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Started Epiduo - killed spots but also killed my skin

 
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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 06/27/2011 4:55 am

Epiduo

Hi everyone. I thought Id post a new thread instead of my last chance saloon essay because Ive changed my regimen which has totally changed my skin. Im going to quickly go over whats been happening and end with what Epiduo has done to me. Photos of course :)

My skin was at its worst about a year ago, constantly covered in active acne. It was mainly around my mouth and chin but still sporadically would appear on my forehead cheeks and nose. They would start as red lumps, then get quite big for 4 days then would get a white head for 3 days. One spots life would be about 2 weeks. So it was never ending.

I started getting involved with acne.org about 4 weeks ago, reading up on other peoples experiences and getting advice. I bought every supplement under the sun, spent £70 on Clinique products and would wear various different masks depending on what was in the fridge.

Emotionally I have been EXHAUSTED. It seemed hopeless. I was spending all my money on skin care, spending all my time in the bathroom and filling my head with non-stop thoughts of my skin. The worst was when it looked as if my skin was settling down Then Id break out all over again. It was so disheartening.

I finally got a derm appointment and she prescribed me Epiduo and Cetaphil Moisturiser. Epiduo is 2.5% Benzyl Peroxide (Ive used BP Duac before with no results) with 0.1% adapalene (ingredients in Differin). She directed me to use it once a day. I didnt use it for a while because I wanted to commit to a regimen for more than 6 weeks. In the end I caved.

Thursday 23rd June

Evening  I put a LOT on the affected areas + spot treated my cheeks and forehead + put it on my nose (I heard that it helps get rid of blackheads)

Friday 24th June

Morning My skin ALREADY looked clearer. Spots that looked like they were going to explode had subsided. My skin looked a bit red/orange. Used Clinique foaming cleanser, clarifying lotion, epiduo then cetaphil. No makeup

Evening Same regimen as morning. Wanted to double dose to enhance rapid results (WHY do I always think I am smarter than the instructions?!)

Saturday 25th June

Morning REALLY red. Quite sore and tight. Had another promo job so needed to wear full makeup. Did routine again including the Epiduo underneath Clinique Moisturiser.

About half way through the day I couldnt stand my face being so tight any more. My job was to be smiling and promoting but I couldnt move my face. Looked in the mirror my skin was PEELING OFF MY FACE! It looked HORRENDOUS. At first I thought my foundation was cracking with the strange weather but my skin was literally falling off.

Tried covering with makeup but looked worse.

Evening took makeup off as soon as I could but my skin was just flaking so bad. I scrubbed with a teatree exfoliation wash when I got home and my skin was coming off in my hands the sink looked disgusting.

I didnt put any more epiduo on apart from on spots. I also put LOTS of sudocrem on the sorest areas.

Sunday 26th June

Morning (woke at 6 in pain) My spots were nearly gone but I woke up to a face that felt like it was on FIRE. I ran to the mirror and my skin was shedding even more. I called my mum in tears I was in so much pain who suggested Aloe vera. Bad choice, it stung for 20 minutes.

I gave my everyone orders do not make me laugh or smile because it hurts and cracks my face, but please dont make me cry because the tears sting my skin. What a rubbish day. My skin carried on shedding and flaking through the day. I kept applying cetaphil and sudocrem but didnt help. It looked like my skin was burnt.

Didnt put any epiduo on in the night either.

Monday 27th June

My skin is still flaking but not as badly as yesterday. Only three spots left which are nearly dead. I put epiduo on again this morning and will DEFINITELY only use it once a day from now on.

Consensus so far

Epiduo has worked at killing my spots quicker and better than ANY other treatment I have tried.

It has caused my skin to flake and be dry because I did not use as directed.

I am going to carry on using it and give updates on my progress.

Does anyone think I should stop taking any supplements to encourage oil production again because my skin is SO dry?

Photos taken Saturday and today. See my gallery for progress before :)

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 06/27/2011 8:06 am

Flaking has gotten a little better today. It's annoying because it's really making me want to touch and rub my skin.

 

Does anyone else have any experience with this product? I'd like some advice as to how long this peeling will last :)

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 06/28/2011 7:32 am

This morning the three spots I thought were dying old ones are actually 3 new ones. They aren't getting bigger or smaller but my skin does look improved over all.

