I've only had acne in my teens, but it was extreme. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who had it as bad. I'm 40 and haven't had acne for 22 years and I still have PTSD from that time.
I’ve been using tretinoin for almost 10 years. I had oral cancer when I was 29 and had radiation to my face which aged me probably 10 years at the time from all the damage. I started on tret, and my skin was ANGRY at first. I purged like no other, but I have dry skin to begin with. Clearly I have sensitive skin as well, because after 10 years of use I can still only tolerate a .035% solution, 5 nights a week. But I have seen such a vast improvement in my skin tone, texture, and I look younger at 42 than I did 10 years ago.
@@don5822 no, oral cancer is not caused by tretinoin, and in this person's case, they didn't use tretinoin until AFTER their oral cancer diagnosis. "xyz causes cancer" without reading properly into the situation is a catalyst for dangerous misinformation that can prevent people from seeking appropriate treatment. Please read carefully in the future.
Acne is such a struggle and a lot of people don't realize that it's actually a skin disease. I've had problems my whole life and what helped me the most in the end was a combination of differin gel, combined birth control pills, spironolactone and a simple skincare routine (with SPF everyday of course). My skin has never looked better, but it's such a personal journey and the best treatment will not be the same for everyone.
It is amazing how traumatic acne can be. Even years after the worst acne of my life, I struggle to leave the house without makeup - which is completely in my head. Thank you for sharing this, Kelly. Just the acknowledgment of the magnified self consciousness and the sadness will help a lot of people!
I’m 36 years old and I’ve been dealing with acne on and off since I was 13. When you broke down in tears it broke my heart because I could relate so strongly. There are times when it’s bad and you feel like you want to just hide away from the world. I’m an esthetician and I get down on myself and feel like who am I to even be offering skincare advice when I look like this. BUT it’s true what you said. No one sees it the same way we see it on ourselves. Thank you for sharing and being vulnerable, for me it helps to not feel alone in this struggle
Girl don’t feel like this I wouldn’t mind going to an esthetician who has acne herself there’s just something skin care can’t do no matter what you put on like in her situation she literally needed to take oral supplements 🤷🏻♀️ it is what it is like her antibiotics/birth control etc. or in my situation mine stopped after I quit drinking milk. ❤
I didnt have acne as a teenager but soon as i turn 50yrs and going through menopause its like crazy acne . Drives me crazy . I been trying everything. Thank you for sharing this story.
I really never thought I'd be dealing with acne in my 30's, but here we are. It is mentally draining always thinking about it, all the money spent trying to get rid of it. It's real. Can't wait to start my tret journey.
I had moderate to severe acne for 13 years (age 13-26), finally got fed up and went on Accutane. It took me 3 rounds of Accutane over 2.5 years to completely clear my skin. Accutane is certainly for serious cases, but the toll that acne takes on your self-esteem cannot be underestimated. I never felt pretty until I was well into my 30's and only then did I embrace makeup.. But you're right that almost no one is as bothered by your acne as you.
I'm 56 and awaiting my first script of tretinoin! Bless your heart! I love you are being so open! It is tough mentally, physically and expensive financially to figure it all out!
i feel this entire video. i took accutane in my early 20s and it cleared up my really shitty cystic acne. this summer it came back probably worse than it used to be, and i’m 29. i was devastated, nothing helped, everything just irritated my skin. i couldn’t stop staring at myself in the mirror and feeling shitty. went back to the dermatologist and all that, but the cycle of acne is definitely a rough one.
I feel for anyone struggling with acne. I completely empathize. At one point, my acne was so bad that I turned all my mirrors around. Mine was really noticeable, red cystic acne all over my face. I hated looking at myself and would also cry about how bad my acne was. I also obsessed about other people's "beautiful" skin and would constantly compare myself to them. It sounds so dramatic but I think anyone who has not truly struggled with acne cannot understand the hit it takes on one's self-confidence. You literally cannot look at yourself without seeing only the acne and feeling bad about yourself. I didn't take photos of myself for years until hormonal birth control cleared it up. I cannot imagine having to film videos of myself while feeling this way. ❤ That was 10 years ago and I'm still terrified it will happen again. Thank you for sharing this. I hope everyone struggling with acne right now knows they are not alone and I hope it gets better!
I know I don't know you, but my heart broke for you when you got upset 💔 I have Endometriosis and I have never had acne before until now I'm in my early 30's and I've got hormonal acne from it and it is devastating and you do really notice it even when others don't. Thank you for sharing your story you are so amazing xxx
I had adult acne similar to your skin. I spent thousands of dollars on various treatments at my spa. I spent so much money on so many products. I went to a dermatologist in my teens, but I wasn’t patient enough and I tried about four products. I gave up and fast forward to my thirties and I tried again. My new dermatologist fixed it. She diagnosed me with Melasma and fixed it, too. I am 49 and I am so happy with my skin.
I feel you, I feel we were lied to as teens. We were told that acne was just a phase but for me it never completely disappeared. At this point I made peace that my face might never be clear but my derm is getting me to the point where is manageable. I found that stress and a bad diet makes a huge difference, also harsh products or cleansers. I no longer experiment with my face and just listen to my derm if he thinks is a bacterial or fungal issue.
Yes! Dermatologists are trying to educate the public and generalist doctors, that acne is psychologically and emotionally debilitating and is a medical condition to be taken seriously. I was a teenager with acne and our family doctor told me to just put methylated spirits on it! That is the worst thing you can do, it just dries up the surrounding skin and will cause further irritation and inflammation. Acne is oil, not water, you can't dry it up. It needs to be healed gently. It would have been better to apply vaseline which is anti inflammatory and speeds healing.
I was on my homepage on here and one of your videos popped up and said “Jessica Braun viewers also watch” and let me tell you, I have been binging your videos since Friday! I will be 33 tomorrow and I am just not getting my acne under control. Tret never worked for me , only thing it did was cause me to flake and be dry. I take spirolactone (idk how to spell it LOL) and it has truly been a life saver. I would do my makeup in the AM before work and just sob staring at myself. I never shad acne not even as a teenager but for some reason when I was around 25-28 I started to get it bad. It’s been a year now since I’ve been on medicine and I often find myself staring in the mirror in admiration bc my skin is finally clear. Have you looked into that at all? I understand what you mean when you say you were consumed with your acne. I have 5+ years of pics and collages on my phone.
Oh Kelly! I really appreciate how you are so willing to be vulnerable and share your struggles. I have been there and I've been looking into other options bc my skin is better before adapalene, but I still struggle with my acne more than I want. Like you said, give yourself grace and know things will get better! You are sooooo beautiful- inside and out ❤
I love this type of different content from you cuz as a boy in makeup who doesn’t have these biological women problems with birth control it’s nice hearing about it and I also have acne problems I assume so this acne video is also really helpful for me and dealing with my own acne problems despite your makeup content I genuinely think you’re such a unique makeup content creator compared to others and even if you’re biased towards your fav makeup brands you’re not afraid to speak out the truth of brands repetitiveness even if they are your fav brands or not that’s why we love you Kelly ❤️
Hi Kelly! Thanks for sharing your story. Fellow tret user here. To avoid tret migrating to my eyelids, I put aquaphor in that area to create a barrier. Definitely solved that issue for me. Hope you will continue to see progress on your journey. 💜
thanks for the reminder. I started putting vaseline on my eye area when I first started tret, then somehow got out of the habit. I need to go back to that, since sometimes I do get a little dry eye, which I attribute to the tret migrating.
You are so right and we are so hard on ourselves. We would never be as critical toward another as we are toward ourselves. Thank you for being so brave to share! ❤❤❤
Bless you girl. This must have been hard to film and share. But I’m sure you have helped many others (56yrs. 87 days Tretinoin). Keep on being Salty (fellow midwesterner/Iowa). I love how you say ‘but’ and I want merch with that on it. Keep going, girl.
