7 hours ago, hatetane said:

Accutane is NOT the answer - it will destroy you! Research it for you own sake. Just look at the thread 'repairing longterm damage from accutane.

Well I actually took accutane already 4 years ago and it worked wonderfully without any side effects, my before pics here were all in the years following accutane....however, I only had isolated cysts back then, not over all skin quality issues, my skin was strong and healthy, as it was 4.5 months ago as well...but now it is weak and fragile and fucked up because of the retinoid, so I don't think it could handle it...and I see some people complaining about it doing the same thing that tazorac did to me so even tho it didn't harm me the first time, my concern this time would be that it would stop my skin from ever being able to heal and probably not even get rid of the acne like it did last time, because this time, the acne is a result of the reaction/damage, not the other way around.

If I had never used the retinoid and ended up getting bad acne again down the road, I would have still taken Accutane again. But not now. Tho I'm at a loss at what to do.

1 hour ago, BrokenPorEcelain said:

Well I actually took accutane already 4 years ago and it worked wonderfully without any side effects, my before pics here were all in the years following accutane....however, I only had isolated cysts back then, not over all skin quality issues, my skin was strong and healthy, as it was 4.5 months ago as well...but now it is weak and fragile and fucked up because of the retinoid, so I don't think it could handle it...and I see some people complaining about it doing the same thing that tazorac did to me so even tho it didn't harm me the first time, my concern this time would be that it would stop my skin from ever being able to heal and probably not even get rid of the acne like it did last time, because this time, the acne is a result of the reaction/damage, not the other way around.

If I had never used the retinoid and ended up getting bad acne again down the road, I would have still taken Accutane again. But not now. Tho I'm at a loss at what to do.

Accutane will get rid of your acne for sure.
It may stop you having kids though so if that's not a worry it's not a problem.

Accutane side effects manifest themselves many years later in some cases.
Let's hope, as you say that accutane never caused you any problems.

2 hours ago, hatetane said:

Accutane will get rid of your acne for sure.
It may stop you having kids though so if that's not a worry it's not a problem.

Accutane side effects manifest themselves many years later in some cases.
Let's hope, as you say that accutane never caused you any problems.

I'm positive it didn't and all my issues from the retinoid literally happened overnight from using it.

ive spoken to countless other people with the same horrid reaction from retinoids...and things like laser and dermabrasion/chemical peels

not having children isn't my concern, I could care less actually, I've never had that desire anyhow....I'm just concerned about my skin healing and going back to how it was before I used the tazorac...I think accutane right now would prevent healing even more than what is already going on...my acne is a result of damaged skin and people don't take accutane to fight damage...so there's probably no point in me taking it again until my skin is healed, in which case the acne should be gone by that point.

my question now is just how do I heal my skin, which no one, even derms, seem to have a solid answer to

retinoids are supposed to heal damage but when I look up the list of things they are supposed to solve...well, all those things were literally created on my face from using this very thing that claimed to do the opposite...it's like a joke...I'm just shit out of luck now

...this is so hard...I've been trying so hard not to cry but I've just been sobbing for hours today..why why why did this have to happen...

Hi BrokenPorecelain, I check your thread almost daily because I ave wound up in a similar situation. has your skin improved since your last post? i misused a strong concentration of benzoyl peroxide (not prescribed for my face) on my once perfect skin five times last year - i thought i was helping my skin to look smoother by "exfoliating", even though i was clearly getting chemical burns and unbearable dryness. looking back, it was the stupidest decision i have ever made. all i think about every day is how much i wish i could just have never used the product. i have similar cellophane skin on my forehead from this, plus deep purpe discoloration along the sides of my face and scarring, and now i am breaking out terribly because i havent use the product since august nd i guess my skin got used to it. my skin is severely dehydrated and the texture is completely diferent, just like cellophane. my mom and derm think i should do accutane, but i dont think i will because i know it will just dry me out more. i tried using a non comedogenic moisturizer but i stopped am still breaking out. i am going to my derm who previously helpe me achieve perfec skin to talk about this-i will let you know if he has any ideas. i am sry tat we are in these situations. at least you arent having this happen in your senior yer of high school, like me ;( but i have hope that both of us will prevail. we cant let this ruin us, but it is hard. right now i am back to the routine that gave me perfct skkn before (two minocycline a day, canya and aczone and sulfur lotion AM, differin and aczone and sulfur lotiON PM). anyways keep me posted on your situation and good luck (sry about bad writing quality)

5 hours ago, TrueFine said:

Hi BrokenPorecelain, I check your thread almost daily because I ave wound up in a similar situation. has your skin improved since your last post? i misused a strong concentration of benzoyl peroxide (not prescribed for my face) on my once perfect skin five times last year - i thought i was helping my skin to look smoother by "exfoliating", even though i was clearly getting chemical burns and unbearable dryness. looking back, it was the stupidest decision i have ever made. all i think about every day is how much i wish i could just have never used the product. i have similar cellophane skin on my forehead from this, plus deep purpe discoloration along the sides of my face and scarring, and now i am breaking out terribly because i havent use the product since august nd i guess my skin got used to it. my skin is severely dehydrated and the texture is completely diferent, just like cellophane. my mom and derm think i should do accutane, but i dont think i will because i know it will just dry me out more. i tried using a non comedogenic moisturizer but i stopped am still breaking out. i am going to my derm who previously helpe me achieve perfec skin to talk about this-i will let you know if he has any ideas. i am sry tat we are in these situations. at least you arent having this happen in your senior yer of high school, like me ;( but i have hope that both of us will prevail. we cant let this ruin us, but it is hard. right now i am back to the routine that gave me perfct skkn before (two minocycline a day, canya and aczone and sulfur lotion AM, differin and aczone and sulfur lotiON PM). anyways keep me posted on your situation and good luck (sry about bad writing quality)

Omg yes!! I think we have a really similar thing going on with the ultra-thin layer of skin that crinkles..at least that's what mine is like. It looks like there's a thin layer over healthier-looking skin, and if i pull the layer it crinkles...ugh!!!! I actually hate looking in mirrors now, i dread it and every morning i wake up and the first thing i think is i pray that my acne is resolved today, and that my skin is better...but the progress is so gradual ;/ BTW, your skin before this happened looked better than mine ever has in my life, even though i'm younger. seriously, I haven't had flawless skin since fourth grade. the best it got in my teenage years was last september and october, before the BP stints, and even then it wasn't perfect. it was just healthy. I crave that health again. you're so lucky you had perfect skin, though.

