Retin-A for Adult Acne: It works!

Acne is frustrating for everyone - possibly even more-so for someone who had good skin throughout their teens and early twenties, but began having problems in their late twenties, thirties, or later. There are a number of potential causes - from hormonal imbalances, diet or medications, to heredity; but whatever the cause, keeping your confidence up during the work-week can be challenging during adult acne breakouts. That's without consideration of the dark spots and marks left behind afterwards!

During the year that my breakouts began, I kept telling myself that it was just work stress; or when I wasn't particularly stressed perhaps it was my diet and I needed to cleanse, or maybe it was the water (recently moved). I kept playing guessing games and trying different products - spending quite a bit of money along the way and only succeeding in making it worse.

Learn from my mistake and don't wait - see a dermatologist right away. A year later, I finally gave in and went. I was prescribed Retin-A or Tretinoin .25. Within days of beginning treatment, new breakouts slowed, and within mere weeks they stopped completely. A few months later I consider this stuff to be a miracle cream.

The first few weeks were troubling - there was dryness, peeling, redness. A new sensitivity developed to my favorite foundation. Given what I had gone through the past year, I figured it couldn't hurt to wait out this expected transition stage. With a little patience (and a lot of moisturizer), the reward surfaced. My skin looks better now than it did six years ago!

Of course everyone won't have the same experience - but from mine, here is what to expect:

Weeks 1-3: peeling or flaking, dryness, redness, breakouts slowed
I found it helpful to carry a travel bottle of cleanser (it was recommended that I use Purpose), and some serious moisturizer with me during the day. Washing gently with your fingertips (no scrubbing!) mid-day and reapplying moisturizer frequently all day lessened this problem.

Weeks 3-5: peeling or flaking lessened, redness faded, new breakouts rare
Continue moisturizing frequently during the day.

Weeks 6-12: peeling stopped, dryness remains, dark spots and acne scars started to fade

After 12 weeks: skin tone even, some dryness continues

Sensitivity to sun, wind, and cold is heightened by Retin-A. Wear sunscreen diligently, moisturize regularly, and stay hydrated. There have been times when I haven't, and have paid the price by starting back over with peeling. Organic jojoba oil applied half an hour after the Retin-A on the occasional extremely dry day helps tremendously.

Paying attention to these things, which we should monitor anyway, is a small price to pay for the reward of clear skin. For the first time since my youth - makeup is now completely optional.

Added perk: Retin-A has tremendous anti-aging benefits with long-term use.

Again, perhaps not everyone will see the same results; but acne treatments have come a very long way in the last ten years. Even if Retin-A is not for you something else will be - so don't feel like you're stuck with your acne! See a dermatologist right away and find out your options.