet. I moisturize right after applying and also every morning with Neutrogena original oil-free spf15 moisturizer, but I've done this for years and years as every single topical acne treatment tends to dry my skin out.

I have the opposite problem as you. My skin since starting tretinoin is shinier than it's ever been and the oil seems like it's just flowing out of my pores.

I keep reading that glycolic acid is phenomenal for getting rid of flakiness and also enhancing the retin-a. I haven't tried it myself, but it may be something for you to look into. (there's different percentages of glycolic acid that people use and you probably have to determine what would be good for you). From what I read people use it in the morning and it helps with dryness.

I am wondering also, for anyone reading this, if you use glycolic acid can it also help with oilness? It seems like it would, and I'm going to give it a try anyway because at 33 my skin could use the added benefits of fighting acne and signs of aging.

[atalanta]

Ship, don't give in yet!

I have the same problem, I've always had extremely dry skin (that whole "acne is caused by oily skin" thing is total baloney), and the retin-A was KILLING me! No matter how much cream I piled on in the morning, my face felt like it was going to crack and fall off. In fact, I'm pretty sure the dryness makes the acne worse, as it's certainly irritating to the skin.

I've been using the retin-A for about a month now, and the dryness hasn't gone away yet. BUT! For the past few days I've tried using pure shea butter. Total turnaround! I've heard the same thing as Zitophobe, wait at least 30mins after applying the retin-A before applying any moisturizer. After those 30mins, though, I slather my face with shea butter. The results have been really amazing -- my skin has kind of sealed back together, and is very soft and smooth. Best of all, shea butter is not pore-clogging, and won't cause any more acne. I don't know if using moisturizer at night slows the effectiveness of the retin-A, but it's totally worth it for me to wait a little longer for the benefits to show up, if in the meanwhile I don't look (and feel) like a burn victim.

A note: the shea butter I'm using is pure and unrefined, with just a little bit of jojoba oil added. I got it at a local health food store. Apparently, the refining process bleaches the butter and removes a lot of the beneficial qualities, as well as introducing some unfriendly chems. So if you use it, make sure it's unrefined! Also, pure shea butter is a bit of an antiinflammatory, so I've found it reduces the redness of my breakouts, as well.

Fyi, I'm also using 0.025% retin-A, which I think is the weakest they make it -- so I'm pretty sure I'm not using a prescription that's too strong. Also, I use less than a pea-sized amount every day, so hopefully I'm not overdoing it, either. It's just drying!

Hope this helps!

[dsrfgsertwe]

thanks, atalanta, that helped a lot!
yeah, i've always had very sensitive skin and i'm actually allergic to BP. my last doc gave me renova (which is the same as retin-a except with less tretinoin and a more emollient base, it's meant for women who have wrinkles) and told me to use it every night until my face stops reacting so badly and then work up to retin-a. i have almost an entire bottle of retin-a left and a good amount of renova, so i'm starting all over again. i just hate feeling "crusty" all the time!

[dsrfgsertwe]

Do you think the emollient base makes Renova less effective for blackheads/acne?

i don't think so. blackheads were a huge problem for me and they seem to be going away faster than normally