Obagi nu derm purge

This post is for fellow victims of acne.
I've been struggling with this issue for almost 5 years now. I'll be turning 20 this year. I did my A/Ls, and I thought the acne would disappear because it completely disappeared after my O/Ls. However, this time the acne didn't budge. The current skincare regimen that my derm recommended did not work. So I visited another and that derm prescribed me deriva-c gel (adapalene + clindamycin). It's been 3 weeks since starting the treatment and my skin is purging badly.
When I thought things could not get any worse, my parents and the people around me started pointing out my breakouts. No matter how hard I try to explain, they never listen. My mother checks my skin 3 or 4 times a day. Whenever she sees my friends (who all have clear, beautiful skin) she does not fail to point out how healthy-looking their skin is.
How are you all coping with all this criticism from these rash and nasty people? Sometimes I feel like disappearing from this whole world.

My derm recommended I use micro trey 0.004% and I apply every alternate night for 2 hours then wash off . I haven’t really purged . Anyone else using micro tret and experiencing the same ? I am worried I’m not using it right

Kære financielt fornuftige folk, Jeg kommer fra en familie, der aldrig har haft penge eller forstand på investering, så bær over med mig!
Jeg har et godt betalt arbejde, og købte i 2022 en lejlighed til 2,5 mio. Jeg omlagde lån i august 2023 og fik dermed afbetalt banklånet og står nu med 5% realkreditlån på 1.950.000 som min eneste gæld. Jeg har 50k i aktier, to går ret godt, og nogle fonde i minus Jeg har 85k på min opsparingskonto (jeg vil gerne have 20-25k stående til nødstilfælde)
Så reelt har jeg 60k "til overs" , hvor banken tager mine renter. Jeg tænker at have Ca. 50-100k hvert år ekstra (ingen børn), som jeg gerne vil investere bedst muligt.
Jeg er interesseret i at fjerne realkreditlånet hurtigst muligt, da jeg betaler næsten 100k om året i rente.
Hvis jeg afbetaler ekstra på min realkreditgæld koster det 750 kr. Passer det at hvis jeg afbetaler 50k kunne jeg spare 100k i rente?(prøvede nogle beregnere på nettet) Ville det give mening at f.eks smide 50k ekstra om året på lånet indtil renten falder og jeg kan nedkonventere igen? Eller overser jeg noget? (det jeg mister på rentefradraget synes ligegyldigt) Hvor meget mener I man skal have som en "lump sum" for at afbetale ekstra? Skal jeg hellere fastfryse 60k i 6 måneder på en højrentekonto, opspare 40k ekstra og så afbetale lån med 100k om 6mnd? Eller bare investere i aktier i stedet? Jeg er ikke optimistisk for aktiemarkedet aktuelt, men jeg ved heller ikke meget om det.
Hilsen en forvirret boligejer

so this is where i am at!!! side effects suck but you got this. clear skin is waiting for you.
started off at 10mg for first 6 months. right now i'm at 40mg i changed derms & they put me on 40mg to reach my cumulative dose faster.
it's odd because on 10mg i was getting nausea & brain fog but with 40mg (different formula) i ain't getting any strange side effects other than dry eyes & lips.
PIE- still dealing with some minor post inflammatory erythema, i successfully dealt with it with 20% azelaic acid & niacinamide.
IMPORTANCE OF SPF.
i didn't purge because prior to accutane i had been using tretinoin which made me purge horrendously so i think it was all out by the time i started on the pill. progressively got better & better.
feel free to ask any questions.

