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Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:10 pm |
I have been using Retin A micro every other night for the last few weeks and one of the reasons I want to use it is to try to diminish the lines under my eyes. At first the Retin A seemed to be making the lines less prominent, however for the last week the lines have been more pronounced and visible than they have ever been. I am wondering if I am just going through a phase and continued use of the Retin A will result in a diminishing of the lines (or at least returning to the way they used to be)or if I will continue to see this more pronounced version of my undereye lines as a result of using the Retin A. Can anyone enlighten me? Should I keep using it under my eyes? (I guess I should specify that I put it on the orbital bone and below only, I have long lines all along my orbital bone on both eyes) TIA |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:22 pm |
Jom, I have always heard that you will become more dry under the eye area using Retin A there, and for a while your lines will look worse, but given enough time (6 months minimum) the Retin A will eventually diminish the lines. That is not to say that your wrinkles in that area will look worse for the entire 6 months, just until your skin adjusts to the Retin A. Are you using an eye cream on top of the Retin A, and what strength are you using? I know that it is usually recommended to use the lowest % of RA under/around the eyes. |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:28 pm |
When I started using Retin-A under my eyes a few years ago I also experienced a worsening of my lines under my eyes. This phase lasted about 8 weeks. Once my undereye area grew accustomed to the Retin-A, my under eye area went back to looking like it always did before. Slowly after that, I started to see improvements. At about 6 months, my under eye area really started to improve and now my under eye area is the most improved area on my face. I am so pleased and glad I stuck it out during the first few weeks when my eye area looked worse. The improvements I've experienced to my under eye area were well worth the few weeks I went through were my lines were accentuated.
Your eye area won't stay that way. If it really bothers you and you don't mind waiting a bit longer for your results you can back off and use the Retin-A less often under your eyes or maybe try buffering the area with a moisturizer first. I wanted to power through the "ugly phase" as fast as possible just like I did when I used Obagi Nu Derm to get my skin under my eyes acclimated as soon as possible.
I would recommend if you are having extreme dryness, redness or irritation to back off but otherwise it's up to you if you want to slow it down and moisturize heavily or just stick with it until your skin under your eyes gets accustomed to the Retin-A. The results for me were well worth the few weeks of looking a bit older.
This was my experience. Not everyone will have experienced the same.
Good luck !! |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:29 pm |
rileygirl wrote: |
Jom, I have always heard that you will become more dry under the eye area using Retin A there, and for a while your lines will look worse, but given enough time (6 months minimum) the Retin A will eventually diminish the lines. That is not to say that your wrinkles in that area will look worse for the entire 6 months, just until your skin adjusts to the Retin A. Are you using an eye cream on top of the Retin A, and what strength are you using? I know that it is usually recommended to use the lowest % of RA under/around the eyes. |
I haven't been using an eye cream over the Retin A because I thought it would diminish the effects of the Retin A. Should I use a cream over it? I'm using 0.1%. Should I stop using it under my eyes? |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:32 pm |
keli13 wrote: |
When I started using Retin-A under my eyes a few years ago I also experienced a worsening of my lines under my eyes. This phase lasted about 8 weeks. Once my undereye area grew accustomed to the Retin-A, my under eye area went back to looking like it always did before. Slowly after that, I started to see improvements. At about 6 months, my under eye area really started to improve and now my under eye area is the most improved area on my face. I am so pleased and glad I stuck it out during the first few weeks when my eye area looked worse. The improvements I've experienced to my under eye area were well worth the few weeks I went through were my lines were accentuated.
Your eye area won't stay that way. If it really bothers you and you don't mind waiting a bit longer for your results you can back off and use the Retin-A less often under your eyes or maybe try buffering the area with a moisturizer first. I wanted to power through the "ugly phase" as fast as possible just like I did when I used Obagi Nu Derm to get my skin under my eyes acclimated as soon as possible.
I would recommend if you are having extreme dryness, redness or irritation to back off but otherwise it's up to you if you want to slow it down and moisturize heavily or just stick with it until your skin under your eyes gets accustomed to the Retin-A. The results for me were well worth the few weeks of looking a bit older.