I'm so sorry about your situation, especially when you feel like you've missed out on part of your life. i am afraid that i will feel that way because my skin has made me really insecure unless i have makeup on ;/ I do have hope for us though. I've already seen dramatic improvements since august with respect to the dryness and purple, but back then i didn't have the cellophane wrap skin condition...which i will ask the derm about. i also looked in a mirror after my shower just now and i could see all the pores in the area with the cellophane skin on my forehead...that's the only spot it occurred. i got freaked out. i guess i'm an orange peel now, too! i also noticed what i think is a new scar i just got ;((( obviously you share this frustration. Luckily, I see people at school every day with way more scarring than mine so i am grateful for my skin at those times, but whenever I'm around my friends with better skin i get so sad!

I think I've officially decided not to use accutane, it will just dry me out more and that is last thing i need right now. my mom is so sad that i'm deciding this. i just need to explain to her how i dont want it to imitate benzoyl peroxide. hopefully she will get it. and then there's convincing my derm.  btw i totally get the breaking down thing, wheenevr my parents bring up my skin i have to leave the room because i feel like im gonna cry and at my last appt with my derm i almost cried,, so bad.

i hate the feeling that if i had never touched BP my life would be perfect right now maybe that is unrealistic but it's hw i feel. i got into my dream university this year, i have friends who couldn't care less about my skin, and great family, and i am still living up my senior year. it's just always harder with something like this. don't you hate the feeling that all our problems were caused by one action we took, one day? so hard

I saw your skin pics from post-accutane and it obviously made your skin beautiful - i wish it were the solution to our problems now. yeah i thought about how differin might be impeding healing...that's one of the things i will ask my derm, although last year after one of my benzoyl peroxide stints i decided to do the caveman regimen and go cold turkey, and the acne didn't come back but my derm still wanted me on the stuff...now i think. although the dryness now is new so i will ask again. i'm also partly using differin because one of its actions is supposedly "plumping and thickening the skin" which it has def done for me since the BP thinned my skin and made it tight in the summer. i'm having such a hard time healing now. before the BP stints i could heal from pimples within a few days, now it takes weeks and i still get marks and scars. i'm sorry i'm just ranting at this point but i promise i won't leave you hanging like the other ppl, i will keep you updated on my derm's advice. he really got me amazing skin before, but he never listens to me when i have concerns so i need to assert myself next week at the visit. i see that you've had similar expperiences with derms before, too.

Hang in there, we'll get through this. Sorry this is just me ranting without any tips, it's just nice to have someone who understands my situation! anyway time to go and study for my midterm tomorrow...

Hey,
I was on accutane as well a few years ago and though it cleared up my skin, it definitely changed the way it functions now. It's a lot thinner than it used to be, and is extremely dry and sensitive. I have to be a lot more conscious about the products I use and especially the amount of exfoliation I do to my skin. When I was finished my round of accutane I was left with a ton of red marks and hyper pigmentation, I basically looked like I had chicken pox. I was so desperate/impatient to get rid of the marks that I made the similar mistake of overusing retinoids and exfoliating everyday, not knowing that my skin was extremely fragile and that I was just creating further damage. I ended up with a ton of indented scars ( boxcar and ice pick) and my red marks had barely faded. I was devastated because I realized I was the sole cause of my damage and if I waited and consulted with a dermatologist on how to get rid of the discolouration then I might not have ended up with texture issues as well.

It took a few years but I ended up saving up enough for me to see the top cosmetic dermatologist in my city and he was a doctor who had basically pioneered the use of fraxel/ other lasers. I ended up doing 4 sessions of v beam and fraxel restore and I am beyond happy and amazed by the results. He took into account the thinness of my skin, my complexion (I'm also very fair) and its overall condition and made sure to adjust the settings accordingly so that the laser wouldn't be too overpowering. My hyper pigmentation is gone and my indented scars and texture are around 60% filled in. I'm going to have a few more sessions of laser done in the future for further improvement.

I'm telling you this because I don't want you to rule out the possibility of lasers in the future. I'm aware and have read many other posts about laser damage as well, but I truly believe that when it comes to having these sorts of procedures done, you need to go to the best and be extremely careful with who you entrust your face. A great dermatologist should be able to fully asses whether you're a candidate from just looking at you and will be conservative enough to know what your skin will be able to handle. I totally get that at this point in time you're still in the process of trying to heal your skin so I know that this isn't the immediate solution, but its an option for later on and lasers can work for people with delicate/fragile/sensitive skin.

Would you be able to travel out of state in order to be treated by someone highly reputable? I'm honestly horrified by the lack of empathy, knowledge and treatment options from your previous dermatologists and I'm sorry that you have had such a bad experience. I really don't have any ideas/solutions to help in terms of healing your skin condition as it is at present, and I'm hoping you can find someone who can stabilize your skin so that you can be a candidate for various treatment methods after. You could try fillers or derma rolling as well in the future to deal with your indentations and volume loss.

Anyways I'm sorry this reply is so long and also if its a complete waste of time, because I'm sure you researched a ton of ways to treat your skin and my ideas are probably super basic and common knowledge. I also hope I didn't come off as arrogant or condescending in my reply or made it seem like i'm trying to force lasers on you. I totally get that finding the right dermatologist who truly cares is hard, and its a major time/money commitment. Lasers aren't for everyone and everyone will react differently. I really hope that your skin improves and that you'll find a doctor who will provide the support you deserve!! please don't give up hope, you're still beautiful. Good luck, I'm rooting for you <3

On January 29, 2017 at 1:17 AM, alsxo said:

Hey,
I was on accutane as well a few years ago and though it cleared up my skin, it definitely changed the way it functions now. It's a lot thinner than it used to be, and is extremely dry and sensitive. I have to be a lot more conscious about the products I use and especially the amount of exfoliation I do to my skin. When I was finished my round of accutane I was left with a ton of red marks and hyper pigmentation, I basically looked like I had chicken pox. I was so desperate/impatient to get rid of the marks that I made the similar mistake of overusing retinoids and exfoliating everyday, not knowing that my skin was extremely fragile and that I was just creating further damage. I ended up with a ton of indented scars ( boxcar and ice pick) and my red marks had barely faded. I was devastated because I realized I was the sole cause of my damage and if I waited and consulted with a dermatologist on how to get rid of the discolouration then I might not have ended up with texture issues as well.

It took a few years but I ended up saving up enough for me to see the top cosmetic dermatologist in my city and he was a doctor who had basically pioneered the use of fraxel/ other lasers. I ended up doing 4 sessions of v beam and fraxel restore and I am beyond happy and amazed by the results. He took into account the thinness of my skin, my complexion (I'm also very fair) and its overall condition and made sure to adjust the settings accordingly so that the laser wouldn't be too overpowering. My hyper pigmentation is gone and my indented scars and texture are around 60% filled in. I'm going to have a few more sessions of laser done in the future for further improvement.