I started my course about 1.5 months ago and started purging after like week. My purge got better after two weeks but left couple of pimples on my face. I have those pimples on my face for about three weeks now and they still look absolutly same and my skin also looks same today as it looked after my purge ended. Is that normal or should I contact my derm?

hi, so recently i got prescribed .025% tretinoin cream. i used it for about 2 weeks almost every night - minimal peeling and not much physical irritation that i could feel. i also started using encorperating paula's choice BHA only a few times, used some glycolic acid a few times, and spot treat sometimes with clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide from my GP. my derm put me on 100mg doxycycline for a little over a week-2 weeks. i got off of it a couple days ago because were thinking im going to start accutane at the end of the month because this has been such a blow to my mental health. i've been trying so many products - nothing seems to be working. 2 nights ago i started to use panoxyl 10% face wash and used differin for one night, because it looks like the tret cream was clogging my pores. but honestly im not sure. just can't tell if i damaged my skin barrier or not because my face doesn't sting or look to red most of the time. wondering if these bumps are purging or not - i don't usually have these and i didn't really have them before i started using any actives. i tried squeezing a few but they're so small it's hard to tell if they pop. i have some on my forehead as well that do not pop.
current routine- might just play it safe for a while:
nizoral (as my only hair product) because i haven't ruled out fungal acne vanicream cleanser cerave moisturizing cream last night i slugged with LRP cicaplast
should i continue with differin or tretinoin or repair my barrier? i honestly hate this accutane waiting period because im so eager to try and fix my skin myself so i don't have to go on it, but its so so overwhelming.

I’m getting married next Saturday (!!) and my fiancé and I are both very acne-prone. We’re both on pretty strict topical regimens and have our skin largely under control besides a few little breakouts here and there which I don’t usually care about, but I’d obviously really like to have as clear of skin as possible for my wedding. Pretty much my worst fear is that I’ll have a huge stress-induced cystic acne form, the kind that you can’t hide with makeup, and it’ll ruin my self-confidence and thus the whole day. I went to my dermatologist yesterday and asked for a short course of doxycycline for this reason (given to me with no question, derms love doxy). My question is if anyone has taken doxy for their skin before, is there a “purge period” where any underlying lurkers come to the surface once you start? i.e. I’m on tretinoin as well and that has a known and significant purge period with it. Because more than anything else, THAT would ruin my day and I’d rather risk it with the many other meds that I’m on now. I want to think that my derm wouldn’t have prescribed it knowing that the wedding is in 8 days because that would be a super fucked up thing to do to someone… but…
Note: I’m a doctor and was a microbiology major in college, I’m VERY AWARE of microbial resistance and the ethical and moral reasons against taking sub-therapeutic antibiotics. In every other sense of the way I practice and live my life I am 100% against what I’m doing. But my self-conscious, anxious, and acne-prone self murdered the rational side of myself when deciding to ask for the abx

hi! been using retinoid for months na, di ako nag-purge or anything, im just looking for toner and serum recos to integrate in my routine
current routine am: slc salicylic cleanser toner from my derm vit c from my derm (running out na 😅) saipo moisturizer sunscreen pm: slc cleanser toner moisturizer adapalene (akneclin) prescribed by my derm also moisturizer

I've been on a very low dose of accutane (10mg per day / 70kgs) since the start of April to control oil, congestion and type 2 rosacea. Acne wasn't a big issue for me anymore and my derm told me I probably wouldn't purge on such a low dose. My excess oiliness was gone within a couple of weeks and I haven't had a rosacea pustule since I started the course - yay!! Congestion that had been in my skin for years got pushed out of my T-zone within the first 2 weeks with no inflammation at all, and I thought I'd gotten off very lightly with basically no purge. My skin was the best it had ever been for a month and a half, no blemishes, excess oil or rosacea.
But in the last 3 weeks or so, (end of month 2/beginning of month 3), I've had numerous inflamed pimples pop up. They're not painful, they don't turn into massive whiteheads like my pimples used to, and they disappear within a few days. But I'm not used to having so many pimples on my face and it's bringing me down a bit.
I'm guessing this is a purge and maybe it's happening now because of the low dose. Has anyone else on a low dose experienced a delayed purge like this?