I have struggled with acne since I was in my teens…I’m now 41 and I still breakout here and there. Being biracial, I scar really easily. I’m constantly trying to fade acne scars. It sucks! I use spironolactone pills and Tretinoin 0.025%. I have sensitive/dry skin, so I put a hyaluronic serum on first, and then I use the Tretinoin…you inspire me to use it right after I cleanse. I do feel it’s linked to hormones, stress, and heredity. It is stressful. I’m glad you shared this, because I would never have guessed you have had this struggle. You look great. Please share your entire skincare routine for morning and night if you haven’t already! Thank you!
Thank you for doing this and being so vulnerable! My 21 year old son has suffered from severe cystic acne since he was a teen. He did the acutane for a year but came off bc of the extreme depression…he was having really bad harmful thoughts. But luckily the acne went mostly away and his skin care really helped. But he has bad scars and craters. It absolutely kills me as his mother. I don’t know what to do. And now it has come back and pretty bad! I’m at a loss of what to tell him to do. He hates doctors and thinks they will put him on acutane again. All that to say, I understand your struggle and you’re not vain. I’m crying with you my friend. But please know you are beautiful and all I see is true beauty..acne or not 😊
Can he try washing his face with dettol original soap (this soap does wonders) morning and night and use vitamin c serum every morning and night and sunscreen every morning? He can alternate vitamin c serum in the night with tretinoin like vitamin c serum on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Tretinoin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This might help. Combination of vitamin c in the morning and tretinoin in the night might do wonders on his skin within 2-5 months.
I relate SO hard. I just turned 32 and am the only person in my friend group with acne. And I feel self conscious. I just got a prescription of tretinoin which I’m hoping will help solve this. Wish me luck!
thats the first thing i noticed, how jealous i was your underyey is so bright and non-crepey, unlike me, i cant leave the house w/o concealer, but ppl always compliment how smooth my skin is sooo we all want what we dont have!thanks for sharing your story!
i absolutely needed this video because im losing my mind over this current acne flare-up. i just moved back in my parents, there’s a lot of stress in my life at the moment so i know that’s definitely a factor but it is also fairly genetic. i completely relate to obsessing over my skin because of it!!! i work at ulta so i was trying every acne product i could get my hands on which honestly made it even worse and i just cried from so much frustration. i came across you and abbey yung when i was scouring youtube for any solutions and y’all convinced me to try tret. i ended up getting curology and my formula has both tretinoin and clindomycin which seems to actually be working really well! i still have spots and all, but i’ve cut down my skincare routine to be really simple and now i’m not nearly as frustrated with my skin
Thank you for sharing your story. I’m so sorry you went through this. I haven’t been through this specific experience, however, I have been through experiences where I spiraled. So many people have these types of experiences where regardless of the specifics you start down a path and you spiral down that path and it’s hard to see anything else. So thank you for sharing this story because regardless of if someone is struggling with acne or not this can be very helpful to hear.
Im on 0.05% strength as well and using 5 nights straight (M-F) and I’m seriously convinced that I have not suffered from dryness because I first apply a hydrating toner (Tony Moly Mochi Ceramide) - let that dry - then apply tret, followed by Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ which has Petrolatum in it aka same stuff that’s in Cerave’s Healing ointment! My skin looks and feels beyond glowy and hydrated in the morning. I recommend you try incorporating similar hydrating products in your routine to help!
Thank you for the video. I've struggled my whole life with acne, I've found adapalene to help me. I totally felt when you said as soon as we are cleared up and see another pimple forming we fear of going through it again. You look amazing.
I have relatively deep acne scars on my cheeks (the kind that left divots in my skin rather than just pigmentation), I've been using tret for about two years, the scars are still there but I feel like they're less deep and pigmented than they used to be. I don't know if they'd ever fully go away without professional lasering but I can tell that tret + sunscreen has really helped
The timeline of your breakout in 2021 really matches mine, my sister's and my friends. I swear I believe it has something to do with covid. I got on tret, BP and clandamycin in Septemeber 2021 and have stayed on Tretinoin since. My skin is so much better. I got a flare up in December again but after a rpund of antibiotics have it under control. Still on tretinoin though. Another thing is that I had back acne during thr episodes. I am 38
I’m 54. It’s still here. Now it’s mixed with discoloration from too much sun/tanning during my youth. You took the steps to get help, I never did. You look amazing.😊
I can relate to how upsetting acne can be. I used to cry a lot about my skin, obsess over it, bought a plethora of products and wasted money. My skin only really calmed down when I got into my 30s. Acne is a bit of a puzzle. Some blame it on inflammation, genetics, diet, sugar, stress....who knows! I'm so glad it's much easier to get a hold of Tretinoin and even face sunscreen (which was only really becoming a 'thing' when I was a teen / in my 20s).
I’m still debating on starting tretinion to help with my hormonal acne because over the counter retinol isn’t cutting it anymore. This was super helpful! Thank you!
I want to add.. I struggled with this as well.. I tried tret, clynd, doxy, BP and all of the above prescriptions.. switched derms went on accutane bc nothing else worked and for once since my teens years, I know what the skin on my face looks like.
I felt the same way with my skin. When I was 36 I went off birth control. My skin went out of control. I spent so much money on over the counter products. I ended up going to a dermatologist and I didn’t have acne It was rosacea. She prescribed azelaic acid for the morning and tretinoin in the evening and sulfacleanse for a wash. I do moisturize right before I use the tretinoin. It took about 6 months and my skin has cleared. I am 42 now and I still will get the occasional breakout. I am still on the same regimen. My skin now looks better than when I was younger ( I have always struggled with my skin).
I’ve been struggling with acne on and off since my early 20s. It is hard to deal with. It came back strong when I had to wear masks for 8-9 hours a day at work due to COVID. It is slowly getting better and I am mostly dealing with post hyperpigmentation now after I have breakouts. I find that following “influencers” that show acne and “real skin” has been very helpful for my mental health. It reminds me I am not alone and not the only one struggling. ❤
I’m also 29 and have been suffering from cystic acne for 4 years all thanks to the mirena. *WAY* worse than yours. You are so right about how isolating it is. No one around me (not even the teenagers of the family) have acne. Everyone around me has beautiful clear skin. I won’t go anywhere without foundation, even the water park.
I have using Tretiniion for 30 years. Started during teen acne and use it still today. I am 49 and many mistake me for 30. That is the magic of Tret! I did convert to Curology and now Agency and I’m at highest strength. Check out curology as you can get Clindamycin in the formula and personalize with the staff dermatologists there. Highly recommend as I’ve seen the best results. Side not is i lived in NYC for 12 years-i do the stress of city living contributes to acne. Its exciting but can be draining living that life longterm. Now that i live in the suburb’s i notice that i am much more present and calm.
I had terrible issues with acne when I was 19-20 and little bumps on my forehead just like you. Turns out it was my multivitamin, which had high concentrations of B12 and Biotin. Everyone check your vitamins! Also the Skinbetter science Alpharet serums are so great, retinol without the irritation.
I’m am aesthetics RN and am a firm believer that the anti-aging trifecta is Vitamin C, sunscreen, and some form of Vitamin A (I currently use a granactive retinoid). I’m 46 but you’d never know it to look at my skin. Do I use preventative care Dysport? Yes, but only every 6-7 months and then only a sparing amount . I like movement in my face, just not deep static lines 😊
I swear, I love your channel so much and this video just further solidified that for me. I’ve had acne for years and years and I’m now 28 still wondering when it will stop. I also dealt with cracking in the nose and chin area that showed up underneath my makeup no matter how much I moisturized. I def should’ve stopped using the actives I had during that time. She’s in a better place now tho thank goodness!
prior to getting on tretinoin, i was using adapalene for a year and a half. my skin was clear for the first time in my life. then i did tretinoin for another year and a half, but i struggled with breakouts again, particularly on my chin and cheeks. no way i could up the strength as i was also experiencing major dryness and sensitivity. so i decided to go back to adapalene and see wether that would fix things for me. and it did! i no longer have the major sensitivity or the breakouts, and i've realised that tretinoin might just not be the best alternative for me.
I have been using tret for almost 5 years and at one pt my acne came back and my doc prescribed me topical clindamycin as well. Once it cleared up my acne, I went back on tret. I also needed oral spironolactone to control my hormonal acne. Love that u did this video, Kelly!
