Update, 1 day after this post. 2 of my forming pustules on the left side of my face pretty much disappeared overnight, 2 of the 3 that were formed in a group near my nose on the left disappeared, the other is heading nicely. On the right side, one pustule disappeared, 1 new small whitehead where Ive recently been breaking out.

for anyone that finds this post scouring the internet for a similar soul in their experience on adapalene, Im going to list the steps Ive taken over the last few days that seem to be helping (will confirm if this continues in about a week)

(This applies to 0.3%, some may not apply to 0.1% users)
1. Dont stop moisturizing if youve already gotten in the habit. Your skin will suddenly start drying out, as did mine. This obviously will lead to breakouts. Ive been moisturizing twice a day, after morning and night time showers, and Ive stopped washing my face midday, opting to let the oil stay on my face.
2. FRUITS, VEGGIES, WATER. Stay away from McDonalds, etc. I had been eating mcchickens, chicken nuggets, etc left and right and honestly if I would have just stopped I may not have had to start on adapalene. Since changing my diet Ive noticed a huge difference.
3. If your skin tarts getting flaky, be more sparing with the differin. Last night I put hardly any on and it still did its job on my pimples.
4. Stick it out till week 12. I feel good now, but I wouldnt doubt that another breakout is coming soon. I hope not, but adapalene works veryyy slow. You seriously might not see any improvement till WEEK 12, from what Ive read. Stick it out.

Update: WTF!!!

By the end of the day (same day as last post), I have so many pimples forming - probably almost 10 all over my face.

Even have pimples forming near my forehead, on my nose bridge, etc. NEVER have seen acne here before. This is with 9 weeks completed!! Hopefully this clears up by tomorrow morning. Im thinking it was the combination of over-moisturizing and MAYBE not applying enough differin last night? Probably more so the moisturizing. My body is also breaking out so this could be an issue outside of differin (hormones, etc). Anyway, I would say do NOT listen to my advice lol! Didnt seem to make much of a difference, might as well eat like shit cause the pimple type hasnt even changed, still itches like hell and is super irritating. Ugh. Really hoping these will be gone in some capacity by the morning.

Okay, one day later. My face was actually a lot better this morning but has again flared up by the end of the day. I see a bunch of tiny red pimples (not pustules which they usually are) on my forehead, and my face is more uncomfortable than it has been in a long while.

I read up on it and it seems that switching to a healthy diet too rapidly can actually cause bad breakouts. Seems crazy but its a detox thing. I cant afford this in addition to my differin breakout so Im going to be returning to a normal diet with more fruit/veggie intake and slowly go healthy. Luckily I have a 4 day weekend coming up so Im really banking on this to clear things up. If conditions havent improved by next week Wednesday, Im going to start slowly quitting differin. I really cant handle the sensitivity and flaking after I go surfing which is a lot. Also I cant get tan anymore which f***** sucks especially for my PIH. I honestly should have never started on differin.. but now I have all these red marks so Im hoping it can help clear them up? Idk anymore. I think Im gonna have to quit it soon. Ughhh, worst decision ever, seriously.

Morning update: this is more of a personal log for me, but anyone is welcome to view my mental breakdowns haha.

No new pimples or pustules this morning, just the same red bumps. I noticed even the bumps Im getting on my problem areas are not characteristic of my normal breakouts.. which really leads me to believe it is my skin detoxing. Im gonna eat hella carbs today and mostly whatever I want, BUT keep up with the vegetables, fruits, and water. Thats gonna be my Segway into a healthy diet, gradually.

side note, Im stoked that these arent pustules because I dont have anything to pop and hopefully theyll just disappear!!

Ok guys, here again. Took a look at a photo from 2 weeks ago (when I thought my acne was the worst) and it is so SO much worse RIGHT NOW. F***. I have a permanent layer of dead skin on my face. Like.. if I scratch at my skin with my fingernail, TONS of dead skin starts to come off. Its been like this for a while now, but Im starting to realize how unhealthy that is. Im going to be weening off of differin, starting by just applying 0.1 for the next few days.

im very very depressed right now. Going to be months until I have my confidence back.