I'm telling you this because I don't want you to rule out the possibility of lasers in the future. I'm aware and have read many other posts about laser damage as well, but I truly believe that when it comes to having these sorts of procedures done, you need to go to the best and be extremely careful with who you entrust your face. A great dermatologist should be able to fully asses whether you're a candidate from just looking at you and will be conservative enough to know what your skin will be able to handle. I totally get that at this point in time you're still in the process of trying to heal your skin so I know that this isn't the immediate solution, but its an option for later on and lasers can work for people with delicate/fragile/sensitive skin.

Would you be able to travel out of state in order to be treated by someone highly reputable? I'm honestly horrified by the lack of empathy, knowledge and treatment options from your previous dermatologists and I'm sorry that you have had such a bad experience. I really don't have any ideas/solutions to help in terms of healing your skin condition as it is at present, and I'm hoping you can find someone who can stabilize your skin so that you can be a candidate for various treatment methods after. You could try fillers or derma rolling as well in the future to deal with your indentations and volume loss.

Anyways I'm sorry this reply is so long and also if its a complete waste of time, because I'm sure you researched a ton of ways to treat your skin and my ideas are probably super basic and common knowledge. I also hope I didn't come off as arrogant or condescending in my reply or made it seem like i'm trying to force lasers on you. I totally get that finding the right dermatologist who truly cares is hard, and its a major time/money commitment. Lasers aren't for everyone and everyone will react differently. I really hope that your skin improves and that you'll find a doctor who will provide the support you deserve!! please don't give up hope, you're still beautiful. Good luck, I'm rooting for you <3

Thanks for taking the time to write this.
And before I go off...know that it's not you I'm going off on. Just some of what you said is reminding me how terrible of a situation this has become.

I mean...if I get to the point of needing actual laser or fillers, I will just kill myself.
Simple as that.
A huge waste of a human life, but you know, that's just the kind of person I am.
And I already lost my skin and my face, I'm not going to mold my innards to match.

I won't live like this and use treatments that have a 99% likelihood of making things even worse or not making much of a dent. Yes, you are right.
I have researched until my eyes bled, and if I'm ready to jump off a cliff before I try lasers, it's for good reason.
Most of the people who even post good reviews and say they are over the moon..well to be honest I can't even tell the difference or see any improvement at all. Sometimes it looks worse even when they act as if it had gotten better.
And then ofcourse there are those with the same exact horror story I have. Different cause. Same effect.

I'm not going to be that person who has to get fillers at this age either.
Or any age. What a sad existence that would be.
Im sure those would eventually fuck me up too.

If I can't wish my skin back to normal then I wish I were dead long before this happened so I could have at least died looking like myself. I am glad that right now, the little I do have, is the privilege to hide away and not let anyone see me until and IF I fully recover.

It's been 4 years since Accutane and I've had no issues with my skin being fragile or sensitive more than it was to begin with, being born with fair and fine textured skin.
I didn't even overuse this product or exfoliate everyday.
I hadn't exfoliated or hardly washed my face much until the day I used this.
That day was when I used the makeup brush, soft as rabbits fur, lightly as if I were applying powder in the shower. (Even tho I don't even wear makeup) I'm sure that was not a good idea, nor was using the treadmill after applying. Because all that did was get it into my eyes and the brush spread it around. (Ofcourse I didn't realize at the time..as this was such a calm, causal thing..I was more concerned with working out!! How dumb)
But even if the retinoid somehow immediately made my skin 100x more fragile, I still didn't do anything that would have been cause for permanent damage. Not even close.
My skin had an immediate reaction when I came out but I didn't do anything too crazy or remotely harsh.
Which is why I thought it was simply irritated when I came out and saw the crazy appearance.
Dark, seething, and blotchy.
In fact, my first thought was that t was infected and dry or something..I honestly didn't know because I had never seen it before in my entire life and I just wanted to go to sleep.

And then the second time, which was about 9 days later (which never would have happened if it wasn't for that derm...thank you for recognizing my Terrrible experiences with these people btw), I just applied it and went to bed and woke up with my face on fire.
I tried exfoliating only once after the second time, maybe 3 days later, with a gentle suds philosophy wash. Because I thought the shine was oil...and maybe it was at first.
This was when I had no clue what was going on. But I did know enough to be gentle because I always am, and my skin burned too much for anything that wasn't simple. The exfoliant I used is gentle for everyday use and I've used it in the past.
And besides that I didn't do anything that warranted this type of damage.
If my skin couldn't even handle that, then obviously it could never handle laser.

I don't think I have actual volume loss, I think my skin is just taxed out from all the pulling and that's why my eyes look hollow and above them my skin is now sagging over my eyelids.
I can pinch my eyelids or pull them, and they stay like that! If this is true loss of elasticity then I'm screwed. If it's dehydration then I don't know how to fix it because no other part of my body is dehydrated.
My hands are a little messed up at times but you know what, I rubbed the damn tazorac's microscopic leftovers into them and also the steroid cream from the dermatologist later on. So who knows. But even my ears don't look like they belong on this face anymore. My neck either.
My facial skin is like the same color as my hair now, strawberry blonde.
What a joke.

I think some issues came after the initial reaction not going away.
The longer it sticks around, the worse it gets. Like chronic inflammation.
I think when the skin is so messed up, it makes the whole face look fucked.
I don't think it's possible for me to have actual volume loss overnight.
Though I have heard of plenty of people say this.
Although it certainly looks like that/aka I look like a very sick zombie now.
But Even skin damage is hard to believe with what I did.
Permanent skin damage from this just blows my mind.

The linear dents in my forehead..since my skin is so mushy now (tho it LOOKS rough) and has edema, (if I press it, it sinks in and stays for a bit, whereas it used it be like flat glass)...well these I am starting to wonder if they were expression lines that were not visible to the naked eye and now with the loss of elasticity and edema, and the rough texture look, they have just went from maybe 2% visibility to 100% visibility and are just staying like that even at rest because of the edema.
Because when I raise my eyebrows which is now difficult, that's where my expression lines are. Which are ofcourse only natural WHEN you are 'expressing' yourself.
And ALSO, I wonder if the tazorac went into them and burned them more since they are now shallower than the rest of the skin and almost look "eaten by acid".
Afterall, I hear that you aren't supposed to get this stuff in any creases. Even the tiniest ones.
I almost wish I had gone on an oral steroid to nip the inflammation in the bud.
My whole face feels so fleshy now and is heavy. Whilst the top layer of skin is so thin.
I think this stuff got way deeper than imaginable and that I probably should have gone to the emergency room when it was "on fire."