Hi all, there is so much info out there I don’t know what to do.
Since my teens I have almost never had clear skin. There is ALWAYS at least 4-7 (often more, sometimes a bit less) proper pimples with redness. I’m grateful to not have severe acne but I’m dying to just have clear skin for sustained periods, as much as is humanly possible.
It seems to cycle but I don’t think it’s hormonal as I’m on birth control and it’s not around the jaw line. Cleaning up my diet, no dairy, lessening sugar. Working on digestive health. Don’t drink, cut out coffee a few days ago, working to reduce inflammation. Sleep on a silk pillow. Wear makeup far less frequently, which has helped. Always gets better when my face is tanned (take a vitamin D supplement).
I just have no idea what products I should actually use for my skin type. It’s generally dry but I have acne. Have not found luck w products recommended by skin experts/salespeople at Sephora. Not sure if there’s a derm & functional medicine practitioner I can go to.
Would appreciate any suggestions on this + my routine, which I have religiously tweaked over the years but I see so much knowledge on this thread so thought I’d ask here!
29F
AM: * Micellar water with a cotton pad gently over my face * (Go to gym, sweat) after: wash face with gentle cleanseGrown Alchemist face wash (provided at gym) * The Ordinary niacinimide + zinc * Green Machine vitamin c OR The Ordinary azelaic acid (switch it up) * Tatcha dewy skin cream * Supergoop SPF 40
PM: * Micellar water with cotton pads to remove makeup/oil/dirt * Acnemy Zitclean for salycilic acid OR Alpyn Beauty juneberry & collagen hydrating cream cleanser (switch it up). Alpyn has jojoba beads to exfoliate & hydrate. * GP prescribed 0.025% tretinoin + clindamycin phosphate 1.2%. Use nightly, skip a night if skin feels too dry or sore. Around the 3 month mark. Had the original purge, then super smooth skin, now seems back to usual programming though may need to stick it out. * La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Spot Treatment Cream - Benzoyl Peroxide (try not to too much w tret but will put on tough spots) * Tatcha dewy skin cream * Red marks - used to use dermatrix but no longer available where I am so started a tiny dab of polysporin which seems to help (not ideal though I imagine)
Thank you for any help 🙏🙏

For reference I’ve gone to westlake dermatology on bee cave for the past year and my skin has been worse then ever. Never once has my derm examined my skin. Which I find really odd?? I was on spirnolactone before I moved here for 2 years and ended up stopping in December for the awful 2 periods a month. I’ve tried several options from my derm since then like a literal just trial and error either topicals like Tret which I couldn’t take the purging and then doxycycline which have me terrible fungal acne that didn’t go away for months. I’m just lost and would love a professional to go to that would actually look at my skin. My acne is cystic and hormonal so ideally trying to find a dermatologist over an aesthetician as I’ve tried in the past. Thank you in advance for any recommendations!

I felt really hesitant to post this, but my self-esteem and mental health have been horrible because of my skin. I just want it to go back to normal. I apologize for the length, but I wanted to give context:
Background: As a teenager (currently 23F), I had mild to moderate acne. My sister had severe cystic acne that scarred - I never had that. I had non-hormonal breakouts and some pimples, but never cystic. Started combo BC when 18 (mostly, lol) for menstrual problems. Still got the occasional pimple, but clearly it helped. But here's where things went downhill... I had to discontinue combo BC due to non-stop periods; migraines 5-8 days a month; and because I already have a high stroke risk. I am very much a "treat the cause, not the symptoms" person, so I discontinued the estrogen-based BC and tried progrestin-only. I wish I had NEVER done this - would rather take migraine meds every single day than deal with progestin ever again. The progestin pill gave me cystic acne. Within a week of starting it, I had cysts the size of pencil eraser heads along my entire jawline and chin, never anywhere else. It was so painful I couldn't open my mouth fully to eat. Nothing I tried helped. Didn't pick, but the cysts left marks. After 3 months of "waiting it out" at my gyno's suggestion, with no improvement, I stopped progestin against her pushing. Only then did my skin go from 5+ new pimples each day, to maybe 3-5 each week. I have tried several things to combat the acne/prevent marks, with 0 improvement.
I recently had a new depressive episode because of my skin + other things. Hadn't had one in over 3 years. It has quashed my self-esteem. The cystic acne and resulting marks made me feel so ugly. I haven't had any severe breakouts in these 6 weeks post-progestin, but am still getting CCs, cysts, and blackheads. It is no longer painful, but now the PIH and marks make me super upset.
What I've Tried:

• As a teenager, I tried EpiDuo (adapalene) and Tarazotene with some improvement? (was awhile ago)
• For the past 6 months: salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, moisturizer, retinol, vitamin C, sunscreen, cleanser, toner, salicylic acid cleanser. Not necessarily in that order and NOT all at once, but as part of my skincare routine and adding/removing these. Gave them all a 4-6+ month trial so far.
• I wash my face 1-2 times a day and try really hard not to touch my face or pick at it

Lifestyle: I was a college athlete and remain very active. I am gluten free, almost no sugaprocessed food, and fully avoid dairy, other than a 1 tsp. splash of plain cream in my daily coffee. I take multiple medications but they do not have acne or hormonal side effects. No longer taking exogenous androgens. I am somewhat stressed, due to feeling depressed and moving soon, but I have no history of stress acne reactions. I never wear skin makeup (as much as I want to). Change my sheets weekly.
Help?: I start med school in 6 weeks and would really like to like how I look. This has taken over my life lately and I just want to be confident again. My father is not supportive of my emotional struggles, often telling me to get over it or to stop wasting my money on products. I am thinking of seeing a derm while at school at this point. With all that said - would anyone recommend anything for cysts and/or PIH?

• I cannot take hormonal BC, spiro (I have a BP disorder + meds), or antibiotics due to my health
• I am worried about purging but will deal with it if there's a light at the end. Also worried about losing months to a topical that ends up worsening the acne and thus increasing the PIH.
• Mainly focusing on affordable products. Assuming prescriptions are covered by insurance.
• I am looking into azelaic acid, tarazotene, tretinoin, Accutane, alpha arbutin. Or a combination of these? Any success stories for a similar problem or product?

If you got this far, thank you for taking the time to listen, and for not dismissing me. I have been very unhappy for awhile, so I appreciate this sub's support and suggestions.

Just like the majority of people on this medication, I've tried everything else for the past few years with inconsistent results (AHA, BHA, tretinoin, adapalene, antibiotic, birth control). When I started accutane, I dreaded the initial breakout phase since I've always experienced one from trying other products. I did a ton of research on my own and I'm here to share some of my notes, including peer-reviewed articles
Disclaimer : this post is about my experience with low dose accutane for mild/moderate acne (10mg/day epuris; 50kg F). Absolutely NOT claiming that any of this will prevent purging, reaction to accutane is case by case, there is no way to predict. Studies show that only a minority of people experience initial worsening (e.g., 27% https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9784036/; 10% https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4009746/), meaning that my positive experience may not be a direct result from doing the things listed below. Similarly, I've seen many posts and comments of people saying that they simply did not purge despite not changing anything in their routine
Antihistamines : specifically Desloratadine (e.g., Aerius) and Levocetirizine (e.g., Xyzal). In theory, antihistamines should act in similar ways to reduce our immune reaction in cases of inflammatory acne. However, the first study listed below mentions that desloratadine would be more efficient in binding to H1-receptor (responsible for anti-inflammatory activity) than loratadine (e.g., Claritin). This leads me to believe that some antihistamines may be more effective than others, but please correct me if I'm wrong, as this is way beyond my field of studies. I chose Desloratadine simply because it was available at my local pharmacy. Here are some studies and a summary of their results :

• Desloratadine : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25081735/ Control group: treated with isotretinoin only (20 mg per day, approximately 0.2–0.4 mg/kg per day). Treated group: combination therapy of isotretinoin and desloratadine (5 mg per day). At week 12 : treated group showed more statistically significant decrease in acne lesion counts, in score of global acne grading system and the measured value of sebum and erythema.
• Desloratadine : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6364732/ Control group : isotretinoin only (20mg per day). Treated group: combination therapy of isotretinoin and desloratadine (5 mg per day). At week 16 : treated group had significantly lower amounts of inflammatory lesions and global acne grading system score, but no differences in terms of non-inflammatory lesions and other side effects such as dry skin, cracked lips, flushing.
• Levocetrizine : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31734672/ Control group: isotretinoin only (10 mg and 20 mg, 0.5-0.6 mg/kg/day, after food). Treated group : combination therapy of isotretinoin and antihistamine, levocetrizine (5 mg/day, before sleep). At week 12 : more statistically significant decrease in score of global acne grading system and acne lesion counts.

