Tretinoin purge

[insignia_]

I was on tretinoin gel 0.025% for 11 weeks before I bumped it up to tretinoin cream 0.05% 3 weeks and 4 days ago.

Is it normal to purge again?

I barely purged at all on 0.025% but I thought I wanted something stronger so I bumped it up. I’m purging way more on 0.05 and my forehead looks terrible. No flaking, but my skin is just oily and disgusting, and my forehead looks like a pepperoni pizza.

Not sure if that was a bad idea or if it’ll get better soon.

Someone with experience on tretinoin please give me some hopefuel and let me know if it’ll get better or not

Also, I think the tretinoin cream can be comedogenic for some, so if my skin keeps looking this way for the next 6-8 weeks, I’m going back to 0.025 gel.

 

[BlueEyeCel]

I was on tretinoin gel 0.025% for 11 weeks before I bumped it up to tretinoin cream 0.05% 3 weeks and 4 days ago.

Is it normal to purge again?

I barely purged at all on 0.025% but I thought I wanted something stronger so I bumped it up. I’m purging way more on 0.05 and my forehead looks terrible. No flaking, but my skin is just oily and disgusting, and my forehead looks like a pepperoni pizza.

Not sure if that was a bad idea or if it’ll get better soon.

Someone with experience on tretinoin please give me some hopefuel and let me know if it’ll get better or not

Also, I think the tretinoin cream can be comedogenic for some, so if my skin keeps looking this way for the next 6-8 weeks, I’m going back to 0.025 gel.

Just stop coping and hop on accutane bro. I was in a similar situation as u, tret just fucked up my skin so bad even after 15 weeks of usage. Since I’ve hopped on accutane my skin problems are fading away so fast dude.

 

[Mess]

Your skin is receiving a stronger concentration, and will try to adapt to it, thus causing the purge.

@BlueEyeCel is correct, get on isotretinoin. It's far superior.

 

[insignia_]

Just stop coping and hop on accutane bro. I was in a similar situation as u, tret just fucked up my skin so bad even after 15 weeks of usage. Since I’ve hopped on accutane my skin problems are fading away so fast dude.

I simply can’t get isotretinoin at the moment. If I could, I would’ve started with that.

Thank you for your reply though.

Hopefully I can get it soon enough.

 

[beachflow83]

Yea especially if you never had accutane, i’m doing .05% tret cream but for maintenance after a 6 months course of accutane, i see no reason not to it’s one of the best med ive ever taken

 

[BlueEyeCel]

I simply can’t get isotretinoin at the moment. If I could, I would’ve started with that.

Thank you for your reply though.

Hopefully I can get it soon enough.

Good luck brah

 

[insignia_]

Your skin is receiving a stronger concentration, and will try to adapt to it, thus causing the purge.

@BlueEyeCel is correct, get on isotretinoin. It's far superior.

I know it’s superior but I can’t get isotretinoin at the moment unfortunately. If I could, I would. I’m estimating that I’ll be able to soon enough, just not right now.

Will my skin improve with my current tretinoin concentration or will I keep looking like I got oiled up? Just wondering if it’ll look this bad for much longer

I will get isotret though

Thanks

 

[Mess]

Will my skin improve with my current tretinoin concentration or will I keep looking like I got oiled up? Just wondering if it’ll look this bad for much longer

I'd go back down to 0.025%. Your skin was fine, yes? What was the need to bump up the concentration?

 

[Steroids user]

I was on tretinoin gel 0.025% for 11 weeks before I bumped it up to tretinoin cream 0.05% 3 weeks and 4 days ago.

Is it normal to purge again?

I barely purged at all on 0.025% but I thought I wanted something stronger so I bumped it up. I’m purging way more on 0.05 and my forehead looks terrible. No flaking, but my skin is just oily and disgusting, and my forehead looks like a pepperoni pizza.

Not sure if that was a bad idea or if it’ll get better soon.

Someone with experience on tretinoin please give me some hopefuel and let me know if it’ll get better or not

Also, I think the tretinoin cream can be comedogenic for some, so if my skin keeps looking this way for the next 6-8 weeks, I’m going back to 0.025 gel.

add Benzoyl Peroxide + topical antibiotics (short time) = no purge

 

[insignia_]

I'd go back down to 0.025%. Your skin was fine, yes? What was the need to bump up the concentration?

Not really a need, more of an expectation that I’d get better and faster results with a higher concentration. 11 weeks in, I thought I was supposed to have better texture improvements so I thought 0.025 was simply too weak.

So far I’ve been wrong + I believe the cream may have properties that are comedogenic.

I might just have to go back down to 0.025%

 

[BlackZygos]

I was on tretinoin gel 0.025% for 11 weeks before I bumped it up to tretinoin cream 0.05% 3 weeks and 4 days ago.

Is it normal to purge again?

I barely purged at all on 0.025% but I thought I wanted something stronger so I bumped it up. I’m purging way more on 0.05 and my forehead looks terrible. No flaking, but my skin is just oily and disgusting, and my forehead looks like a pepperoni pizza.

Not sure if that was a bad idea or if it’ll get better soon.

