RetinA for Acne/Scars

[#1]

I am wondering if anyone has ever tried RetinA for their acne? I don’t have severe acne breakouts, but I get them randomly, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s my “time of the month” or not, I do get breakouts whenever they feel like popping up. Lol

I have been doing some research on it and I have read the pros and cons on it.  The great thing is that it clears up your acne and your skin does look noticeably different and it adds more glow to it.  On the other hand, you will experience a bit of dryness, peeling, some acne coming to surface because it peels off layers of your skin.  But in the end, it is worth it!

I just wanted to hear some of your experiences with it before I decide what I want to do, whether I want to go to my doctor to get a prescription or not. 

I have a few questions if you have used it:

1. What was your skin like when you applied your daily makeup routine?

2. What was your skin care routine like once you started RetinA?

3. How often did you apply the product in the beginning?

4. When you noticed some differences, did you use the product less then usual?

I would absolutely love to hear everyone’s experiences with RetinA.  I have tried several different things to help my breakouts and it just does not seem to work.  So, please please post your experiences and comments on RetinA.  I would really appreciate it!

[#2]

I think it depends on the severity of your breakouts.  Ive been using Differin since april.  (it's a synthetic product, supposed to be a little milder) and an anti-biotic.  i was experiencing continuous breakouts.  once something would clear up, something else would be on its way, for a little over a year.  I recommend seeing a dermotologist to see if retin a or something similar might work for your types of breakouts.  I can say after being on the differin (i'm transitioning off the low dose antibiotic) I wish I went to the derm a lot sooner!  Now I have a fair amount of scarring on my chin as a result from the acne. the retin a is supposed to help with that, but i think my scarring might be more severe.  i never had acne as a teenager, so this was something that came later (I'm currently 28).  my feedback on your questions:

1.  pretty normal once my skin calmed down. i threw away all my old make up though in case it had bacteria in it. you have to make sure anything you put on your face is very, very mild.

2. I wash my face in the morning, put on a moisturizer/sunscreen, then a light amount of makeup. at night, I cleanse, moisturize and apply a pea-sized amount of retin a to my face. 

3. in the beginning i applied it to my face every other day until my skin adjusted. you skin becomes very sensitive and reactive when first starting on it.  soaps/sunscreens/lotions can sting when you apply them.  you will need to make sure anything you put on your face is very sensitive. also my skin became very photosensitive.  my daily moisturizer of spf 20 did not cut it! I would get red from the sun after being outside. i had to step up to a spf 40.

4. i'm still using the product nightly.  i take a day off if i get dryness (usually happens around my mouth) but I'm due back to my doctor for a follow up in a few weeks and the plan might change then.  

overall - if you have breakdouts without relief go see a dermatologist! i think this could work for you.  im very happy with the results and have not experienced major side effects. my face was dry  and really sensitive at first, but i didnt have any major flare ups.  I still get the occasional zit, but they are on the surface and usually clear up within a few days.  i'm going to wait a few more months before addressing the scarring. 

[#3]

I have cystic acne and was given a prescription for RetinA.   Although it did help in shrinking the acne, it did not prevent new outbreaks.  Because of that, I had to use it every night (as prescribed). Also, it is very drying.  In all honestly, I've never used a product before that dried my skin out as much as RetinA. Even with my staple oil-free moisturizer, it was no match for it.   I gave it over a month of use, and couldn't take it anymore.   For me, I don't know what's worse, cystic acne or continuely flaking skin where ever you go.  I'm sure that's not the reaction everyone has, but that's how it reacted with my skin, and I hated it.  

Now, I've been using sulphur based acne products and don't seem to have the same reaction.  

[#4]

I have acne and am presently using retin a. to answer your questions,

1.my skin looks like reptile skin right now lol it is soo flakey due to the dryness this  medicine causes.

2.My skin care routine at night is i wash  my makeup off with Boscia breakup cleansing oil, then i wash  my face with an anti bacterial face wash, and then i apply retin a. 

3. I ONLY ONLY ONLY apply this at night before bed. 

I'm at the stage where i'm extremely flakey, my foundation looks blotchy, my skin rihgt now over all is not pretty at all. but when i take off my makeup i can see a difference in my skin's texture. the redness has calmed down a bit and it's great to have these layers of skin flaking off because it's all dead skin anyway. be sure you wear sun screen because your skin will get so sensitive and red if you dont.

this dry process sucks but I can see it's working. you NEED to go through this flakiness to get new skin. I am planning to use this for 2-3 months but right now it's really uncomfortabel lol

PLEASE REMEMBER, if it makes you break out more, THAT'S GOOD. it's bringing all the acne sufficated underneath to the skin all at once so it can go away. 

[#5]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your all your inputs and suggestions on how you use the product and stuff. It does really help and make me consider to use this product or not. 

I know one of your mentioned to use sunscreen, problem I have is that I cannot use any product with SPF in it.  So as far as sunscreen goes, I just have watch when I am in the sun. 

Reason I asked questions about RetinA is because I wanted to make sure the way to apply it, when to apply it, whether you apply moisturizer before or after etc. All those questions I asked, I wanted to make sure everyone uses the same type of routine I know it depends on each person.  But the steps are the same from all the other research I have done.  I am going to be going to my family doctor and see if he has ever prescribed RetinA before and what he knows about it.

I am thinking of starting off with a low dosage because my breakouts/acne is not severe at all.  It’s mild.  Did you guys both start off with a low dosage? How did that work out for you?

And another question, did you use gel or cream? Which is better? Or does it work just as effective whether you are using one or the other?

[#6]

I am very pleased to read about all your research!  I have been battling bad skin for almost 2 years and my doctor recommended Retin-A micro for me. Here is my experience....

1. I am light skinned and in my mid 20s. I have combo skin with an oily T-zone. .  My chin is oily but can get dry quickly.  Before Retin-A I tried several skin care lines including REN, Body Shop, Murad.  I am targeting small bumps on my cheeks and hairline, as well as more hormonal acne on my chin.  My chin is my target area. 

2. My doctor recommended an oil free, fragrance free, medication free facial cleanser and moisturizer.  I chose Purpose by Johnson and Johnson.  Both are over the counter and are under $10 each.  I am happy with these choices thus far.  I have been on this routine along with Retin-A micro for two months now.  I wash my face twice a day and put moisturizer on in the morning before my makeup.  I have switched from BE to Korres mineral powder and couldn't be happier.  (Some people have experienced breakouts with BE, and the bumps on my cheeks are no longer an issue...).

3.  You only need a little of the cream.  I do it every other night.  You only need a small dab on the actual acne spot, do not rub it around like moisturizer or cream.  I did this at first and my skin did peel.  Now I have the application process down and am not longer experiencing a lot of redness and peeling.  Retin-A is drying so I use a good amount of moisturizer in the morning before my make-up and at night on the nights I do not apply the Retin-A.  On the nights I do...I wash my face then wait a bit before applying the Retin-A.

4.  It will get worse and it has gotten worse for me.  It pushes the acne to the surface so my chin is worse now than it was before I started.  However, it only has been 2 months and best results can take up to 4-6 months I have read.  All depends on your skin and how you use the product.  I do feel like it is helping though because my cheeks and hairline have cleared up. I try to do the Retin-A every other night but if my chin is especially flared up I will do some dabbing on those spots two nights in a row. 

Hope this helped and best of luck