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?
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
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.
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 their3rd 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
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.
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?