Next day. I know no ones reading this but its just more of a personal log for me.

Last night I diluted my 0.3 to 0.15 with moisturizer. Woke up with dry skin still, but it could just be residuals. Im not seeing any new bumps (I think, cant tell there are like 15), just the existing ones from my breakout are still developing. They arent coming to a head as much as before which I think is interesting. A couple bumps actually disappeared which is pretty cool. Going to keep going with the diluted differin, and assess my options once the acne.org regimen gets delivered.

I was wrong about them disappearing. Skin just looks better in the morning. Even more bumps showed up today and many are getting larger/ coming to a head.

Even if this breakout wasnt caused by Differin, Im losing hope in Differin because it really should be preventing breakouts like this. Its been 9 weeks. This shouldnt be happening. Not this bad.

i think Ill be switching on Wednesday. Fuck, Im really depressed right now.

Morning update:

many of the pimples have headed up so my skin is suuuper bumpy. I think a few are still developing and heads are yet to come. No new bumps this AM though, which is good. Im still thinking about switching on Wednesday, but Im just not sure anymore. There is a chance that This will all clear up by Monday, but no matter what there will be tons of PIH to deal with.

Next morning:

no pimples formed throughout the day yesterday, but this morning I think I have 2 new ones. They formed much quicker than the breakout bumps so theyll probably be gone quicker as well. Fingers crossed. They dont look too bad. Doesnt look like the regimen will be delivered until late this upcoming week so Ill have to wait a little longer to assess my options.

latest worry is that my moisturizer is what breaks me out. Ive been using it since before differin, but Ive also been getting acne since before Differin. Might go buy some cetaphil lotion today.

Nighttime:

whitehead city, my god. One new pimple that had formed in the AM is headed up and will probably be gone by Monday, and the ones that appeared as bumps early in the week will probably also be gone by Monday. Its so weird how the breakout from earlier this week moved incredibly slowly compared to the pimples I got today. Really convinces me that they were from something extraneous like diet or hormones (maybe doing some certain behavior too many times).

planning on getting a derm appointment AAASSSAPPP. I should probably cancel the acne.org order, because I can probably fill the gap Differin has left with duac or and antibiotic/probiotic blend.. etc.

first day in which I didnt have an acne anxiety attack in almost a week. Stoked on that. Lol

Morning:

i guess almost all the heads fell off overnight or when I showered a few minutes ago. So thats nice..but Im still getting new pimples (not so nice)

looking back, I think I could have stopped getting acne if I had meditated more, done yoga, no whey protein powder, ate more fruits and veggies, drank more water, slept more, had a skincare routine. I think I could have been 100% clear honestly. Also, I shouldnt have started Differin back up without consulting my derm, because she probably wouldve insisted on antibiotics or other supplementation. Oh well.. going hopefully this week, so thats all I can do.

we have to hit the bottom to bounce to the top. Its not impossible that I have another bottom Im yet to reach, but since starting my Differin journey, my knowledge of acne and diet/health has changed dramatically. These companies fund these studies to convince you that you cant fix acne with diet or lifestyle, but thats EVERYTHING acne is. Hormones, oil, dehydration!! So, uh.. yeah.

pimples Im getting now individually itch before they even show up, but they show up QUICK and head overnight. Its pretty cool actually, but not as cool as them not existing lol.

i can deal with it until I see my derm. But Im not seeing much improvement at all over week 6/7/8 etc

Night:

Nothing new.. well actually, 2 new pimples probably (maybe more idk my face is filled with PIE and PIH so its hard to see bumps) but I went bodysurfing in some dirty water shorebreak, plus it was super windy. So kinda a triple whammy for irritation, well see how I fare.

been spot testing with my moisturizer, and the side of the forehead I am extra generous with it on is clear still, but my forehead doesnt really get cystic breakouts. So I tested it on the right side of my face, closest to my eye and nose where I have no currently active acne. If I get zits there now ill definitely be switching. Also tried on the back area of my right jaw and its been a little itchy.. something abrewing? Well have to find out. Still hoping to get the derm meeting Asap, hope she can get me on duac or something. And maybe recommend a moisturizer.