 

The flaking has subsided today since I am now only going to be using it once a day at night.

 

Seems to be looking a little redder today... I'm really hoping this is my miracle cure!

 

Please please anyone else had experience with this that can give me a personal review? x

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(@ellie7)

Posted : 06/28/2011 7:38 pm

My daughter uses Epiduo and although it hasn't cleared her completely, it has helped keep her acne under control along with Acayna(to spot treat). She uses Epiduo once per day(in the evening) and always mixes a pea sized amount with a little moisturizer in the palm of her hand before applying to her entire face. She never experienced any of the peeling you described. I would suggest trying to mix it with moisturizer and see if that helps. Good luck to you.

 

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(@simply-music)

Posted : 07/02/2011 1:21 am

Flaking has gotten a little better today. It's annoying because it's really making me want to touch and rub my skin.

 

Does anyone else have any experience with this product? I'd like some advice as to how long this peeling will last :)

 

well i was given epiduo samples by my dermo to try out and at first it did burn itch and bother quite a bit but i don't think ill use it as it does not dry my pimples up or anything, finacea has done a better job in that area but i have never experienced peeling with epiduo maybe try using a tiny bit at night and applying moisturizer with it or after..cetaphil moisturizer works pretty well.

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(@jcsupastar)

Posted : 07/04/2011 12:50 am

my derm prescriped me epiduo a couple weeks ago. progress for me has a little sluggish but consistent and good. I get most of my acne on my t zone but i decided to put on my chin and cheeks for a couple days last week and they BURNED FOR DAYS. my chin is still peeling from it. I always always always put spf15 moisturizer on during the day and on days i'm on the sun i put lots of suncreen on my face. DO NOT tan or get a sunburn while on this because it will make the peeling so much worse

 

 

*EDIT* also read that you said you're putting on alot! make sure to use as little as possible! i used alot one night and it burnt the shit out of my skin, literally hurt when I smiled and stung like a bitch when I put moisturizer on. try pea sized amount and rub that in in a circular motion, then repeat :)

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 07/04/2011 5:53 am

So... Not updated on skin recently (had my friend over from Aus so been pretty preoccupied!)

 

Over the last week my skin has been really raw and cracked. There's a spot that is rock hard on my chin and very large. It never had a head, I've not touched it at all but all the skin around it kept cracking and peeling.

 

Also I've been getting a couple more spots here and there around my chin, nothing unusual.

 

Now the peeling has significantly lessened. I use the epiduo all over the affected areas at night, in the morning I use a teeny tiny amount directly onto existing spots. I think this is OK...

 

I have definitely noticed that B3 and D3 are helping. I forgot my supplements for 4 days and skin got worse, for the last 3 days I've been taking as usual and skin looks a little bit clearer.

 

Pics below... It looks same as ever..

 

On Saturday night I was going out for a big one. I put foundation on and immediately it started cracking and peeling off. I've got gel extensions on my nails right now so picking is impossible so I got some tweezers and peeled off all of the flaking skin and reapplied. Looked a heap better after that but I had about an hour of feeling on the verge of tears because my skin looked so ugly.

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(@southerngurl)

Posted : 07/05/2011 2:09 am

Seems like we started Epiduo on the same day. I too was prescribed on June 27th. I used too much the first day and noticed burning. Read online to use just a pea size amount and have been doing that since. It still itches/stings at night (which is when i apply) but it's manageable. I think the key to any successful treatment is consistency. I have had acne for 15 years and have NEVER stayed on a topical for more than 1 month, due to various reasons: burning, itching, no results, etc. This time will be different. I will let the medicine run its course. If it doesn't work, then at least I will know I fully tried it instead of 3 weeks and quitting.

 

I have had some new breakouts since i started. However, I'm also on my cycle so I can't really blame it on Epiduo. I read online that acne gets worse before it gets better on this Epiduo. I will wait and see.

 

 

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 07/05/2011 4:53 am

Seems like we started Epiduo on the same day. I too was prescribed on June 27th. I used too much the first day and noticed burning. Read online to use just a pea size amount and have been doing that since. It still itches/stings at night (which is when i apply) but it's manageable. I think the key to any successful treatment is consistency. I have had acne for 15 years and have NEVER stayed on a topical for more than 1 month, due to various reasons: burning, itching, no results, etc. This time will be different. I will let the medicine run its course. If it doesn't work, then at least I will know I fully tried it instead of 3 weeks and quitting.