This was my experience. Not everyone will have experienced the same.
Good luck !! |
Thanks, I guess if it's only temporary it will make it easier to power through it. |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:45 pm |
I didn't know you can use retin A in the undereye area. I thought that area is too fragile for such a harsh medication. |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:29 pm |
I've heard you should use a lower % - maybe.25 or .05. Certainly with a .1 you will want to put a moisturizer on first as a slight buffer. This is what I have read to do to get the effects of the retin a and use it this more fragile area of the face. |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:31 pm |
Jom, you can use an eye cream after the Retin A. The undereye area is more fragile, so you can wait about 1 hour and then apply an eye cream to help the dryness without affecting the results. I think I would go for the .025% Retin A under the eye area to start with. |
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:54 pm |
Hi Keli3, why did you use both retin-A and obagi nu-derm for the same problem? I got to know both of them are pretty effective. Which one is better for you? Just curious
keli13 wrote: |
When I started using Retin-A under my eyes a few years ago I also experienced a worsening of my lines under my eyes. This phase lasted about 8 weeks. Once my undereye area grew accustomed to the Retin-A, my under eye area went back to looking like it always did before. Slowly after that, I started to see improvements. At about 6 months, my under eye area really started to improve and now my under eye area is the most improved area on my face. I am so pleased and glad I stuck it out during the first few weeks when my eye area looked worse. The improvements I've experienced to my under eye area were well worth the few weeks I went through were my lines were accentuated.
Your eye area won't stay that way. If it really bothers you and you don't mind waiting a bit longer for your results you can back off and use the Retin-A less often under your eyes or maybe try buffering the area with a moisturizer first. I wanted to power through the "ugly phase" as fast as possible just like I did when I used Obagi Nu Derm to get my skin under my eyes acclimated as soon as possible.
I would recommend if you are having extreme dryness, redness or irritation to back off but otherwise it's up to you if you want to slow it down and moisturize heavily or just stick with it until your skin under your eyes gets accustomed to the Retin-A. The results for me were well worth the few weeks of looking a bit older.
This was my experience. Not everyone will have experienced the same.
Good luck !! |
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Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:02 am |
I used Obagi Nu Derm with Retin-A last year. The only product I am still using is the Obagi Blender mixed with Retin-A. I apply it all over my face and neck including under my eyes. Once I finish my bottle of Blender I will probably just continue with Retin-A alone. I started using Obagi Nu Derm last year to get rid of discoloration but ended up using all the Obagi products in the kit under my eyes also. I did peel alot around my eye area for a few weeks but once the area got used to the products the peeling slowed and eventually went completely away. My under eye area now looks 10 years younger due to mainly using Retin-A. My makeup used to look cakey under my eyes because of the crepeyness and fine lines I had. Now my under eye area is much smoother and younger looking and I have no issues with makeup under my eyes anymore. I highly recommend trying Retin-A under the eyes. You need to pay attention to your skin especially in the beginning so that your skin doesn't become too irritated. Start slow or with a lower strength of Retin-A. If you have a real sensitive under eye area you may need to buffer with a moisturizer for the first few months. Retin-A under the eyes is not a quick fix. It will take time to notice big improvements so you really need to be consistent and stick with it. The dry older look some experience including myself will not last forever. Like I said in the post above, once your skin gets used to Retin-A that will go away and the improvements will start to slowly show. In the beginning I used to apply an eye cream about 20 minutes after I applied the Retin-A because the area was pretty dry. Now that my eye area is used to Retin-A I can go without an eye cream or moisturizer if I want to.
I use Retin-A every other night during the colder months including under my eyes because my skin is drier during the winter. Soon I will start to use Retin-A every night during the summer when my skin isn't as dry.
Retin-A can only improve so much but I tell you it has done more to improve my under eye area than any other anti-aging product ever has. Now that my eye area has probably improved as much as it probably ever will without surgery or injectables I will continue to use Retin-A as a preventative to help slow any further aging I will experience.
Eye creams are great for hydration and moisture buy most of them can't really repair your skin like Retin-A can.
