Any veteran Retin A users?
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free skin care · Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Hi everyone!

I've been gone for a while, I'm happy to be back! Alot of crazy stuff has hampered my computer free time. Crying or Very sad

Anyways, here's the situation. I have always had very acne prone skin, and it's only getting worse. I have tried pretty much everything over the counter, and some things have worked for a while, then stopped. Now even my old stand by's aren't working, and I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore. Sad

I have very tough skin, definately not sensitive at all. I have a prescription for Retin A .1%, and I'm getting it filled tonight. I am very well verserd on the fact that it will make your skin alot worse before it gets better, and there will be redness and flaking. I'm just curious if anyone has used it, and what your experiences were. If you have any tips or tricks, like what products work well with it, it would be muchos appreciated! Very Happy

free skin care · Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:19 pm

I am a 20 year user of Retin A's. I use Tazorac now, every other night, alternating with my copper peptides. My advice would be to start on a milder percentage. 1% is strong! Since you are starting in the winter (is it winter where you are??) I would only use it once every 2-3 nights, working up to using it nightly. Get a microfiber cloth (or razor!) to remove the peelies. If the air is dry, sleep with a humidifier in your bedroom. Spray your face with water during the day if you don't wear a lot of makeup. I'm old school so I don't favor the methods of washing the Retin A off after an hour, or applying a mositurizer with it. As you will hear here, the new generation of users do it like that. Do what feels right for you and believe it's working!! (that has the most power of all!)
Good luck!

free skin care · Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:26 pm

Thanks MountainGirl. I know the .1 is really strong, but my derm thought that since my skin is "tough", it would work best. I will definately only use it sparingly for a while, until my skin builds up a little bit of tolerance to it. We'll see how the first day or so goes.

Frankly, I haven't even heard of washing it off after an hour! Shock

Didn't think that would keep the effectiveness, and I would think that would re-irritate.....speaking of which, wouldn't scrubbing the skin with a cloth etc be very irritating?

free skin care · Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:29 pm

I use retin a as well and I always used it in the "new method" that mountain girl describes applying it over CP's and applying some sort of oil over the top of the retin a, or short contact therapy which is where you wash it off after an hour. I have recently started to just apply the retin a on it's own every night with nothing else and am only now beginning to see it really go to work on my skin. It looks pretty red and flakey but it seems to actually be making an impact on my skin now, with less black heads and so on. I hear it takes at least 6 weeks to really make a diffrence so I am determined to stick with it.
I think diffrent methods suit diffrent people so it is really a matter of finding what suits you best.

free skin care · Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:38 pm

Thanks for the replies. I will have to admit, hearing all of the horror stories on other sites, etc., about the redness and flaking, and huge initial breakouts is scaring me, but at this point I will do just about anything to be able to look into the mirror without crying. Pray

My derm also recommended Accutane, but there are so many long term side effects (although rare) I don't know if I would risk it. If this stuff doesn't work in a few months though, I may change my mind...... Anxious

free skin care · Mon Nov 12, 2007 5:03 pm

I use both 0.05% and 0.1% Retin-A. I alternate depending on the amount of peeling I'm experiencing. At night I apply Retin-A, wait 30 mins then apply CPs, wait again then put on emu oil. If I have lots of flaky skin I exfoliate with a microfiber cloth.

Although I have had allot of peeling, my skin has never become red or irritated and during the day it never feels dry. I really believe that this product has made the biggest difference to the texture and overall health of my skin - I'm definitely hooked.

free skin care · Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:45 pm

Thanks everyone. I'm going to start with it tonight. Any suggestions for a facial cleanser that is also good at removing makeup without aggravating the newly "retin a" skin?

Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:08 pm

I am a longtime "lurker" but new poster. I couldn't resist this post since I have used Retin-A for about 15 years, recently switching to Avage. Over the years I have tried "other" miracle treatments but always come back to tretinoin because it works. All the over the counter face creams can't compete with the long term effect of Retin-A. Bear with the flakes and take the advice of the microfiber cloths and you won't be sorry.

Your skin will love you for it and the mirror will make you very happy.

Mary Ann

free skin care · Fri Nov 16, 2007 4:02 am

mper1327 wrote:

Thanks everyone. I'm going to start with it tonight. Any suggestions for a facial cleanser that is also good at removing makeup without aggravating the newly "retin a" skin?

I use 50/50 castor and olive oil. It removes every spec of makeup and is very soothing. Just make sure you wash the oil off thoroughly.

free skin care · Fri Nov 16, 2007 12:38 pm

Ok, I used it last night. Just washed my face, waited about 20-30 minutes, then applied. Didn't feel any different, no burning, itching or tightness, which I expected on such a high dose. Hopefully it will still work wonders for me! It probably will start to show signs of irritation in a few days.

I will take your advice and get a microderm cloth. Any reputable sellers? I've heard so much about people getting washcloths from Walmart and selling them as microderm cloths! Laughing

free skin care · Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:51 pm

When I am heavily into Retin-A Micro, glycolic acids, and Vitamin C serums, I'm mindful of using facial cleansers geared toward Sensitive skinned individuals - and they must also do a great job of removing mascara as well. Neutrogena One Step Gentle Cleanser and Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash Sensitive Skin are both excellent in this regard.

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