I've recently started using tretinoin as well along with doxycycline. Keep us updated. These medications affect everyone differently so it'll be interesting to see if we heal at different rates or not. Good luck! Just a hint and I may be off on this one: If you are using retin A or tretinoin, it's probably not a good idea to use salicylic acid face wash. It might be drying out your skin too much which can result in putting the oil glands into hyperdrive. I did go to the dermatologist and was prescribed a Sulfur/sulfacetamide face wash which i use once every other day and moisturize like crazy. Good luck with this. Keep us updated.

hey, Ugurl. Nice to know i'm not alone........

So for the salicylic acid facewash, I think you are right. But let's see what happens if I continue using it...... lol.

Week 2-
My face has started becoming oily too much when I wake up in the morning. But gradually is becoming less day by day.
I have started getting whiteheads on my cheek area.

WEEK 3-
No sign of oil on my face. I love it.....
Right side is fully clear , except the hyperpigmentation....
Left side has some 2 big spots and 3 small ones....
Forehead is having 1 BIG pimple only in the center
Lets see what the future has to bring.....
 

Week 4-
I just want to die yr....
I had a big breakout yesterday and today was a party with school friends. Everyone was like - Why are you looking like a pizza. They made fun of me and I just want to quit.... 
Is anyone here who reads these posts, I really need some motivation.... :'(
I also have got some itchy red skin under my lower lip... Can anyone help me please?

I've been on retin-A for about 4 months and 1 week, and I don't break out very often now. All pimples I get are tiny and barely noticeable & go away within a day. Personally I don't think its a good idea to count the days as they go by, the purge phase is horrible and you want to forget about it almost entirely and don't look for improvement everyday as you will be disappointed. You may start to clear out soon only to find out you're going to break out again in a place where you've never broken out before. My advice is keep going for 3 months without heavily analyzing your skin, keep the pictures to once a month, and move on from there.

Thanks tretinoin moderator. But how to deal with all these heartless people friends of mine ?? How dud u deal with all the negative comments during the purging phase ?

Week 5-
Left side is clear.
Right side has some pimples now also.
Forehead region has a large breakout.
 I am happy with my left side now.
Also, I don't have to go out for 2 months now. So I would stay at home and update you all.

On Friday, April 08, 2016 at 6:13 AM, Ugurl said:

I've recently started using tretinoin as well along with doxycycline. Keep us updated. These medications affect everyone differently so it'll be interesting to see if we heal at different rates or not. Good luck! Just a hint and I may be off on this one: If you are using retin A or tretinoin, it's probably not a good idea to use salicylic acid face wash. It might be drying out your skin too much which can result in putting the oil glands into hyperdrive. I did go to the dermatologist and was prescribed a Sulfur/sulfacetamide face wash which i use once every other day and moisturize like crazy. Good luck with this. Keep us updated.

What is your progress Ugurl ?
Did you have any breakout ?

On 4/30/2016 at 0:08 PM, BruceWayneIsBatman said:

Thanks tretinoin moderator. But how to deal with all these heartless people friends of mine ?? How dud u deal with all the negative comments during the purging phase ?

Hey, sorry only saw this now. Personally people don't comment on my skin, so I can't really tell. The only way you can really deal with it is to not let it affect you, and just know that things will improve now that you're actively trying to treat your acne. Best of luck man!

On May 4, 2016 at 9:46 AM, BruceWayneIsBatman said:

What is your progress Ugurl ?
Did you have any breakout ?

Okay. so here is the timeline of events.
February 18,2016- Dermatologist visit/Got prescriptions
March 1st week- Skin feels AMAZING. it's practically glowing.
March 20th- Started Breaking out on left side of my face which is typically not an issue for me. 6-7 pimples. It looks horrible
April 6th- All pimples gone/Left with reddish marks post inflammatory hyperpigmention basically.
April 24th- Went back to derm for 2 month check up. I'm generally happy with my progress but just want the scars gone so my derm prescribed me spironolactone to also take with my doxy and tretinoin every day. I also ask derm for laser treatment but he doesnt believe my level of scarring and marks require surgical treatment. It's bittersweet really. I mean Im glad they're not bad, but at the same time I don't want to wait anymore. I want them to be gone! lol I'm sure others can relate.

FyiSpironolactone is typically only prescribed to women to even out hormones/not to be taken by males. But don't despair, I believe the thing that is helping the most is my tretinoin cream. Right now I have one breakout on my forehead, the rest is just healing scars that are lightening up by the week. The purging phase with tretinoin was awful, but you can't give up, just keep at it. It WILL clear up. Tretinoin makes everything turn over so much faster you will be amazed.