I have no means to travel and can barely afford necessities right now.
The tazorac itself was a sample.
So that's not an option.

Lol thanks but I'm definitely not beautiful, I look like a long haired old man now. An ugly one.
And at the very least, I don't look any kind of Good.
I will not live life being the person who is pitied for their looks.
Not by myself, not by others.
No way.
Even people who don't give a rat's ass about what other people look like (aka. Me) still don't want to actually be in that unfortunate person's shoes.
And I'm way too self aware, versed in aesthetics, and keen on reading other people in person to ever be fooled by false flattery either.
I know some people like to be coddled with this issue and even wish to be told they still look good even when they don't, but I know the truth. And the truth sucks.
I was never a beauty queen but my skin was exceptional and anyone who met me would say so.
That was my thing, my porcelain skin.
It complimented every other part of me and now that it's gone, everything else is falling apart.
Even my wardrobe and fashion sense does not match with my messed up skin now.
I don't belong in "my own shoes" anymore. It's insane.
I don't have crazy cheekbones or pouty lips or long dark lashes, I'm a mild featured girl with pretty skin.
Or I Was.

Now I'm just a person with one problem too many.
And even if I was otherwise living a perfect life, this would likely still haunt me to the grave.

Again thank you, I sympathize completely with your own hell.
You are probably wasting your time with me though. And I AM sorry for that.
I'm glad the laser seemed to work for you (also REALLY surprised considering what you've already been through, wow) and I hope it continues to.
I am still going to try and try and try with doctors until maybe I find one that has seen this or will admit to seeing this and who is not a lying, uncaring, unknowledgeable, aloof individual.
But I will be honest, any derm who suggests laser or anything of the like will have me walking straight out the door.
Any average joe off the street could come take a close look and feel of my skin and know it would be disintegrated by a laser.
And I know derms are SUPPOSED to know this and that.
But obviously they don't, and are in fact, dead wrong with so many things and misdiagnose and miss-assess around the clock.
So I've gotta follow my gut on this one.

What makes no sense to me above all else is that I have no reason not to be healing. At my age, with my skin in its prior condition and all I've done and continue to do...it just doesn't make sense.
It's like the gene that gave me great skin got completely turned on its head by the taZorac.
And if retinoids ability to change DNA holds any truth, then perhaps that is why ((despite common sense reasoning that the damage should just shed off and reveal the new untouched skin))..the skin continues to look and act this way.
But even the DNA changes are supposed to be temporary and T a shallow/epidermal level..idk.
It's all a bunch of bull shit I guess.
I kinda wish i could sue anyone responsible for this stuff's existence and get a big hunk of money to go live off my days as a hermit or something (not really).

It will be a damn shame if this never gets resolved. I really like WHO I am, and besides this-perhaps objectively less important issue-I have the ability to deal with things most people wouldn't...it could have been an exciting and interesting life.
Now it's just pathetic because I got handed the little dose of poison that my body can't heal from and my mind can't heal from in return.

I've never been filled with such hatred, fear, and despair in my entire life.
I don't know how other people do it.
I know some people are BORN even into the bodies that don't reflect who they are, and In fact, sometimes seem to be spited by genetics.

Life's unfair.
And I guess when it hits home in such a way, "get over it" just isn't going to fly.

I'm not even sure I'm worth rooting for at this point but I do hope YOU see the full results with what you are doing.
And I will root for you in return, just as I am for anyone else dealing with this nightmare or anything similar.
I wish I had the Magic cure.

(Apologies for any perceived rudeness or typos..my eyes are killing me)

Hey, I keep commenting bere because i really feel sorry for you and i also have had bad experiences with bad doctors. I really think that one of the weirdest things you got is that kind of edema, as you described it. What did your doctors tell you about it? For what i know, edema is often the consequence of a bad trauma or an infection and, as long ad it doesn't heal, it means that there's something wrong inside your body. I truly think that in your next appointment you should ask the doctor what may have caused it and what may heal it. After that, probably your skin will start to heal as well. Just my opinion though. Can you actually feel the edema? I mean, do u have a sensation of swelling or is only something you see?

22 hours ago, confused96 said:

Hey, I keep commenting bere because i really feel sorry for you and i also have had bad experiences with bad doctors. I really think that one of the weirdest things you got is that kind of edema, as you described it. What did your doctors tell you about it? For what i know, edema is often the consequence of a bad trauma or an infection and, as long ad it doesn't heal, it means that there's something wrong inside your body. I truly think that in your next appointment you should ask the doctor what may have caused it and what may heal it. After that, probably your skin will start to heal as well. Just my opinion though. Can you actually feel the edema? I mean, do u have a sensation of swelling or is only something you see?

Yes. I have the sensation of swelling and numbness/foreign feeling. Above my eyes always feels swollen and "stuffed with cotton" now.

The edema is so weird, it's like my skin isn't flat against the bone anymore..everything is so fleshy and lumpy beneath the weird thin layer of skin on top.
This is something I told my derm's at my first appointment.
They did say I had swelling,
I had more right above my eyebrows though at that point, like my eyebrow area was raised and itchy.
I haven't gotten an itch in awhile though and this is more my entire forehead, eye area/under brow, inner cheeks and nose..all areas where I can see the skin is scrunching up and struggling to be moved the most.
I showed my mother the edema a few days ago and she is someone who is terrible at recognizing things gone wrong and didn't even have her glasses on and she still saw how it pitted. So that's not good.

My mother also told me not to mention the numbness or all these seemingly non-skin issues because then the derms won't try to help me, that they will look for any other excuse to send me to some other doctor and make it not-their-problem. But they are all skin related to me and obviously from the tazorac. Or as a result of prolonged reaction from such.
I am going to another derm on the 2nd.
I hope I don't start crying, I really need to ask them what the hell.
As you said.
But when I mentioned the numbness to my old derm, he said "I can't help you there", he thought it might be stress from the event.
But the thing is, I see the effects, not just feel them. (He didn't even come up to my face or touch my skin!)
And I started to think that the "foreign feeling/(like something was sitting on my face) was because I could literally feel my now sagging skin over my eyes and forehead.
My eyes aren't used to holding up all that weight so perhaps that's why they are sore. And the skin is literally cutting off some circulation and creating numbness. The worst of which is right in the crease above my eyeball and below my eyebrow.
And now even when I close my eyelid, it folds on itself...and has extra creases which is so out of the ordinary it's not even funny.
It feels SO GOOD to manually lift that area and skin off my eye!! Oh my god, i wish could hold it off of me forever (or it would just go back to normal!)
This is like a 70 year old's problem that my face is struggling to adapt to.
Ridiculous.
This whole eye skin thing really hurts me because now my eyes don't even look like my eyes.
The skin itself is bad enough.
Can I just have my freaking eyes.
I'm going to have old crepey hooded eyelids in no time. No offense to people who do but that's not good for ME And my face.
It scares me to death.
And it so uncomfortable.