Red light therapy (low-level light therapy) : this one is mitigated. Some professionals advise against it because accutane increases photosensitivity. My derm gave me the okay (maybe because i was on a lower dose?) and I chose the device from CurrentBody. Warning that those devices are quite expensive, but I saw this as a good investment as I was already looking at them for their potential anti-aging benefits (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38307144/). Now back to accutane, there are preliminary results suggesting that the combination of light-based therapy with accutane could be safe and efficient in reducing acne severity. Of note that these studies combined accutane with specific methods of application for the light-based therapy

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8077247/ : Effect of blue light 440‐460 nm administered with a photoconverter gel (FLE therapy) with isotretinoin 5mg/day or with tetracycline (antibiotic) 300mg/day. Results support the efficacy of combining low‐dose systemic treatment with FLE therapy, although seemingly more efficient when combined with isotretinoin compared with tetracycline.
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35829974/ : Combination of low-level light therapy administered using delicate pulse light (DPL) 500-600nm and isotretinoin (10-20 mg/day) significantly improved global acne grading system score, as well as the number of lesions.
• Other studies supporting the associations between light-based therapy and acne (without accutane) for those who are interested : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18459515/ : blue light (415 nm) in combination with red light (633 nm) self-administered by a handheld unit. Lesion counts progressively reduced throughout the 4-week light therapy period and continued to reduce up to 8 weeks posttherapy. // Reviews : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439741/ ; https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-16799-2_4

Hydrating face masks : irritated moisture barrier may contribute to breakout severity. Many suggest a simple routine and I totally agree, but the thing that I really want to talk about is this extra step that made a big difference for me, which is daily masks using a hydrating toner. It’s common practice in asian skincare to soak thin cotton pads (not sure if I'm allowed to post links to Amazon, but that's where I got them from) with a hydrating toner or essence and to leave it on like a face mask, followed by moisturizer. No scientific support for this one, purely from personal experience:)
Mild actives : it is ill-advised to use any actives while taking accutane since they could lead to excessive irritation. However, since I was doing fairly good with moisturizing (never experienced peeling), my skin tolerated mild actives, namely azelaic acid gel (15%), sulfur ointment mask (10 mins), and hypochlorus acid (0.015%; e.g. E11ement, Tower28). Those were not all used at the same time! I'm just listing some milder actives that my skin tolerated pretty well.

• Azelaic gel was actually prescribed by my derm. There are limited case studies reporting the combined usage of azelaic acid and accutane in female adult patients : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9975535/ This preliminary study introduced azelaic acid at the last month of accutane treatment and examined the effect of azelaic acid usage post-treatment to deal with scarring and relapse : https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(15)00149-8/00149-8/)
• Sulfur : it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, also known to be effective against fungal acne. I’ve always suspected that some of my acne could be fungal (clusters of closed comedones that sometimes itch) so this one came out while I was researching that. Heres a review : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15303787/ Of note that current guidelines by the American Academy of Dermatology (2024) could not conclude to sufficient evidence to support specific recommendations regarding sulfur : https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(23)03389-3/03389-3/)
• Hypochorus acid (HOCl): this molecule is naturally produced by our immune system and has antimicrobial properties. It is very well tolerated on sensitive skin and even used to treat dermatitis, so probably the mildest one compared to azelaic and sulfur. This review talks about a study that have found comparable benefits for reducing facial acne between HOCl and benzoyl peroxide, and both effects with HOCl and BP were significantly superior to placebo : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6303114/

Finally, I am not a dermatologist, and all studies have their limits (e.g., limited sample size, controlled lab environment). Please communicate with your doctor if your initial break out or side-effects worry you to discuss about potential solutions, especially if you are on a higher dosage. Healthcare professionals have much more clinical experience, so should be valued over the information from this post
I'm only 4 months into my treatment and my dermatologist plan on keeping me at 10mg for another 8 months given that mine was recurrent and stubborn. I'd be more than happy to share my full experience by then:) Wish you all an amazing day and smooth sailing on your journey to clear skin!