I used tret for 2 or 3 years before I had to throw in the towel. I hit the genetic jackpot when it comes to skin, I never had bad acne, even as a teenager, just a breakout here and there, even tone, smooth, not oily or dry, etc. Sometime in my late 20s/ early 30s I wanted to give tret a try for anti-aging (I had the same type of lines in my forehead). My derm started me on the lowest % available at the time (.01%) and after doing soooo much research I was very meticulous about slowly introducing it into my routine, mixing it with moisturizer etc. I never experienced any of the dryness, peeling or purging a lot of people report. Instead over time, my skin became SUPER oily and textured, makeup would separate and highlight dry spots that weren’t visible normally, and I was in a constant state of breaking out all over my chin, cheeks and forehead. I never had acne so badly in my life until using tret. I waited more than a year before I asked for my % to be bumped up and I kept blaming the breakouts on stress and hormones. I was only using tret 1-2 days a week and over 3 years I never got up to more than .03% so I couldn’t fathom how it could be the cause of my problems. About 18 months ago I stopped tret in preparation for a family wedding because I wanted to wear foundation and not have it look patchy and I haven’t looked back to tret since. My skin is finally healing, I’m back to minimal breakouts (maybe 1-2 spots every few months if I’m touching my face a lot or not diligent about washing my makeup brushes), my forehead is the last oily problem area and lately that seems to be calming down a bit, and most of the texture issues are resolving other than some spots on my temples. I decided to get botox for my fine lines instead of trying to mess with tret anymore and I’m perfectly pleased. As much as I wanted it to work, it’s just not for me. Thank you for acknowledging there can be ups & downs with it and that it won’t work for everyone because I think some people (such as myself) see it working so well for so many people and aren’t quite sure what to do when it doesn’t work out.
I recently heard a dermatologist recommend using both Tretinoin and adapalene because they target different receptors in the skin. Tretinoin is more focused on anti-aging benefits, while adapalene is primarily for acne. They could be used on alternating nights.
Acne sucks, and those of us who deal with it get it. It’s so frustrating! It’s interesting to me that tretinoin is framed as this acne cure-all. It is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but those of us w more stubborn stuff need something in addition most of the time. Been on retinoids almost 10 years, but I always need something in addition. Also wanted to add that, Kelly, I would really recommend finding a good derm you love if you deal w acne. PCPs can help, but you really need someone who specializes in it to make the biggest difference.
Thank you for making this video ❤ I once was desperate with acne I felt like I had no value as a person because of my face. I’d be ashamed of looking at my husband in the eyes because I felt so disgusting and it’s seriously one of the worst feelings ever. My acne completely went away when I got pregnant and I’m due in a couple of weeks so I don’t know if it will come back but oh well I’m too busy with my baby’s arrival preparation that I don’t have time to think about it (btw I’m 27). Just wanted to put this comment out here to let you know you’re not alone 💕
I had painful acne in my 20s and 30s and hated going out because it was such an effort to cover my pimples with makeup all the time. Every day I had new spots in a different place. I longed for just a few days with a clear face. It is emotionally debilitating.
Acne is so tough to deal with. I've had acne to varying degrees for at least 30 years. We get the message that acne is a teen problem, that it is minor and temporary, or that it's our own fault due to poor diet and hygiene. Like you said, it can be very frustrating, isolating, and emotionally consuming to deal with acne, especially when we are adults. And people who don't have cystic acne may not realize how painful it can be: it can hurts to smile, hurt to wash or touch your face when the cysts are so deep and inflamed. I've learned a lot about managing my acne through Paula's Choice and Dr. Sam Bunting videos on CZcams, especially with "un-learning" all the skincare strategies of my youth that really just punished my skin rather than helped it (looking at you gritty scrubs, inadequate moisturizers, and irritating masks). I'm currently able to keep my acne in line using prescription retinol, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide. BUT, I know that no matter how well I follow my skincare regimen, acne can still flare up for internal reasons, and that's just how this game goes. Thank you for sharing about your acne struggles and improvements. It can help other people so much to know they are not alone and that there are some potentially great solutions available. P.S. I want to flip over tables and rage when someone with porcelain skin suggests drinking more water to clear up acne lol
I'm 30, I've been using tretinoin for a year and I can not get rid of my acne. it's frustrating because I absolutely notice a difference in my skin overall in texture but I still have the breakouts around my mouth/chin and on my forehead. My texture overall used to be not great, I used to have to exfoliate a lot more and would have clogged pores more often so I'm glad that there is positive results but yeah I definitely feel you with the breakouts. I'm scared to increase strength because my skin is really sensitive it took me forever to adjust to the .025 lol I also notice a difference with my fine lines so I'm going to continue using it. but I am just as devastated as you about the acne situation lol
I had acne until I was 34. I was in the middle of a lot of stress and basically didn’t buy groceries for darn near a month and was living off of ramen noodles. It turned out that for me, dairy causes me to break out. I can’t even eat milk chocolate without breaking out. I’m so sorry for your struggle. ❤
I am 29 and had SEVERE CYSTIC acne ( I wish I could post a photo.) The only thing that even touched my acne was accutane. I actually just finished my course a few months ago. I had severe severe acne for about 12 or 13 years! My derm was sad that I couldn't get into her sooner than I did.. to prevent some of the scarring. People were always saying well maybe its the makeup your wearing... Like no.. thats to cover it. If I could stop wearing makeup and just get it to go away I would DUH. people that don't break out nor have experienced anve have no freaking clue! (No hate but typically it's true!) I wantwd to go longer on accutane but I hit my dose and my derm ensured me that it was time to take a break. I did 7 months of a max dose for my weight. I didn't want to stop just bc I was scarred of it coming back.. yes my skin is clear but I have scarring that I'm working on (I also use tret. I started with .025 and now I am waiting to pick up the step up from this percentage. But it's still a great fear of mine and I'll come back and be bad like it was beforehand. I mean when I say I had not saw my skin on my face since mid-teen years.. when it started to clear an accutane I was shocked because I hadn't seen my skin on my face and many years. It's still odd to me when I look in the mirror to see my skin on my face and now it sounds stupid but it's very very true. I didn't even know what the skin on my face looked like until going on accutane. The scars on my face remind me of the dark place I was in while having acne for all those years. It's depressing and definitely a blow to confidence but eventually something will click with your skin type and work for your acting and get rid of it no matter what type or how severe your acne is! Everyone's beautiful ❤️
BAAABE! Such a great video. I'm 40 and I went of birth control in June because i thought "how annoying to have to take a daily pill - I'll get an IUD"... MISTAKE! Now I've got thinning hair, acne, and cramps. I remember being so annoyed as I considered going off birth control that there is almost no information about side effects - classic for the patriarchy. I'm waiting on a referral to see a dematologist, because the hair loss is heartbreaking. Basically at this point my doc says "well you are 40 and your mom has thin hair" but I am not ready to settle. I've been on Tret for a year too, and it hasn't stopped this cystic acne (though I assume it would be worse without tret) and I'm also using rogaine. The thing with rogaine is even if you grow hair, it's a forever thing - if you stop daily use, you lose that new hair. I guess I'm saying: You aren't alone. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Thank you so much for posting this video. I've struggled with acne off and on the last few years after stopping birth control. I've been wanting to ask my Dr about tretinoin but have been putting it off thinking my acne will just stop like it has in the past. But I'm done waiting and am going to ask about it bc it really does effect confidence so much!
No, I understand what you mean about you noticing it more because we see our faces more closely as we wash in front of the mirror, *and* our skin feeling irritated can exacerbate how you already feel about it visually.
