12 replies to this topic

[daprince313]

Hi new to the boards, never had as much as a zit in highschool had perfect skin until I moved away to college and within weeks it was a mess, it has been over two years and nothing has worked I finally got fed up and saw a derm a little over a month ago he perscribed me retin a micro .1% cream and doxy 100mg once a day. I am currently on day 34 so almost 5 full weeks and my skin looks awful it is covered in little red bumps, I can't stand it I'm skipping class avoiding my friends, I'm completly self consious... but I am determined to give this a fair shot because I so desperatly want clear skin agian. I will try to update every few days and hopefully encourage others going through the same thing as me. I saw little progress for the first 4 weeks then bam IB and thats where it stands now....

[dmb41]

What I've noticed from my oral antibiotic and topical use: Every week is different. Completely. Stick with the treatment for at least 3 months. There's times now where I just want to stop, but I continue and a week later it's alot better. Then I break out, but not as bad, that heals, looks great, then I breakout again, just not as bad as the last, etc. Like a never ending cycle.

Stick it out.

[daprince313]

I plan 100% to stick with it, I really don't think the antibiotics are doing anything I have very little almost no acne on my forhead, chin, around mouth area just on my temples, cheeks, jawline. Anyway I still get the occasional zit on my forhead/chin/mouth area so no change there. The rest of my face is going thru the purging stage of the RAM but I will stick with it for the next 2 months until I see my derm again and let him decide what is best from there.

[daprince313]

DAY 37

Left side of face has zero large clogged pores and zero active pimples, whats left is just red marks from past acne, and skin is very dry. Right side is a work in progress still some large clogged pores and a few active pimples lots of red marks. The left side is the first encouraging thing I have seen from the RAM. I really think the antibiotic is doing absolutly nothing as soon as this perscription is up I don't plan to refill it, my doc just gave it to me to "lessen" the initial breakout but i don't think it did that and by the time I run out I hope to be through the IB stage anyway. Will update in another 3-4 days or so.

[AlexLWJ]

Goodluck !

I'm going to start RA soon too!

What do you use to moisturise btw?

[daprince313]

Day 42

Ok 6 weeks come and gone and my face looks considerably worse then when we started. Ugh can't believe just how awful it looks. I am going to stick it out but its hard to keep putting a product on my face that makes it worse and worse by the day...after 12 weeks I am going to ask my derm about accutane. Alex, I use Vanicream, good luck to you my friend! Keep me updated on your progress!

[daprince313]

Day 45

My right side looks really good few clogged pores no big bumps some remaining redness from past acne, my left side looks aweful and is horribly dry and peely right side not at all. Anyway i realize my face usually breaks out one side at a time and in this straight line from my temple down to my jaw my theory is that this is caused because i sleep on my stomach with my face resting on my forearms i breakout right along where my face rests and nowhere else never on my forehead/chin/mouth/nose it could be coincedence but I think not I am gonna try to sleep with a long sleeve shirt for a few weeks to avoid the skin to skin contact and see how that works. That said the way my right side looks right now and the fact that so many pores have unclogged is quite encouraging.

[daprince313]

Day 50 End of 7 weeks

Ok decided to refill my doxy perscription it's 4 bucks and can't hurt right? That said I don't think it is helping. The initial breakout is over!! The texture of my face is much better but far from normal, or normal from other people, but fewer clogged pores and those that are are smaller than in the past. Still have alot of red marks from the IB but those are getting better each day. I think at this point I am making progress but I am kinda back to where I started when I first started using this so hopefully my face will continue to progress from here. I am gonna be seriously pissed if all this did for me was give me a horrible IB haha. Oh also, and this is BIG my skin seems to be adjusting and hardly getting dry/flakey at all this could also be that the weather is getting better as I normally get dry/peely in the winter anyway but I will take it either way as the only thing that looks worse than a face full of zits is a flakey peeling face full of zits. Will update again in a week.

Edited by daprince313, 23 February 2012 - 07:41 PM.

[howlovelyouare]

I've been on doxycycline and retin a for a little less than 2 months. I have stopped taking the doxy because I wanted to get off antibiotics and I felt as if it did nothing for my skin. Retin A seemed to be working for a while. I had a lot of hope in it as recently as 2 days ago. I had no new breakouts and everything was flattening out. I have also never peeled or itched or burned like other people have so that's good. Today I woke up and I had about 6 new breakouts. Very discouraging. So Retin-A can be a bit unpredictable especially in the first few months. I'm going to stick it out but I really don't expect to be on it for more than 2 or 3 more months because I am not comfortable with continuing it during the summer months. Hopefully it all works out for you! Good luck!

[Yaroon]

How is your skin now? And did you apply the gel once or twice a day? I'm pretty much going through the same process. Retinoid, skin getting worse and worse and not knowing if the break-outs will ever stop.

[daprince313]

End of Week 9

My skin is still slowly improving it seems like it is taking forever, still have red marks some clogged pores and a few actives. That said I still see improvement, the thing I believe that will help my skin the most will be for winter to pass as I am still getting some dry skin. Yaroon I use the cream not the gel and apply it once at night before I go to bed. I think in a month or so I will have significant improvements it just takes so long...

[Jc08]

any updates? i'm going on this regimen as of today.

[daprince313]

At about 5 1/2 months in I am pleased to report my skin is worlds better than it was before I no longer have clogged pores and currently no actives tho I still get a pimple from time to time. I still have incredibly dry skin I only use the product now about once every 2-3 days for whatever reason my skin never has gotten use to it and still peels and flakes. Be prepared for a painful process my skin got so much better before it got worse and took about 4 months to see real significant results