Hi there carnivores! New member.
How many here experienced that the carnivore diet made them react more strongly to other foods and environmental exposures? This has been my own experience, as well as that of Jordan Peterson (based on a Joe Rogan interview), and quite a few people on reddit. They can no longer tolerate foods at all that they used to tolerate fairly well.
In my late 20s while I was vegan, I started to develop scalp issues. SebDerm and inflammation, but at first it was fairly mild. It grew worse over time, but conventional doctors obviously misdiagnosed it, and only treated it as a local, topical, dermatological problem.
It was only a year ago that I realized it was related to food. As my intolerance grew, I could (and still can) react very strongly within 45-60 minutes of consumption. Upon making that discovery, I increased my consumption of animal foods since Dec 1st last year and reduced other foods. But my intolerances grew. My mouth would tingle and harden when I ate carrots. Basil started to taste like soap.
Then I went 98% carnivore May 1st this year (eat, fish, eggs, butter). Counter to my expectations, I began reacting to more and more things, like avocado, honey, and finally also butter. I'm also becoming more sensitive to mold and dust in my apartment, which seems to be what happened to Jordan and Mikhaila Peterson as well. Something about my gut / this diet isn't resolving my sensitivities, and seem to be making some people less resilient. Jordan Peterson says he reacts very strongly to other things now.
The best hypothesis I've come across is that it relates to gut dysbiosis (a harmful composition of bacteria in our gut) - where an estimated 50-80% of our immune system resides. From my reading, it could be overgrowth of candida, h. pylori or other bacteria - and maybe the answer is less salt and more anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial foods (some of which might come from the plant kingdom). It probably isn't that meat or eggs in themselves are problematic, but maybe something is missing for our particular guts to regain harmony.
What are your thoughts and what's been your experience? Has anyone gotten rid of their sensitivities nu following a strict carnivore diet, in the sense that you can now tolerate foods that you couldn't tolerate before?

Nogle tendenser, udvikling og holdninger til faderskab og fædres erfaring med det familieretlige system.

Fædre har ret til øremærket barsel siden 2022, og regergingen tilskynder dem til at tage flere dager. Én af de største argumenter for barslen har været, at faren er vigtig til børns udvikling og trivsel. Ifølge regeringen ”når fædre er involveret i deres børn, bidrager det til en stærkere tilknytning, og det gavner børnenes udvikling”. Den betyder derudover mere ligestilling.
Så fremkommer VIVE, som har en historie med at ekskludere fædre fra deres undersøgelser, med påstanden, at faren og dermed ligestillingen ikke er så vigtig til børns trvisel efter skilsmisse, på trods af internationale forskning og regeringens tiltag til det modsatte.
Til dato bliver fædre samværsforældre i uforholdsmæssig grad, er markant mindre tilfredse med sagbehandlinger ifølge undersøgelse efter undersøgelse, og ekskluderes oftest fra skattefradrag.
I overensstemmelse med jurister og Ombudsmandens kritik af det familieretlige system, sætter regeringen fokus også på de udbredte menneskeretlige krænkelser, såsom samværschikane og forældrefremmedgørelse. Krænkelserne er en slags psykisk og juridisk misbrug, der bliver rettet mod den anden forælder og dermed barnet. Fædre, der er udsat af psykisk vold, er især udsat af tusler af denne slags systemisk misbrug.
Alligevel bestræber eksperter, LOKK, Danner, Hverdagssexisme og institutioner (og rigtig mange på nettet) sig for at retfærdiggøre ulighederne, underdrive og undervurdere krænkelserne og/eller at victim-blame og gaslighte de udsatte forældre -især fædrene- og børn.

Men glædelig Fars Dag i Danmark, hvor tiltagene for at promovere faderskabs (og ligestillingens) vigtighed i den familie og for at adressere systemiske grove misbrug mødes voldsom modstand fra både ligestillingspolitikken og statsfinansierede aktørers ”ekspertise”.