You know what, I hope I do have some other thing going on that's causing this reaction to last and branch off like this.
Something that they can put an end to so all this goes away.
My issue, is that I'm way too scared to try much of anything after this!!
There's such a good chance it could get worse or be the nail in the coffin.

Thanks for following my thread and checking in btw, you don't know how much I appreciate it.
And loll, yea, I feel bad for myself right now too.
I can't stand it.

Oh and I think I mentioned earlier that my eyes will no longer close all the way at night.
Ironically they are are hard to keep open because the weight on top but also a struggle to close completely..the skin twitches and scrunches up trying to close.
And I think my lower lid is literally sagging a bit downward so thats why my upper lid won't reach.
Either that or my upper eye area/below brow is now pressing my upper eyelid further out forward than my lower lid.
I really have no clue and I just have to take my feeling and appearance and try to come to a conclusion.
I did read that not being able to close one's eyes completely is a sign of Bell's palsy and considering my eyes also look off and my right one looks down titled..and I have trouble lifting my eyebrows, and given all the immense stress....MAYBE this is going on as well as a result.
I'm just being a crazy theorist now though and analyzing my discomfort.
I think it's really all just the skin.
When I went back and looked at the pic from the day my right eye first looked off..I noticed that it was actually the skin hanging that caused it to look down turned and not actually the eye itself.
It still looks like that now ofcourse and freaks me the hell out.

Sorry, that was more than you need to know.
I wish I could get off the iPhone and this site, but I can't stop.
Can't stop searching for hope and updating to warn and make others aware.

You're a saint for sticking around.
I'm sorry to hear of your own troubles with doctors...I think they become so desensitized to it all after awhile they just want to get their paycheck and go home...I wish I could slap my problem on THEIR FACE temporarily..then I wonder how they would go about fixing it.

Note: ((There's a couple other people I haven't replied to..know that I will but my eyes need a break right now.))

So How was Your appointment?

3 hours ago, confused96 said:

So How was Your appointment?

Thanks for asking as I needed to update anyway.

Better than the others (or at least better Than the secondary appointments to each of the others)
It was more cut and dry and thank god I didn't CRY at least this time!!
(I think that helped.)
I got freaked out though because my mother came with me and she promised to advocate for me and then when we went in there, in the waiting room, she was saying she wasn't even seeing half of what I was seeing and giving me these weird looks...
And acting like she was just going to go in there and say nothing or say that I was a crazy person so long as that's what the doctor said...
(Besides the point that my mother has bad eye sight and doesn't wear her glasses...Both my parents have issues when it comes to anything related to appearance...I could have half my face blown off and they still wouldn't care...so it makes things SO much more difficult..this is why I can't have these types of problems, I would take ANY other type of major issue to deal with, I swear...between my own personality and those around me...it's bad news all around)
Anyway...so I calmed down and went in there...
And this guy recognized and acknowledged everything and I showed him one of my before pics (high def, no makeup) and he zoomed the shit out of it and was like "Yea, well, it's definitely not like it was before "
And I was like "NO KIDDING".
I told him about everything, some stuff got left out as we both kind of interjected when the other was talking to clear something up or ask a question.
But he said 5 months is way too long to have this going on and he's going to send me to another doctor, who, in his words, is "a genius when it comes to this kind of stuff".
He said I have multiple things going on, the overall texture and color of my skin, the perioral dermatitis, and little cheek acne.
He told me to stay on the antibiotic for the secondary reasons.
He actually looked REALLY closely at my skin , said my skin is severely dry/dehydrated and knew everything was burning me so he gave me vanicream samples to try as one last ditched effort to moisturize my skin.
He said all my moisture is being lost upon the air right now and the skin needs a moist environment to heal (knew this but yea..).
And I may have to moisturize even if it's uncomfortable (which Is kinda scary) but he said to only do it for One week because he thinks I've tried enough stuff and been to enough dermatologists at this point and if pushing through the pain of moisturizing doesn't help, he just wants to get me to this other doctor.

I don't want to get my hopes up and I have all the doubt in the world that this next appointment will go any kind of right.
But it almost seems like my last hope as far as dermatologists are concerned.
So *fingers crossed"

Also I tried the vanicream and my face got an even darker, deeper reddish orange, I look even worse than before but I guess I will try it for the one week..tho it goes against everything I know...aka don't continue using stuff if it makes you red/burns, etc.
Plus vanicream has sorbic acid..So idk.it makes me think more acid is eating away at my skin again. Sure looks that way already.
I've never had to be so worried about ingredients before.

Also accutane came up in the conversation.
When we were talking about other dermatologists, and I said that "well you know...they told me it would go away and then when it didn't, they acted like my skin was naturally messed up or something" (compete lack of eloquence but w.e.)...and he said "well sometimes certain things change the skin, like accutane..."
And I was like "I was on accutane, 4 years ago for cystic acne"
And he said that he's aware of how it changes people's skin texture and stuff, but i didn't get to ask him if it was permanent because I said "well that was 4 years ago, and my skin has been perfectly healthy and even adequately oily, plus this happened overnight so-"
And he kind of shrugged and then nodded, and said "well let's see how the vanicream works, see if it is less irritating than what you've tried, and we will give it a week, if you see a small improvement and think you want to keep going and see more and more improvement then just call and maybe we won't need to send you to Dr.[blank] but if not, then I don't think waiting more than another week will be of much use, and we should just get you over to him because this has been going on so long now"

So that was that.
I also mentioned the numbness and stuff and to my surprise, he didn't react in compete bewilderment like the last derms did. He actually seemed to think that it WAS related to the reaction I had and said that he's pretty sure this new doctor will be able to take that into account and help.

My mother asked if I should get bloodwork done (she is dead set on the idea that im not healing because of an internal issue) but he said he doesn't think its internal, but we can get a lab to be safe.
So im probably still going to do that.
I need to really anyway just to rule stuff out.

Sorry for my messy re-hash and use of "likes" to anyone reading but you get the jist.

I'm trying not to freak out on a daily basis but seeing my skin like this is debilitating and the physical discomfort becomes simply salt in the wound in comparison when ever I look in the mirror.