PS: You look like you're fairly young. People in high school can be assholes. Don't let them get to you. They're biologically and mentally not mature enough to understand how dumb they're being. To ME your skin does NOT look bad at all. I'm not saying this to make your experience with acne and your hardships any less valid, all I'm saying is that personally your breakouts look like they're on their way to healing and aren't too obvious. Next time they make a smart ass comment, laugh it off and make a joke, whatever is your personality, but don't internalize it. Next time they say something, make sure you let it be known how you're feeling or you'll become resentful and start to believe what they're saying. Lastly, Keep commenting here. It's good therapy to talk about whats going on with your skin/life etc... Don't get down and out about it 🙂

Week 6-
Well, my both cheeks are clear and they just have some hyperpigmentation, not a big deal...
I am getting breakouts on my forehead and chin area. Well I think that the initial breakout is coming to an end.

On Friday, May 06, 2016 at 10:48 AM, Ugurl said:

Okay. so here is the timeline of events.
February 18,2016- Dermatologist visit/Got prescriptions
March 1st week- Skin feels AMAZING. it's practically glowing.
March 20th- Started Breaking out on left side of my face which is typically not an issue for me. 6-7 pimples. It looks horrible
April 6th- All pimples gone/Left with reddish marks post inflammatory hyperpigmention basically.
April 24th- Went back to derm for 2 month check up. I'm generally happy with my progress but just want the scars gone so my derm prescribed me spironolactone to also take with my doxy and tretinoin every day. I also ask derm for laser treatment but he doesnt believe my level of scarring and marks require surgical treatment. It's bittersweet really. I mean Im glad they're not bad, but at the same time I don't want to wait anymore. I want them to be gone! lol I'm sure others can relate.

FyiSpironolactone is typically only prescribed to women to even out hormones/not to be taken by males. But don't despair, I believe the thing that is helping the most is my tretinoin cream. Right now I have one breakout on my forehead, the rest is just healing scars that are lightening up by the week. The purging phase with tretinoin was awful, but you can't give up, just keep at it. It WILL clear up. Tretinoin makes everything turn over so much faster you will be amazed.

PS: You look like you're fairly young. People in high school can be assholes. Don't let them get to you. They're biologically and mentally not mature enough to understand how dumb they're being. To ME your skin does NOT look bad at all. I'm not saying this to make your experience with acne and your hardships any less valid, all I'm saying is that personally your breakouts look like they're on their way to healing and aren't too obvious. Next time they make a smart ass comment, laugh it off and make a joke, whatever is your personality, but don't internalize it. Next time they say something, make sure you let it be known how you're feeling or you'll become resentful and start to believe what they're saying. Lastly, Keep commenting here. It's good therapy to talk about whats going on with your skin/life etc... Don't get down and out about it 🙂

Hey Ugurl, nice to hear from you.
I am just 18 years oId and have just completed my high school. Thanks for the advice. It was awesome.

Week 8-
I just got a big breakout yesterday...
But, today it seems gone..... I feel awesome. And the hyperpigmentation is also reducing. The active area for most of my breakout is my forehead. So I expect it to clear in 2-3 weeks time.

Just a thought...... I was thinking that I could combine the use of hydroquinone, mometasone furoate and tretinoin as it helps to clear hyperpigmentation real fast. Any suggestions?
P.S. - Next week I will post some photos 🙂

On May 18, 2016 at 11:24 PM, BruceWayneIsBatman said:

Week 8-
I just got a big breakout yesterday...
But, today it seems gone..... I feel awesome. And the hyperpigmentation is also reducing. The active area for most of my breakout is my forehead. So I expect it to clear in 2-3 weeks time.

Just a thought...... I was thinking that I could combine the use of hydroquinone, mometasone furoate and tretinoin as it helps to clear hyperpigmentation real fast. Any suggestions? 
P.S. - Next week I will post some photos 🙂

Keep doing what you're doing. Its clearly working, but I'm not sure combining of different creams is a good idea? idk. I'm iffy about combining anything with tretinoin since it's so strong, but definitely give your derm a call or if you don't have one, maybe a local pharmacist? Just so you can get an informed opinion about how these drugs interact with one another, to make sure you won't make your skin angry!  Good luck, it's SUCH a good feeling when your skin finally responds to all your tireless efforts, isn't it?  

Ok so here is week 9-
Both my cheeks are nearly clear but my forehead has some pimples. I have some hyperpigmentation and scars on my cheeks but I believe tretinoin will take care.
Lets see what happens next.
 