Everyone's skin is different. Some may have way too many issues using Retin-A under the eye and may be better off using a good retinol product instead. It all depends on how sensitive your skin is. |
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Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:48 am |
I would either use a lower concentration or apply the 0.1% less frequently. I experienced what you describe and I use the lower concentration of Retin-A-Micro: 0.025%. I switched from daily to every other day application and my undereye went back to normal in a few days, which I am very glad about because I looked so much worse than before starting Retin-A. I do not see any improvement yet, but I have been using it under the eyes for 2-3 months. |
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Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:22 pm |
Keli, Thank you for the detailed explanation. It is really nice of you. It is really informative. What concentration of retin-a do you use. I found the conc. of tretinoin proscribed by my derm dc. to treat my acne is only 0.025%. Can I use them to mix with the obagi nu-derm?
keli13 wrote: |
I used Obagi Nu Derm with Retin-A last year. The only product I am still using is the Obagi Blender mixed with Retin-A. I apply it all over my face and neck including under my eyes. Once I finish my bottle of Blender I will probably just continue with Retin-A alone. I started using Obagi Nu Derm last year to get rid of discoloration but ended up using all the Obagi products in the kit under my eyes also. I did peel alot around my eye area for a few weeks but once the area got used to the products the peeling slowed and eventually went completely away. My under eye area now looks 10 years younger due to mainly using Retin-A. My makeup used to look cakey under my eyes because of the crepeyness and fine lines I had. Now my under eye area is much smoother and younger looking and I have no issues with makeup under my eyes anymore. I highly recommend trying Retin-A under the eyes. You need to pay attention to your skin especially in the beginning so that your skin doesn't become too irritated. Start slow or with a lower strength of Retin-A. If you have a real sensitive under eye area you may need to buffer with a moisturizer for the first few months. Retin-A under the eyes is not a quick fix. It will take time to notice big improvements so you really need to be consistent and stick with it. The dry older look some experience including myself will not last forever. Like I said in the post above, once your skin gets used to Retin-A that will go away and the improvements will start to slowly show. In the beginning I used to apply an eye cream about 20 minutes after I applied the Retin-A because the area was pretty dry. Now that my eye area is used to Retin-A I can go without an eye cream or moisturizer if I want to.
I use Retin-A every other night during the colder months including under my eyes because my skin is drier during the winter. Soon I will start to use Retin-A every night during the summer when my skin isn't as dry.
Retin-A can only improve so much but I tell you it has done more to improve my under eye area than any other anti-aging product ever has. Now that my eye area has probably improved as much as it probably ever will without surgery or injectables I will continue to use Retin-A as a preventative to help slow any further aging I will experience.
Eye creams are great for hydration and moisture buy most of them can't really repair your skin like Retin-A can.
Everyone's skin is different. Some may have way too many issues using Retin-A under the eye and may be better off using a good retinol product instead. It all depends on how sensitive your skin is. |
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Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:24 am |
Dryady, I started with .025% Retin-A and after my first tube of that was finished I started using .050% and that's what I've stuck with for years now. If you have sensitive skin I would stick with the .025% strength. Going up in strength doesn't necessarily mean you'll get better results. There are different strength Tretinoin products for different skin tolerances. Someone who has resistant skin would need a higher strength. There have been studies done and they've found that using a higher strength Tretinoin product did not give a person "better" results. Just more irritation. It all depends on your personal skin type. I've tried going up in strength from the .050% and found the .1% is just too much for my skin. I know I could still use that strength and with time my skin would probably adjust to it but there really would be no benefit to me doing that. In answer to your other question yes you can mix it with Obagi Nu Derm products. I did Obagi Nu Derm with Retin-A .025% and .050% for 18 weeks and slowly stopped using the products after that. The only product I still use is the Blender but once the bottle I have is done I will only use Retin-A or Renova along with a good sunscreen. If I should ever find my discoloration coming back I will gladly do another 18 weeks of Nu Derm. Even Dr. Obagi on his Zo web site advises not to stay on Nu Derm for a really long time.
