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Sat May 09, 2009 7:43 am  |
How many use the 0.1% vs. the 0.05% strenth tretinoin or Tazorac? I need some help if possible. I've been doing nu-derm for 3.5 weeks now and I am peeling/flaking every single day like crazy. This has been occuring since week one and there's no sign of letting up. In fact, I think it's possible that I'm peeling even worse as time goes on. Last night I broke down in tears in the restroom of a restaurant b/c I was so mortified at how ugly my face looks. It's a complete dry, flaky white mess most of the day/night. This is especially true all around the lower half of my face. I peel off 2 layers of skin in the area every day.
My question is, do you guys think I should decrease to 0.05%? I'm now using 0.1% tazorac. Will I get less results decreasing the strength? If I knew that the flaking would at least improve somewhat as time went on, I think I could handle it. But, with the way things are going, it's a non-stop flaky mess and I'm not sure that my skin is tolerating the .1% strength. Or maybe it has nothing to do with the tazarac? I don't know. I'm doing this system very informally through my best friend, who is a dermatology PA. She's very casual about the system and says I can lay off the products for a day or two to give my skin a rest. She also encourages using moisturizer to get by. I even tried some lotion last night and my skin was so flaky and dry, that the lotion didn't even help. I want to do this right. Thanks for any inpuy/assistance |
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Sat May 09, 2009 9:01 am |
Just lay it off for a while and moisturize. I am on my own maintenance phase and I do not use the blender/Retin A every night. And when I am flaking and an event is coming up, I use a heavy moisturizer or emu oil, which makes the flakes almmost melt away.
And when you restart, use less retin A with your blender. When I started Nuderm many years ago, I mixed 1-pea size retin A with 2-pea or even 3-pea size blender. I wanted my skin to adjust to it slowly. It is also good to do Nuderm at a time when you have no events coming up wherein you can be in hiding for a while because you will turn red and flake.
Good luck and don't fret, it will get better! |
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Asian, fair-skin with slight yellowish tone, late forties, some freckles, normal skin that used to be a little oily but is now tend to be on the dry due to aspirin? |
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Sat May 09, 2009 11:28 am |
Hi Meganjavascript:emoticon(' ')
I'm new user to Obagi too. I'm on my first week and my skin peel and flaking crazy after I put on blender with 0.025% tretinion. I look so much older with the dryness and winkles but I hope for the best at the end. I read many advices in here that if it too strong for your skin you can decrease the strength or use it every other day.
I learn a lot from here lot of helpful info about using Obagi.
I wish you doing OK and look forward for your skin update. |
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Sat May 09, 2009 8:31 pm |
| Hi Everyone! In reading through many of the Obagi threads on the forum, it seems that a lot of people will agree that 0.05% is the highest that you will need to use. Using a higher percent won't get you better results, it will only irritate your skin more. Have you been using Tazorac or Retin A previously? If not, the strength you are presently using may be too much for your skin to handle. For me, I started using 0.025% Retin A and then moved up to 0.05%. I'm still red and flaky (especially by the afternoon) but it is bearable. How long have you been doing Obagi? I just finished my 5th week and still feel like I'm in the "ugly stage." Hang in there -- I think all of us Obagians are in the same boat! |
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Sat May 09, 2009 9:14 pm |
| Thanks Kims. So, if there is really no difference in efficacy between the different strengths, why have different strengths? That's the part I'm struggling with. |
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Sat May 09, 2009 9:21 pm |
| Hi, meganm76. I agree with kim that tazorac .1% may be too strong. My nu-derm is still sitting in my bathroom waiting for me since i am waiting for my dr. appointment. But i have used both tazorac and tretinion for acne. i could not even tolerate the .05% one, i had to use the .025%. I think i can use 0.05 now, since my skin would not peel any more with .025% cream. I guess you may start from .025% then go up later Good luck |
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Sun May 10, 2009 5:59 am |
| I would have suffered the same if I had done Nu Derm with such a high percentage of Taz. Especially if you haven't been using 1% Taz for a long time before you started Nu Derm. I started with .025% and after my first month bumped up to .05%. Even then I only applied my Taz or Renova every other night. Every night was too much for my skin. As time went on I was able to use the products nightly but you don't have to suffer this way. First I would lower the strength of Taz you are using. There is no reason why you need to use such a high strength, especially in the beginning. Secondly don't feel like you have to apply all the products everyday. When I started I applied all the Obagi products every day and night but only used my Renova/Blender mix every other night for the first month or two. |
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Age 45, caucasian, normal - combination skin, dedicated Renova user. |
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Sun May 10, 2009 8:35 am |
| Thanks so much everyone - Much appreciated! I am going to visit my PA friend on monday to get the lower strength. She agrees that the higher strength may just be too much for me at this time. And thanks for the other suggestions as well! Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers on here! |
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Fri May 15, 2009 7:31 am |
| Switching to the .05% has helped immensely! I've been using it over the past four nights and although I still have flakes, it is tolerable now. Wanted to post this in case it helps anyone in a similar position. I might try to work back up to .1 in the future, but for now, I'm a happy camper. |
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Sat May 16, 2009 9:42 am |
meg
so happy to hear that you are having a better experience and better results! |
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Thu May 21, 2009 5:32 pm |
Hi Everyone,
Ran out of Clear and had to reorder. In the meantime, I have a tube of 4% hydroquinine. Does anyone know if it would be ok to use this with the system until the Obagi Clear arrives?
Thanks! |
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50 Is definitely NOT nifty!! |
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Fri May 22, 2009 2:58 am |
| Glad to hear your doing better Meg. |
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Age 45, caucasian, normal - combination skin, dedicated Renova user. |
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Fri May 29, 2009 9:46 am |
kims,
the HQ should had been ok until your clear arrives/arrived |
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Fri May 29, 2009 1:23 pm |
Hi Isa09,
Thanks for getting back with me. Got my clear today so I'm good to go! Thanks also for answering me on the other thread in regards to vacation, too.
KIM |
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50 Is definitely NOT nifty!! |
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Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:50 pm |
it can be difficult to maintain the program when you are on the go
if i dont want to lug the whole line -the minimal routine for me...cleanser, clear and sunblock |
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