On 19/5/2016 at 5:12 PM, Ugurl said:

Keep doing what you're doing. Its clearly working, but I'm not sure combining of different creams is a good idea? idk. I'm iffy about combining anything with tretinoin since it's so strong, but definitely give your derm a call or if you don't have one, maybe a local pharmacist? Just so you can get an informed opinion about how these drugs interact with one another, to make sure you won't make your skin angry!  Good luck, it's SUCH a good feeling when your skin finally responds to all your tireless efforts, isn't it?  

Hey ugurl, I have dropped the idea of combining medicines and will stick to tretinoin only. And I feel awesome now because I feel it has started working. 🙂 Btw, your progress also looks awesome. Do keep updating your progress 

7 hours ago, BruceWayneIsBatman said:

Hey ugurl, I have dropped the idea of combining medicines and will stick to tretinoin only. And I feel awesome now because I feel it has started working. 🙂 Btw, your progress also looks awesome. Do keep updating your progress 

Thats great! i take two tablets doxy and spiro but only use tretinoin on my skin now. i'm afraid to even use moisturizers even though my doctor said a mild one like CeraVe is totally safe. But yeah, my skin is looking a lot better now. I did get one break out that lasted two days but this is the third day and it has healed up. i LOVE tretinoin. The factory where they make it is like 200 miles from my house and I want to go over there and personally thank them for saving my skin. haha!! Sure there is still the mild hyper pigmentation and a few scars but they're not all that noticeable. All of this happened in about 3 months its kind of amazing so just keep using it and watch your skin be clearer than it ever has been before!

Oh sorry for the late post.... I had my results out and got busy.
So here is week 10-
My forehead seems clear and my cheeks have only one pimple. It feels awesome. But I have got a lot of hyperpigmentation and red spots. I don't know how they will go away. 
But I think I will stick to tretinoin only as it shows real difference 🙂

On Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 6:34 AM, Ugurl said:

Thats great! i take two tablets doxy and spiro but only use tretinoin on my skin now. i'm afraid to even use moisturizers even though my doctor said a mild one like CeraVe is totally safe. But yeah, my skin is looking a lot better now. I did get one break out that lasted two days but this is the third day and it has healed up. i LOVE tretinoin. The factory where they make it is like 200 miles from my house and I want to go over there and personally thank them for saving my skin. haha!! Sure there is still the mild hyper pigmentation and a few scars but they're not all that noticeable. All of this happened in about 3 months its kind of amazing so just keep using it and watch your skin be clearer than it ever has been before!

Well, by looking at your photos, you really seem to have improved and you look really nice. It feels really good when the thing on which you have placed your trust finally starts to work. Keep going as you are now and I think it will show positive results.
I guess we will both be totally clear at the same time and it is not far. 🙂

12 hours ago, BruceWayneIsBatman said:

Well, by looking at your photos, you really seem to have improved and you look really nice. It feels really good when the thing on which you have placed your trust finally starts to work. Keep going as you are now and I think it will show positive results.
I guess we will both be totally clear at the same time and it is not far. 🙂

Yeah. the hyper pigmentation is a bi*tch excuse my language lol. But its just a waiting game at this point  Im sure it will fade away soon! 

12 hours ago, Ugurl said:

Yeah. the hyper pigmentation is a bi*tch excuse my language lol. But its just a waiting game at this point  Im sure it will fade away soon! 

Hahahaha.... Just hope for the best and my hyperpigmentation is also fading.

I just searched Retin a log on Google and found my images coming up in the search results. I don't want the whole internet to know that I have some pimples. How can I stop it from showing up in the search results ?? Anyone knowing anything about it ?? If I can't stop it then I will delete all the photos posted in this topic and use external image hosting sites. What can I do about it ??

On June 3, 2016 at 2:26 AM, BruceWayneIsBatman said:

Hahahaha.... Just hope for the best and my hyperpigmentation is also fading.

I just searched Retin a log on Google and found my images coming up in the search results. I don't want the whole internet to know that I have some pimples. How can I stop it from showing up in the search results ?? Anyone knowing anything about it ?? If I can't stop it then I will delete all the photos posted in this topic and use external image hosting sites. What can I do about it ??

hmm yeah Google is super nosy and I guess acne.org is accessible by anyone and everyone which is really strange since people are sharing some very personal issues here. They should do something about that. In the mean time, yes you should take down your pictures and host them on a different site and provide a link here.