Hey, It's Ripples,
I have been following your progress on here, no need to e-mail me back, we can keep each other up to date here, maybe it would be best so that others can see...
I am so glad that you got a Doctor that is LISTENING to you. And it's awesome that he would refer you to someone that he thinks may be able to help! If you do end up going to him and he thinks that he can help you, can you e-mail me his name. I would be willing to travel around the world if needed.
I may be making a little of progress too, with Doctors, not sure yet, but I will let you know. Have started Doxy (as an anti-inflammatory) to hopefully help with this horrid flushing that is getting worse. Also considering a mast cell stabilizer (Ketotifen), that has been used in conjunction with low-dose Accutane to successfully treat Solid Facial Edema (I am still doubting that this is the problem). Now, they don't think that Accutane is a good option since Retin A did this, and Accutane has actually been documented to cause Solid Facial Edema. But, maybe Ketotifen by itself???.... We shall see.
Have you tried Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream? That is the only moisturizer that my face can tolerate, I could not tolerate Vanicream. It doesn't have any actives in it and helps me with the dryness. I also bought a Cool Mist Humidifier for my bedroom and that has helped.
Absolutely no change in my face, except for the worse flushing. I am able to tell more and more that my texture is 100% inflammation. Can see it, can feel it. Totally sucks, I just want my old face back.
Best Regards, crossing my fingers that one (or better both) of us sees some healing.

So glad you had a good appt and are seeing a new doctor!! i had a terrible appt today with my derm about other issues, but he said that skin changes like ours are never permanent. i hope he is right. can't wait to hear wht your next doctor says

1 hour ago, sararey said:

Hey, It's Ripples,
I have been following your progress on here, no need to e-mail me back, we can keep each other up to date here, maybe it would be best so that others can see...
I am so glad that you got a Doctor that is LISTENING to you. And it's awesome that he would refer you to someone that he thinks may be able to help! If you do end up going to him and he thinks that he can help you, can you e-mail me his name. I would be willing to travel around the world if needed.
I may be making a little of progress too, with Doctors, not sure yet, but I will let you know. Have started Doxy (as an anti-inflammatory) to hopefully help with this horrid flushing that is getting worse. Also considering a mast cell stabilizer (Ketotifen), that has been used in conjunction with low-dose Accutane to successfully treat Solid Facial Edema (I am still doubting that this is the problem). Now, they don't think that Accutane is a good option since Retin A did this, and Accutane has actually been documented to cause Solid Facial Edema. But, maybe Ketotifen by itself???.... We shall see.
Have you tried Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream? That is the only moisturizer that my face can tolerate, I could not tolerate Vanicream. It doesn't have any actives in it and helps me with the dryness. I also bought a Cool Mist Humidifier for my bedroom and that has helped.
Absolutely no change in my face, except for the worse flushing. I am able to tell more and more that my texture is 100% inflammation. Can see it, can feel it. Totally sucks, I just want my old face back.
Best Regards, crossing my fingers that one (or better both) of us sees some healing.

.. Sara, I think I will still email you because I kind of already wrote a reply for you half way in my notes so I might as well finish it lol.
So sorry I didn't reply right away, I was so glad to get your emails even though it was disheartening to hear that you weren't doing any better than I was and it hurt me to see how it has affected more and more the longer it drags on. Won't go into the details here ofcourse but you know..
Thanks for all your input on my previous hellish appointment and support.

I'm glad you can see my update here tho because it's hard to keep repeating it.

Yes he listened and didn't beat around the bush, but then again, the 3rd derm I went to was seemingly good before my consecutive appointments there. So I can't get ahead of myself.
But above all else, it's great that he is willing to bypass his own ego (unlike most docs) to send me to someone he thinks can help.
I should note that this is the ACTUAL dermatologist who runs the place I went to FIRST where my first encounter was with a PA who didn't know which way was up basically. That appointment was after my first use of the retinoid and not the second use so it also wasn't at the level it is now and the burning and pain hadn't occurred yet.
I'm still pretty pissed at that PA because I feel like I never would have used the retinoid a second time if it wasn't for the way he handled that appointment. Luckily he was nowhere in sight when I went there again. And I saw the lead derm this time.
(Yes I will email you his name if it works out...I would think there would be his equivalent in any given state or country tho...but I know what you mean..if someone actually ended up curing this *knock on wood* I'm sure anyone dealing with this would want to travel to wherever that person was)

Yes I read about the accutane thing and facial edema in your email...doesn't even look remotely similar but hell, maybe there's some weird low level form of it going on!
Is ketotifen also known as Zyrtec?
Because that's what it was listed as when I looked it up.
I got some as a result but on the actual bottle it doesn't say it's ketotifen.

No I haven't tried that Clinique moisturizer but I will look it up.
Thank you.

I have a dinky old humidifier that I cleaned out and used for a few weeks when this first happened but I'm not sure what good it did...my hands looked great tho! I've said this before, but It's like the skin of the face just isn't responding anymore. Not in any positive way at least.
Plus going back and forth from the humidifier to the dry air..idk.
I don't want to sit in one room all day because that's not good for me either right now...(if I could live in a humidifier house for months j would!)....I think I WILL start using it again tho, just in case...in theory it should absolutely be helping

I don't even know anymore what's going on with me, I think inflammation is lingering in my tissues hence the weird loss of elasticity/edema thing going on and I did have more normal swelling with my initial reaction.
But my skin looks seriously eaten away on some parts..like the retinoic acid literally ate away at it..it looks scarred and bubbly and uneven:lumpy all over in some lighting which is REALLY scary..I hope it's just a pseudo-scarring look tho...the irony is that, my chin, which broke out the worst when this happened, although discolored, is the most normal texture-wise out of my whole face...and my forehead which was just the 'picture of pretty' before hand, is absolutely wrecked...I just read that it's harder for the forehead to keep in inflammation or scar or something (I can't for the life of me remember what) but whatever it was made my situation all the more abnormal.
Also my cheeks and nose are still just as messed up....but not as uneven and "burn victim" looking as my forehead. I am so mad that the PA told me to put a retinoid in my hairline after the first time, he said it was for blackheads but they're not black heads, they were the beggining of the pore enlargement and deepening/increased visibility.
But he wasn't listening.

One other thing I am so grateful for, when I was talking about how everything was burning me, was this 4th derm saying "well what would be good -and what we usually do-is to get your skin properly assessed (I think with this special machine they use) to see what products would be ideal as an everyday regimen...but the problem is that-"your skin isn't your skin right now"
And at the exact same time I interjected and said "my skin isn't even my skin right now"
So it was like he read my mind and I finished his sentence at the same time he was..and we were definitely on the same page in that moment.
To have someone tell me that this disaster zone is "not my skin" is the BEST thing I could have ever heard.
Because I hope that it will NEVER truly be my skin and that this is a nightmare just waiting to be awoken from.

