Yesterday I started the ib I believe mild yesterday bad today I had a pimple that well I'm not gonna say the biggest ever but definitely in the top 3 haha hoping this clears by tuesday but probably not. It sucks because I think this is day 20 and I had 90% clear skin till friday. I forgot how to mentally put up with it
Day 68 | 10th week
Cheeks and forehead 99% clear, no bumps. The majority of them now lie on and underneath the jawline, which is weird because I never had problems there. However, even they are starting to go now. Not had a proper spot since my TOTM one. Hyperpigmentation getting better every day. I've got a mock week this coming week - it would be a miracle if I didn't break out due to all the stress hey! But then at least I know it's due to the stress and not anything else, which is always good.
@UsedToBe
Did you manage to get hold of your derm in the end? How's your skin now?
Keep going! Don't let one spot discourage you and just don't mess with it. Slather Differin onto it because it gets rid of mine 
Day 72 | 11th week
Gonna lay off the Differin tonight: can feel some areas of my face getting really dry. Using a heavier moisturiser (and probably will do tomorrow too). Still kind of in the plateau stage: my hyperpigmentation's pretty much disappearing but I still have a few bumps on my jawline and on my left cheek. Nearly finished the whole three months that is recommended and I can definitely say that my skin is a lot better than when I started, absolutely
But I might go back to the derm/doctor's after the 12th week and see if I can try either the 0.1% adapalene gel or the 0.3% cream and see if that gets rid of the ones on my jawline, if it hasn't been eliminated/improved by that time
not going to lie, i purged for 3-4 weeks.. but a lot worse and consistent during week week 1-3
just if i could give ONE piece of advice it is this, don't pick - honestly its half if not all of the reason i have accumulated lots of PIH and scarring etc. its super super tempting when on a drug that purges it all but try to resist. at least avoid the upper cheeks, this area is very prone to marks etc
but keep going!
i am on week 4 now +1 day today and things are looking positive
Heyyyy!!!! Love love love to hear this!!! That your skin is the least of your problems, this is excellent news
although im sorry if everything else is rubbish x
is there a chance that it would break you out...the oil thing???
Ahh thanks, Sboo 
Yeah, skin's alright at the moment although I've got a pesky little one coming up on my right cheek, but I'm 100% sure that's nothing to do with the Differin (maybe TOTM spot or the stress of mocks/exams). It seems that the 0.1% cream isn't doing anything else for me so will have to book another appointment with the derm/doctor to get a higher concentration.
And yeah, the OCM has made people break out but the trick is to use oils that are compatible with your skin. Although oils in general may not be everyone's best friend. I guess to find out, you'll just have to clench your teeth and try it, and stop immediately if it does break you out? How are you doing with the Differin?
Day 80 | 12th week
This week was a less than stellar week. These stubborn bumps on my jawline seem to finally be purging - it's actually taking ages though! Had another TOTM spot, although it wasn't a under-the-skin one this time, which is good. Still need to book the appointment but let's hope that this purging is finally over after this!
well, this last week has been less good. Had a break out of random large deep painful spots. but to be fair they were mainly ones which have been small skin coloured bumps for some time
anyway, felt rubbish, it was around my totm, but I usually break out before, and this was after which was odd. before my skin was looking ok, and during really.
I changed my diet 3 weeks ago, have cut out all dairy, wheat and refined sugar. Thought it was really working, and think it probably is and I just need to give it longer!! Also have given up smoking 10 days ago!!! In the afternoon my face feels quite oily and greasy, which I haven't had before, and my makeup feels like its sitting there ready to slide off
generally my skin is overall a lot better, just the areas which need to heal where ive squeezed 
less small under the skin bumps I think, but been house sitting for a friend and her mirrors aren't very well lit, which is ok, but I had a real squeezing / piking session mid week, which is prob why its not been so good!!!
Glad to hear your doing quite well....will be 12 weeks on Tuesday!!!
well, this last week has been less good. Had a break out of random large deep painful spots. but to be fair they were mainly ones which have been small skin coloured bumps for some time
anyway, felt rubbish, it was around my totm, but I usually break out before, and this was after which was odd. before my skin was looking ok, and during really.
