Hi Madelineee

I'm also using tretinoin (0.02%), I'm at week 11 so I understand what you're going through. It is not unusual that you're still breaking out. It may take 3/4 months for your skin to be done purging. That's long, I know (T^T).

My breakout subsided at week 9-10, thank god it started at week 3 and it was truly mortifying. Tretinoin turned my acne from light to severe (big inflamed pustules all over my face) (>___>). One day I had about 15 pimples on each cheek ! My chin and forehead were also a mess. I was afraid that my skin will never turn back to normal. But it did! I'm almost clear now , no big pimples whatsoever, only some clogged pores that I'm waiting for to be purged out. My face is smooth now (T^T)/ I'm so happy.

My only concern is that I'm left with red marks. I did get red marks in the past but never as prominent as they are now. I think that's because of tretinoin, because it makes your skin more sensitive. I have also heard that tretinoin is supposed to help with the marks. I'm not sure about that, but my marks are slowly fading away. Perhaps the combination of time, patience, tretinoin and a lemon-yogurt-honey-mask that I'm using daily it's good for the skin if you don't have food allergies. I recommend it But don't worry your marks will fade away, you just have to allow your skin to heal itself. I also did have some scars () but they're gone now.

Don't worry, it may take a long time but if you take good care of your skin, you will be rewarded. 

Good luck (^-^)/ please stick through it for at least 3 months. And never give up, cuz you're worth it (cheesy I know, but it's true!)

hi mimini!

thanks for the encouraging words (:

my ib started around week 3 too! and its still going on, but definitely not as bad as it was.

that post you linked was very encouraging! yet, she seems to also be on an oral antibiotic so you dont really know which is helping her the most...the retin a or the pill.... but still very encouraging!

was your acne bad at week 6? thats where i am and its pretty terrible !

also, for some reason my face got really red todayy out of nowhere, like its not usually red from the tretinoin. im thinking this could be from 1 or 2 reasons.

1. it wass really sunny today and i got a sunburn...??

2. i used a lil BP yesterday during the day(spot treatment) and my skin couldnt handle it??

do you think these are possible reasons??

also, one more question...im sorry...

for some reason my nose and forehead seem to be going through cycles...

(my cheeks are my main concern, but i do breakout everywhere)

first my nose was perfect, then broke out very bad, then was perfect for like almost a month on this gel and now its breaking out again?? so weird.....is this normal??

same thing with my forheaddd! its so confusing....

hi mimini!

thanks for the encouraging words (:

my ib started around week 3 too! and its still going on, but definitely not as bad as it was.

that post you linked was very encouraging! yet, she seems to also be on an oral antibiotic so you dont really know which is helping her the most...the retin a or the pill.... but still very encouraging!

 

was your acne bad at week 6? thats where i am and its pretty terrible !

 

also, for some reason my face got really red todayy out of nowhere, like its not usually red from the tretinoin. im thinking this could be from 1 or 2 reasons.

1. it wass really sunny today and i got a sunburn...??

2. i used a lil BP yesterday during the day(spot treatment) and my skin couldnt handle it??

do you think these are possible reasons??

 

also, one more question...im sorry...

for some reason my nose and forehead seem to be going through cycles...

(my cheeks are my main concern, but i do breakout everywhere)

first my nose was perfect, then broke out very bad, then was perfect for like almost a month on this gel and now its breaking out again?? so weird.....is this normal??

same thing with my forheaddd! its so confusing....

Hi Madelineee, don't hestitate to ask questions . I also had lots of questions and did research like crazy just to feel less freaked out over my IB. I try to answer as best as I can but I'm not an expert, just a fellow tretinoin user with longer experience . I hope that you understand me, because english is not my native language. So my sentences are messed up

I'm also on antibiotics, long after my IB started. So I'm not sure that I stopped breaking out due to this or tretinoin, perhaps both. But I do feel like I'm almost done with purging, as my skin is soft and bumpfree now. At the beginning of my IB my whole face was literaly covered with little bumps/clogged pores. It was horrible, although they weren't very noticable I could definetely feel them, I had almost no area of smooth skin. Then some started to fall out when washing my face or picking at my skin (which was a very bad thing to do I know ) But most of them turn in evil pustules/pimples. Now I don't break out anymore, but I think that's more due to my skin done purging than the antibiotics. The antibiotics might helped in making my IB less severe when it finally started working, smaller pustules. But I don't think it actually stopped the IB, because your skin will purge anyway on tretinoin. You might want to start antibiotics if you want some help with the IB.

