5 replies to this topic

[vetek]

i've been using retin-a micro for 4 months. i don't know if I can see a difference in the before and after pics, but it does indeed help keep my acne under control. it prevents new acne from forming. my problem areas used to be my cheeks (as you can tell by the scars) and forehead. i've been cleansing only at night..waiting 30mins then applying RAM. i don't cleanse in morning because i also have oily skin and RAM helps keep the oil under control during the day. that's why i only cleanse at night. maybe that's why my face is pink/red.

anyway i recently noticed that my face is turning pink/red after a photo was taken with the family. it looked liked i had makeup on and it really made me stand out. as you can see from the pics my skin is naturally tan.

the 1st pic was taken tonight 5 mins after cleansing. you can see in the 1st pic where RAM wasn't applied which is around the chin area.
2nd pic is about 8 months old. that was my pre-RAM state before any products were applied.


MY QUESTION IS IF I STOPPED USING RAM WILL MY FACE RETURN TO ITS PRE-RAM STATE?
also any comments/questions are welcomed. oh and please excuse my photoshop skills.

[peteyboy]

Hi vetek

Irritation from retinoids can cause dryness, scaling and, perhaps in your case, redness. I have been using differin, which is supposed to be gentler, for more than 3 years and my skin only got used to it after one year. Even now, when the weather is cold and dry, those symptoms do come back, albeit in a milder form.

Do you have these symptoms I mentioned? Is your face more sensitive to face products too?

If that is the case, applying a gentle moisturizer can help. It certainly alleviated the symptoms in my case.

Also, retin a makes your skin very sensitive to the sun. For me, it hurts my skin at the start of treatment even if I have moderate sun exposure. It makes it worse that you don't wash off retin a in the morning; please remember to do that. Your redness could simply be due to a sunburn that you overlooked because you don't usually burn so easily before you started using it.

[vetek]

Hi vetek

Irritation from retinoids can cause dryness, scaling and, perhaps in your case, redness. I have been using differin, which is supposed to be gentler, for more than 3 years and my skin only got used to it after one year. Even now, when the weather is cold and dry, those symptoms do come back, albeit in a milder form.

Do you have these symptoms I mentioned? Is your face more sensitive to face products too?

If that is the case, applying a gentle moisturizer can help. It certainly alleviated the symptoms in my case.

Also, retin a makes your skin very sensitive to the sun. For me, it hurts my skin at the start of treatment even if I have moderate sun exposure. It makes it worse that you don't wash off retin a in the morning; please remember to do that. Your redness could simply be due to a sunburn that you overlooked because you don't usually burn so easily before you started using it.

Yes, it has made my face sensitive to sunlight. I haven't been using any sunscreen or anything like that.

Well, I've stopped using RAM and started cleansing day and night. I'll see how it goes and hopefully my redness subsides or gets less noticeable. Thanks for your help and I'll keep this thread updated

[Wynne]

If you're clear with Retin A, you're risking a breakout from stopping the Retin A. I strongly recommend continuing the Retin A, adding in a gentle, non comedogenic moisturizer, using the Retin A properly (waiting at least half an hour after washing before applying the Retin A), and using a sensitive skin cleanser or gentle skin cleanser, NOT one that's for acne-prone skin or oily skin.

I also recommend using cool or warm water for washing. Hot water will increase redness and the 'tight dry' feeling that's so uncomfortable after washing. Cool and warm water are soothing and will decrease redness. Icing the skin will also decrease redness. You can ice twice a day or thrice a day. It's really easy to wet a washcloth, put it in a plastic baggie, freeze the washcloth, then place the washcloth on the face until it warms up. That will take about 15 minutes or so and will really help your skin feel refreshed and less inflamed.

Good luck!

[Irin99]

1) If you're not using sunscreen, you definitely should be. We all know that retinoids make the skin super sensitive to the sun. In addition, using sunscreen will help fade your red marks too.

2) I'm pretty sure I remember reading that you should wash off the Retin-A in the morning too. This will minimize irritation, particularly for sun senstitivity, which is very important.

Good luck!

[sros41]

i used ram .04% for about 9 months, i started it on january 2007, and it helped prevent me from breaking out...but during that time my face became so red that it looked like i got sun burnt all over my neck and face. Even though i used an spf 50+ sunscreen everyday, my face still got bright red...and im still dealing with pinkish skin to date. So its ur choice but i would advise you that the red skin may linger for a very long time afterward. I just two days ago started the oil cleansing method and i can already see improvements. just so u noe i had moderate acne when i started ram, i now have mild acne, with super oily skin and as i said a pinkish tint to my skin...but the descision is up to you whether or not u want to continue using ram...good luck