I changed my diet 3 weeks ago, have cut out all dairy, wheat and refined sugar. Thought it was really working, and think it probably is and I just need to give it longer!! Also have given up smoking 10 days ago!!! In the afternoon my face feels quite oily and greasy, which I haven't had before, and my makeup feels like its sitting there ready to slide off
generally my skin is overall a lot better, just the areas which need to heal where ive squeezed less small under the skin bumps I think, but been house sitting for a friend and her mirrors aren't very well lit, which is ok, but I had a real squeezing / piking session mid week, which is prob why its not been so good!!!
Glad to hear your doing quite well....will be 12 weeks on Tuesday!!!
Oh no 
At least you know it's working for you? I also think I need to give mine longer too, seeing as those little stubborn bumps have been purging recently. That's great that you've given up smoking and eating healthier! Maybe the oiliness is due to the changes you have made... or you're just starting to see the effects of Differin (makes loads of people oilier). Either way, I don't know. Ahh no! Hopefully your skin will heal up soon And yay, 12 week club! 
what is the crack with differin seriously.
im approaching week 6 and i'm still breaking out lol.... i'm laughing because i am actually really depressed..
i thought by now i wouldnt break out or at least it would have calmed down. Basically i seem to be breaking out on my right temple..
generally my forehead looks messy, i have had countless black heads and white heads crop up or sit under the skin for weeks now. do the black heads ever come out on their own accord?
did anyone else experience temple area breaking out from clear before treatment?
who is using differin with an anti-biotic? or duac?
i want to know if i am doing anything wrong here...
its disheartening to think it could have got worse than before i started, granted i'm not purging like when i first started but the marks and scars are lingering from this process.
what is the crack with differin seriously.
im approaching week 6 and i'm still breaking out lol.... i'm laughing because i am actually really depressed..
i thought by now i wouldnt break out or at least it would have calmed down. Basically i seem to be breaking out on my right temple..
generally my forehead looks messy, i have had countless black heads and white heads crop up or sit under the skin for weeks now. do the black heads ever come out on their own accord?
did anyone else experience temple area breaking out from clear before treatment?
who is using differin with an anti-biotic? or duac?
i want to know if i am doing anything wrong here...
its disheartening to think it could have got worse than before i started, granted i'm not purging like when i first started but the marks and scars are lingering from this process.
Oh no 
Please don't be depressed: I was/am still breaking out, although much much less. I don't think my skin's been 100% clear for more than 4-5 days tops because my bumps are still purging. The majority of my breakouts were on my cheeks and outer area of face because that's my problem area (never used to be), but now it's almost exclusively on my jawline (which is also weird because I never had any problems there. Granted, that's still where the bumps are). I think I've had a breakout in every part of my face since starting it, even in places where I never had any problems before starting Differin, except for around the eye area which has stayed clear.
I find that the Differin didn't help with any blackheads, so I 'treat' those with something different. I also still have a little bit of hyperpigmentation from past breakouts but I've seriously not been touching my face at all so it's gotten so much better, more on the left side of my face than the right. Does that serum not work then?
I'm pretty sure you're not doing anything wrong. Halfway through the 3 months I also did think that, that I could've saved all the breakouts and embarrassment if I'd never started the treatment, especially as January - March was 'party season' (the majority of my friends and I turned 18) and I had to go to parties with a breakout slap bang in the middle of my face. But I was like, I started it for a reason so I wanted to stick with it for the full 3 months to see if it was worth it and I'm really, really glad I did.
im with SV....hang in there, im on week 12, and although ive made other changes, this last couple of weeks, other than a break out in the middle, ive gone 4 days at a time with no new spots (this is very very unusual for me!!)
I have had break outs in previously clear areas, but then problem areas have cleared quicker
really give it time, unless you think youre having a reaction to it. im glad I did so far.
thanks guys. I wont lie, I have squeezed my skin.. and yes I am very very ashamed of that..
I tried squeezing what I *THOUGHT* was a black head on my forehead and turns out it wasn't (it was a hole from a previous 'grain' that I squeezed out).. now I have a red mark that looks like a spot and hurts to the touch, so last night I didn't put Diff on my face.
do you have ANY tips what so ever for NOT picking? I feel this is what has hindered my progress significantly. I'm not crazy like I used to be I have left a fair amount of white heads to pop themselves in the shower with warm water and cleanser... but I have squeezed out an awful lot of blackheads and whiteheads since starting this process...