 

I have had some new breakouts since i started. However, I'm also on my cycle so I can't really blame it on Epiduo. I read online that acne gets worse before it gets better on this Epiduo. I will wait and see.

 

Hi Southerngurl

 

I too have had breakouts since starting epiduo, which are actually mild but look worse because the epi is staining my skin red.

 

The irritation has subsided for me, my skin is still fragile and has a 'burnt' look in a patch but the peeling has pretty much stopped.

 

I do the same thing! Try something for a few weeks then start something new when I don't see results quickly enough..

 

I always see success when I change regimens. Every time I start something new my skin clears, then breaks out again in a week. I don't know if my future holds a never ending cycle of new regimens and hundreds of half used treatments?!?!

 

 

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(@sarah25)

Posted : 09/02/2012 8:47 am

Hi Abigail,

 

I'm not sure if you will get this because I see your last post on this thread was from last summer, but I'm just wondering how Epiduo worked for you in the long run? We seem to be in kind of the same position.. I'm a 22 year old with adult acne (I never had it as a teen) and my derm has prescribed me Epiduo once a day.

I've been on in for 2 weeks and if anything my skin has become worse, but I'm hoping that is just the IB to the Epiduo. I'm going to give it another month and see what happens.

 

My only issue is, I work at a bar so I obviously wear makeup when I go to work. My biggest fear is that the makeup is effecting how to Epiduo is working on my skin, even though i do use talc-free, "dermatologist improved" foundation and cover up.

But still.. I don't want to be backtracking my treatment with the makeup. A couple of forums suggest wearing my Epiduo under makeup instead of putting it on before bed, but that just makes it flake TERRIBLY. As you talked about in your post..its so gross and I don't want to be in public, especially serving at a job where I'm expected to look nice, with a peeling, acne-infested face.

 

Anyway, I'm really just wondering how everything worked out for you and if you have any tips for me!

Thanks :)

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 10/31/2012 5:39 am

Hi Sarah

I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. I'm currently in my last year of uni and I pretty much have time for nothing else :(

Your first question: In the long run, Epiduo is working out fantastically for me. I went from having persistent moderate cystic acne to having persistent clear skin. If I use too much my skin will occasionally react by getting tight and dry but I just counter that with 8 hour cream or a thick moisturiser.

You said you've been on it for two weeks and your skin has gotten worse. Mine did too. It didn't just give me more spots, it made my skin really dry, chapped and bright red. However, I would definitely give it another month. My dermatologist explained to me that skin is on a six week cycle and will take that amount of time to show the results of the treatment.

Also, for me, epiduo made wearing makeup SO difficult for me. I was using a foundation specifically for oily acne prone skin (clinique anti blemish foundation), the combination of an essentially drying foundation coupled with a drying topical treatment was horrendous. I never took a photo of how it looked because my own face sickened me.

I've recorded lots of photos and details of my experience with acne on my blog if you'd be interested in reading about how I got on with epiduo in more detail... I started the blog basically to give support to people going through what I did. I felt so alone the whole time, no one understood how I felt and people trying to understand would piss me off because it seemed insincere and annoying. Nearly the only solace I found was online, specifically on acne.org. Everyone here is wonderful.

My review of Epiduo: [Removed link]

My experience with Acne: [Removed link]

Also I'd like to say that from your profile photo, you are blessed with stunning looks. You are really gorgeous. I know that when you look in the mirror your eyes will automatically be drawn to your acne and you'll forget to see how pretty you are.

I just want to add that people who have suffered with bad skin are usually the only people who notice other people with similar predicaments, and it's noticing in an empathising sense rather than a critical one. A lot people are honestly so self obsessed and insecure about they look themselves that they aren't looking at other people at all. My mum used to tell me that all the time and mums are usually right!

If your dermatologist recommended using it at night with no makeup I'd urge you to completely follow her advice. I never found a solution for wearing makeup while my skin was flaking other than to moisturise thoroughly and avoid mirrors. As I've said, my acne was gone within two months and since then I've had no problems. It's just 100% worth all the hell, those two months were monstrous but they were over really quickly.