1. I think that your skin might be red due one of these reasons:

- More sunburn-prone: Tretinoin makes your skin more sensitive and it's not unusual that people get sunburns more easily. That's why it is advised to wear SPF, especially when you're on a retinoid. And try to minimize contact with direct sunlight . But not saying that you have to act like a vampire though XD

- Flushing: I noticed that when I first began using tretinoin (well this is actually my second time, I used 0.05% the first time and stopped after 2 weeks of using it. Because I got a lot of clogged pores all over my face, which was the beginning of my IB, but I didn't know at that time how retinoids work because my doktor didn't explain to me clearly what to be expected so I freaked out. And suffered major side-effects as really red peeling sensitive skin, damn this is a long sentence >_> ) my face turned red and that went away after like 2 weeks, I'm talking about the tretinoin that I'm currently using XD. But my face is definately flushing more easily. It seems that several other users have this problem. If someone pinches my cheek or if I'm blushing my skin turns red.

I noticed that some days my skin looks more red. This happened several times, perhaps we're still surfering from the side-effect . I've read experiences that some dealt with side-effects for as long as 3/4 months. So I guess it's not unusual. Just don't worry. unless if your skin hurts like freaking hell then there must be something wrong ().

2. I used BP in the past, it worked well in the beginning but then it made my skin very sensitive. So I've stopped using it. If you choose to use BP don't use it at the same time when you're using tretinoin. BP in the morning and tretinoin at night (tretinoin is meant to use at night anyway XD). It is possible that your skin turns red due to BP as it is a common side-effect. I also experience red areas in the past. Since tretinoin makes your skin more sensitive and fragile it is advised to not use other harsh products. BP can be very harsh, so it might be to much for your skin to handle at the moment. If you think that BP makes your skin worse then stop using it for a while. I understand that the breakout is very bothersome, but if you use to many harsh products it can aggrevate your breakout.

3. Don't worry, it's not unusual that your skin is going through cycles. Some take longer to be purged out which is very frustrating I know (T^T). I have also experienced that. When I thought that my forehead and chin was done purging they broke out again the week later. Now they're clear *knocks on wood* but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm starting to break out a little. Yes the purging phase is really frustrating $^*#!!

Well this was a very long reply, I'm sorry XD

Good luck

Oh yeah,, my skin was definately at its worst in week 4-9, if I remember correctly. I got new pimples every day at the point that almost my whole face was covered. Random strangers would make fun of my skin and I even had one man coming up to me asking what's up with my face when I was freakin studying in the library. Hello, aren't your eyes working .It was emotionally very hard.

I hope that you will achieve a wonderful skin soon

Hey everyone!

I am getting desperate with my inflammatory pimples and I need some advice. I always get these deep pimples, mostly on my chin. They hurt, are red and huge! 2 years ago, I started using benzoyl + salicylic acid. It worked wonders! Unfortunately, it didn't last. 8 months ago, I started breaking out again. I decided to add Retin A to my regimen. I'm on week 9 and although I've read that you should see improvement around week 8, my skin looks even worse than before. I still get these deep inflammatory pimples, and on top of that, I have whiteheads, blackheads and a lot of red spots. How long does it take to actually see improvement? Do you think Retin A simply might not be working for me?

Heeellp!!!

Hey I have a question. I have been using tretinoin cream for the past 7 days and I have been using it wrong. I squeezed about multiple pea size amounts for each part of my face mistaking the term ONE PEA SIZE AMOUNT for my whole face. I have read the directions and now I understand. If I use less tomorrow and according to directions usin ONE PEA SIZE AMOUNT for my whole face will the cream still work? or my skin has built a tolerace from the large amount used? (P.S. I didn't notice much irritation when using a large amount but I want to use less according to the directions now.)

Hey I have been using retina also but as a mix for a red scar on my nose which I've had for 8 months. Doc prescribed me a hq4% retinaa + betaderm mix and the red scar is mostly the same since I started using the cream which was 7 days ago the skin around the scar has become lighter though then the rest of my skin... Should I keep using it and when will I see results? I have a derm apportionment nex week btw

I have many years of experience with generic Tretinoin cream.

