Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum but came across it last night in a fit of desperation about my skin! To give the context, I'm 29 and live in the UK. I don't have severe acne, but I suffer from large, very sore and inflamed papules around my jawline and mouth. I was prescribed Zineryt about 3 years and to begin with, it worked brilliantly. However it eventually stopped working, primarily because Zineryt is an antibiotic -based medicine, and I have become resistant to it, as many of you probably have if you've used it or something similar. After getting very fed up, I called my GP again and was prescribed Differin (over the phone, without actually seeing my face, I will add...). I'm on week 3, and although I haven't noticed any dramatic changes, it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, which is positive. I've got a few little bumps but none of the enlarged papules around my jaw line as before. My GP said it would take about 4-6 weeks to see a difference and to stick with it. I have a few things to say to give you all some advice which may give you all a little hope: Firstly, don't be tempted to put on more than necessary - it won't get rid of the acne any quicker. For those who have experienced intense redness, itching, irritation, try using less product to see whether this will make a difference. If it doesn't help and you still have upset skin, go back to the GP/dermatologist. Perhaps it's just not suitable for your skin. I personally am allergic to Quinoderm and Duac, because of the actives in it. That's the main reason I was put on Differin and Zineryt, because of the strong reaction I have had to Benzoyl Peroxide products. Second, for those worried about scarring. You need to let the acne heal before you can treat the scars. I have attended a couple of dermatology conferences due the nature of my job, and I have heard time and time again that the acne has to be treated and healed before the scarring can be tackled. There are many options out there but it's a question of waiting and being patient. I'll give an update in a few weeks to see where I am with the Differin. Like you guys, I really hope it works too. To answer the question a lot of you are asking, it definitely makes the skin dry and flaky. It's mainly noticeable when applying make-up in the morning (I apply my Differin at night). The key here is moisturising and gentle exfoliating. This also applies to those with oily skin. Don't be tempted to skip the moisturiser because you have oily skin. You need to keep the skin lubricated so it won't over compensate and produce extra sebum. Good luck, everyone.

If you like what you're about to read, please vote up to help others. Trial & Error: This stuff is strong. VERY STRONG! I am guessing that people who say that it doesn't work immediately for them are using a milder formula (0.05% or 0.025%). 0.1% Differin works very well. You only apply a tiiiiiny amount on the acne locations at night time (rub it in). Do this every other night and do it only twice initially. And then stop. You'll see that within a week of stopping, your skin will start to peel like none other. Now you need to leave your skin alone and let it work its magic over the next few weeks. Stay out of the sun (especially during the times of 10am and 2pm when the sun is strongest) and apply the following moisturizers as necessary (basically whenever you feel that your skin is really dry): non-clogging facial moisturizer, eye cream, and non-clogging facial sunscreen (Neutrogena makes products for all these situations). You must apply FACIAL moisturizers b/c your face's skin is so different from the rest of your body (and your eyes have a different type of skin than the rest of your face). Apply these whenever you feel your skin is dry. As your skin is peeling, your skin is becoming more sensitive and you will inevitably feel a STRONG BURN when you apply moisturizers to your face. To reduce the burn but still moisturize, you can purchase Neutrogena's alcohol-free/oil-free facial moisturizer (if you see the ingredients of lotions, almost ALL of them include some type of alcohol which is what causes the burning sensation)! You also want to use a facial wash twice a day; YOU MUST WASH YOUR FACE GENTLY TWICE A DAY! Why? B/c as your skin sheds, it releases oils associated with the acne that may get into pores on other parts of your face (this happened to me. I had acne on my forehead and even though my forehead cleared up, my nose got acne b/c I didn't wash my face twice daily). Avoid excessive sweating, too as this can wreak havoc for your acne, too during the shedding process. If you do sweat, please please please wash your face immediately after you workout (otherwise the nose problem will happen here, too b/c your pores open up when you sweat and bacteria can get in). If your eyelids flare up (mine did) then take 2 Ibuprofen to help the swelling go down. You shouldn't take Advil consistently for more than three consecutive days b/c it's not good for your liver. Wear Sunglasses. After your skin has rehealed and stopped shedding, evaluate your acne again and see whether you need to go through another cycle of Differin. One cycle for me takes 4-5 weeks. I was also taking Minocycline (100 mg twice a day) in conjunction with my Adapalene treatment.

