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Just wanted to put in my two cents and say that my derm told me when my skin got clear I could try only using retin-a 2 or 3 times a week. Also you moisturize first? Is that working alright because I always heard that you needed to wait 30 min after putting on the retin-a and then moisturize. Hope your skin get clear quickly:)
That is what I was thinking of what I should do once I have clear skin. It seems to be working fine while moisturizing first. People say what I am experiencing in my log is how it went for them. I always shower and moisturize right after the shower. Then I wait 30 minutes before applying the Retin A.
Thanks, I hope I clear up soon too 
I think I am in my IB as I have some formations on places that were clear when I started the regimen. In addition to the new formations, I am still breaking out around my mouth and in between my eyebrows. The new breakouts though are much smaller compared to before. I think the doxy is doing a good job in keeping the inflammation down.
wellll if it makes u guys feel any better ive read tht some people dont even go through the IB and start rite away with clearing up. o and i stoped it for ONE day and i had two pimples the next day rite in the middle of my forhead. :[ dont u wish there was a cure to acne.
WAAAhhhhhhhh uurrrrrrgghhhhh
that is really all i have to say.
Is that your battle cry? 
So your starting to see "progress" huh? Today I started peeling a lot and that made me realize I am not getting quicker effects than I thought. Looks like I am due for some craziness next week as you are a week ahead of me. When I start to get down, I just tell myself that I am purging my body of the bad bacteria.
Hang in there Soapy... light at the end of the tunnel. 
haha, oh, you lucky bastard...
I feel like I just started clearing a couple of days ago. However, I went to go see the doctor and she told me that she has seen a ton of improvement on my forehead, nose and cheeks, but (like me) has noticed a worsening of the cystic acne on my chin area. She told me to stop the topical antibiotic and to start minocycline 100mgs twice a day.
I'm feeling conflicted, because:
1) if the topical erythromycin just started to kick in... I don't want to stop it in fear of me getting worse (while the mino takes time to kick in) when really I could be getting better.
2) i do not want to become dependent on this antibiotic.
pretty much I'm much more concerned about the first one. I really don't want to quit a good thing, which is what the erythromycin is if I am indeed clearing.
I need advice on this for sure. Has anyone switched antibiotics before? or from a topical to an oral? How long does it take to work? how long do oral antibiotics take to work in general?
i'm very nervous and conflicted.
Rai,
You just made my day! Secretly I just got the oral yesterday, and still used the topical last night. What antibiotics are you on? Are the topical and the oral the same or different? B/c mine are different...
uh, red marks are horrible. I suck at covering them up.
ps, thanks for replying.
Right now I am on 50mg's of Minocyclin
And my cream is Retisol-a 0.01
But my doctor said she wants to up me just to make me not have any acne. I have moderate acne. I went from having about 20 on my chin at a time now to 2 active ones right now, but they are like pin size so only I notice them.. ha ha
I think the red marks are the only thing that bugs me now, but I hope in a few months they will fade and I will be able to show my naked face to the world! ha ha
if you have any questions you can message me!
p.s. your welcome! ha ha I hate when i post something and dont get a reply. If I can help I always reply.
Rai,
You just made my day! Secretly I just got the oral yesterday, and still used the topical last night. What antibiotics are you on? Are the topical and the oral the same or different? B/c mine are different...
uh, red marks are horrible. I suck at covering them up.
ps, thanks for replying.
oh, hey!
my progress is steadily improving. I still have some active pimples and i still get some new ones, but they are NOTHING like those horrible cysts i was getting during my initial breakout. I still have red marks, and i am considering purchasing this MAMA lotion stuff that everyone on this site raves about to help get rid of them.
Basically, i'm doing a lot better than my last post. I'm not hiding out in my apt. anymore at least, lol.
and yeah, i decided i needed pics... liven things up a bit.
i haven't checked your updates yet. how are you doing?
oh, hey!
my progress is steadily improving. I still have some active pimples and i still get some new ones, but they are NOTHING like those horrible cysts i was getting during my initial breakout. I still have red marks, and i am considering purchasing this MAMA lotion stuff that everyone on this site raves about to help get rid of them.