Again, not getting my hopes up though.
It's all talk and lots of doubt, for now.

But yes..let's continue to try to get our faces back (can't even recognize mine anymore because of the black hole that keeps on giving)....some hours of the day, I'm like "okay, enough is enough, this has got to come to an end, this HAS to be fixed, suck it up because being a stressed out crybaby ain't gunna help the situation!!" and then a few hours later I'm all "fuck...I'm screwed!!...and I'm just fooling myself aren't I!? I mean look at all these perpetual horror stories..look at this monster staring back at me in the mirror..:wtf!! Kill me now." ..,,,but I mean really..we just have GOT to figure this out, ya know?
We aren't the first people this happened to and we won't be the last but damn it all, despite my own increasingly depressive statements, I still say we need to end our stories in recovery.

This is too stupid, simple, and silly of a mistake to ruin us forever.
Plenty of people do FARRRRRRRR worse to their skin and it bounces back.
Just insane.

37 minutes ago, TrueFine said:

So glad you had a good appt and are seeing a new doctor!! i had a terrible appt today with my derm about other issues, but he said that skin changes like ours are never permanent. i hope he is right. can't wait to hear wht your next doctor says

Oh no :///.... tell me how it went. (If you want/have the time ).

Thats good to to hear that he at least said these changes aren't permanent...I hope he's right as well.

I will keep updating ofcourse, I am pretty nervous about this next appointment though...I can't allow myself to have any expectations considering what happened in the past...but he seemed pretty sure of this other guy so I've gotta go see him!

Yes please let us know what happens, I am eager to hear. I will try to sum up tonight fast but basically i got bloodwork done this morning because my acne itself has gotten worse (probably partly from the BP i used since my skin got used to being that dry and he oil regeneration is making pimples) so my derm and parents realy want me to do accutane. now i kind of want to, too, becaus obviously my differn is't working anymore and i want better skin for senior prom. so at this appt i had to decide but i wanted to ask about the damage that you and i are experiencing. so first i asked th derm about the permanent seeming dehydrated skin with the crinkly thin cellophane issue. i tried to show him that if i pull the forehead skin it has this weird top layer that does these things. he didnt believe that BP did this (which it obviously did, like tazorac with you) and he said that it was my differin - i tried to tell him that my skin had never been like this on that med (which i used for over a year before bp) but became like this from the BP, and it was kind of just us fighting about whether or not BP was to blame. he also said that with any treatment that makes your skin get wrinkes or cellophane texture, with moisturizer it will go away. I tried telling him about how my face used to be super oily here, too, and now it is bone dry, but he also said that it will revert back to normal ad that it wasnt caused by the BP.  so i asked him my other questions and now i have until monday to decide about accutane. overall it was just us yelling at each other and him denying everything i said. i'm really glad you got the good doctor though! keep us posted.

Edit: I officially started accutane tonight and went off all my other drugs! I was so so so nervous to take the pill but i remembered that everyone thinks it will be ideal and my older sis used it and has perfect skin. so i hope i don't get any side effects. i cant have my senior year ruined :SS  wish me luck

We have got to be dealing with the same thing, everything that you say I can see on my own face. Yes, the odd lumpy, bubbly, curdled look to the skin like acid ate it away. I too hope that it only looks that way, that when the inflammation subsides that it will have been multiple layers of skin puffed up unevenly giving it that look. And that it is not scarring. I think that I can actually see that it is uneven, multiple layers of swollen skin involved.
I too am furious at the PA's that I saw, the first one told me early onthat she had seen this texture before and that it resolves with continued use. If I had known that she didn't know what the f she was talking about I would have quit using the retinoid right away. I never would have used it as long as I did. She told me that everything that I was seeing (texture) and feeling (pulling sensations) was completely normal. I should sue her.

No, unfortunatelythe Ketotifen is by prescription only, it is used in people with asthma, but also has the ability to stabilize mast cells. The Zyrtec is Cetirizine, which is another antihistamine, but I don't think that it could hurt to try it.

I didn't know that the forehead doesn't hold inflammation or scar as easily as other places on the face! In my case that would make sense as my forhead, nose and chin are unaffected, but my entire cheeks and sidesof my face are a mess!Yeah, so weird though that yours is the worst on your forehead.Nothing about any of this makes much sense. But you know what? THERE IS A REASON, we just don't know what it is yet. Swear to god, if everything else fails, I am going to have them take a biopsy of my face so that we may know for sure.

"We aren't the first people this happened to and we won't be the last but damn it all, despite my own increasingly depressive statements, I still say we need to end our stories in recovery.This is too stupid, simple, and silly of a mistake to ruin us forever." * I LOVE THIS ****

Again, I amSO GLADthat you founda Doctorwho listened to you, this is the first step in finding out what happened and in turn finding out how to fix it or at least try SOMETHING.

I wanted to offer, if you would like, you can e-mail me your address and I willmail you a sample of that moisturizer out of my brand new, uncontaminated jar. The stuff has really helped me (as much as anything can)with the horrible dryness and is so soothing when I put it on after washing/splashing water on my face, don't know what I would do without it. To find the ingredients online (you won't be able to find them on Cliniques website, unless you request them.) you can just Google Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream and then look at pictures of the packaging that others have posted. This is the easiest way that I have found to see any of Cliniques ingredients. I know how frustrating it is to spend tons of money on products only to have them severely irritate my face on the first use!

Same old story. I went to the derm summer of 2014 just bc I had 3 acne scars (just some hyperpigmentation which was warranted bc the 3 pimpled has lasted half a year each!) I was just hoping they would somehow just laser them off and that would be it, but the derm said "here try tazorac, you have to correct the underlying problem of acne" and I said, well I actually don't mind my acne, I dont get much, they come and come within a week, its just these 3 little marks.. then she said "well the taz will help fade those scars"  USED IT. RUINED SKIN!! She switched me to a different retin a that wasn't so "harsh" SKIN CONTINUED TO WORSEN. and it has now been 2.5 years, and skin progressively gets worse each month that goes by. I had close to perfect skin also, used to be the prettiest girl to walk into a room and now I have the skin of an 60 yo person who lived in the sun. (I am 28 now btw) My skin is so sensitive now to everything, almost everything burns, I lost the moisture barrier (acid mantle) in December in 2015 and it has been 14 months now and it has yet to return and my skin just gets more crinklier/wrinklier.... i have lost all elasticity and much of the collagen. I get more acne now and sincemy skin sucks they ALL SCAR. It still bothers me a lot but I can't dwell on it and keep telling myself, this is me now, its going to get worse each year (bc it has the past 2 years) and to enjoy what it looks like now (even though I have more wrinkles then my 65 year old mother in law) bc this time next year it will be worse..... I have included before and after photos... the raw and real truth of retin A products  aged me 20 years in 2