Morning: well, I said this breakout would have had to be cleared by Monday.. and honestly, it kinda is! I have a couple more detox pimples forming, but not as much as last time. I read that this was expected as they come in waves and get less intense each wave. Im going to continue eating healthy and wait it out. Plus, after this my skin will probably be able to handle probiotics without breaking out.

i had 2 big active pustules which I let go on for too long, popped one of them just a second ago and picked the other one off, both after a warm compress. Gently of course.

couple actives on each side of my jaw. Still trying to figure out if my moisturizer is the culprit. Gonna give it two more days and if all clear on breakouts Ill be more generous. Until then Im Mr. Dry Lol

I recently started adapalene, and Im terrified! I really hope things start looking up for you and I hope you arent letting acne or PIH get you down! Sadly I let it bother me way too much, but alas, Im a girl and its not considered abnormal when I wear makeup. It doesnt make me feel better though haha. I hope it all gets better. I started adapalene Saturday evening I believe and Im experiencing my IB. Keep me updated, I enjoy reading about your experience, though it frigtens me haha!

Next morning:
a couple new small whiteheads on my cheeks, maybe 2, but they arent inflamed and Nothing cystic. Yesterday I started on a daily dose of 100mg minocycline, because my brother happens to have them lying around on the kitchen counter.. I remember I was on it when I did my Differin cycle a few years ago, and I had almost no IB. This time I was scared to do it because of the side effects, but now Id trade anything for clear skin. Im also goin to be AM spot treating with Duac (which he also has laying around!!) and I have a really good feeling about the combination of these 3. My derm appt is December 8, so hopefully by then Ill just be asking for a duac and mino prescription with clear skin. I feel really good about it!

Cierralaine, are you on 0.1% or 0.3%?

if I could have redone this process, I probably would have taken antibiotics from the start. I went from VERY mild acne to MODERATE. And pih all over my face now.

you could also ask your derm about duac, which works well for many people. Differin may also work all by itself! Everyones different

Had to do an afternoon update because Im pretty excited!

these antibiotics, although making me drowsy and kinda nauseous (been enjoying it a little actually LOL), seriously bring down inflammation and itching!! I have a few Whiteheads, and regardless of whether theyre from the mino or not, theyre not inflamed!! The duac spot treatment made my face itch though, Im thinking my skin is just too sensitive while on 0.3% Differin. Probably will just save it for really bad ones, if I get any (fingers crossed). Im HOPING that in a week or so I will be able to move on to scar treating w derma rolling, stamping, vit C. If I do get a breakout from the mino then oh well, but again fingers crossed! I can see the finish line!!

Differin is the same thing as tretinion right?..(im asian, im sorry if my english is bad) I'm on tretition too and im currently on my 7th week. My face hasnt improved much. There were days wherein i thought im finally clearing but then by next week , it will be worse again. Im so depressed, i keep thinking about my face whole day and i cant focus on other things. I guessed i am feeling all kinds of negative emotions. I felt nervous when im alone and i constantly check my face in the mirror. Im using tret 0.025% every night and clyndamycin twice a day and a soap given by my derma. She told me to expect result after a month... But i dont think im happy right now.. I cant assess if it got worse . Ive been dealing with this acne for half a year and just started the prescription last october and since then it really affected me emotionally. I cried sometimes.

Thank you for posting your experiences because somehow it makes me feel less lonely. I hope we get better.

Acneistheworst (amazing username btw), I was in your exact position a week ago. Depressed, couldnt stop checking the mirror, thinking about it 24/7. Since starting minocycline I just feel so much better overall.

have you heard of it? It might be something to ask your derm about. Not sure why she told you to expect results in a month when retinoids can take quite long.