I still get occasional breakouts, nothing like when I was in highschool. For the record I do have oily skin which doesn't help. But I am about to turn 43 and I wish my skin would just be done with it already.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, i appreciate it soo much! I have been struggling with acne since 12 years old ( now 27) and it has massively impacted my mental health, im suffering from depression and being bullied + living with acne has surely influence it. I went on Isotretinoin/accutane for 1.5 years and it was amazing, my skin has never been clearer and i never was soo confident, but unfortunately now my acne is coming back and in the same area as yours- my forehead and i'm hyper focusing on it now. Why it came back? :( it was so good already! Currently trying to conquer it with skincare (bha + retinol) but going to visit my dermatologist again next week. You gave me hope that there is still something i can do about it ❤
I had very bad acne for like ... 12 years, since I was basically thirteen ! Now I m 32 and I’m able to manage it for the majority of the time but it’s 100% hormonal cause I have PCOS and I have familiarity with acne/ rashes in general ... I can understand your frustration so well, I feel u on a personal level for sure 😢 it’s nice to feel understood and it’s really difficult to accept our skin, it’s really comforting to know that it’s ok to have skin problems but it’s also ok to be frustrated about it ❤ thank you Kelly ❤
Wow thank you for sharing! What a journey. I can identify with the struggle. Who gets acne at age 42? Supposedly related to perimenopause. My skin has been so oily sensitive and acne prone. I've been on tret .025% for a year now. I've tried every technique and tip and still my skin can't tolerate it more than every third day but adding salicylic acid face wash to the routine occasionally has helped and I'm finally acne free. I highly recommend using a seven color LED light mask and using the blue light too. I literally have no pimples anymore since I started that.
I tried Tret two years ago and stopped because it irritated my skin so badly. Started back 6 months ago using Altreno Tret three nights a week and my skin already looks so much better. Altreno is the way to go because of the formulation. No irritation and it’s .05 in strength. I did use OTC retinol for a year before I started to work up to tolerance. I’m using it for anti aging as I’ve never had any skin issues.
I have been using Retin-A since 1995. My acne still flares up once in awhile but not as bad as when I was a teenager. But girl, absolutely no wrinkles. I should also say though that I have used sunscreen since using retinoid in 1995, when sunscreen so sticky and goopy. Have also used an umbrella when going out.
I'm 59 and still have at least a couple breakouts going on my face and my back all the time. But, it's nothing at all like I experienced as a teenager and in my 20's. Wow, that period of time was awful for me and my face, back, and chest skin.
Can't stand those people who try to tell acne sufferers that it's dirt or diet or not enough water etc. etc. etc. Those of us who suffered worked out for ourselves that it was not our fault and acne clearly runs in families. To me it was related to allergies in my family - we are just oversensitive to climate or common irritants that don't affect other people, and our skin overreacts with inflammation, like other allergies. It took perimenopause to cure my acne for good. I just wish I had known about tretinoin years ago. I now use it for repair of sun damage.
I’ve been struggling with acne since I was 20. I’m 33. There have been times where it has consumed me too. Where I just look for my flaws on other people and feel crushed when I don’t see them. How I would rush to the mirror every AM and look for new spots. I’m also on tretinoin and recently went up to .05%. I also just recently filled a script for spiro. For years I’ve thought oh no it’s fine it isn’t hormonal but then I started looking at my pictures and realized the places I get the most painful cystic breakouts is my cheekbones and jaw. Fingers crossed this is the magic bullet combo.
older vid i know but i just started tret (age 47) and i was searching for stuff from people i trust (like you and abbey young) who i knew had been on it.... oh man your tears, i felt that. i've battled acne since my later teens (i don't think i started breaking out until like freshman year high school) and i can't believe i still deal with it at my age, really thought it'd be done with by now lol. but i got sick and tired of getting the same hormonal breakouts in the same spots on my chin so finally said screw it and sought out tret.
I’m 36 and still have acne! It was the worst after I gave birth to my 2nd baby. I was under a TON of stress. I have a lot of it on my chin and some on my neck, but that could be due to my hair products. I’ve invested in some good skincare that has helped keep it more manageable. But I can just eat chocolate or get closer to my period and the pimples explode on my face. My doctor actually said it was a good sign because my body is still producing estrogen 🤷🏽♀️
I just watched your April 2022 video and ordered a prescription for Tretinoin .05, first time for me but plan to use it only once a week due to having very dry skin. When you said in your previous video that you use the sandwich method and let the moisturizer dry for an hour before applying Tretinoin and nothing over top, are you using the Farmacy 10% Niacinamide Night Mask underneath, or which moisturizer are you using UNDER Tretinoin in order to help with the dryness and flakeyness? I hope you can respond soon, thank you!!!
I will be 37 next month. And I still deal with acne. During winter my skin turns drier. But during summer I am super oily and I have a lot imprefections. I got on birth control for other issues and I am so much better.
Tret didn't work for my two kids, they both needed Accutane. My son has had some breakouts again and you're not supposed to be getting acne like ever again if you use Accutane.
I've just gone up a strength, and my make up looked awful this morning so I washed it off & used tinted moisturiser instead. I'm trying to power through it.
I started tretinoin 22 months ago and id say my skin took over 6-10 months to truly get through the purge stage which is crazy, my acne does flair up still and mostly now its my diet from anything fried so if I just keep away from that then my skins usually okay, but even still breakouts happen and its okay. my advice to anyone is keep up with tretinoin maybe if you can get Clindamycin id try it (personally my skin hated it). one thing that Made my skin worse was stopping my topical anti biotic (erythromycin) . I did biomedical science as a college diploma and lots of research I did suggest that using both an anti-microbial and a retinoid both compliment each other. another thing I've notice huge benefits from is azelaic acid I only use 10% from TO but its massively helped any breakouts I get either decreasing the inflammation or actually the spot disappearing.another thing in times of desperation I've found sudocream overnight makes a spot go and also used as a slugging agent but ofc with acne be careful.
I'm 40. I always suffered shit complexion from zits... and I get cystic ones and ones that leave a mark every time. I still struggle... its so depressing and frustrating. A couple years ago, I got satin pillow cases and started wearing a bonnet to sleep. The zits one my cheeks diminished and I've had fewer breakouts... plus my skincare in very minimal and i dont really wear face makeup. I still dont have a great complexion... but the zits are less. I think a lot come from the hair products... I mainly have them form on my cheeks... now im just trying to fade the marks.😢
Your message about acne not be your fault was what I needed to hear. I'm 36 and still struggling with acne. I've had it on and off since 18.
I've only had acne in my teens, but it was extreme. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who had it as bad. I'm 40 and haven't had acne for 22 years and I still have PTSD from that time.
I’ve been using tretinoin for almost 10 years. I had oral cancer when I was 29 and had radiation to my face which aged me probably 10 years at the time from all the damage. I started on tret, and my skin was ANGRY at first. I purged like no other, but I have dry skin to begin with. Clearly I have sensitive skin as well, because after 10 years of use I can still only tolerate a .035% solution, 5 nights a week. But I have seen such a vast improvement in my skin tone, texture, and I look younger at 42 than I did 10 years ago.
Wow! Such incredible results!
Congratulations on beating cancer
Does you had cancer because of Tret?
@@don5822 I am wondering the same thing if the cancer came from the tretinoin
@@don5822 no, oral cancer is not caused by tretinoin, and in this person's case, they didn't use tretinoin until AFTER their oral cancer diagnosis. "xyz causes cancer" without reading properly into the situation is a catalyst for dangerous misinformation that can prevent people from seeking appropriate treatment. Please read carefully in the future.
Acne is such a struggle and a lot of people don't realize that it's actually a skin disease. I've had problems my whole life and what helped me the most in the end was a combination of differin gel, combined birth control pills, spironolactone and a simple skincare routine (with SPF everyday of course). My skin has never looked better, but it's such a personal journey and the best treatment will not be the same for everyone.
It is amazing how traumatic acne can be. Even years after the worst acne of my life, I struggle to leave the house without makeup - which is completely in my head. Thank you for sharing this, Kelly. Just the acknowledgment of the magnified self consciousness and the sadness will help a lot of people!