I think my progress and results would be 10 fold had I not done so.. but I can only go forward now and I really hope it clears up.
part of me thinks it could be the sunscreen clogging me up... as I seem to break out a few days after using it.. :/ but summer is coming!!!!...
what do you treat the blackheads with then?
the serum is good - its my moisturiser, but of course hyperpigmentation wont disappear over night, its going to take months. this is why I am ashamed of the marks that I've caused.
sboo you say 4 days in 12 weeks with out new spots... to me, this isn't good enough (its great though of course!), I need (we all need) months of not breaking out daily. like maybe 1 spot a week or like 3 per month like people who don't suffer, I think only then will we see drastic improvements, this is why I want to go on roaccutane.
I do realise I haven't helped with the picking, not at all, but if it was smooth and not breaking out, the temptation wouldn't even be there. it wouldn't even cross my mind, id look in the mirror, be like wow I love my skin, do my hair, spend more time on my general appearance and be on my way.
I hate having a shower, looking in the mirror, seeing imperfections and wanting to 'fix' them and worry about them..
I have changed my attitude recently and I am going to avoid mirrors after showering, and go about my business. and also my mental attitude, I need to accept this, this will happen and continue to do so, so I need to be more accepting.
underlying my thoughts is the notion that 'I seriously I worry if my skin will ever be nice again'.
I don't think I am having a reaction to it by all means, it doesn't sting or turn me red, so it my skin must be tolerating it?
sigh, I really need support guys
thanks guys. I wont lie, I have squeezed my skin.. and yes I am very very ashamed of that..
I tried squeezing what I *THOUGHT* was a black head on my forehead and turns out it wasn't (it was a hole from a previous 'grain' that I squeezed out).. now I have a red mark that looks like a spot and hurts to the touch, so last night I didn't put Diff on my face.
do you have ANY tips what so ever for NOT picking? I feel this is what has hindered my progress significantly. I'm not crazy like I used to be I have left a fair amount of white heads to pop themselves in the shower with warm water and cleanser... but I have squeezed out an awful lot of blackheads and whiteheads since starting this process...
I think my progress and results would be 10 fold had I not done so.. but I can only go forward now and I really hope it clears up.
part of me thinks it could be the sunscreen clogging me up... as I seem to break out a few days after using it..
what do you treat the blackheads with then?
the serum is good - its my moisturiser, but of course hyperpigmentation wont disappear over night, its going to take months. this is why I am ashamed of the marks that I've caused.
sboo you say 4 days in 12 weeks with out new spots... to me, this isn't good enough (its great though of course!), I need (we all need) months of not breaking out daily. like maybe 1 spot a week or like 3 per month like people who don't suffer, I think only then will we see drastic improvements, this is why I want to go on roaccutane.
I do realise I haven't helped with the picking, not at all, but if it was smooth and not breaking out, the temptation wouldn't even be there. it wouldn't even cross my mind, id look in the mirror, be like wow I love my skin, do my hair, spend more time on my general appearance and be on my way.
I hate having a shower, looking in the mirror, seeing imperfections and wanting to 'fix' them and worry about them..
I have changed my attitude recently and I am going to avoid mirrors after showering, and go about my business. and also my mental attitude, I need to accept this, this will happen and continue to do so, so I need to be more accepting.
underlying my thoughts is the notion that 'I seriously I worry if my skin will ever be nice again'.
I don't think I am having a reaction to it by all means, it doesn't sting or turn me red, so it my skin must be tolerating it?
sigh, I really need support guys
You really just need to be fully aware that squeezing at your skin will (probably) 99% cause your skin to be really red and maybe even scab over the next few days. It took me several goes before I learnt my lesson and learned not to pick whatsoever because I remember how I feel just after squeezing/how it looked after squeezing. The scabbing was hard to cover up the next couple of days with makeup, and even then, the makeup kind of just made it look worse.
I understand the temptation, I really, really do because I've been there. Now I only squeeze very gently when something genuinely looks like it's ready to come out. Other than that, I leave it, because I know how it's going to end.
Avoiding mirrors is my best tip, definitely. It has helped me so much when I don't have a mirror to scrutinise every bit of my face with. Chances are, your skin doesn't even look that bad to other people: we are our own worst enemy. I found that whenever I put my desk mirror on the floor beside me and carry on with whatever I'm doing (work or whatever), I completely forget about my face (compared to if I keep looking up and seeing my reflection, I would want to keep staring at my skin).