Basically, i'm doing a lot better than my last post. I'm not hiding out in my apt. anymore at least, lol.
and yeah, i decided i needed pics... liven things up a bit.
i haven't checked your updates yet. how are you doing?
I am pretty much in the same boat as you. Getting active pimples still, but they seem to come to head much quicker. The major breakout I had when I started the regimen is finally gone and most of the marks are fading quickly. I should probably look into the Mama lotion as well. Overall skin is much smoother though.
I think we got another month before drastic improvements come, or at least that is what I have read. Good to see your not hiding out. 
Life is too short to be a recluse. I will post a pic eventually, gotta muster up the courage.
I'm taking 100 mg. spironolactone(a.m.), 45 mg. solodyn(minocycline)(p.m.) and using tretinoin .05 %. started w/atralin(tret)on 10/17. Before that I was using differin 0.3% which was too strong for me. Interesting that you've been moisturizing before using the tret. I haven't used moisturizer at all and I'm not peeling very much(also not going outside very much and being a recluse b/c I look so horrible). Unemployed and trying to interview for jobs is extremely difficult when you look like you've been doing meth or something and have sores all over your face:( Maybe that's because I'm using .05% and you are using 0.! % or maybe b/c I'm much older than all of you. Mine was doing well until I decided to "help" it along and now it's red but drying up the cysts nicely:) please keep updating so I can get a sense for what's coming up for me. Thanks. I'm so glad I found this site. Not really convinced I want to continue taking meds. for acne!! BTW: my derm told me it's good to change antibiotics every once in a while, to prevent becoming immune to them.
oh, hey!
my progress is steadily improving. I still have some active pimples and i still get some new ones, but they are NOTHING like those horrible cysts i was getting during my initial breakout. I still have red marks, and i am considering purchasing this MAMA lotion stuff that everyone on this site raves about to help get rid of them.
Basically, i'm doing a lot better than my last post. I'm not hiding out in my apt. anymore at least, lol.
and yeah, i decided i needed pics... liven things up a bit.
i haven't checked your updates yet. how are you doing?
I am pretty much in the same boat as you. Getting active pimples still, but they seem to come to head much quicker. The major breakout I had when I started the regimen is finally gone and most of the marks are fading quickly. I should probably look into the Mama lotion as well. Overall skin is much smoother though.
I think we got another month before drastic improvements come, or at least that is what I have read. Good to see your not hiding out.
yeah this mama lotion stuff- i might want some of that too
glad to hear you're both doing better in the break out department
I'm taking 100 mg. spironolactone(a.m.), 45 mg. solodyn(minocycline)(p.m.) and using tretinoin .05 %. started w/atralin(tret)on 10/17. Before that I was using differin 0.3% which was too strong for me. Interesting that you've been moisturizing before using the tret. I haven't used moisturizer at all and I'm not peeling very much(also not going outside very much and being a recluse b/c I look so horrible). Unemployed and trying to interview for jobs is extremely difficult when you look like you've been doing meth or something and have sores all over your face:( Maybe that's because I'm using .05% and you are using 0.! % or maybe b/c I'm much older than all of you. Mine was doing well until I decided to "help" it along and now it's red but drying up the cysts nicely:) please keep updating so I can get a sense for what's coming up for me. Thanks. I'm so glad I found this site. Not really convinced I want to continue taking meds. for acne!! BTW: my derm told me it's good to change antibiotics every once in a while, to prevent becoming immune to them.
Everyone's skin is different so that is why I believe I need to moisturize right out of the shower. If I wait 10-20 after I shower, my skin becomes more flaky. I would rather not have to moisturize as I don't want to have my skin be dependent on it, which I think it already is. I hope my log gives you insight on things to come. I believe it is situational in what people experience, to an extent. I hear some people don't peel at all, which I experienced a good amount.