Hey everyone! I’ve been dealing with hormonal acne for probably 8 years now (can’t use spiro or winlevi). I’ve been using the Cerave Resurfacing serum consistently for about 1 month now. Before that I got 2 BioRePeels, which made me purge each time. Once my skin was healed I started the retinol. My skin has done fine using it every night. I just recently got finacea gel and tretinoin 0.025% from my derm. Even with the finacea my skin has been fine, no sensitivity/burning.
My question is, am I prolonging my purge by using a weaker OTC retinol? Will I purge faster on tret? I think I’ve been scared to try it because of the irritation, but if it makes my purge go away faster I’m for it!

I’ve started Tret (cream 0.025) over a year ago, which means I shouldn’t be experiencing any of my initial symptoms which are considered“normal” (red sensitive skin and active acne, BAD peeling and destroyed skin barrier).
But I STILL do.
I never suspected tret and so did my derm, we actually brought up any other explanation. I did see a positive change in my skin… yes I had less acne/wrinkles… BUT it was inflamed peeling and red all the time. I even sandwiched for many many months thinking I just haven’t gotten fully used to it.
This last visit she recommended I go to an allergen test bc “it must be some other product you’re using” 🤷‍♀️ in the meantime I thought I’ll do a patch test on my arm of every product in my current routine.
Immediately I noticed the tret area became red and a little swollen (like an actual allergic reaction…) I thought it must be bc it’s irritating, obviously, no other reason.
But when I washed and dried off my arm I felt a horrible burning irritating pain and the entire area on and around the patch (which was way larger than the actual patch; so you can understand how extensively this product penetrates the skin😣) became red and itchy.
I am positive it’s an allergic reaction, which is horrifying bc that means I’ve been torturing my skin.
I will be using tret, for preventing wrinkles only and once a month. BUT I HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE- the Korean reedles shot product has worked the same for my baby wrinkles, and supposedly also has cica benefits which is great bc cicaplast makes me break out as well🙃 however it’s not as potent.
Since I stopped (2 weeks ago) I haven’t been peeling and my skin is less red.
I had to share this bc I don’t think it’s normal to be purging after 6 months, it means there’s something wrong either with the product or the routine. And if you’ve had ANY reactions to other substances you might consider doing a patch test just to make sure.
Routine: PM wash with reedles gel cleanser Maycoop raw maple sap toner 🫶 Reedles shot 100 La mer cooling gel moisturizer The Ordinary hyaluronic acid Corsx snail mucin cream
AM wash with reedles gel cleanser Corsx snail mucin cream Allie (Japanese brand) gel sunscreen

I have been using tretinoin for about 2-3 weeks consistently as of right now. I have been trying for a couple months with little consistency. I’m really determined to get back on track but I’m confused on if I need to stop or not. I have peeling skin but it’s not flakey and I’m starting to get some deeper cystic acne. My derm said to stop with irritation and dryness except my skin doesn’t feel dry to the touch. It’s peeling but not dry??? I think this is leading to my confusion. Is my skin just purging or something wrong and I need to stop?
As for my schedule to follow while on tret my derm said to start off only using once a week for the first week, second week use twice, third week use 3 times until you get up to 7 days then use daily. Every application needs moisture before and after applying tret and I’ve done decent with sticking to that. Some days I only put it on blemishes but it isn’t targeting specific blemishes like I thought it would. This week I’ve been using 4 days in a row and that’s when I noticed my largest cystic pimple. Before starting cystic acne was my norm so it just looks like there’s no change.
Someone please give me advice on this! I can update with pics if needed. Thank you!

I have been on 10mg of Isotretinoin for a bit over 10 weeks now to treat pretty bad (but not severe) acne on my shoulders, back and face.
Now, I know that purging is a common phenomenon but for my acne did actually get quite a bit better initially, to the point where I developed almost no new pimples after a month or so. But now, 10 weeks later, my acne is almost as bad again as when I started treatment, it started to worsen about a week ago. Is that "normal"? Is there such a thing as "late-onset" purging?
I have an appointment with my derm but it's in over a month and I can't get one any earlier. This worries me so I'd like to know if someone has experience with this phenomenon.