There is a great section on Dr. Obagi's Zo website where you can ask him direct questions about your skin and Nu Derm. You will find many other ladies questions there and Dr. Obagi's answers. Here is the link
http://www.zoskinhealth.com/blog/2009/03/got-sensitive-skin/#comments
If you look around you will see more of Dr Obagi's blog. he offers to answer any questions at the end of each entry he makes. I would ask him some direct questions and see what he says about your particular skin issues. Godd luck,
Keli |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:36 am |
Thanks! |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:52 am |
I've been using RetinA for almost a month now, but it's killing me! I had to stop under the eyes because it was just too irritating, and I was using the 0.025%.
I think I need to use a moisturizer after it because my skin is so dry. So I was wondering, for the ones that use a moisturizer after retin-A at night...
a. How long do you wait to put your moisturizer on after the Retin-A?
b. Which moisturizer do you use?
And finally... I recently switched to EffaclarH as a morning moisturizer because my skin was so irritated due to the RetinA. My derm recommended it one day that I went to his office all red (on my way there, the taxi driver commented "oh, I see you've caught some sun!).
Does anyone recommend some other moisturizer?
Thanks! |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:36 am |
Josee - Hi! I use Karin Herzog eye cream under my retin a. Maybe an oil might be good for you - something with a thicker consistency. |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:28 am |
Keli, thanks a million for your answers.
Another questions for you and the ladies using tretinoin, how do you get it when you do not have acne anymore? The derm docs will prescribe it for acne treatment only or they will prescribe it for you to maintain your skin beautiful if you ask them to?? |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:21 pm |
Josee wrote: |
a. How long do you wait to put your moisturizer on after the Retin-A?
b. Which moisturizer do you use?
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a. I wait 30 min, this is what my doc recommended.
b. I use the regular eye cream and face moisturizer, which are from the Vivier line. If I need a thicker eye cream than the Vivier one (which I find quite light), I use Valmont eye and lip contour or L'Oreal from the drug store.
Many ladies on this forum are happy with emu oil, I intend to try it... |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:13 pm |
dryady wrote: |
Keli, thanks a million for your answers.
Another questions for you and the ladies using tretinoin, how do you get it when you do not have acne anymore? The derm docs will prescribe it for acne treatment only or they will prescribe it for you to maintain your skin beautiful if you ask them to?? |
At least in my case, I was never prescribed RetinA for acne... the doc prescribed it for cosmetic purposes. |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:59 pm |
Most of us here on EDS buy our retin from alldaychemist or medsmex...you don't need a scrip for those websites. I have been using retin-a .05% for a month and a half and I LOVE what I have seen. Although my under eye area does look a little "old" at the moment too and tends to be dry....maybe I will try the emu after my retin-a at night because as of now it's just straight retin-a under the eyes.
I am still struggling with one small area at the corner of my mouth and chin that just doesn't want to adjust to the retin though....it peels and stays red but is not irritated...not sure what to do with it!!! Other than that, my skin has tolerated retin-a very well with no irritation....... |
_________________ Female: 42...Fair/Dry...Brown Hair/Green Eyes...Using: Born Again MSM Cream...Country Divine Emu Serum...Juvederm...Botox...Retin-A .05%...Easy Eye Solutions...Started 2/9/12 with Skin Bio Skin Signals Cream and TTT, Spot treating with TriRed |
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Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:25 pm |
Josee wrote: |
I've been using RetinA for almost a month now, but it's killing me! I had to stop under the eyes because it was just too irritating, and I was using the 0.025%.
I think I need to use a moisturizer after it because my skin is so dry. So I was wondering, for the ones that use a moisturizer after retin-A at night...
a. How long do you wait to put your moisturizer on after the Retin-A?
b. Which moisturizer do you use?
And finally... I recently switched to EffaclarH as a morning moisturizer because my skin was so irritated due to the RetinA. My derm recommended it one day that I went to his office all red (on my way there, the taxi driver commented "oh, I see you've caught some sun!).
Does anyone recommend some other moisturizer?
Thanks! |
Josee, using a zinc-based sunscreen may help with the redness. Epicuren zinc oxide sunscreen is nice and has soothing ingredients in it.
