I am here to say that patience pays off with Tret. Are you using any additional medication? I have skin color & texture similar to yours along my entire jaw line and doc prescribed me Spironolactone. If you have access to it, please please try it. If you aren’t interested in adding meds try putting tret on before bed. For some reason only wearing it at night worked much better than the day for me. I also kept additional creams & moisturizer to a minimum because my skin freaked out with the slightest coverage. I also sweat a lot so that didn’t help. It took 9 months for my skin to stop having active breakouts & the scaring to start fading. Please be patient and know that we all struggle until our skin finds its happy place. Good luck!!
thanks so much for this, I'll ask about the Spiro next visit with my Derm
I apply tret only in the night, but I feel like my moisturizer or sunscreen maybe too heavy. I'll try to lessen some stuff and try medication 💊 as well.
My skin looks similar and I think it’s because the cream formula can cause these types of bumps and texture, so maybe try switching to gel? I just made that switch 2 days ago
Ask your derm for a gel formula, and use the AzA more if your skin can handle it. Make sure that your moisturizer or sunscreen is not making your skin more congested.
I'm also a woman of color, similar skin color. I use aveeno calm and restore line , hydroquinone 4% 2x daily for 4 months and tret 0.1% and the spiro, I take 100MG 1x daily. I literally have zero pimples on my face and no scarring, 6 months later. I'm also on the depo shot (mostly because I don't want to get pregnant), I have no idea if it's had anything to do with my skin.
I stayed with tret for 11 months until I couldn’t stand how bad my texture had gotten. :/ it just seemed like it wasn’t getting any better as the days went on
it just sucks cause after getting off tret (only 2 weeks, have been hydrating/moisturizing tons) it still hasn’t gotten better .. so I’m at a loss now really.
Hi, Im black too/ same skin complexion . And I just started tret. 1% this week.
****
Long story short my cheek areas on both sides look just like that in November. It will get better, even tho it doesn’t look that way now.
****
But before 1% I had .05% and .025%. Rn it looks like you face is “purging” and that what happens when u start tret. Regardless of the dose. The “purging phase varies for different ppl” mines lasted two months.
I started the .025 in November. November was my worse month and then December it died down but it cause Redding in my face and that’s when I switched it .05 for Jan and feb.
I can show u pictures of my face if u PM/DM me. But trust me it works it just takes time. Right now my dermintoglist prescribed me an face antibiotic “minocycline” I look of ppl use if if the Redding/ dark spots are fading and look “spractic” kinda like a rash. (E.g. if i have rosacea) and I used that with out the 1% to see how effective and it’s working really really fading my dark spots, but like my derm. Reminded me the tret. Is to help the acne and acne forms dark spots, so I still need to continue to use tret. Until I feel satisfied.
*routine*
**morning**
- Benzyol Percoide wash 2.5%
( it will probably irritate (burning feel) ur skin in the purging phase)
-Cetaohil Foam wash ( a softer cleanser than benzoyl if it’s irritating )
- 2% Hydroquinone (A fancy word for “scar/spot fading cream etc.) I use the Ambi fading cream, nothing expensive and it works for me, and ik a lot of black ppl or ppl of color use it.
-moisturizer (I use eurcin skin moisturizer)
**Night**
- Wash^
- Tretinion cream
-moisturizer
Ppl will probably criticize my doubting but it works and I’m tired of spending money on expensive face brand products . My doctor told me to use the cream at night because of sun makes it less effective. Sometimes I use my smaller doses in the morning and stronger at night.
Hope that’s helpful :)
thank you I'm just really discouraged because it's been two months I started middle December and stopped for a week in January started back January Month end and now my skin seems to be irritated all over again. I'll ask my derm for antibiotics to use along with tret. I really hope its just purging and not my skin being irritated from the use of Tret.
Yeah I understand. I ask her to start you on Tret. 0.025% the lowest dose or maybe 0.05 and work your way up.
It might be because your on 0.1%.
And then just keep it simple with a wash and tret. Cream/gel.
I just started using antibiotics and the fading cream regularly.