I’m 36 years old and I’ve been dealing with acne on and off since I was 13. When you broke down in tears it broke my heart because I could relate so strongly. There are times when it’s bad and you feel like you want to just hide away from the world. I’m an esthetician and I get down on myself and feel like who am I to even be offering skincare advice when I look like this. BUT it’s true what you said. No one sees it the same way we see it on ourselves. Thank you for sharing and being vulnerable, for me it helps to not feel alone in this struggle
Girl don’t feel like this I wouldn’t mind going to an esthetician who has acne herself there’s just something skin care can’t do no matter what you put on like in her situation she literally needed to take oral supplements 🤷🏻♀️ it is what it is like her antibiotics/birth control etc. or in my situation mine stopped after I quit drinking milk. ❤
I didnt have acne as a teenager but soon as i turn 50yrs and going through menopause its like crazy acne . Drives me crazy . I been trying everything. Thank you for sharing this story.
I really never thought I'd be dealing with acne in my 30's, but here we are. It is mentally draining always thinking about it, all the money spent trying to get rid of it. It's real. Can't wait to start my tret journey.
I had moderate to severe acne for 13 years (age 13-26), finally got fed up and went on Accutane. It took me 3 rounds of Accutane over 2.5 years to completely clear my skin. Accutane is certainly for serious cases, but the toll that acne takes on your self-esteem cannot be underestimated. I never felt pretty until I was well into my 30's and only then did I embrace makeup.. But you're right that almost no one is as bothered by your acne as you.
I'm 56 and awaiting my first script of tretinoin! Bless your heart! I love you are being so open! It is tough mentally, physically and expensive financially to figure it all out!
i feel this entire video. i took accutane in my early 20s and it cleared up my really shitty cystic acne. this summer it came back probably worse than it used to be, and i’m 29. i was devastated, nothing helped, everything just irritated my skin. i couldn’t stop staring at myself in the mirror and feeling shitty. went back to the dermatologist and all that, but the cycle of acne is definitely a rough one.
Cystic acne is so painful too 😢
@@meowdee it is! your face is constantly sore and itchy 😔 it’s the worst lol
I feel for anyone struggling with acne. I completely empathize. At one point, my acne was so bad that I turned all my mirrors around. Mine was really noticeable, red cystic acne all over my face. I hated looking at myself and would also cry about how bad my acne was. I also obsessed about other people's "beautiful" skin and would constantly compare myself to them. It sounds so dramatic but I think anyone who has not truly struggled with acne cannot understand the hit it takes on one's self-confidence. You literally cannot look at yourself without seeing only the acne and feeling bad about yourself. I didn't take photos of myself for years until hormonal birth control cleared it up. I cannot imagine having to film videos of myself while feeling this way. ❤ That was 10 years ago and I'm still terrified it will happen again. Thank you for sharing this. I hope everyone struggling with acne right now knows they are not alone and I hope it gets better!
I know I don't know you, but my heart broke for you when you got upset 💔 I have Endometriosis and I have never had acne before until now I'm in my early 30's and I've got hormonal acne from it and it is devastating and you do really notice it even when others don't. Thank you for sharing your story you are so amazing xxx
I had adult acne similar to your skin. I spent thousands of dollars on various treatments at my spa. I spent so much money on so many products. I went to a dermatologist in my teens, but I wasn’t patient enough and I tried about four products. I gave up and fast forward to my thirties and I tried again. My new dermatologist fixed it. She diagnosed me with Melasma and fixed it, too. I am 49 and I am so happy with my skin.
I feel you, I feel we were lied to as teens. We were told that acne was just a phase but for me it never completely disappeared. At this point I made peace that my face might never be clear but my derm is getting me to the point where is manageable. I found that stress and a bad diet makes a huge difference, also harsh products or cleansers. I no longer experiment with my face and just listen to my derm if he thinks is a bacterial or fungal issue.
Yes! Dermatologists are trying to educate the public and generalist doctors, that acne is psychologically and emotionally debilitating and is a medical condition to be taken seriously. I was a teenager with acne and our family doctor told me to just put methylated spirits on it! That is the worst thing you can do, it just dries up the surrounding skin and will cause further irritation and inflammation. Acne is oil, not water, you can't dry it up. It needs to be healed gently. It would have been better to apply vaseline which is anti inflammatory and speeds healing.
I was on my homepage on here and one of your videos popped up and said “Jessica Braun viewers also watch” and let me tell you, I have been binging your videos since Friday! I will be 33 tomorrow and I am just not getting my acne under control. Tret never worked for me , only thing it did was cause me to flake and be dry. I take spirolactone (idk how to spell it LOL) and it has truly been a life saver. I would do my makeup in the AM before work and just sob staring at myself. I never shad acne not even as a teenager but for some reason when I was around 25-28 I started to get it bad. It’s been a year now since I’ve been on medicine and I often find myself staring in the mirror in admiration bc my skin is finally clear. Have you looked into that at all? I understand what you mean when you say you were consumed with your acne. I have 5+ years of pics and collages on my phone.
Your skin looks amazing Kelly. Very clear and youthful. To me you look like you’re still in your late teens! 😍
Oh Kelly! I really appreciate how you are so willing to be vulnerable and share your struggles. I have been there and I've been looking into other options bc my skin is better before adapalene, but I still struggle with my acne more than I want. Like you said, give yourself grace and know things will get better! You are sooooo beautiful- inside and out ❤
I love this type of different content from you cuz as a boy in makeup who doesn’t have these biological women problems with birth control it’s nice hearing about it and I also have acne problems I assume so this acne video is also really helpful for me and dealing with my own acne problems despite your makeup content I genuinely think you’re such a unique makeup content creator compared to others and even if you’re biased towards your fav makeup brands you’re not afraid to speak out the truth of brands repetitiveness even if they are your fav brands or not that’s why we love you Kelly ❤️
Hi Kelly! Thanks for sharing your story. Fellow tret user here. To avoid tret migrating to my eyelids, I put aquaphor in that area to create a barrier. Definitely solved that issue for me.
Hope you will continue to see progress on your journey. 💜
thanks for the reminder. I started putting vaseline on my eye area when I first started tret, then somehow got out of the habit. I need to go back to that, since sometimes I do get a little dry eye, which I attribute to the tret migrating.
You are so right and we are so hard on ourselves. We would never be as critical toward another as we are toward ourselves. Thank you for being so brave to share! ❤❤❤
Bless you girl. This must have been hard to film and share. But I’m sure you have helped many others (56yrs. 87 days Tretinoin). Keep on being Salty (fellow midwesterner/Iowa). I love how you say ‘but’ and I want merch with that on it. Keep going, girl.
Thank you for being so vulnerable with us. I'm sending you a big hug!
It's crazy how hard we are on ourselves. To me you're so beautiful I get hypnotized when watching your videos!
thank you for posting this. acne is genuinely so isolating and thank you for reminding me that this is not permanent ❤️
I have struggled with acne since I was in my teens…I’m now 41 and I still breakout here and there. Being biracial, I scar really easily. I’m constantly trying to fade acne scars. It sucks! I use spironolactone pills and Tretinoin 0.025%. I have sensitive/dry skin, so I put a hyaluronic serum on first, and then I use the Tretinoin…you inspire me to use it right after I cleanse. I do feel it’s linked to hormones, stress, and heredity. It is stressful. I’m glad you shared this, because I would never have guessed you have had this struggle. You look great. Please share your entire skincare routine for morning and night if you haven’t already! Thank you!
Thank you for doing this and being so vulnerable! My 21 year old son has suffered from severe cystic acne since he was a teen. He did the acutane for a year but came off bc of the extreme depression…he was having really bad harmful thoughts. But luckily the acne went mostly away and his skin care really helped. But he has bad scars and craters. It absolutely kills me as his mother. I don’t know what to do. And now it has come back and pretty bad! I’m at a loss of what to tell him to do. He hates doctors and thinks they will put him on acutane again. All that to say, I understand your struggle and you’re not vain. I’m crying with you my friend. But please know you are beautiful and all I see is true beauty..acne or not 😊
Can he try washing his face with dettol original soap (this soap does wonders) morning and night and use vitamin c serum every morning and night and sunscreen every morning? He can alternate vitamin c serum in the night with tretinoin like vitamin c serum on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Tretinoin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This might help. Combination of vitamin c in the morning and tretinoin in the night might do wonders on his skin within 2-5 months.
I relate SO hard. I just turned 32 and am the only person in my friend group with acne. And I feel self conscious. I just got a prescription of tretinoin which I’m hoping will help solve this. Wish me luck!