Just as an update on my undereye area, I put an eye cream on over the Retin A micro on Thursday, my last Retin A night, and I woke up to less crepey, wrinkly-looking eyes. My undereye is back to normal, or actually a little bit better than normal. Hopefully it will keep up, maybe I'm past the worst phase of this. |
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Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:28 pm |
I know this is a bit off topic but I cannot seem to get an answer on another retin question on the forum......
I am using .05 retin-a and Paula's Choice skin lightener which contains hydroquinone 2% and glycolic acid. I just started indoor tanning (just the body, not the face!!) for my trip to Germany next month and want to use a sunless tanner on my face to catch it up to my body color or at least get it close....would this be a no-no when using these products?? Or do I just stop using the skin lightener while using the self tanner? This is a one time shot and strictly for my trip, just a bit of color nothing drastic...I don't ever tan indoors or out:) Also, if I can use it, when would I apply it? Morning before all other products? Or sometime mid day? |
_________________ Female: 42...Fair/Dry...Brown Hair/Green Eyes...Using: Born Again MSM Cream...Country Divine Emu Serum...Juvederm...Botox...Retin-A .05%...Easy Eye Solutions...Started 2/9/12 with Skin Bio Skin Signals Cream and TTT, Spot treating with TriRed |
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Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:49 pm |
bren21 wrote: |
I know this is a bit off topic but I cannot seem to get an answer on another retin question on the forum......
I am using .05 retin-a and Paula's Choice skin lightener which contains hydroquinone 2% and glycolic acid. I just started indoor tanning (just the body, not the face!!) for my trip to Germany next month and want to use a sunless tanner on my face to catch it up to my body color or at least get it close....would this be a no-no when using these products?? Or do I just stop using the skin lightener while using the self tanner? This is a one time shot and strictly for my trip, just a bit of color nothing drastic...I don't ever tan indoors or out:) Also, if I can use it, when would I apply it? Morning before all other products? Or sometime mid day? |
I don't see anything wrong with using a self tanner, unless your skin is peeling and/or flaking. I would put it on in the morning. If I were you I would give it a test drive before your trip, just to see how it works out. If anything strange happens you don't want it to happen on your trip. |
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Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:11 pm |
Thanks for the info Jom ...I appreciate it. I am not certain as to how the sunless tanners work on skin and I started using the skin lightener about 3 weeks to a month ago for natural freckling and sun damage freckling on my forehead. Wasn't sure if this would set me back any or be counter productive in any way.
The retin so far has completely transformed the surface of my skin after a month and a half, it really looks amazing after such a short time and I am so blown away...mind you, my issues were very superficial with a few tiny lines starting to appear and texture issues but I have no wrinkles to speak of so I may not be as bad off as others...so I guess that is why my skin has responded so well to retin-a...really it's like a night and day difference for me....I can't wait to see myself a year from now!!! |
_________________ Female: 42...Fair/Dry...Brown Hair/Green Eyes...Using: Born Again MSM Cream...Country Divine Emu Serum...Juvederm...Botox...Retin-A .05%...Easy Eye Solutions...Started 2/9/12 with Skin Bio Skin Signals Cream and TTT, Spot treating with TriRed |
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Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:38 pm |
bren21 wrote: |
I know this is a bit off topic but I cannot seem to get an answer on another retin question on the forum......
I am using .05 retin-a and Paula's Choice skin lightener which contains hydroquinone 2% and glycolic acid. I just started indoor tanning (just the body, not the face!!) for my trip to Germany next month and want to use a sunless tanner on my face to catch it up to my body color or at least get it close....would this be a no-no when using these products?? Or do I just stop using the skin lightener while using the self tanner? This is a one time shot and strictly for my trip, just a bit of color nothing drastic...I don't ever tan indoors or out:) Also, if I can use it, when would I apply it? Morning before all other products? Or sometime mid day? |
Here's an article about self tanners that may be useful to you:
http://www.truthinaging.com/2009/04/reviewed-and-recommended-famous-dave%e2%80%99s-sunless-self-tanner.html |
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