I'm glad it's working for you, I just have to remain diligent about sun protection, that's where I fail most of the time so don't be like me! haha

Week 11-
I have very few pimples and mostly hyperpigmentation. just waiting for it to fade away. It has reduced my pimples but i hope the hyperpigmentation fades away soon. Most of the pimples are on my forehead

1 hour ago, Ugurl said:

hmm yeah Google is super nosy and I guess acne.org is accessible by anyone and everyone which is really strange since people are sharing some very personal issues here. They should do something about that. In the mean time, yes you should take down your pictures and host them on a different site and provide a link here.

I'm glad it's working for you, I just have to remain diligent about sun protection, that's where I fail most of the time so don't be like me! haha

Ummm... I tried to remove the pics but it is not working. I will post pictures on external links from now. That would Be a better idea i guess. But also i don't care if my images are on google. Who's gonna use them and there are many like me whose pics are there. So I don't mind it. 🙂

Week 12.5-
Having big breakouts on my forehead. Cheeks are nearly clear with some hyperpigmentation. Just unhappy with the recent big breakouts on my forehead. I will post some pics soon. I can't believe I have come this far and it has been nearly 3 months of pimples. Any idea when the forehead will start to get clear ??

Yup, so here are some pics for this month-

Well, Quite a difference....eh ??

36 minutes ago, unlovely2011 said:

Sometimes different areas purge at a different rate, maybe due to the thickness of the skin? Who knows. All that matters is that it's working and you stick with it. Last time I went on retinoids I got 'clear' by 12 weeks, but that doesn't mean I didn't still get the occasional breakout for a few months after. It's a process. By 6 months or so, I would expect the nasty breakouts to have completely subsided, save for a little baby zit once in a while (this was my experience anyway.) I restarted retinoids about 6.5 weeks ago so I'm going through it again now too.

Hi Unlovely2011,nice to see you 🙂
It feels good that you are having some people with you who can understand you and know what you are going through 🙂
Keep us updated with your progress

Well, there is some more hyperpigmentation but idk why the camera is not showing them. Hope my forehead becomes clear soon....... It is not as clear as the photos show

Week 13-
Most of my acne is clear but there is very much hyperpigmentation on my face which is not looking good... 🙁

On Monday, June 06, 2016 at 3:35 PM, Ugurl said:

hmm yeah Google is super nosy and I guess acne.org is accessible by anyone and everyone which is really strange since people are sharing some very personal issues here. They should do something about that. In the mean time, yes you should take down your pictures and host them on a different site and provide a link here.

I'm glad it's working for you, I just have to remain diligent about sun protection, that's where I fail most of the time so don't be like me! haha

Hey ugurl, is your hyperpigmentation fading away ?? How much time can I expect for it to go away ??

Tretinoin moderator....
How is your progress ??

Week 14- Sorry I skipped week 14 because it was just like week 13. No active breakout.

Week 15-
My forehead is clear but i am getting breakouts on my cheeks, 3-4 painful cysts on each side. Let's see what's next 🙂

On June 27, 2016 at 3:20 PM, BruceWayneIsBatman said:

Week 13-
Most of my acne is clear but there is very much hyperpigmentation on my face which is not looking good... 🙁

Hey ugurl, is your hyperpigmentation fading away ?? How much time can I expect for it to go away ??

Tretinoin moderator....
How is your progress ??

Omg. YES. So lets see.... its been 4.5 months since I started my tretinoin/doxy journey and I can tell that the hyper pigmentation is DEFINITELY fading away. Not only has the texture of my skin improved, but the tone is evening out also and it feels so amazing to see these results. I will be going back to the derm one more time because I do have a scar on my right cheek that even though it is fading, its fading slower than the hyper pigmentation so I want to see what my options are. but I'm at the point where I wouldn't accept any kind of chemical peel or surgical scar revision even if offered because I've come so far since even just a month ago, so I will just go talk to the derm to ensure that this scar is fading at the right rate and what I can do to speed up the process.

So, it seems that everyone was RIGHT. The key to tretinoin success is patience. Just apply it religiously and slather on sunscreen all day. (If your bedroom has windows that allow a lot of light in, cover them up during the day unless you want to go to sleep with sunscreen on lol) Honestly just exercise caution, because tretinoin is essentially a low medical grade peel lol Don't lose heart, continue on with your medications, I saw your updates for week 14 +15 and DONT worry, purging and cysts are SUPER common. Your cysts might leave some hyper pigmentation or they may not. The pimples I got during my purge did leave HP, but they are now fading so it's not the end of the world.

Goodluck. Keep the updates going!!! Your skin is looking good.