How are you feeling anyway? I hope you're feeling positive, are you getting support from friends and family?

What other things have you tried and how did they work out?

Just once more, I'll say trust your doctor, dermatologists are amazing at what they do not only for our skin but also for our self esteem.

Abi xx

On 9/2/2012 at 9:47 AM, sarah25 said:

Hi Abigail,

I'm not sure if you will get this because I see your last post on this thread was from last summer, but I'm just wondering how Epiduo worked for you in the long run? We seem to be in kind of the same position.. I'm a 22 year old with adult acne (I never had it as a teen) and my derm has prescribed me Epiduo once a day.

I've been on in for 2 weeks and if anything my skin has become worse, but I'm hoping that is just the IB to the Epiduo. I'm going to give it another month and see what happens.

My only issue is, I work at a bar so I obviously wear makeup when I go to work. My biggest fear is that the makeup is effecting how to Epiduo is working on my skin, even though i do use talc-free, "dermatologist improved" foundation and cover up.

But still.. I don't want to be backtracking my treatment with the makeup. A couple of forums suggest wearing my Epiduo under makeup instead of putting it on before bed, but that just makes it flake TERRIBLY. As you talked about in your post..its so gross and I don't want to be in public, especially serving at a job where I'm expected to look nice, with a peeling, acne-infested face.

Anyway, I'm really just wondering how everything worked out for you and if you have any tips for me!

Thanks 

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(@miss-soloist)

Posted : 10/31/2012 6:27 am

Hi Abigail,

So are you using epiduo with yasmin bc at the moment to keep your skin clear? Have you ever used any form of antibiotic?

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 10/31/2012 6:36 am

Hi Abigail,

So are you using epiduo with yasmin bc at the moment to keep your skin clear? Have you ever used any form of antibiotic?

 

 

Hi Miss Solosit

 

I attribute my current clear skin to my continued use of Epiduo. I am still on Yasmin merely as birth control but I would not say that affected my acne one way or another, Mycrogynon 30 and Dianette were no good for me.

 

I have tried oxytetracyline and tetralysal (lymecycline). Neither had any effect on my acne, but I know people that have had success with oxtetracyline. Tetralysal is the most vile thing I've ever had in my mouth and I accidentally drank a cup of chicken stock yesterday (I thought it was green tea - I am outrageously stupid). It (the antibiotic) has this powdery stale foot crust after-taste that repeats on you all day. Coupled with the fact that it didn't help my acne after three months of taking it I quit with no regrets.

 

What's your skin status currently and what do you use if you don't mind me asking?

 

Abi x

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(@miss-soloist)

Posted : 10/31/2012 12:54 pm

Ahh yes I think I tried minocycline and i do indeed remember that god awul taste!

My skins status? Well, i had grown out of acne from age of 25 then it came back this summer (i'm now 28). It's probably the worst I've had it although it is considered more mild though i do seem to have some acne cysts. Currently I am using Duac gel in the morning and differin at night time. I'm also experimenting with blue light but not sure if it's actually doing anything.

My derm said try the topicals for 3 months or if i wanted to i could give roaccutane a try but i'm very hesitant to at this point.

 

PS I've really enjoyed reading your posts about your struggles with acne, it makes me feel less alone! x

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 10/31/2012 4:03 pm

RE cysts. Something I didn't know is that you can get cortizone injections for them - I didn't know that. I had an enormous cyst on my forehead, I actually suspected that an insect had laid eggs in my face (it's my worst fear...). I endured it for more than a month and rather than getting smaller, I think it got bigger. In the end I pushed a sterilized needle into it and the results were worse than all of the Saw movies combined. I still have a noticeable indented scar, I really wish I'd known about the injections that dermatologists can offer!!!

 

That was a long story with a fairy tale ending...

 

OK. I need to say something about Roaccutane. If you have no luck with the topicals and antibiotics, grab the chance to take it. If you find a topical or antibiotic that does work, you'll be taking it forever to keep acne at bay. That's my deal at the moment. I think that acne.org is faultless for the support and information it offers.. But I think that there are a lot of posts on here that scaremonger about accutane. Here's why I think that:

 

-My mum had exactly the same type of acne as me, was given Roaccutane. She experienced no symptoms that she can remember other than dry skin

-My best friend had quite severe acne for 8 years (but remained gorgeous and stunning throughout), she had laser treatment and the works RE prescriptions. In the end she was prescribed Roaccutane but she's positive and light spirited and didn't pay attention to the !WARNINGS! in the leaflet.