All the best. Use BP or clangamycin gel for active breakouts. It will get better. Stay on the Tretinoin.
thats the first thing i noticed, how jealous i was your underyey is so bright and non-crepey, unlike me, i cant leave the house w/o concealer, but ppl always compliment how smooth my skin is sooo we all want what we dont have!thanks for sharing your story!
Clicked so fast! I've been on tret 0.05 for 7 months and have been breaking out between my eyebrows for the past couple months 😭
i absolutely needed this video because im losing my mind over this current acne flare-up. i just moved back in my parents, there’s a lot of stress in my life at the moment so i know that’s definitely a factor but it is also fairly genetic. i completely relate to obsessing over my skin because of it!!! i work at ulta so i was trying every acne product i could get my hands on which honestly made it even worse and i just cried from so much frustration.
i came across you and abbey yung when i was scouring youtube for any solutions and y’all convinced me to try tret. i ended up getting curology and my formula has both tretinoin and clindomycin which seems to actually be working really well! i still have spots and all, but i’ve cut down my skincare routine to be really simple and now i’m not nearly as frustrated with my skin
I have also been struggling with this too. It's nice to hear someone else talk about this because I also felt very alone and so isolated myself.
Thank you for sharing your story. I’m so sorry you went through this. I haven’t been through this specific experience, however, I have been through experiences where I spiraled. So many people have these types of experiences where regardless of the specifics you start down a path and you spiral down that path and it’s hard to see anything else. So thank you for sharing this story because regardless of if someone is struggling with acne or not this can be very helpful to hear.
You look beautiful 💜
Thank you, Heather :)
Im on 0.05% strength as well and using 5 nights straight (M-F) and I’m seriously convinced that I have not suffered from dryness because I first apply a hydrating toner (Tony Moly Mochi Ceramide) - let that dry - then apply tret, followed by Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ which has Petrolatum in it aka same stuff that’s in Cerave’s Healing ointment! My skin looks and feels beyond glowy and hydrated in the morning. I recommend you try incorporating similar hydrating products in your routine to help!
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are all our own worse critics - but that doesn’t make it feel easier. ❤
Thank you for the video. I've struggled my whole life with acne, I've found adapalene to help me. I totally felt when you said as soon as we are cleared up and see another pimple forming we fear of going through it again. You look amazing.
I have relatively deep acne scars on my cheeks (the kind that left divots in my skin rather than just pigmentation), I've been using tret for about two years, the scars are still there but I feel like they're less deep and pigmented than they used to be. I don't know if they'd ever fully go away without professional lasering but I can tell that tret + sunscreen has really helped
The timeline of your breakout in 2021 really matches mine, my sister's and my friends. I swear I believe it has something to do with covid. I got on tret, BP and clandamycin in Septemeber 2021 and have stayed on Tretinoin since. My skin is so much better. I got a flare up in December again but after a rpund of antibiotics have it under control. Still on tretinoin though. Another thing is that I had back acne during thr episodes. I am 38
Thanks for opening up! Glad you’re back to seeing results ❤
Thank you, Laura!
Taylor Winn went through a similar experience... I have cried right along with her when it cleared up...
💋🧚🏻♀️❤️🇺🇸
I’m 54. It’s still here. Now it’s mixed with discoloration from too much sun/tanning during my youth. You took the steps to get help, I never did. You look amazing.😊
I can relate to how upsetting acne can be. I used to cry a lot about my skin, obsess over it, bought a plethora of products and wasted money. My skin only really calmed down when I got into my 30s. Acne is a bit of a puzzle. Some blame it on inflammation, genetics, diet, sugar, stress....who knows! I'm so glad it's much easier to get a hold of Tretinoin and even face sunscreen (which was only really becoming a 'thing' when I was a teen / in my 20s).
I’m still debating on starting tretinion to help with my hormonal acne because over the counter retinol isn’t cutting it anymore. This was super helpful! Thank you!
I want to add.. I struggled with this as well.. I tried tret, clynd, doxy, BP and all of the above prescriptions.. switched derms went on accutane bc nothing else worked and for once since my teens years, I know what the skin on my face looks like.
You are literally my favvvv on CZcams. I literally would trust you with my life😭you’re so underrated
I felt the same way with my skin. When I was 36 I went off birth control. My skin went out of control. I spent so much money on over the counter products. I ended up going to a dermatologist and I didn’t have acne
It was rosacea. She prescribed azelaic acid for the morning and tretinoin in the evening and sulfacleanse for a wash. I do moisturize right before I use the tretinoin. It took about 6 months and my skin has cleared. I am 42 now and I still will get the occasional breakout. I am still on the same regimen. My skin now looks better than when I was younger ( I have always struggled with my skin).
Currently going through the dryness/skin peeling 😢. Thank you for sharing this. x
It will get better! Take test nights if you need to and focus on hydration. Your skin will adjust soon!
I’ve been struggling with acne on and off since my early 20s. It is hard to deal with. It came back strong when I had to wear masks for 8-9 hours a day at work due to COVID. It is slowly getting better and I am mostly dealing with post hyperpigmentation now after I have breakouts. I find that following “influencers” that show acne and “real skin” has been very helpful for my mental health. It reminds me I am not alone and not the only one struggling. ❤
Thank you for the update! Just started yesterday. Saw your 6 month video too!!(:
I’m also 29 and have been suffering from cystic acne for 4 years all thanks to the mirena. *WAY* worse than yours. You are so right about how isolating it is. No one around me (not even the teenagers of the family) have acne. Everyone around me has beautiful clear skin. I won’t go anywhere without foundation, even the water park.
I have using Tretiniion for 30 years. Started during teen acne and use it still today. I am 49 and many mistake me for 30. That is the magic of Tret! I did convert to Curology and now Agency and I’m at highest strength. Check out curology as you can get Clindamycin in the formula and personalize with the staff dermatologists there. Highly recommend as I’ve seen the best results. Side not is i lived in NYC for 12 years-i do the stress of city living contributes to acne. Its exciting but can be draining living that life longterm. Now that i live in the suburb’s i notice that i am much more present and calm.
Thank you for sharing this very vulnerable part of your story. You are such an inspiration
I had terrible issues with acne when I was 19-20 and little bumps on my forehead just like you. Turns out it was my multivitamin, which had high concentrations of B12 and Biotin. Everyone check your vitamins!
Also the Skinbetter science Alpharet serums are so great, retinol without the irritation.
I’m am aesthetics RN and am a firm believer that the anti-aging trifecta is Vitamin C, sunscreen, and some form of Vitamin A (I currently use a granactive retinoid). I’m 46 but you’d never know it to look at my skin. Do I use preventative care Dysport? Yes, but only every 6-7 months and then only a sparing amount . I like movement in my face, just not deep static lines 😊
I swear, I love your channel so much and this video just further solidified that for me. I’ve had acne for years and years and I’m now 28 still wondering when it will stop. I also dealt with cracking in the nose and chin area that showed up underneath my makeup no matter how much I moisturized. I def should’ve stopped using the actives I had during that time. She’s in a better place now tho thank goodness!
prior to getting on tretinoin, i was using adapalene for a year and a half. my skin was clear for the first time in my life. then i did tretinoin for another year and a half, but i struggled with breakouts again, particularly on my chin and cheeks. no way i could up the strength as i was also experiencing major dryness and sensitivity. so i decided to go back to adapalene and see wether that would fix things for me. and it did! i no longer have the major sensitivity or the breakouts, and i've realised that tretinoin might just not be the best alternative for me.
That happens to my sister too. She deals with acne. Virtual hug 🤗 Kelly. You are beautiful
I have been using tret for almost 5 years and at one pt my acne came back and my doc prescribed me topical clindamycin as well. Once it cleared up my acne, I went back on tret. I also needed oral spironolactone to control my hormonal acne. Love that u did this video, Kelly!
