Retin A /tretinoin

[lipglossxo]

Anyone have any experiences with tretinoin cream? I've been using 0.05 for almost a month now every night and my skin keeps looking worse and worse everyday. So much more acne and I swear I have more lines on my face now than before I started using it. I heard it's so good for anti aging and acne but so far my results have been absolutely dreadful.

[JewessJeans]

It’s a rough journey at first but totally worth it. I hated the flaking dead skin peeling around my mouth, but, the results are amazing over time. I know it’s normal for your skin to look worse at the beginning but it’s part of the process.

[DesireeLTD]

Reading all the replies proves that everyone's results will differ. I am doing really well on .025. I noticed small improvements after two weeks. Is it possible to experiment with a smaller concentration? 

[liz089]

It honestly took me 3 months to start seeing improvement, my skin was rebelling for the whole 3 months. Just keep at it get a good moisturizer I like Belif, the dryness sucks especially in the winter but now I don't have as many breakouts and huge cystic acne has gone down . I still do get a few here and there. I really also like glossier's face cleanser I feel it doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped and raw. 

[Anonymous]

I haven't used it, but you can use it every other day if it's really irritating your skin.  And I would personally never apply it around my eye area

[emilyterrible73]

Hey you,

I have done the whole tretinoin dance too. I started by purchasing several tubes through a Canadian pharmacy since medical insurance wasn't going to cover a dermatologists appt. and/or prescription. It made my skin like the desert - everything you describe. 

I recently got a prescription for Retin A microsphere .08. Total different ballgame.

Not sure if the previous tretinoin was bogus or what, however, the microsphere is DIFFERENT as it's TIME RELEASED. I have reviewed it extensively online and found that people who could not tolerate tretinoin has success with the Retin A Microsphere.

Here's the caveat: there is no generic version. When I went to purchase, again, no insurance, the MSRP is...hold your breath...$1000.

I explained I couldn't afford that and the pharmacy (online and via telephone call) found a coupon.

It cost me $100. 

There is a website yoderm.com that will give you a prescription through an online appt. with a dermatologist for a fee of $100.

IMHO totally worth it. There is hands down NOTHING on the market, or here at Sephora, that will completely change your complexion like Retin A microsphere pump.

hope this helps!

[shimmerbait]

You are right.. I would love to try Retin A Micro but as you said, it is crazy expensive!  My insurance won't cover it because apparently people over the age of 24 don't get acne 😞  $100 is a great price!

[k617]

Ha! That is ridiculous....no acne after 24. I think no acne after 24 is generally the exception, not the norm!

The insurance companies must be run by a bunch of 23 year-olds 😄

[lipglossxo]

Oh man I so wish that was true about no acne over 24! 

[nche]

I've used some form of tretinoin for the last decade off and on. Branded and generic mixtures. You need to use it for at least 3-4 months before you will see results. And during that wait, your skinny will feel horrible. It will be red, in pain and peel. With more acne!!! I recommend la roche posay or Avene products that are designed specifically for people on acne medication. Every derm I have ever had has recommended Avene Clean-AC line. It really soothes your skin. 

While it sucks now, at the 6 month point your skin will be amazing. Like no makeup makeup face without the makeup. Lol. I wish I was using it right now but I'm planning to start a family so I went natural route. Not the same sadly. 

[heartsmyface]

Okay, if anyone experiences pain from this stuff they're probably using either waaaay too much (a pea sized amount for your entire face is all you need) or they're applying it way too often way too soon.  First time users are encouraged to start at a weaker dose and only every other day in order to build up a tolerance for it.  Higher doses do not do anything to get quicker results and WILL result in chemical burns.  This is a medication which is why you have to get a prescription to begin with.  

Any board certified dermatologist should be sitting their patients down and explaining this medication before sending them off with a perscription for it.  

[nche]

I used some form of retinol off and on for about a decade. I am not describing my first time. Every instruction you described and more  (pea sized or less as I only used in affected areas, apply every other day to start, over face cream, etc) are what I did and my skin still burned and peeled like crazy each time I started the prescription. And I have used the lower strength and higher strength levels of retinol, it has had no significant impact on the reaction. My skin just reacts this way to tretinoin when I begin the cycle. It sucks but it works. And none of my complaints about burning or peeling seemed to phase the different derms through the years. Gave me some LRP Cicaplast, tell me to put on sunblock every four hours and not to snowboard/ski at all (tough when I lived in Vancouver). 

[lipglossxo]

Its weird that my skin didn't feel any burning, yet its super red all over as if its super burned! Like the rest of the body is white and my face is red...so unappealing lol

[lipglossxo]

What about more lines and creases caused by this cream? This stuff has made me look older ... I thought it was suppose to do the opposite !

[heartsmyface]

Trentinoin slows oil production resulting in drier skin.  You may need to up your moisturizer game.   

[Anonymous]

You are not alone! I used Tretinoin to treat my acne too and it wasn't worth it. I was aware of the fact that the way Tret is supposed to work it that it draws out all of the toxins in your skin. I didn't know that it meant it would leave a chemical burn across my skin. After that I just gave up on it. [My skin did heal from it pretty fast after I stopped using it incase you do find yourself in that situation 🙂 ]

I would ask your dermatologist for something different. This may sound like frying pan into the fryer, but Acutane may work better after the adjustment period.

[heartsmyface]

It doesn't draw anything out.  What it does is encourage cell turnover.  It takes anywhere from one to three months to adjust from your current cell turnover to your newer and faster turnover, which is why people can break out worse during that time period.  

[lipglossxo]

It's so hard to stick with it for more than a month when it makes the skin so unflattering. I want to believe there is hope but it seems like it's damaged my skin more than improving it.

[Cyncynn]

@lipglossxoCould the lines be because of the dryness/tighness to the skin?

I recently went back to tretinoin after nothing else being able to control my acne. The 2 first months were awful. I looked worse than ever, with the addition of dry skin, flakiness... IT was really bad, but after the 2nd month it only got better, to the point of not needing foundation.

Things that might help:

-Alternate every other night before increasing usage as mentioned before

-Ask your doctor for a topical anti biotic to use morning/night (helped with my breakouts not getting inflamed!). I think this will really help you to stick with the treatment.

-Apply a moisturizer to your skin prior to the tretinoin (creates a buffer). This really helped me

-Don't apply it to the eye area and do apply eye cream prior to tretinoin (this added protection to the eye area, that even though was not being treated with tretinoin, was still getting irritated/flaky)

-Don't pick your skin (specially when on tretinoin)

A moisturizing cleanser also helped me - I use the goat milk one from KS. I would never have picked that in a million years, but it feels soothing/oily, yet cleansing.

Also, my skin is not nearly as dry as it was when the treatment began. I guess the skin really does get used to it after a couple of months

Good luck. I wish I had started the treatment sooner. I literally wasted thousands of dollars with expensive serum, cleanser, masks and nothing really solved the problem. 

[lipglossxo]

The chemical burn probably explains why my face always has a red tinge to it...very unflattering. I'm stopping with that horrible cream right now! I literally have pimples on top of pimples lol it's so horrible ... I go to the doctor on Tuesday I'm gonna ask about Acutune. Kind of annoying how the doctor kept pushing tetrinoin on me knowing it would give terrible results!

[lipglossxo]

I have got more lines under my eyes and everywhere as well which is such bs since it's suppose to be for anti aging. This is probably the 3rd or 4th time being on tretinoin , as I always give up and stop using it when my face turns to a complete mess. I think I'm gonna give up again cuz my face looks so bad I don't even want to leave the house.