-My college friend suddenly started exhibiting flawless skin, she said she'd been prescribed accutane. I said "didn't you find the side effects awful?", she had never heard of any of the side effects I'd listed

 

All of the above haven't really had a spot since their course finished. They don't spend 15 a month on prescriptions forever like I do and they don't freak out if they are caught without a bloody topical ointment for one night. (I love Epiduo but I'd have eloped and had babies with the results of Roaccutane...)

 

I also have a friend who is very very into reading up on side effects and is really cautious about her health, she's considering Roaccutane and I just know that she'll experience every one of the side effects... It's like a self fulfilling prophecy.

 

What I'm trying to say is that medical companies have to record any side effect that has been experienced by anyone. Ever. Even if it's just one person. Our bodies are mean machines and can deal with a hell of a lot of stuff, I really think that Roaccutane isn't as bad as some threads might make out. Yes the dry lips are inevitable but that's what Blistex is for!

 

What a rant! I don't work for Roaccutane, honestly!

 

Happy Halloween by the way!

 

xx

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(@miss-soloist)

Posted : 11/01/2012 3:33 pm

Yep i heard cysts could be injected with cortisone. I asked my derm and he wouldn't do it because he said it would cause thinning skin and facial atrophy. He said to wait for it to go down naturally. It's been ages now though. He says it can take anything up to a year! Heck!

I went to see my gp this afternoon as i was worried my acne has been getting a bit worse since I saw my derm. She's given me..guess what? Lymecycline! Oh joy! She says that combined with my topicals may give me a chance to put my acne into remission. I honestly have no idea what to do...sighs....man alive i wish i could have success on topicals like you've had. I guess I should give the antibiotics a go but i just feel like i'm scared my acne will come back worse or the tablets will hurt my guts. I hate having acne, i feel so depressed about it of late. It's always on my mind. What did you do to take your mind off it when you had it bad? x

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 11/02/2012 1:58 pm

Yep i heard cysts could be injected with cortisone. I asked my derm and he wouldn't do it because he said it would cause thinning skin and facial atrophy. He said to wait for it to go down naturally. It's been ages now though. He says it can take anything up to a year! Heck!

I went to see my gp this afternoon as i was worried my acne has been getting a bit worse since I saw my derm. She's given me..guess what? Lymecycline! Oh joy! She says that combined with my topicals may give me a chance to put my acne into remission. I honestly have no idea what to do...sighs....man alive i wish i could have success on topicals like you've had. I guess I should give the antibiotics a go but i just feel like i'm scared my acne will come back worse or the tablets will hurt my guts. I hate having acne, i feel so depressed about it of late. It's always on my mind. What did you do to take your mind off it when you had it bad? x

 

 

Ugh, that sounds like such a pickle. I think in the long run I'd rather wait than have thinned and damaged skin forever... I'm sure it wont take a full year.

 

Haha oh Lymecycline, you terrible tasting tablet of rank... At least it's something new that may be your cure!

 

Have you tried birth control pills for your skin...? I do know girls and boys who had acne and found their cure within both antibiotics and birth control pills (obviously not the boys for the latter!)

 

To be honest... It was always on my mind. I thought about it non-stop and became really obsessed. I spent a lot of time on acne.org, even while I was at work... One thing pacified me, I watched a few documentaries about Katie Piper and it put things in perspective for me. After watching her, whenever I felt really hopeless I'd just try and think about how lucky I am in other ways compared to the hand Katie's beautiful friends had been dealt. It's such a cringey cheesy answer, sorry!

 

My best friend, on the other hand, was really inspirational to me. She suffered much worse skin than me but had a far better attitude. She'd been dealing with it since she was 13 and told me "having spots is something I deal with, not something I live. It's not who I am so I just get on with it." After that I made a big effort to stop letting acne control my life so much and tried to be the sunny happy person I was before having bad skin.

 

Do you keep a photo journal to track your progress? Although it did nothing to subside my skin obsession it was really useful for me. xx

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(@potluck420)

Posted : 12/08/2012 2:14 pm

I was prescribed epiduo about a week and a half ago and have been using ONCE every night as directed....