I'm on tret and spironalactone as well. I feel like spironalactone makes such a huge difference and it's not as well known as tret
I used tret for 2 or 3 years before I had to throw in the towel. I hit the genetic jackpot when it comes to skin, I never had bad acne, even as a teenager, just a breakout here and there, even tone, smooth, not oily or dry, etc. Sometime in my late 20s/ early 30s I wanted to give tret a try for anti-aging (I had the same type of lines in my forehead). My derm started me on the lowest % available at the time (.01%) and after doing soooo much research I was very meticulous about slowly introducing it into my routine, mixing it with moisturizer etc. I never experienced any of the dryness, peeling or purging a lot of people report. Instead over time, my skin became SUPER oily and textured, makeup would separate and highlight dry spots that weren’t visible normally, and I was in a constant state of breaking out all over my chin, cheeks and forehead. I never had acne so badly in my life until using tret. I waited more than a year before I asked for my % to be bumped up and I kept blaming the breakouts on stress and hormones. I was only using tret 1-2 days a week and over 3 years I never got up to more than .03% so I couldn’t fathom how it could be the cause of my problems. About 18 months ago I stopped tret in preparation for a family wedding because I wanted to wear foundation and not have it look patchy and I haven’t looked back to tret since. My skin is finally healing, I’m back to minimal breakouts (maybe 1-2 spots every few months if I’m touching my face a lot or not diligent about washing my makeup brushes), my forehead is the last oily problem area and lately that seems to be calming down a bit, and most of the texture issues are resolving other than some spots on my temples. I decided to get botox for my fine lines instead of trying to mess with tret anymore and I’m perfectly pleased. As much as I wanted it to work, it’s just not for me. Thank you for acknowledging there can be ups & downs with it and that it won’t work for everyone because I think some people (such as myself) see it working so well for so many people and aren’t quite sure what to do when it doesn’t work out.
Right now u r using tretinoin or not??
@@ayurvedik_gyan I’m not. I’ve been using a .1% retinol with no issues so I might increase the percentage over time.
I recently heard a dermatologist recommend using both Tretinoin and adapalene because they target different receptors in the skin. Tretinoin is more focused on anti-aging benefits, while adapalene is primarily for acne. They could be used on alternating nights.
Acne sucks, and those of us who deal with it get it. It’s so frustrating! It’s interesting to me that tretinoin is framed as this acne cure-all. It is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but those of us w more stubborn stuff need something in addition most of the time. Been on retinoids almost 10 years, but I always need something in addition. Also wanted to add that, Kelly, I would really recommend finding a good derm you love if you deal w acne. PCPs can help, but you really need someone who specializes in it to make the biggest difference.
I had acne until I was 40. That’s when I went on Spironolactone. Haven’t had any since.
Thank you for making this video ❤ I once was desperate with acne I felt like I had no value as a person because of my face. I’d be ashamed of looking at my husband in the eyes because I felt so disgusting and it’s seriously one of the worst feelings ever. My acne completely went away when I got pregnant and I’m due in a couple of weeks so I don’t know if it will come back but oh well I’m too busy with my baby’s arrival preparation that I don’t have time to think about it (btw I’m 27). Just wanted to put this comment out here to let you know you’re not alone 💕
I had painful acne in my 20s and 30s and hated going out because it was such an effort to cover my pimples with makeup all the time. Every day I had new spots in a different place. I longed for just a few days with a clear face. It is emotionally debilitating.
Acne is so tough to deal with. I've had acne to varying degrees for at least 30 years. We get the message that acne is a teen problem, that it is minor and temporary, or that it's our own fault due to poor diet and hygiene. Like you said, it can be very frustrating, isolating, and emotionally consuming to deal with acne, especially when we are adults. And people who don't have cystic acne may not realize how painful it can be: it can hurts to smile, hurt to wash or touch your face when the cysts are so deep and inflamed. I've learned a lot about managing my acne through Paula's Choice and Dr. Sam Bunting videos on CZcams, especially with "un-learning" all the skincare strategies of my youth that really just punished my skin rather than helped it (looking at you gritty scrubs, inadequate moisturizers, and irritating masks). I'm currently able to keep my acne in line using prescription retinol, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide. BUT, I know that no matter how well I follow my skincare regimen, acne can still flare up for internal reasons, and that's just how this game goes. Thank you for sharing about your acne struggles and improvements. It can help other people so much to know they are not alone and that there are some potentially great solutions available. P.S. I want to flip over tables and rage when someone with porcelain skin suggests drinking more water to clear up acne lol
ikr that water myth needs to die out
I'm 30, I've been using tretinoin for a year and I can not get rid of my acne. it's frustrating because I absolutely notice a difference in my skin overall in texture but I still have the breakouts around my mouth/chin and on my forehead. My texture overall used to be not great, I used to have to exfoliate a lot more and would have clogged pores more often so I'm glad that there is positive results but yeah I definitely feel you with the breakouts. I'm scared to increase strength because my skin is really sensitive it took me forever to adjust to the .025 lol I also notice a difference with my fine lines so I'm going to continue using it. but I am just as devastated as you about the acne situation lol
Have you tried Differen? It is geared towards acne, more so than tret.
Tea Tree may help too. Try a tea tree toner? I think benzoyl peroxide is supposed to help with bacterial acne.
I had acne until I was 34. I was in the middle of a lot of stress and basically didn’t buy groceries for darn near a month and was living off of ramen noodles. It turned out that for me, dairy causes me to break out. I can’t even eat milk chocolate without breaking out. I’m so sorry for your struggle. ❤
Omg same girl I was 25 years old when I realized it was milk!!! The whole time I could of prevented so much scars when I was younger
I am 29 and had SEVERE CYSTIC acne ( I wish I could post a photo.) The only thing that even touched my acne was accutane. I actually just finished my course a few months ago. I had severe severe acne for about 12 or 13 years! My derm was sad that I couldn't get into her sooner than I did.. to prevent some of the scarring. People were always saying well maybe its the makeup your wearing... Like no.. thats to cover it. If I could stop wearing makeup and just get it to go away I would DUH. people that don't break out nor have experienced anve have no freaking clue! (No hate but typically it's true!) I wantwd to go longer on accutane but I hit my dose and my derm ensured me that it was time to take a break. I did 7 months of a max dose for my weight. I didn't want to stop just bc I was scarred of it coming back.. yes my skin is clear but I have scarring that I'm working on (I also use tret. I started with .025 and now I am waiting to pick up the step up from this percentage. But it's still a great fear of mine and I'll come back and be bad like it was beforehand. I mean when I say I had not saw my skin on my face since mid-teen years.. when it started to clear an accutane I was shocked because I hadn't seen my skin on my face and many years. It's still odd to me when I look in the mirror to see my skin on my face and now it sounds stupid but it's very very true. I didn't even know what the skin on my face looked like until going on accutane. The scars on my face remind me of the dark place I was in while having acne for all those years. It's depressing and definitely a blow to confidence but eventually something will click with your skin type and work for your acting and get rid of it no matter what type or how severe your acne is! Everyone's beautiful ❤️
Just to give you some hope my son has been acne free for at least 5 years after finishing Accutane 🤗 his was severe also.
🥺 oh poor you , don’t be sad 😢 we all struggle with something on our skin / face . Try not make it take over your life 🫶🏼🤗
BAAABE! Such a great video. I'm 40 and I went of birth control in June because i thought "how annoying to have to take a daily pill - I'll get an IUD"... MISTAKE! Now I've got thinning hair, acne, and cramps. I remember being so annoyed as I considered going off birth control that there is almost no information about side effects - classic for the patriarchy. I'm waiting on a referral to see a dematologist, because the hair loss is heartbreaking. Basically at this point my doc says "well you are 40 and your mom has thin hair" but I am not ready to settle. I've been on Tret for a year too, and it hasn't stopped this cystic acne (though I assume it would be worse without tret) and I'm also using rogaine. The thing with rogaine is even if you grow hair, it's a forever thing - if you stop daily use, you lose that new hair.
I guess I'm saying: You aren't alone. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
What does patriarchy have to do with hormone side effects? Plenty of women prescribe to their female patients, too.
it's true that thinning hair is usually hereditary
Thank you for your honest description of your acne journey. Many parts of your story related so similarly to mine. ❤
I’ve been so interested to watch your update since I started tretinoin a few months ago. Thank you for uploading!
