I just wanted to post this in hopes of maybe helping some people before they mess up their face like me.
I went to a derm for acne and was given a script for Retin A (Tretinoin). I only used it a cpl times following the directions and stopped because it made my skin SUPER oily and irritated. Now 7 months since stopping I still have extremely oily skin, an uneven skin tone, and probably the worst part of it all is I now have enlarged scarred pores all over my face. My cheeks look like they have an orange peel texture and lines when I smile or make any kind of facial expressions. Some pores have even become stretched out and connected.
I know this doesn't happen to everybody and some ppl use retinoids and get good results, but there are some that end up with horrible results and way worse problems then when they started (google retin a causing large pores). I've read that once your pores become enlarged that you can't shrink them back down to normal because they walls of the pores have become stretched out. So now I'm stuck with this mess. It is very disheartening thinking about how I went to a derm for some acne and ended up with a lot more problems afterwards. I had pretty good skin besides the acne before all this.
Anyways, I just want anybody that gets prescribed Retin A to think twice about it before putting that bullshit on your face. That shit has seriously ruined my face.
How long have you been using the Retin-A for? I have been using mine for 3 months and have seen somewhat of a improvement with little to no side effects (0.025%). Was it the gel or the cream. I really hate these types of responses because it scares people away from the most researched and clinically valid topical on the market today. You cant just use the Retin-A for 1 month and call it quits because it swells your skin giving the impression of large pores. In my experience Retin-A actually fades scars too. I used to have small ones near my eyes and it is 99% gone. I just dont like un-educated topics (based on your experience) to scare thousands of people away.
Just because you have good results it doesn't mean everybody else will. I even said that what happened to me won't happen to everyone. Just Google 'retin a damage' and you will see posts on a lot of diff sites with lots of ppl that have the same problems that I have. I guess me and all those ppl are paranoid or imagining all these things.
You said that you only used it for a couple of times, how sure are you that it really is the reason? I, myself have been using it for maybe 6-7 months now and it's really working great. I experienced some redness and oiliness too for a few weeks when I started but after that, it's all good. Retin-A is not a one night magic serum, it's known for it's numerous benefits on skin and anti-aging but you have to wait a couple of months before you see the great results and benefits. 
Sometimes dry or dehydrated skin can cause large pores. This happened to me about a year ago, I had been using BP for a couple of months and my skin was a mess, every pore seemed huge and I also had the lines connecting pores, redness and really oily skin. I have been on birth control for about a year and have been suing differin for the same amount of time, but I have also switched to a gentle skincare regimen and focused a lot on getting moisture back in to my skin, I cut out soap cleanser and apart from differin I try not to use anything harsh on my skin. What I am trying to say is that maybe the retin a is to drying, but the changes to your skin shouldn't be permanent, once you find the right regimen these things should go away, mine did, and at the time I didn't think they would. Things will get better x
Sometimes dry or dehydrated skin can cause large pores. This happened to me about a year ago, I had been using BP for a couple of months and my skin was a mess, every pore seemed huge and I also had the lines connecting pores, redness and really oily skin. I have been on birth control for about a year and have been suing differin for the same amount of time, but I have also switched to a gentle skincare regimen and focused a lot on getting moisture back in to my skin, I cut out soap cleanser and apart from differin I try not to use anything harsh on my skin. What I am trying to say is that maybe the retin a is to drying, but the changes to your skin shouldn't be permanent, once you find the right regimen these things should go away, mine did, and at the time I didn't think they would. Things will get better x
Kitten, Your words are kind and encouraging. I really hope it will happen to me as well on the healing.
That was the ugly stage of sloughing off old tissue and congestion in pores coming to the surface. If you stop, it's all sitting in the pores near the surface, making pores appear larger and half-attempt exfoliated face. Plus it will be red. You can start at a .01 and peel a bit, then jump to the .02 and then .05.
Full exfoliating benefits (smooth skin) begin after about a month (during that month acne flare ups should happen during purging as well, 6 months full clarity regarding acne, but thinner more compacted dermal layers, and finally by 12 months the dermal layers jump in thickness and collagen remodeling takes place (fine lines are gone, sharp edge scars become rolling scars etc) and you have thickened skin and tiny pores as well as no acne.
I don't recommend this topical if you can't put in the time. But honestly the terrible stage is not that terrible or long as long you go gradually on the strengths, do it at night on dry skin, and don't exfoliate or apply other agents that may burn or peel.
Thank you tootie. I have passed through the terrible stage before. It was all good and smooth. But after the 6th month, skin became thin, orange texture, super leathery shiny even directly after a cleanse.
The worse is seeing pores enlarged and new indents even when there's no more acne. I'm not under accutane before.
I wish to start from 0.01 the lowest but until someone or more people is able to shed the light why pores could be bigger, lines connecting pores, and even indents can appear out of nowhere when there's no lesion, I could only wait for recovery of pores first
It's coming up on a year since I used retin a and none of the bad side effects have gone away. Still have really oily skin, large open pores all over my face, lines connecting pores, and skin discoloration. I've tried every remedy you can find online from not using harsh cleansers to raw honey and nothing has worked.
I'm really starting to think my skin is permanently damaged...
That's what I'm worried too. Skin near cheeks open pores extremely dry, lines connecting. Leathery skin. Shiny too even after washing. Skin looks fake.
The thing is not retin A is bad. But it's the consequences that is irrevisible that's extremely bad! No wonder it is labeled as poison in my country on the tube.
I'm beginning to think the only way to remove that skin is to laser it off or deep peels. Not tca medium peels. But I'm worried laser could make things worse
I know how you feel I used differin for 12 weeks hoping it would help with my mild acne and instead it got a lot lot lot worse. Ive never had acne as bad in my life as I had whilst using differin. I regretted using it so badly I couldnt believe Id self-inflicted worse acne upon myself.
I stopped using it around december and my skin has finally started to calm down. I still have the pigmentation but its nothing compared to a face full of acne. What Im trying to say is dont give up! Its taken me nearly 7 months and many product changed for my skin to calm. Its not like it was before but its getting there.
You never know how your skin is going to react until you try a retinoid. Differin worked beautifully on my best friend but not on me.
These posts scare me because I've been on it for 2 months and haven't seen much improvement. My pores are small, but the cream broke me out with multiple whiteheads. At first it gave my skin that shiny look, more oily and my skin had many lines but that all improved. It's just the acne that's killing me.