 

At first, It was working fine. I noticed painful burning, but I just sucked it up and knew that it was part of the treatment. After only about 2 days I started seeing some improvement. I didn't even use moisturizer! I was so surprised that it was working... (Even some my redness was fading)

 

After using it for about a week however, I noticed that my acne started coming back a little and more RED than before. The acne around my mouth started forming again and the worst part is the skin around my mouth and chin started PEELING LIKE CRAZY. It's so embarrassing. .. Especially because I am a freshmen in college and at the beginning of the year I was so social. (I had clear skin). Now I just stay inside my dorm and avoid all my friends making excuses... ( I don't even eat that much anymore because I am too scared to walk to the dining halls)

 

I don't know what I'm going to do . This is so painful and I'm sick of this.

 

What should I do about the peeling? And why is my acne coming back so suddenly? Should I moisturize day and night and how much of it should I apply?

 

I had hope, and now It feels crushed.. I even try to use BBcream now to hide it.

 

Please help.....

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(@abigailwheeler)

Posted : 12/10/2012 12:42 pm

On 12/8/2012 at 2:14 PM, Potluck420 said:

I was prescribed epiduo about a week and a half ago and have been using ONCE every night as directed....

At first, It was working fine. I noticed painful burning, but I just sucked it up and knew that it was part of the treatment. After only about 2 days I started seeing some improvement. I didn't even use moisturizer! I was so surprised that it was working... (Even some my redness was fading)

After using it for about a week however, I noticed that my acne started coming back a little and more RED than before. The acne around my mouth started forming again and the worst part is the skin around my mouth and chin started PEELING LIKE CRAZY. It's so embarrassing. .. Especially because I am a freshmen in college and at the beginning of the year I was so social. (I had clear skin). Now I just stay inside my dorm and avoid all my friends making excuses... ( I don't even eat that much anymore because I am too scared to walk to the dining halls)

I don't know what I'm going to do . This is so painful and I'm sick of this.

What should I do about the peeling? And why is my acne coming back so suddenly? Should I moisturize day and night and how much of it should I apply?

I had hope, and now It feels crushed.. I even try to use BBcream now to hide it.

Please help.....

Hi Potlock

I'm really sorry to hear that you are finding the treatment so frustrating. I felt the same thing with my first few weeks on Epiduo.

Often people experience a 'purge': beginning a strong topical treatment can bring spots up to the surface quickly. Don't forget that the skin is on a six week cycle; you'll need to wait 6-7 weeks with consistent use of a product for the new treated skin to show through.

With the peeling... Just moisturise with something gentle day and night - I recommend Cetaphil. Use a penny sized amount (I'm talking British pennies, I can't think of an American equivalent!) However, it probably won't give you instant amazing results. I found that the only thing to solve the peeling was time and patience. The redness and peeling WILL go away. I promise.

I personally found that wearing makeup ENHANCED the visibility of the peeling, I didn't really wear make up until my skin was back to normal... I just couldn't handle the crazy paving look.

Also, don't hide away from your friends. They aren't going to reject you because of your skin, in fact, they are going to wonder why YOU are rejecting THEM! Don't let yourself become a victim of your skin - it doesn't dictate what kind of a person you are. Lots of people suffer with skin problems so give your friends some credit, they have probably suffered with something similar or will know someone who has. Get out of your dorm, be brave and be OPTIMISTIC!

If you are interested in seeing my photo diary of my Epiduo skin and progress the pictures are on my blog. [Removed link]

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(@potluck420)

Posted : 12/12/2012 9:55 pm

Thank you so much for feedback.

 

I skipped a day of using epiduo and applied a lot of moisturizer which seemed to help get rid of the peeling..

 

its been about 2 and a half weeks so far!!! I hope this works out!!

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(@ichigoamu)

Posted : 05/06/2013 4:02 am

Hi..I know this thread is a bit old but just thought that I'd share my story.

I was first prescribed Epiduo a few years ago, around 2010-11. I was about 12, but I had quite bad acne, even some cysts. (Previously I'd used Differin, which worked for a while, but it wasn't effective enough). After I began Epiduo my skin cleared a lot, and for a while it was mostly clear. My prescription ran out around mid-2012, and I just recently started treatment again.