Thank you so much for posting this video. I've struggled with acne off and on the last few years after stopping birth control. I've been wanting to ask my Dr about tretinoin but have been putting it off thinking my acne will just stop like it has in the past. But I'm done waiting and am going to ask about it bc it really does effect confidence so much!
Can you do another update video? With your current skincare routine like the 6 month video? Thanks!
I have the exactly same story.. I mean Is like you are making a video about me. It's crazy! We'll be ok!! Hugs
Shea Moisture's Black African Soap (Walmart & Walgreen) & Dr Bonner's Hemp & Tea Tree Oil best items that works for my acne, does not hurt to try it.
No, I understand what you mean about you noticing it more because we see our faces more closely as we wash in front of the mirror, *and* our skin feeling irritated can exacerbate how you already feel about it visually.
When you pair with chemical peels the results are astonishing.
thank you, Kelly! your honesty helps me
I still get occasional breakouts, nothing like when I was in highschool. For the record I do have oily skin which doesn't help. But I am about to turn 43 and I wish my skin would just be done with it already.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, i appreciate it soo much!
I have been struggling with acne since 12 years old ( now 27) and it has massively impacted my mental health, im suffering from depression and being bullied + living with acne has surely influence it.
I went on Isotretinoin/accutane for 1.5 years and it was amazing, my skin has never been clearer and i never was soo confident, but unfortunately now my acne is coming back and in the same area as yours- my forehead and i'm hyper focusing on it now. Why it came back? :( it was so good already!
Currently trying to conquer it with skincare (bha + retinol) but going to visit my dermatologist again next week.
You gave me hope that there is still something i can do about it ❤
I had very bad acne for like ... 12 years, since I was basically thirteen ! Now I m 32 and I’m able to manage it for the majority of the time but it’s 100% hormonal cause I have PCOS and I have familiarity with acne/ rashes in general ... I can understand your frustration so well, I feel u on a personal level for sure 😢 it’s nice to feel understood and it’s really difficult to accept our skin, it’s really comforting to know that it’s ok to have skin problems but it’s also ok to be frustrated about it ❤ thank you Kelly ❤
Yes, it can be sooo frustrating! I’m happy that you’ve gotten it to a manageable place :)
I struggle with hormonal, cystic acne. I just love when people tell me that I just need to drink more water. Thanks! I'm cured! 😂
painful stubborn acne is usually treated successfully with a combination of tretinoin and oral antibiotics - but do see a dermatologist
@@SueRosalie I have been seeing a dermatologist for 12 years.
Wow thank you for sharing! What a journey. I can identify with the struggle. Who gets acne at age 42? Supposedly related to perimenopause. My skin has been so oily sensitive and acne prone. I've been on tret .025% for a year now. I've tried every technique and tip and still my skin can't tolerate it more than every third day but adding salicylic acid face wash to the routine occasionally has helped and I'm finally acne free. I highly recommend using a seven color LED light mask and using the blue light too. I literally have no pimples anymore since I started that.
Why did u go off the pill? Just wondering ❤️
I tried Tret two years ago and stopped because it irritated my skin so badly. Started back 6 months ago using Altreno Tret three nights a week and my skin already looks so much better. Altreno is the way to go because of the formulation. No irritation and it’s .05 in strength. I did use OTC retinol for a year before I started to work up to tolerance.
I’m using it for anti aging as I’ve never had any skin issues.
I have been using Retin-A since 1995. My acne still flares up once in awhile but not as bad as when I was a teenager. But girl, absolutely no wrinkles. I should also say though that I have used sunscreen since using retinoid in 1995, when sunscreen so sticky and goopy. Have also used an umbrella when going out.
I'm 59 and still have at least a couple breakouts going on my face and my back all the time. But, it's nothing at all like I experienced as a teenager and in my 20's. Wow, that period of time was awful for me and my face, back, and chest skin.
I'm on it too. But for anti aging. Love my tret! (Technically I take tret/clindamycin/azaelic acid 😉)
It’s the best!
Can't stand those people who try to tell acne sufferers that it's dirt or diet or not enough water etc. etc. etc. Those of us who suffered worked out for ourselves that it was not our fault and acne clearly runs in families. To me it was related to allergies in my family - we are just oversensitive to climate or common irritants that don't affect other people, and our skin overreacts with inflammation, like other allergies. It took perimenopause to cure my acne for good. I just wish I had known about tretinoin years ago. I now use it for repair of sun damage.
I’ve been struggling with acne since I was 20. I’m 33. There have been times where it has consumed me too. Where I just look for my flaws on other people and feel crushed when I don’t see them. How I would rush to the mirror every AM and look for new spots.
I’m also on tretinoin and recently went up to .05%. I also just recently filled a script for spiro. For years I’ve thought oh no it’s fine it isn’t hormonal but then I started looking at my pictures and realized the places I get the most painful cystic breakouts is my cheekbones and jaw. Fingers crossed this is the magic bullet combo.
older vid i know but i just started tret (age 47) and i was searching for stuff from people i trust (like you and abbey young) who i knew had been on it.... oh man your tears, i felt that. i've battled acne since my later teens (i don't think i started breaking out until like freshman year high school) and i can't believe i still deal with it at my age, really thought it'd be done with by now lol. but i got sick and tired of getting the same hormonal breakouts in the same spots on my chin so finally said screw it and sought out tret.
I’m 36 and still have acne! It was the worst after I gave birth to my 2nd baby. I was under a TON of stress. I have a lot of it on my chin and some on my neck, but that could be due to my hair products.
I’ve invested in some good skincare that has helped keep it more manageable. But I can just eat chocolate or get closer to my period and the pimples explode on my face.
My doctor actually said it was a good sign because my body is still producing estrogen 🤷🏽♀️
I just watched your April 2022 video and ordered a prescription for Tretinoin .05, first time for me but plan to use it only once a week due to having very dry skin. When you said in your previous video that you use the sandwich method and let the moisturizer dry for an hour before applying Tretinoin and nothing over top, are you using the Farmacy 10% Niacinamide Night Mask underneath, or which moisturizer are you using UNDER Tretinoin in order to help with the dryness and flakeyness? I hope you can respond soon, thank you!!!
I will be 37 next month. And I still deal with acne. During winter my skin turns drier. But during summer I am super oily and I have a lot imprefections. I got on birth control for other issues and I am so much better.
I wish I wasn't allergic to clindamycin.
Tret didn't work for my two kids, they both needed Accutane. My son has had some breakouts again and you're not supposed to be getting acne like ever again if you use Accutane.
I've just gone up a strength, and my make up looked awful this morning so I washed it off & used tinted moisturiser instead. I'm trying to power through it.
I started tretinoin 22 months ago and id say my skin took over 6-10 months to truly get through the purge stage which is crazy, my acne does flair up still and mostly now its my diet from anything fried so if I just keep away from that then my skins usually okay, but even still breakouts happen and its okay. my advice to anyone is keep up with tretinoin maybe if you can get Clindamycin id try it (personally my skin hated it). one thing that Made my skin worse was stopping my topical anti biotic (erythromycin) . I did biomedical science as a college diploma and lots of research I did suggest that using both an anti-microbial and a retinoid both compliment each other. another thing I've notice huge benefits from is azelaic acid I only use 10% from TO but its massively helped any breakouts I get either decreasing the inflammation or actually the spot disappearing.another thing in times of desperation I've found sudocream overnight makes a spot go and also used as a slugging agent but ofc with acne be careful.
I'm 40. I always suffered shit complexion from zits... and I get cystic ones and ones that leave a mark every time.
I still struggle... its so depressing and frustrating.
A couple years ago, I got satin pillow cases and started wearing a bonnet to sleep.
The zits one my cheeks diminished and I've had fewer breakouts... plus my skincare in very minimal and i dont really wear face makeup.
I still dont have a great complexion... but the zits are less.
I think a lot come from the hair products... I mainly have them form on my cheeks... now im just trying to fade the marks.😢
I'm 37 and still get lots of acne. I feel you!