Someone with experience on tretinoin please give me some hopefuel and let me know if it’ll get better or not

Also, I think the tretinoin cream can be comedogenic for some, so if my skin keeps looking this way for the next 6-8 weeks, I’m going back to 0.025 gel.

yes ngga , it’s normal. you increased the strength, so your skin is basically going through round two of adjustment. that’s all this is. 0.05 is a lot stronger than 0.025, so even if your skin handled the lower dose fine, it can still freak out when you bump it up. that includes more breakouts, oiliness, and stuff coming up that was already under the skin.


three weeks isn’t long. that’s still early. a lot of people don’t even hit the worst of the purge until around weeks four to six after increasing strength. so the timing you’re describing actually lines up perfectly with what usually happens.


the cream version can also be part of it. some people do break out more with the cream because it’s heavier than the gel, especially on the forehead. that doesn’t mean it’s doomed, just that your skin might be more sensitive to it while adjusting.


also, not flaking doesn’t mean anything. irritation doesn’t always show up as peeling. for some people it’s oiliness and clogged pores instead.


you didn’t do anything stupid. this doesn’t mean your skin is ruined. the right move is exactly what you already said: give it 6–8 weeks total. if things start calming down, great, you’re probably fine to stay on 0.05. if it keeps looking bad with no improvement, then switching back to 0.025 gel makes sense.

 

[Steroids user]

I was on tretinoin gel 0.025% for 11 weeks before I bumped it up to tretinoin cream 0.05% 3 weeks and 4 days ago.

Is it normal to purge again?

I barely purged at all on 0.025% but I thought I wanted something stronger so I bumped it up. I’m purging way more on 0.05 and my forehead looks terrible. No flaking, but my skin is just oily and disgusting, and my forehead looks like a pepperoni pizza.

Not sure if that was a bad idea or if it’ll get better soon.

Someone with experience on tretinoin please give me some hopefuel and let me know if it’ll get better or not

Also, I think the tretinoin cream can be comedogenic for some, so if my skin keeps looking this way for the next 6-8 weeks, I’m going back to 0.025 gel.

lower the dose increase frequency, to keep skin cell turnover fast for it to go away faster

 

[insignia_]

yes ngga , it’s normal. you increased the strength, so your skin is basically going through round two of adjustment. that’s all this is. 0.05 is a lot stronger than 0.025, so even if your skin handled the lower dose fine, it can still freak out when you bump it up. that includes more breakouts, oiliness, and stuff coming up that was already under the skin.


three weeks isn’t long. that’s still early. a lot of people don’t even hit the worst of the purge until around weeks four to six after increasing strength. so the timing you’re describing actually lines up perfectly with what usually happens.


the cream version can also be part of it. some people do break out more with the cream because it’s heavier than the gel, especially on the forehead. that doesn’t mean it’s doomed, just that your skin might be more sensitive to it while adjusting.


also, not flaking doesn’t mean anything. irritation doesn’t always show up as peeling. for some people it’s oiliness and clogged pores instead.


you didn’t do anything stupid. this doesn’t mean your skin is ruined. the right move is exactly what you already said: give it 6–8 weeks total. if things start calming down, great, you’re probably fine to stay on 0.05. if it keeps looking bad with no improvement, then switching back to 0.025 gel makes sense.

Great response, thanks for the effort.

Since I have a lot left in my 0.05 tube, I’ll finish it. Should last the next ~8-10 weeks. By then, I should be able to see if things have gotten better or if it’s still not looking good.

 

[insignia_]

lower the dose increase frequency, to keep skin cell turnover fast for it to go away faster

I’m using the 0.05 cream daily at the moment.

 

[BlackZygos]

Great response, thanks for the effort.

Since I have a lot left in my 0.05 tube, I’ll finish it. Should last the next ~8-10 weeks. By then, I should be able to see if things have gotten better or if it’s still not looking good.

bro, finally making a tiny bit of sense. yeah, finish the damn tube instead of jumping off the hype train every time your skin throws a fit. 8-10 weeks is what it takes, not 3 days of freakouts

 

[insignia_]

@Mess I’m going to stick to 0.05% for the next few weeks to see if things improve.

Should I continue using 0.05 daily or should I reduce the frequency?

 

[Mess]

@Mess I’m going to stick to 0.05% for the next few weeks to see if things improve.

Should I continue using 0.05 daily or should I reduce the frequency?

If you're going to stick to 0.05%, I'd use it EOD. Retinization shouldn't take too long, seeing as your skin's already adapted to 0.025%.

 

[insignia_]

If you're going to stick to 0.05%, I'd use it EOD. Retinization shouldn't take too long, seeing as your skin's already adapted to 0.025%.

Gotcha, thanks

Could daily have been too aggressive / irritating?

 

[Mess]

Could daily have been too aggressive / irritating?

Yep, I wouldn't want to risk anything.

 

[kwk3998]

Just stop coping and hop on accutane bro. I was in a similar situation as u, tret just fucked up my skin so bad even after 15 weeks of usage. Since I’ve hopped on accutane my skin problems are fading away so fast dude.

Do you need to give your skin a break from Tret before getting on accutane?

derm appt for accutane is in 2 weeks and I’m not sure if I should stop tret rn. (3 months of consistent usage)

 

[insignia_]

Do you need to give your skin a break from Tret before getting on accutane?

derm appt for accutane is in 2 weeks and I’m not sure if I should stop tret rn. (3 months of consistent usage)

Just stop like a week before

 

[BlueEyeCel]

Do you need to give your skin a break from Tret before getting on accutane?

derm appt for accutane is in 2 weeks and I’m not sure if I should stop tret rn. (3 months of consistent usage)

Don’t stop until u got ur accutane, this will slightly reduce ur purging stage of accutane. But immediately stop once you’ve got the accutane cause if u use both u will just fucking rape ur skin barrier