Something I noticed is that for the first week your skin clears a little, then during the second-mid-third week, your skin may become flaky in the areas around your mouth, cheeks, and (ugh this is so annoying it happens a lot) underneath your eyes. The areas are light red, tight, sore, and occasionally a little itchy. Putting on moisturisers will usually sting your skin a lot, so if this happens what I recommend is papaw ointment used topically before you go to bed. Also, make sure you tone down the amount you're using, just apply it topically, at least until the irritation goes away.

After another week-two weeks your skin should have stopped flaking and be clearer than before. To prevent the flakiness happening in the future, be sure to not use too much cream, and don't dry out your skin in other ways (e.g. not using moisturiser in harsh environments, exfoliating too often or too vigorously lol, putting your face in an oven...I don't know just pretty obvious stuff really)

Epiduo is by far the most effective acne treatment I have ever used. If you've got the peeling skin problem, I recommend sticking with it for a little longer 'cause it may work out in the end!

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(@dizzyabby)

Posted : 05/07/2013 7:05 am

On 6/27/2011 at 5:55 AM, abigailwheeler said:

Epiduo

Hi everyone. I thought Id post a new thread instead of my last chance saloonessay because Ive changed my regimen which has totally changed my skin. Im going to quickly go over whats been happening and end with what Epiduo has done to me. Photos of course

My skin was at its worst about a year ago, constantly covered in active acne. It was mainly around my mouth and chin but still sporadically would appear on my forehead cheeks and nose. They would start as red lumps, then get quite big for 4 days then would get a white head for 3 days. One spots life would be about 2 weeks. So it was never ending.

I started getting involved with acne.org about 4 weeks ago, reading up on other peoples experiences and getting advice. I bought every supplement under the sun, spent 70 on Clinique products and would wear various different masks depending on what was in the fridge.

Emotionally I have been EXHAUSTED. It seemed hopeless. I was spending all my money on skin care, spending all my time in the bathroom and filling my head with non-stop thoughts of my skin. The worst was when it looked as if my skin was settling downThen Id break out all over again. It was so disheartening.

I finally got a derm appointment and she prescribed me Epiduo and Cetaphil Moisturiser. Epiduo is 2.5% Benzyl Peroxide (Ive used BP Duac before with no results) with 0.1% adapalene (ingredients in Differin). She directed me to use it once a day. I didnt use it for a while because I wanted to commit to a regimen for more than 6 weeks. In the end I caved.

Thursday 23rd June

EveningI put a LOT on the affected areas + spot treated my cheeks and forehead + put it on my nose (I heard that it helps get rid of blackheads)

Friday 24th June

MorningMy skin ALREADY looked clearer. Spots that looked like they were going to explode had subsided. My skin looked a bit red/orange. Used Clinique foaming cleanser, clarifying lotion, epiduo then cetaphil. No makeup

EveningSame regimen as morning. Wanted to double dose to enhance rapid results (WHY do I always think I am smarter than the instructions?!)

Saturday 25th June

MorningREALLY red. Quite sore and tight. Had another promo job so needed to wear full makeup. Did routine again including the Epiduo underneath Clinique Moisturiser.

About half way through the day I couldnt stand my face being so tight any more. My job was to be smiling and promoting but I couldnt move my face. Looked in the mirrormy skin was PEELING OFF MY FACE! It looked HORRENDOUS. At first I thought my foundation was cracking with the strange weather but my skin was literally falling off.

Tried covering with makeup but looked worse.

Eveningtook makeup off as soon as I could but my skin was just flaking so bad. I scrubbed with a teatree exfoliation wash when I got home and my skin was coming off in my handsthe sink looked disgusting.

I didnt put any more epiduo on apart from on spots. I also put LOTS of sudocrem on the sorest areas.

Sunday 26th June

Morning (woke at 6 in pain) My spots were nearly gone but I woke up to a face that felt like it was on FIRE. I ran to the mirror and my skin was shedding even more. I called my mum in tears I was in so much pain who suggested Aloe vera. Bad choice, it stung for 20 minutes.

I gave my everyone orders do not make me laugh or smile because it hurts and cracks my face, but please dont make me cry because the tears sting my skin. What a rubbish day. My skin carried on shedding and flaking through the day. I kept applying cetaphil and sudocrem but didnt help. It looked like my skin was burnt.

