How to minimize PURGING when starting Retin A?
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Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:49 am

I started with Retin A 0.025% cream last night. Waited 30 minutes after cleansing, put on a pea-side amount of Retin A, then put on moisturizer 30 minutes after that. I have combination skin, but I know that I can deal with dry skin / redness / flakiness / irritation, but I'm TERRIFIED about the purging. I am neurotic about skin and get really stressed out when I break out. So, needless to say, I'm REALLY scared.
When can I expect to start purging? Will using Retin A every other night, or even once every three nights minimize the purging process? Or is it unavoidable altogether? Thanks.

free skin care · Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:11 am

Please take a look at

http://www.ehow.com/how_5029559_prevent-flaking-peeling-retina-use.html

I agree 100%: use niacin skin care products to "neutralise" the side effects of Retin A.

Don't overlook copper peptide eg from PSFQ

I researched this extensively years ago when I took a course of it. The doctor who wrote the book recommends start with application every other day and watch how your skin reaact.

She didn't mention problems associated with purging, but increased skin sensitivity, esp to the sun.

I think the new generation of Vit A are more gentle and causes less problems, eg Retin A Micro.

Good luck and let us know how it all goes in a few weeks.

free skin care · Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:20 am

If your that concerned about purging, it might be better not to use Retin A. Its not that purging happens for everyone at that strength, or at the same time, but generally the consensus that I have read is that everyone who uses Retin A long term regularly at some point will encounter it.

From what I know, although the skin will purge for most people during the first year, there are some who don't experience any for the first year. Its dependent on the individual concerned and how much damage they have and the health of their tissue first I suppose.

onebadassninja wrote:

I started with Retin A 0.025% cream last night. Waited 30 minutes after cleansing, put on a pea-side amount of Retin A, then put on moisturizer 30 minutes after that. I have combination skin, but I know that I can deal with dry skin / redness / flakiness / irritation, but I'm TERRIFIED about the purging. I am neurotic about skin and get really stressed out when I break out. So, needless to say, I'm REALLY scared.
When can I expect to start purging? Will using Retin A every other night, or even once every three nights minimize the purging process? Or is it unavoidable altogether? Thanks.

free skin care · Fri Jan 08, 2010 9:53 am

onebadassninja wrote:

I started with Retin A 0.025% cream last night. Waited 30 minutes after cleansing, put on a pea-side amount of Retin A, then put on moisturizer 30 minutes after that. I have combination skin, but I know that I can deal with dry skin / redness / flakiness / irritation, but I'm TERRIFIED about the purging. I am neurotic about skin and get really stressed out when I break out. So, needless to say, I'm REALLY scared.
When can I expect to start purging? Will using Retin A every other night, or even once every three nights minimize the purging process? Or is it unavoidable altogether? Thanks.

You can start with one night in three and slowly build up to alternate nights, then every night. I think that might reduce your chance of purging. But there's no guarantee because everyone's skin is different. Purging is more likely to happen if you are using it for acne rather than antiageing or other purposes. I used it for a non-acne condition and I didn't purge.

free skin care · Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:09 am

I have used it for over a year and only one or two pimples in all that time.Alot of people consider purging,your skin getting dry,red and peeling. Which it will do.But as the old saying goes,out the old in with new.

free skin care · Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:58 pm

Leggy 61 wrote:

I have used it for over a year and only one or two pimples in all that time.Alot of people consider purging,your skin getting dry,red and peeling. Which it will do.But as the old saying goes,out the old in with new.

Hi! Leggy makes a good point: What do you consider "purging" to be? I started using retin a 0.025% about nine months ago and my face didn't break out aggressively at all. However, I did get the redness and flakiness (I was also using Obagi Nuderm as well). After my skin acclimated to the products, I really didn't have any irritation. I've since bumped up to 0.05% and am doing well.

I don't believe that everyone will experience "break outs" with retin a use. It's a possibility that you may not "purge" at all.

free skin care · Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:00 am

kims wrote:

I don't believe that everyone will experience "break outs" with retin a use. It's a possibility that you may not "purge" at all.

Here I am

No purging at all. I am in the third month of RA cream 0,05% nightly using and I didn't see a pimple not even during my periods.
Little flaking on the face, burning and redness only on the neck and decollete (that stop also now)- Riley told me that I am the lucky one Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:49 am

I have had some irritation and flaking, but I don't belive I've had any purging from the Retin A.

free skin care · Sun Jan 10, 2010 3:35 am

Sad to say, I've had *major* purging with retin-a-- both when I started with .025%, and recently, when I began .05% 4 months ago.

For me, what I think happened is that with the skin cell turnover rate increasing with the retin-a, the old skin cells get trapped in the pores of my dry skin and get clogged up. (I have the best of all worlds, dry skin & acne. Rolling Eyes

)

The spots are just now beginning to subside, and what has helped me is using the OCM method to cleanse (using castor oil and hemp, and taking it all off with a hot washcloth) and some diluted ACV as a toner. The hemp oil helps to moisturize my skin, the castor oil keeps my pores clean, the hot washcloth helps everything to penetrate, and the ACV works as a nice AHA to clear away the old skin cells. (However, I have to be careful with the ACV so as not to overdry my skin.)

Hope this helps!

Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:47 pm

JLM - did you purge immediately, or around weeks 2 and 3? I'm on my second week and I haven't seen purging but I'm scared it's coming. Thanks for sharing your regimen! Smile

free skin care · Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:19 am

Hi onebadassninja,

I would say that for me, the purging began around week 2. My skin looked really good for the first week, and then I began to feel these bumps under my skin, which turned into the cystic sort of pimples without a head that lasted for weeks.

But now I'm thinking, perhaps these were not the "purging" sort of pimples after all. Skin purging seems to look like more benign pimples that last for only a few days, with a head that you can squeeze (but shouldn't of course!) The cystic ones were perhaps the result of the dryness of my skin, exacerbated by the retin-a causing a more rapid turnover & not exfoliating with an AHA.

Good luck, and hopefully the retin-a will work for you w/o any purging!

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