Before starting (9.12.14):
Skin has had the worst cystic breakout ever, around 8 cysts on shoulders upper back, 2 cysts near waist line, a lot of clogged pores and small red pimples/ whiteheads. Before I start I just want to say that I apply 3 pie sized drops all over my upper middle back and only apply moisturizer 2-3 times a week. I apply the medication at least 15 minutes after my shower otherwise my skin becomes very irritated and itchy.
Week 1 (16.12.14):
Have alternated days so that I can ease myself into epiduo rather then using it everyday and becoming overall irritated and raw. So far I have around 4 cysts on each shoulder and 2 cysts in-between so around 10 altogether on the upper back. Waist cysts are gone, still a lot of clogged pores/ sebum plugs in the middle and upper back. A lot of small red pimples and blackheads on shoulders. So far not much changed.
Week 2 (23.12.14):
Forgot to update but pretty much identical to week 1.
Week 3 (30.12.14):
Have been breaking out more than usual on my shoulders and center of middle/lower back. Scabs have formed in 2 palm sized sections on my back from scratching my back. Spots are healing faster than normal and leaving quite a lot of pigmentation. Right shoulder went from 2 dark spots to around 8. Lower/ middle center back has been getting worse and feels much more coarse. Can feel the texture and pimples that are under the skin and about to come out. Roughly around 8 cysts on each shoulder per week, and tend to vanish within 2-3 days. Most pimples come to a head. I have taken a couple of photos of my back to see what my back looked like before entering 2015. I also have a bad breakout on my chest along with maybe a yeast overgrowth (folliculitis), which I have been washing with cetaphil daily and treating with benzac 2.5%, cetaphil moisturizing lotion and tea tree oil.
Week 4 (06.01.15)
All the hard sebum plugs and most clogged pores on my back are gone. I still have a lot of dark marks on my shoulders and currently have around 3 cysts on each shoulder and 2 in the middle. Can feel a lot of hard sebum plugs and clogged pores on my lower middle back, I have started applying epiduo there as well. I am currently about 90% done with my first bottle (30g) and am trying to ride it out for another week or so. Still washing with cetaphil daily and have just started exfoliating gently with the body shop exfoliating gloves around twice a week.
Week 5 (13.01.15)
Just had another breakout all over the shoulders. Back isnt that itchy anymore, now I exfoliate around 3 times a week. Pretty much the same as week 4. In 2 days it will be a month since I started using it every day.
Week 6 (20.01.15)
The breakouts on my back have started to calm down. The cream has caused immense hyperpigmentation and scabbing all across my upper back and I have started to half my epiduo size and double my moisturizer to help them heal. I have broken out in 4 big pimples on my lower back but those are probably gonna go away in a few days. Still washing with cetaphil and exfoliating twice a week. Some scabs have started to peel off and burnnnnn when I apply epiduo.
Week 7 (27.01.15)
Forgot to update
Week 8 (3. 02. 15)
Breaking out in mass amounts has stopped but I still have pimples, about 2 on each shoulder sand 2 on the lower neck. Lower back is still purging but I feel like it is starting to get a bit better. My main concern now is the mass amounts of hyperpigmentation and scabs I have. I dont know if its a chemical burn or something else but it is all over my upper half of my back and has literally shredded my self esteem. Thinking about asking for tretinoin from a dermatologist that im seeing on the 17th. Im going to start applying only 2 pea sized amounts of epiduo every other day to help heal scabs.
Week 9&10 (16. 02.15)
Had a dermatologist appointment today. stopped using epiduo and was prescribed tretinoin 0.5% aka retin-a. If you are going to use epiduo DO NOT KEEP ON FOR 24HRS. Always apply in the morning and shower at night or vica versa. Hope i helped.