I know how you feel about being a recluse too. My self-consciousness was getting out of control that it dictated what I did in my life. I hated that feeling and felt at a really low point in my life. I have done my best to overcome that obstacle, and have gotten a better view towards life as a result. I think the hardest part about acne is overcoming the fear of facing the world knowing you look the way you look. Wish you luck on your regimen and hope that clear skin is at the end.
Hey, decided to join the topic, I recently started .025 tretinoin. I'm 15 and after trying BP, and clindamycin the derm switched me to tretinoin, and I've already been on Doxy for 3 months 100mg. I mainly have acne on my face chest back and butt, but didn't didn't tell her about the latter for obvious reasons and it's not real bad there. I'm about 90% sure the antibiotics, doxy cleared up my chest and back, and now on my face I'm using the following.
Wash with 5% Sodium Solfmaide(something like that) with sulfer. AM
Wash with above, then after drying moisturize with neutreguna oil free, combination lotion.
then apply the tretinoin. im not sure weather to do every other day or every day. PM
Anyways I have really fair skin, (I'm a redhead, please don't call me a ginger) and I'm wondering how bad will the redness be. My acne really isn't that bad it's started in 6th grade a few pimples here and there, I made them worse by picking. Progressively got worse tried OTC garbage, just destroyed my face. Now im getting little bumps on forehead, and bigger ones on temples, nose, chin and inner cheeks.
Thanks
Oh hey!
Secretly I have not read any of these posts. I had an impulse to take a pic of me and my large kitten.
I know, not exactly acne related... but, ya know. I haven't been very active in the thread as of late, so I guess i'm making up for that...? if you like cats...? haha
Well, this pic does have my face in it, and even though I'm wearing makeup (have TONS of redmarks around my side-chin area...) I only have a couple of active pimples. My forehead only has one fading redmark, and my cheeks are pretty much spotless.
retin-a does work! Just give it time. i'll take a more close and personal/ embarrassing pic of my non makeup face soon. blehh
ok, on to reading the posts...
Steve,
#1
First thing you should realize about people on acne.org is that they are excellent! I would never think of calling you a "ginger." People on this site are extra nice.
I mean... no one on I've come across on this site criticizes. Like... it's a site where people talk about pimples... so not glamorous...
So welcome!
I also have very fair skin and am prone to freckles, and am just embarking on my 8th week of tretinoin today. I experienced a TON of redness in my third to fourth week. I think it was those weeks... I'd have to go back and check the logs. But anyway, I was also on a topical antibiotic, and I know that that was a huge contributor to the redness. So, I can't exactly tell you how red I would have gotten without the topical antibiotic. However, I don't think it would have been even half as bad. The redness is something that's different for everyone. In my opinion though, a little redness for a couple of weeks is nothing when on the road to clear skin. Years of clarity is what's more important.
The only problem with fair skin is that the red marks after the pimples clear up are really noticeable. However, the tretinoin is supposed to help that (and is slowly doing so in my case) and I just ordered this MAMA lotion stuff yesterday, and that should help as well. I'll let you guys know how that works out when it comes.
I'm waiting until I see more improvement to show full before and after pics. I was really bad at taking pics throughout this experience, and I don't even have a real camera (I use photobooth on my mac, lol).
BUT! if it makes you feel better, I started tretinoin 3 years ago as well, and after all the redmarks cleared up I was clear for years (until i decided to go off of it for a couple of months).
Oh well, I'm over the initial breakout and hopefully the few zits I have left over will be gone in no time as well as the red marks.
My pores have decreased dramatically, and my skin is super smooth. The redness I used to have toward my jaw bone from very mild rosacea is gone as well. I'm very pleased! Stick with it!
Thanks, Oh and I do like cats I have 2. I've used it for 4 days and no side effects yet. Is the redness able to be coved up with make up? I do have fair skin, but I guess I'm lucky my red marks only last about a week. When should I expect the redness and peeling? Also is it ok to use lotion first then 30 minutes later put on the tretinoin, do the same results occur? I thought putting lotion on second would move the medication around? thanks. I'm hoping to just control my acne till I hopefully 
grow out of it.