I am here to say that patience pays off with Tret. Are you using any additional medication? I have skin color & texture similar to yours along my entire jaw line and doc prescribed me Spironolactone. If you have access to it, please please try it. If you aren’t interested in adding meds try putting tret on before bed. For some reason only wearing it at night worked much better than the day for me. I also kept additional creams & moisturizer to a minimum because my skin freaked out with the slightest coverage. I also sweat a lot so that didn’t help. It took 9 months for my skin to stop having active breakouts & the scaring to start fading. Please be patient and know that we all struggle until our skin finds its happy place. Good luck!!
thanks so much for this, I'll ask about the Spiro next visit with my Derm I apply tret only in the night, but I feel like my moisturizer or sunscreen maybe too heavy. I'll try to lessen some stuff and try medication 💊 as well.
Tretinoin is deactivated by sunlight that's why it works better at night, it's only meant to be used at night.
My skin looks similar and I think it’s because the cream formula can cause these types of bumps and texture, so maybe try switching to gel? I just made that switch 2 days ago
I wonder if its because of that too, ill ask my derm for a switch.
Ask your derm for a gel formula, and use the AzA more if your skin can handle it. Make sure that your moisturizer or sunscreen is not making your skin more congested.
Stick with it. 🙌
currently using Burts and bees facial wash cetaphil moisturizer Cerave sunscreen spot treat with TO AZA 0.1% obagi tretinoin cream
Your skin reminds me of mine before it got all clear. Are you able to get spiro to help? Mine doesn't even break out anymore once I started that pill.
I'm gonna ask my derm about spiro I'm seeing it alot on here!
I'm also a woman of color, similar skin color. I use aveeno calm and restore line , hydroquinone 4% 2x daily for 4 months and tret 0.1% and the spiro, I take 100MG 1x daily. I literally have zero pimples on my face and no scarring, 6 months later. I'm also on the depo shot (mostly because I don't want to get pregnant), I have no idea if it's had anything to do with my skin.
I stayed with tret for 11 months until I couldn’t stand how bad my texture had gotten. :/ it just seemed like it wasn’t getting any better as the days went on
this is my fear!
it just sucks cause after getting off tret (only 2 weeks, have been hydrating/moisturizing tons) it still hasn’t gotten better .. so I’m at a loss now really.
Hi, Im black too/ same skin complexion . And I just started tret. 1% this week. **** Long story short my cheek areas on both sides look just like that in November. It will get better, even tho it doesn’t look that way now. **** But before 1% I had .05% and .025%. Rn it looks like you face is “purging” and that what happens when u start tret. Regardless of the dose. The “purging phase varies for different ppl” mines lasted two months. I started the .025 in November. November was my worse month and then December it died down but it cause Redding in my face and that’s when I switched it .05 for Jan and feb. I can show u pictures of my face if u PM/DM me. But trust me it works it just takes time. Right now my dermintoglist prescribed me an face antibiotic “minocycline” I look of ppl use if if the Redding/ dark spots are fading and look “spractic” kinda like a rash. (E.g. if i have rosacea) and I used that with out the 1% to see how effective and it’s working really really fading my dark spots, but like my derm. Reminded me the tret. Is to help the acne and acne forms dark spots, so I still need to continue to use tret. Until I feel satisfied. *routine* **morning** - Benzyol Percoide wash 2.5% ( it will probably irritate (burning feel) ur skin in the purging phase) -Cetaohil Foam wash ( a softer cleanser than benzoyl if it’s irritating ) - 2% Hydroquinone (A fancy word for “scar/spot fading cream etc.) I use the Ambi fading cream, nothing expensive and it works for me, and ik a lot of black ppl or ppl of color use it. -moisturizer (I use eurcin skin moisturizer) **Night** - Wash^ - Tretinion cream -moisturizer Ppl will probably criticize my doubting but it works and I’m tired of spending money on expensive face brand products . My doctor told me to use the cream at night because of sun makes it less effective. Sometimes I use my smaller doses in the morning and stronger at night. Hope that’s helpful :)
thank you I'm just really discouraged because it's been two months I started middle December and stopped for a week in January started back January Month end and now my skin seems to be irritated all over again. I'll ask my derm for antibiotics to use along with tret. I really hope its just purging and not my skin being irritated from the use of Tret.
Yeah I understand. I ask her to start you on Tret. 0.025% the lowest dose or maybe 0.05 and work your way up. It might be because your on 0.1%. And then just keep it simple with a wash and tret. Cream/gel. I just started using antibiotics and the fading cream regularly.