Didnt put any epiduo on in the night either.

Monday 27th June

My skin is still flaking but not as badly as yesterday. Only three spots left which are nearly dead. I put epiduo on again this morning and will DEFINITELY only use it once a day from now on.

Consensus so far

Epiduo has worked at killing my spots quicker and better than ANY other treatment I have tried.

It has caused my skin to flake and be dry because I did not use as directed.

I am going to carry on using it and give updates on my progress.

Does anyone think I should stop taking any supplements to encourage oil production again because my skin is SO dry?

Photos taken Saturday and today. See my gallery for progress before

Hi there,

I was just reading though this post and i think i recognise you from a video i watched on youtube! Did you do an epiduo review on there? I am currently using epiduo at night and also just started spironolactone (which was a nightmare to get prescribed in the UK, had to proper nag!).

Oh and i'm Abby too! haha!

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(@chrisshort)

Posted : 01/25/2014 5:41 am

i'm angry to be honest, I hate this treatment. It's been around 1week and a 3/4 and to be honest it's just all been down hill. My skin has finally stopped peeling but my face is completely red in massive blotches, despite the use of moisturiser. My forehead is like a bomb site to say the least.

I had very mild acne before, I just wanted something to clear it up without to much hassle and this was the exact opposite of what I got. I was probably better off just cleansing everyday cause that helped even if my face became a bit up and down.

I heard that this treatment may take 'months' to work but honestly I don't have that sort of time, I go back to my dermatologist on the 11th February and my condition is worse, my guess is that he will give me an antibiotic or roacctuane again.

Before when I had severe cystic acne I went on Roaccutane, it wasn't easy but it was a miracle and I felt great. After a few months my skin was getting a bit worse but it was only mild, I could have managed to be honest. But this treatment is just horrible, and I can't put up with this redness, even if the dryness isn't so bad anymore. I'm just going to go back to cleansing my face and hope that the redness goes away and my forehead decides to pipe down, then try and hold up till february so i can sort the rest out. I'm dissapointed, I waited ages for this thing and it fooled me in the first weekend that it would work but no, it's terrible.

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(@snehalkoli)

Posted : 02/28/2014 11:18 am

Hi , I started Using Epiduo Two weeks ago.. My looks horrible now. Its red , Flaky, and dark. Area under my eye and around my Mouth has become really round and dark.

I think My skin is becoming dark due to Epiduo .Did anyone else notice this problem or is it part of treatmeant. Also, which face fash should I use to clear my skin as I have been constantly applying moisurizer due to dry and flaky skin. I want to get rid of all the cream and clear my face ?

I hope my skin become clear and it really works

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(@derek4)

Posted : 03/26/2014 12:26 pm

Hey guys -

I'm new to the website but thought I would share my experience. I am a 22 year old male with moderate to severe acne. I started to break out horribly when I was 20, tried everything under the sun, then decided to go on accutane. I took accutane from December of 2012 to June of 2013 and it completely cleared my skin. I didn't have one mark or trace of any acne. It was amazing (although the side effects were terrible).

Anyway, around December of 2013 I started to get a couple blemishes here and there but in January of 2014 my face broke out like crazy again. I again tried harsh retinoids and more antibiotics (never seem to work) and my face just got worse and worse.

My dermatologist prescribed Epiduo on March 8 so I am currently on day 19 of the treatment. The first two or three days my skin looked amazing. I stupidly thought this was going to be the end of my acne. Obviously the initial clearing didn't last long and I started to break out again. I am on day 19 and regardless of what happens, I am going to take it for the whole 12 weeks (and maybe longer). I am seeing slight improvement over the past couple days but not sure if I'm in the clear of the IB or not. I am hoping so considering I have some important events coming up and college graduation soon.

The hardest part for me is coping with the patience. I have "good" days and then "bad" days where I have no hope. It's frustrating and I have this obsession with researching on people's stories with the gel and seeing if I can find some inspiration to keep going. All I do is use cetaphil cleanser and cetaphil moisturizer along with the epiduo. At night I cleanse my face, put on the epiduo, let it dry for about 30 min, and then put on my moisturizer before bed.

Hoping this daily routine can clear my acne relatively soon.

Derek

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