If you think your sunscreen's breaking you out, stop using it and see whether your skin improves. Personally I don't wear sunscreen because that's the type of thing that would break me out. There's SPF in my foundation anyway...
As for the blackheads, I don't really 'treat' them, I basically just use the oil cleansing method to loosen them: it's really good at that. I don't think I've ever bought a product that was specifically designed to remove blackheads and have it actually work for me.
I think your experience is mainly psychological to be honest, you seem like you're aware of the attitudes you need to change towards your skin and of course, being positive about what this medication could potentially do always helps. It's just self-control and discipline
I think im on week 5? Not sure. Still breaking out I even had a few cists on my cheek :/ but every npw and then I have a few days of clear or almost clear skin so that's nice haha. Jack you have to hang in there all the research I've done says dont even expect results till three months then it will start improving. I just try to think about late this summer I wont have to worry about acne (hopefully) and it keeps me going. And it also helps I know a person that has bad acne just like me and we can help each other out and talk about it haha
Just to let you know what my experiences have been. I've been on differin + tetralysal since October-ish and it worked a treat but 2 weeks after I stopped the anti-biotics (now). I've started to breakout again... I'll wait a few more weeks but I think I'll have to try something else.
It may or may not work out for you guys, but you may as well stick with it (at least a few months) and see where you are at. That's my only advice
Best of luck guys
Thanks for the replies - this Friday will be week 7.. I don't think it's working for me guys. my skin hasn't improved if anything it's worse than before I started this and a regime. just think I should stop.. looks like the only way for me will be roaccutane after all which is a shame being as it's light but persistently annoying acne that I suffer from.
Walking about town I realised my skin compared with others is actually not bad at all. But I want great skin tbh. I don't like all the micro bumps and roughness and patchy look to my skin.
I'm annoyed that differin is still breaking me out to this day in places that were once clear.,, markedly the temples. furthermore it's not stopping the new spots from forming. Just don't understand, I've stopped using the SPF now and started using a Nivea combination skin mosituriser - it feels light at least.
Was thinking about using anti biotics but what's the point in using temporary means to a long term problem approaching my age late 20's you have to just hit it hard. My skin isn't rejuvenating like it used to anymore, marks linger and scars will never fade.
I need accutane to start again to allow my skin to get a new start. Maybe I'm fooling myself I don't know anymore. feel pretty helpless :/
Just why would it take 3 months to 'start' working I mean seriously? 3 months of this and I dred to think what damage I'd have done to my face ):
How long do the marks stay for from previous acne? looking at my skin, it would be looking relatively clear if the skin didn't have a heap of marks...
I know its my fault for squeezing them out but my skin leaves these marks irrespective of leaving it be or not. i'm not trying to justify that of course, but seems there Is no way of avoiding that.. especially as the differin had caused a huge purge and then only recently did I discover that it was indeed my SPF that was the culprit at clogging me up..
So now that you found your sunscreen wasn't helping at you going to stay on differin jack?. Im having an issue with my forehead I wear my hair with bangs so I usually hide it but I break out and then the white heads go away but the bumps are still there. Should I pop them when they are white heads to avoid this or what?. This is getting diffuse for me just breakout after breakout and my parents wont let me stay home from anything cus they dont understand so that sucks haha. Hoping the breakouts aren't as bad soon it seems whenever one area clears up another starrs breaking out.
How long do the marks stay for from previous acne? looking at my skin, it would be looking relatively clear if the skin didn't have a heap of marks...
I know its my fault for squeezing them out but my skin leaves these marks irrespective of leaving it be or not. i'm not trying to justify that of course, but seems there Is no way of avoiding that.. especially as the differin had caused a huge purge and then only recently did I discover that it was indeed my SPF that was the culprit at clogging me up..
Heyy, could be anything up to a year, depending on how your skin is. I have absolutely found that the Differin has cleared up most of my hyperpigmentation, or at least faded them. If you take into account that your sunscreen was clogging you up and the marks that you have now are just from picking, how much better has your skin actually gotten from using the Differin? Because if you think about that and your skin has gotten better, would that be an incentive to carry on using it for the full three months, minus the sunscreen?