Acneistheworst (amazing username btw), I was in your exact position a week ago. Depressed, couldnt stop checking the mirror, thinking about it 24/7. Since starting minocycline I just feel so much better overall.

have you heard of it? It might be something to ask your derm about. Not sure why she told you to expect results in a month when retinoids can take quite long.

another thing, are you moisturizing? Moisturizing is super important because if your skin is too dry you will overproduce oil throughout the day, causing more acne.

Next day PM:

still seeing good good results from antibiotics. They are making me lose weight though which is not good because I™ve been on the lighter side lately due to my diet change. So I™ve been eating a lot more. Also get scattered minor lightheadedness throughout the day but PROBIOTICS HELP SO MUCH. First day the lightheaded ness was baddd, then I started taking my probiotics (right now I use clear biotic which also has vitamins and stuff and actually not much probiotic but I have one coming in from amazon) and it™s alleviated a lot of it. One pimple that has been forming for a week just headed up but I can™t blame the mino for that  I™m sure it™ll be gone in a few days. Life is looking so much better right now!

Morning:

starting to get diarrhea from the Mino. I think my probiotics arent strong enough (only 4 strains and they target acne) so Im going to start taking my moms. I also notice mild insomnia while on the Mino. I cant really nap during the day anymore, and at night it takes me an hour to fall asleep and I wake up an hour early. Hoping this will wear off.

im going to stick it out w the mino for a month at least, provided Nothing life threatening happens. After that, my skin should be tame enough for the Differin to suffice (fingers crossed).

still have a few active pimples, maybe 3 and one Whitehead, but theyre all old only the whitehead that popped up this AM is new. And its not inflamed.

cheers guys!

Next day, midday:
My moms probiotic helped a lot, I can sleep now and no diarrhea. I think the insomnia was caused by my stomach discomfort.

i had 2 new Whiteheads this morning but I ate really badly yesterday and also had my face very irritated during a cavity filling. The mino is working extremely well and I hope to be clear in a week or so!

the left side of my face is absolutely plastered in PIE/PIH. Going to start a dermaroll/vitamin c combo once I clear up.

Oh boy.. next day midday. Here we go again..

im breaking out. I have these tiny Whiteheads which I have no idea where they are coming from, and 4 pustules showed up on the right side of my face. And I can feel something brewing on the left side.

i ate cheesecake and tons of fried food yesterday, so I guess I deserve this. Kinda. But, this shouldnt be happening with the mino so Im upping my dosage. 100 mg, twice daily. Ive got enough to do about 2 weeks of this and go back to normal so hopefully this saves me. Im also switching from neutrogena oil free to cetaphil moisturizing lotion. I just have a real bad feeling about the neutrogena and the spots I was spot testing a week or so ago have broken out in small pimples. Its really odd. I need to stop stressing because Im going back to how I was a week ago, but its hard because this breakout is pretty much just this bad. Im counting on the mino updose to save me because its the dosage I was on before.

Ok,

im convinced my moms probiotics caused this breakout.

ive taken them 3 times, and nothing else in my routine has changed. My theory is they are stirring up my intestinal bacteria and causing acne from the inside. Im going back to my regular clear biotic and keeping the high mino dosage - need to get this breakout the f*** out Of here!!

also going to be keeping the same moisturizer until Im clear - cant risk anything.

only other variable that couldve caused this is eating eggs. And no way it would cause a breakout this bad. I have like 10 pimples forming.

Ok, so did some more research. Turns out eggs and dairy reduce the efficacy of generic mino. I ate 4 for the past 2 mornings right after taking the mino. Bad bad bad. Also ate cheesecake within 30 minutes of the mino last last night. Bad.

SO, I upped my dosage, started on a better probiotic, switched my moisturizer. No new pimples this morning. Hoping for the best!!