For some reason 6 months has always been my 'perfection point' in regards to breakouts on tretinoin. Most don't hang around long enough to experience that. I still use it religiously only I use .1% now every few nights. And .01% around my eye area (31 and NO crows feet yet, THANK YOU TRETINOIN!)

It was almost a year in that I reached the perfection point in regards to collagen production. First it thins the hell out of your skin, then it begins causing more/tighter collagen matrixes. It also began really changing the shape of my atrophic scars as well as filling them in.

Now w if I could just stop getting cocky, going off of it, and having to redo the whole dang timeline haha. I'm destined to be on this until menopause I fear.

Hope all of you plagued with acne make tretinoin your best friend and keep it in your arsenal as a secret for life! You deserve to be acne free AND age slower than those who have blemish free skin after all of the suffering.

On September 20, 2015 at 637 PM, Kevin7st said:

Hey I have a question. I have been using tretinoin cream for the past 7 days and I have been using it wrong. I squeezed about multiple pea size amounts for each part of my face mistaking the term ONE PEA SIZE AMOUNT for my whole face. I have read the directions and now I understand. If I use less tomorrow and according to directions usin ONE PEA SIZE AMOUNT for my whole face will the cream still work? or my skin has built a tolerace from the large amount used? (P.S. I didn't notice much irritation when using a large amount but I want to use less according to the directions now.)

I use it the way you initially did but I have a fantastic tolerance now as I have used it a long time. If you aren't looking like a snake shedding it's skin, I would do a pea size for your lower face, pea size for upper region, and if you're doing your neck area, pea size there. Tretinoin DOES travel a bit under the skin. Any more than what I have said will not make it work any better/faster. But a stronger percentage may be needed if you have thicker skin, and studies say the higher percentage the faster the results. (Males and more melanin usually means thicker skin).

I'm 4 weeks in using tretanoin .025 and I dont seem to be peeling much anymore. I have really oily skin and the drying effect has only amped up the number of blackheads in my T-zone. I've been taking saw palmetto, milk thistle, d3, fish oil, vitamin A but still no luck controlling my sebaceous glands. I feel like I traded in some of the inflammatory acne for blackheads now.

4 weeks in is not long enough to judge anything. You should still be purging a bit, they just may not be inflammatory pimples (red and swollen). The blackheads are what turn into pimples later, they're little plugs of keratin and sebum. I had this on my nose as I was purging. I don't really get blackheads anywhere else, so I know it is normal. PLEASE stay with it at least for 6 months. If you have a major date or function I know it's tempting to stop but PLEASE don't. You'll thank yourself later. I also highly suggest ditching the saw palmetto unless you're taking it for prostate health and same with milk thistle.I would simply eat right, drink water and keep going with tretinoin. Don't screw with your hormones.

On 11/20/2015 at 0:44 AM, Tootie2014 said:

I have many years of experience with generic Tretinoin cream.

For some reason 6 months has always been my 'perfection point' in regards to breakouts on tretinoin. Most don't hang around long enough to experience that. I still use it religiously only I use .1% now every few nights. And .01% around my eye area (31 and NO crows feet yet, THANK YOU TRETINOIN!)

It was almost a year in that I reached the perfection point in regards to collagen production. First it thins the hell out of your skin, then it begins causing more/tighter collagen matrixes. It also began really changing the shape of my atrophic scars as well as filling them in.

Now w if I could just stop getting cocky, going off of it, and having to redo the whole dang timeline haha. I'm destined to be on this until menopause I fear.

Hope all of you plagued with acne make tretinoin your best friend and keep it in your arsenal as a secret for life! You deserve to be acne free AND age slower than those who have blemish free skin after all of the suffering.

 

I use it the way you initially did but I have a fantastic tolerance now as I have used it a long time. If you aren't looking like a snake shedding it's skin, I would do a pea size for your lower face, pea size for upper region, and if you're doing your neck area, pea size there. Tretinoin DOES travel a bit under the skin. Any more than what I have said will not make it work any better/faster. But a stronger percentage may be needed if you have thicker skin, and studies say the higher percentage the faster the results. (Males and more melanin usually means thicker skin).

Hi, i was just prescribed tretinoin and i have read some pretty bad things about it ruining people's skin texture. How did you make out with it? I only have a couple scars so I'm thinking about just using it on the scars instead of my entire face. My acne is pretty much under control, so i don't want to mess with that.