3 hours ago, nikgurl64 said:

Same old story. I went to the derm summer of 2014 just bc I had 3 acne scars (just some hyperpigmentation which was warranted bc the 3 pimpled has lasted half a year each!) I was just hoping they would somehow just laser them off and that would be it, but the derm said "here try tazorac, you have to correct the underlying problem of acne" and I said, well I actually don't mind my acne, I dont get much, they come and come within a week, its just these 3 little marks.. then she said "well the taz will help fade those scars"  USED IT. RUINED SKIN!! She switched me to a different retin a that wasn't so "harsh" SKIN CONTINUED TO WORSEN. and it has now been 2.5 years, and skin progressively gets worse each month that goes by. I had close to perfect skin also, used to be the prettiest girl to walk into a room and now I have the skin of an 60 yo person who lived in the sun. (I am 28 now btw) My skin is so sensitive now to everything, almost everything burns, I lost the moisture barrier (acid mantle) in December in 2015 and it has been 14 months now and it has yet to return and my skin just gets more crinklier/wrinklier.... i have lost all elasticity and much of the collagen. I get more acne now and sincemy skin sucks they ALL SCAR. It still bothers me a lot but I can't dwell on it and keep telling myself, this is me now, its going to get worse each year (bc it has the past 2 years) and to enjoy what it looks like now (even though I have more wrinkles then my 65 year old mother in law) bc this time next year it will be worse..... I have included before and after photos... the raw and real truth of retin A products  aged me 20 years in 2

 

Wow, just wow. I am stunned. I guess I shouldn't be considering how Retin A ruined my skin too. I am sorry that this happened to you, but thank you for sharing your story, so that others may see what this vile stuff does. Best Regards.

Just wanted to share, just in case anyone was thinking of using this crap on their face too. Note the horrible texture on my cheek, it is similar to this all over both cheeks and sides of my face. The damage continues unabated.

Oh btw, since this shit got into my eye area...and now both my eyes look asymmetric af because of the eyelid skin acting weird in different ways in each of them,..I'm forced to look up ways to desperately fight whatever is happening to them..,and ofcourse I have to hold back tears because the salt and heat will dehydrate them further, especially when I use a tissue and it gets up to my upper lids...and as far as moisturizer goes...Looks like I will have to find an eye cream now too...wtf. 

Anyway, here's a pic (below) I found on Google, looking up dehydrated eyelids...looks like they are beyond dehydrated and are, as I thought, actually sagging...this woman's left image looks exactly like what my left eye is doing..I think my right eye is doing it too but since the under-Brow area is more "swollen" looking and drooping on that side, it covers it.
How sad that I can't even have my eyes.
and I can't even have my tears either...this is so ridiculous 

and yea, Sara, my whole face looks like a mixture of your cheek and nikgurl's forehead.
(I will email you my address, that is a really nice offer from earlier btw)

I think my forehead might actually be worse than nikgurl's because it's not as uniform and like I said before, has knicks  and liner indentations (besides the ridges/wrinkles and pores) and shallower areas..it's not consistent...but none of what's going on is good...just varying areas of terrifying. 

Im so sorry this happened to all of us and I really hope my next appointment works out...I dread coming back here with disappointing news. 

I was watching "my beautiful face" docu about that girl who was attacked with acid...she still looks some kind of pretty even with that horrific damage...meanwhile my face can't even pull off this light/"safe"-acid damage....I know ours can't compare but a lot of what she said I could relate to...how she wanted to just rip her face off and how She was embarrassed that anyone had even been looking at her all this time like that...how she couldn't recognize herself...how she thought it better to not wake up...and saddest of all, how she had to grow a whole new identity along with the loss of her old face.

Our face is truly THAT deeply connected to who we are...even the slightest change can be unbearable...and to also have our damages mimic the signs of aging (or worse..I've seen 90 year olds with better skin!!)...is like we suddenly hit a fast forward button by accident and now we can't go back...it truly is a horror story straight from the twilight zone. 

And I cannot fucking handle it.
its not natural
 

7 hours ago, nikgurl64 said:

Same old story. I went to the derm summer of 2014 just bc I had 3 acne scars (just some hyperpigmentation which was warranted bc the 3 pimpled has lasted half a year each!) I was just hoping they would somehow just laser them off and that would be it, but the derm said "here try tazorac, you have to correct the underlying problem of acne" and I said, well I actually don't mind my acne, I dont get much, they come and come within a week, its just these 3 little marks.. then she said "well the taz will help fade those scars"  USED IT. RUINED SKIN!! She switched me to a different retin a that wasn't so "harsh" SKIN CONTINUED TO WORSEN. and it has now been 2.5 years, and skin progressively gets worse each month that goes by. I had close to perfect skin also, used to be the prettiest girl to walk into a room and now I have the skin of an 60 yo person who lived in the sun. (I am 28 now btw) My skin is so sensitive now to everything, almost everything burns, I lost the moisture barrier (acid mantle) in December in 2015 and it has been 14 months now and it has yet to return and my skin just gets more crinklier/wrinklier.... i have lost all elasticity and much of the collagen. I get more acne now and sincemy skin sucks they ALL SCAR. It still bothers me a lot but I can't dwell on it and keep telling myself, this is me now, its going to get worse each year (bc it has the past 2 years) and to enjoy what it looks like now (even though I have more wrinkles then my 65 year old mother in law) bc this time next year it will be worse..... I have included before and after photos... the raw and real truth of retin A products  aged me 20 years in 2

 

OMG you are sooo pretty! Sorry this happened to your skin too but even with this I'm sure your face still looks just as pretty 

Hey, Just wanted to let you know that I saw my Allergist/Immunologist today for the heinous facial flushing/burning/swelling, etc., etc. My face apparently can't even tolerate daylightanymore.Guess what? He could see my facial texture from across the room! I asked him if he could take a closer look at it and he said that he could see it from where he was! It was still swollen from my reaction to sunlight at work yesterday, so it did/does look really bad. FML. It does look better (but not good!)when my face is calm, but when it flushes?O.M.G. He knew what it was without me saying anything, he called it Orange Peel Texture. That it is what happens when skin is swollen and inflamed. He didn't say if he thought it would get better and I didn't ask. I am not sure that I really want to know. Right now, my focus is on stopping the progression of this flushing. If it improves by the time I go for a follow-up, in 3 weeks, I will ask more about the texture. I am starting a 3rd Antihistamine (Doxepin), I am already taking 2 others.I will let you know how it goes...