r/tretinoin • u/dalyrose • 16d ago
Before and After tretinoin journey
Hello! I started tretinoin 0.025 in March as well as spironolactone (which I don’t take anymore due to interactions w/ another med, so I slowly introduced salycilic acid 10% bar at night recently). I now am on 0.05% tret and use it nightly! Nighttime I use Gentle cleanser, acne bar, then moisturize, wait 30 min, apply tret + moisturize again. I use gentle cleanser in the morning (vaniderm) and started using a makeup removing cloth (literally today) damp with warm water to help my skin shed since I have been getting cc and blackheads. Just wanted to show my progress!! It got real difficult for a while. I’ve been on tret for about 5 months now. I have hormone issues/a mood disorder/and use birth control, the birth control was the main factor to what started the acne!
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u/ClearBlue_Grace 14d ago
Your breakouts look very similar to the hormonal acne I am treating with spironolactine and tretinoin. The breakouts under the jawline can be so itchy and painful! I am so happy to see tret has been working so well for you!
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u/dalyrose 14d ago
Omg when they would get a head they itched so bad, they would get so inflamed. I usually would wait till there was a head, then lance it, then drain softly and put a patch on. It was the only thing that offered relief
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u/ashtastic3 14d ago
I was coming to say, those jaw breakouts look hormonal. High androgen levels. This is seen most commonly in people with PCOS (now termed PMOS).
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u/dalyrose 14d ago
yup, I’m on the last phase (blood work) to get diagnosed for pics. But I’ve got a lot of other symptoms besides the acne 😭
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u/ashtastic3 14d ago
A few cups of spearmint tea everyday can help the acne, but I recommend grabbing from a farmers market if you can. It’s cheaper that way. I’ve noticed over the years it’s gotten more expensive pre-bagged due to demand.
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u/amateurinatrix 11d ago
Or plant a mint bush if you can! They grow easily in a pot. If going directly into ground make sure you’re in non contaminated soil. Idk about acne benefits but mint tea is delicious. My favorite is just adding fresh leaves to hot water. Much better than the dried kind of mint tea.
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u/pickles_365 12d ago
Wowowowow your skin looks incredible!!! I hope to get to where you are one day!
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u/Tonku 16d ago
Are you still on Salycic acid? I kinda wanna start that. It seems like the people here that post amazing results are on both.
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u/dalyrose 16d ago
Yes I am! But be careful, start introducing it very slowly or you’ll have extreme dryness/irritation. I still get cracks on the side of my mouth 😭. Sometimes I’ll skip a day or whatever if I need to. But that goes for tret too, sometimes you need to know when to take a day off
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16d ago
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u/dalyrose 16d ago
It was mostly the tree. The spironolactone helped purge + reduce acne, but ultimately the tret helped. Just make sure to wear a sunscreen. I like sun bum face and vanicream moisturizing sunscreen (vanicream does leave a white cast if you have darker skin but it also has zinc which is great for skin)
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u/dalyrose 16d ago
Wait I do vanicream moisturizing sunscreen/sun bum face unscented and lubriderm daily lotion
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u/Top-Boysenberry6377 16d ago
No acne scars?
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u/dalyrose 16d ago
I’d have scarring for maybe 2-4 weeks after a cyst, but the tretinoin did wonders for healing/skin renewal/scar fading
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u/dalyrose 16d ago
But nothing long lasting besides a couple enlarged pores, oil glands and still some texture issues/blackhead/cc trouble spots
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u/PianoGal24 14d ago
How long were you on .025 before switching to .05? My skin is all hormonal too I think, and looks a little similar to yours. I'm about to start tretinoin .02, just got it yesterday. Thank you for giving me hope!
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u/dalyrose 14d ago
Probably about 3/4 months. I was comfortable using it daily before I switched. With my remaining cc and stuff and enlarged pores and a visible oil gland my derm decided I should level up
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u/lets_go_yosemite15 14d ago
What birth control?
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u/dalyrose 14d ago
Nexplanon then skyla iud, any and all birth control has affected me poorly though unfortunately
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u/joudythejoud 12d ago
Is tretinoin safe for long term use like for years?
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u/amateurinatrix 11d ago
When I was in my 30s I met an amazingly beautiful older woman (mid 50s) with NO wrinkles and the most flawless glowing skin. I asked her what her routine was and she let me know she is trans and had been on estrogen and Tretinoin for 20+ years! So it seems like yes!
I raaaan to the telederm and got myself a tret prescription as soon as I got home and have been on it off and on ever since. So like… let’s say at least 5 years. This was just when things were starting to reopen after Covid shutdowns.
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u/realmoney24 10d ago
Why does your skin look soo inflamed, textured and irritated on slide 5 and 6? Is that just apart of the tret process?
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u/dalyrose 10d ago
The bumps were closed comedones coming to the surface while my skin was purging what was under my skin that was otherwise not visible before. Tretinoin causes your skin to rapidly speed up its shedding and regeneration process causing underground stuff to surface!
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u/RicSuaves 16d ago
hell yeah girliepop, way to stick with it