KordFjord 1 Posted January 16, 2016 I'm 22 years old and a couple of years ago my derm put me on Cephalexin, Aczone, and Tretinoin. The Cephalexin and Aczone have kept my acne pretty mild, but I was never able to tolerate the tretinoin without extreme flakiness, so I didn't use it until a couple of months ago. Before tretinoin, .my acne would go from almost completely clear to fairly noticeable during a breakout, so i decided to ease myself onto tretinoin (.025%) in hopes of clearing my acne up 100%. I used it every third night for about a month and then every other night for about a month. Around the time that I started using it every other night I noticed that my face was breaking out more than usual, mostly around my chin. It's been a frustrating month because my skin isn't as smooth as I'd like it to be, but my guess is it would've been even worse if I were using tretinoin every night. I'd like to start using tretinoin every night and just deal with the IB, but I want to make sure that the initial breakout period will be over by the time I go on spring break (8 weeks from now) and that hopefully most of the red marks will have dimished even if they are still visible in sunlight. I'm hoping that because I've already had somewhat of an initial breakout that once I start using it every night the IB won't last too much longer but I've read horror stories of it lasting for months. --- TL;DR My main question is, how long should the initial breakout period for tretinoin last if I start using it every day? And roughly how long after should the red marks fade so that I have a smooth complexion? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeLovely 978 Posted January 16, 2016 My son just started using tretinoin cream tonight (.05%). I'm expecting the IB to be anywhere from 2-4 weeks, which is pretty typical for any acne regimen. We hope to see results in a few months. Good luck with your tretinoin regimen! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kimber607 67 Posted January 17, 2016 I may be the minority but when I started retin-a nightly about 10yrs ago I had no redness, peeling etc My skin was so tough, thick and oily Start slow and use a pea or less for your entire face GL kim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acnehardcase 33 Posted January 17, 2016 Initial breakout from tretinoin should last no more than a few weeks. Make sure that your not using too much. No more than a pea sized drop. Wait at least thirty minutes after washing before you apply it. Avoid sun exposure and use a sunscreen/ moisturizer in the morning. Maybe add benzoyl peroxide to your routine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pards 2 Posted January 27, 2016 A tretinoin breakout can vary but often lasts a month or two. The irritation coupled with the IB is the reason many stop before it actually starts working for them. The pamphlet that comes with it says you should wait at least three to four months before seeing a noticeable improvement in fact. Patience is absolutely necessary with this drug. I'm coming up on week 8 and think my purge is finally slowing. Best of luck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuanHenry 361 Posted January 28, 2016 Tretenoin is more trouble than its worth imo. I kept having similar problems and gave up on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissSac17 159 Posted January 28, 2016 (edited) Yeah it can vary 100 % . I'm on differin but considering switching to retin a. However I've read stories of people experiencing breakouts even in their 3rd or 4th month! Think of it like a wave.. its going to be up and down and not every one is the same height. Just be patient and be positive. Which is hard I know for sure Edited January 28, 2016 by MissSac17 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pards 2 Posted January 28, 2016 Don't give up on it it really does take time but the results are worth it. I can't wait until I can use my experience as an example but I still have to wait a couple more months. Here's a 5 month progress update from another website I found. As you can see, you have to give it a chance but when it truly starts working for you , you'll be glad you stuck with it.http://imgur.com/a/iWFez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuanHenry 361 Posted January 28, 2016 Tretenoin will produce results, but I think adapalene (I use epiduo forte) and an aha product produce more noticeable results and is usually tolerated better. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KordFjord 1 Posted January 29, 2016 What strengths have you guys used? I'm currently using 0.025% but considering calling my derm and asking for a higher concentration because I'm worried that while my skin will tolerate the 0.025% better, it will also take longer to work my way through the IB stage, which I'm starting to feel in full force now as my acne is the worst it's been in my life. Some of the flakiness is fading but my face is still very red. Any experience with how long it takes for redness/flakiness to calm down? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pards 2 Posted March 9, 2016 I use .05. If your skin is handling it just fine you can go up but going above .05 to .1 usually doesn't increase the effectiveness of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