this has worked magic for me for the last 6 months. from day 1 it worked, i used it with cetaphil oily skin cleanser. however it has sadly lost its effectiveness and now i'm on Isotrex Gel which i'm dreading

So basically I struggled with mild acne on my forehead and chin for 18 months. My acne consisted of small black heads which created little bumps. After trying basically every face wash and cream under the shelf, I went to my doctor and he prescribed me differin. At first differin burnt my face and made it peel which was very uncomfortable especially when i applied makeup. I also had two initial breakouts, which occurred around weeks 3 and 6. Right now I'm a few days into week 9 and during these few days my acne has cleared up drastically. My advice for people who are on differin is not to give up hope because the outcome is worth it. I would also recommend moisturising your face twice a day, and exfoliating every 2-3 days. Goodluck to everyone who is on it :)

I'm on 4months using differin but until now I didn't see change yet. My skin is so hot and peeling this is the side effect too?

Sorry for my bad English. I'm 21 year-old-male. I've have acne since 16-17 but it was very mild. Unfortunately, earlier this year when I entered the age of 21, it became mild/moderate. I started using Differin in 10 or 11th May. Now after 11 weeks, my skin has some improvements. I can see my acne does not "deep" that it used to be. But my face still has some whiteheads and a fews pimples, although it is not painful to touch, small, but I watn it disaspear quickly. So i decide to use Differtin with clindamycin 100mg. :) Hope my beautiful face come back again soon :)

I'm 15 and have had moderate acne for about 2 years. I eat extremely healthy, work out and have had a continual face routine for about a year using asap and organic spa. Nothing really helped so i went to the doctor. She prescribed me Eryacne and Differin. This was about 3 weeks ago now and i have read a lot of reviews on here saying how people were already seeing results in 1 week etc... I havent had an IB but i have had flaky skin for about the first week but thats died down now. Only reason why i'm worried is that i hope i start to see a change (good or bad!!) so i know that is working in some way... Has anybody else had this happen? I just want to know how long it takes to see any change? Some people say a week and some say a month? Is that right? My face hasnt really changed at all! So if anyone could let me know if this happened to them if they didnt see much change for 1 month or so and then it did help or not? But i'm staying postive:)

Had acne since I was 12 , now im 15 , I used Differin for 8 months , no more acne , no more pimples on my face , I love it

I can't believe it... my skin is clear! I had what I would call a relatively minor to moderate acne problem, to the point where I was self-conscious about my acne and the hyperpigmentation it would leave behind after continuous breakouts. I felt I couldn't leave the house without makeup. Now my skin is clear, and as a bonus, more radiant and smooth in texture. The initial breakout was extremely challenging and long. That explains the 4 out of 5 stars rating, though I think the IB is probably a given. My entire face broke out, and in places I didn't normally get pimples. It kind of went in phases-- first a bunch of blackheads on my forehead, then pimples on my chin, and next my cheeks. It took the longest for my chin and cheeks to clear up. But, by that time my forehead was already better. My skin was literally purging itself of emerging and future pimples all at once. I didn't start to see results for about six months. It seems it took my skin longer to improve than most, after reading other reviews. However, once my skin began to improve, it did so very quickly, and then BAM! No more acne problem. I have the confidence to leave the house without makeup for errands and such, though I will say that my makeup looks so much better on now that my skin is clear and smooth. Be patient, and don't be surprised if you cry or throw temper tantrums during the IB. The temporary IB is worth the end result.

I started this 6 months ago, along with minocycline. my initial breakout came about three weeks into the treatment and it was horrid. I had moderate acne, and it really messed with my self esteem. my skin started clearing about 3 months in and looks great. I still get 3-4 zits every month but they go away quickly and are mostly hormonal. this is my last month on minocycline but I am going to continue using adapalene for another 6 months.