Retin A creating open pores and bad texture
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Thu May 16, 2013 12:42 pm

AncoraImparo wrote:

An update of my skin - I've been eating very healthy avoiding all junk food and getting my daily dose of vitamins A, C, and E. I've also been taking primrose oil and fish oil to repair my skin from within. I know it's scary but I've been avoiding using cleansers on my affected area which are my inner cheeks. I've seen improvement. Not 100% recovery but I'd say about 40%. I think the thing is to be patient. It's been 8 months since stopping retinoids and I'm at the age of 16. It may take over a year but it will get better

That's great to hear that you are having improvement! I hope it keeps getting better for you. Keep us posted:)

Wed May 22, 2013 8:49 pm

Hi Kash
Just wondering how you're going with the psoria gold? Have you seen any improvement yet?

Cheers
Mew

Wed May 22, 2013 10:11 pm

mew wrote:

Hi Kash
Just wondering how you're going with the psoria gold? Have you seen any improvement yet?

Cheers
Mew

Hey Mew,

I think it's been helping overall. It's definitely helping with inflammation and break outs. The texture sometimes looks better but then it doesn't. I think it's brought down some swelling and made my texture a bit crepey at times but its hard to say! My face always looks better when it's swollen. It's only been a few weeks so I'm really hoping that in the end it does help my texture.

I do like the ultra better than the regular though. Sometimes I don't even wear moisturizer with it.

How are things going for you so far?

Thu May 23, 2013 11:27 pm

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Hi Kash
Just wondering how you're going with the psoria gold? Have you seen any improvement yet?

Cheers
Mew

Hey Mew,

I think it's been helping overall. It's definitely helping with inflammation and break outs. The texture sometimes looks better but then it doesn't. I think it's brought down some swelling and made my texture a bit crepey at times but its hard to say! My face always looks better when it's swollen. It's only been a few weeks so I'm really hoping that in the end it does help my texture.

I do like the ultra better than the regular though. Sometimes I don't even wear moisturizer with it.

How are things going for you so far?

Good to hear it's helping in some way. I've been using the classic for about 2 weeks - it seems to have helped control the oil and my face is no wear near as greasy now so that's good. What I have noticed though is the pigmentation on my face and blemishes seems darker and my face itches at times. What's getting to me is the not knowing if it's going to help at all - don't want to waste 6 months and see now improvement! Oh what to do!! Very Happy

Fri May 24, 2013 12:49 pm

mew wrote:

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Hi Kash
Just wondering how you're going with the psoria gold? Have you seen any improvement yet?

Cheers
Mew

Hey Mew,

I think it's been helping overall. It's definitely helping with inflammation and break outs. The texture sometimes looks better but then it doesn't. I think it's brought down some swelling and made my texture a bit crepey at times but its hard to say! My face always looks better when it's swollen. It's only been a few weeks so I'm really hoping that in the end it does help my texture.

I do like the ultra better than the regular though. Sometimes I don't even wear moisturizer with it.

How are things going for you so far?

Good to hear it's helping in some way. I've been using the classic for about 2 weeks - it seems to have helped control the oil and my face is no wear near as greasy now so that's good. What I have noticed though is the pigmentation on my face and blemishes seems darker and my face itches at times. What's getting to me is the not knowing if it's going to help at all - don't want to waste 6 months and see now improvement! Oh what to do!! Very Happy

Hey Mew,

Hmmm.. I haven't noticed any darkening of hyperpigmentation- it actually seems to help lighten them. I do remember a little bit of itching when I first started using it but I wondered if it was because my skin was becoming a bit drier. Maybe there's an ingredient that you could be sensitive to? Does it happen every time and does it make you rashy? Maybe you could email Siana about what you are experiencing.

It's hard to put faith in a product that takes time to supposedly work. I wonder at times if it is the right thing to use but I feel I have nothing to lose and I can't say I've seen much worsening and some days looks better so its worth a shot. Hopefully you aren't sensitive to any of the ingredients or maybe you can sample either the ultra or the sensitive.

Let me know how things go!

Wed May 29, 2013 6:01 am

hi,everyone
I started using tretinoin 0.05% about 3 years ago for my acne. The first 3 months were good. My skin looked great, very shiny and moist. But at the end of the third month, little by little I started noticing a small frown line on the left side of my forhead and enlarged pores appeared on my forhead. i kept using it for another 3 months,but at the end of the 6th month i had grown laugh lines,wrinkly and saggy forhead and large pores. I couldn't believe it. Untill using tretinoin I didn't have even a small line on my face, and there it was, my face being destroyed slowly in front of my eyes. I went to my doctor and explained everthing and asked for an explanation, but she wouldn't hear me. She said it had nothing to do with tretinoin and that tretinoin is one of the best anti-aging products ever. But I don't think so. as I said I never had such a problem before, and I was 23 years old. i quit it,but after 4 months i was put on differin for 2 months for acne.it helped with acne,but no helping with wrinkly and saggy forhead and laugh lines.those lines have been there for 3 years .i'm 26 now and there has been no improvement. my skin has become so sensitive. I'm even scared of laughing as it leaves deeper and deeper lines on my face. I don't know who to be mad at, myself or the cold-blooded doctors who don't hesitate a minuite in ruining your life. I wish I knew what I know now back then, I wish there was something I could do to reverse all this. I've hardly ever put on make-up in my life. I just had acne which was due to hormonal imbalance which could well be treated in other ways.

Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:09 am

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Hi Kash
Just wondering how you're going with the psoria gold? Have you seen any improvement yet?

Cheers
Mew

Hey Mew,

I think it's been helping overall. It's definitely helping with inflammation and break outs. The texture sometimes looks better but then it doesn't. I think it's brought down some swelling and made my texture a bit crepey at times but its hard to say! My face always looks better when it's swollen. It's only been a few weeks so I'm really hoping that in the end it does help my texture.

I do like the ultra better than the regular though. Sometimes I don't even wear moisturizer with it.

How are things going for you so far?

Good to hear it's helping in some way. I've been using the classic for about 2 weeks - it seems to have helped control the oil and my face is no wear near as greasy now so that's good. What I have noticed though is the pigmentation on my face and blemishes seems darker and my face itches at times. What's getting to me is the not knowing if it's going to help at all - don't want to waste 6 months and see now improvement! Oh what to do!! Very Happy

Hey Mew,

Hmmm.. I haven't noticed any darkening of hyperpigmentation- it actually seems to help lighten them. I do remember a little bit of itching when I first started using it but I wondered if it was because my skin was becoming a bit drier. Maybe there's an ingredient that you could be sensitive to? Does it happen every time and does it make you rashy? Maybe you could email Siana about what you are experiencing.

It's hard to put faith in a product that takes time to supposedly work. I wonder at times if it is the right thing to use but I feel I have nothing to lose and I can't say I've seen much worsening and some days looks better so its worth a shot. Hopefully you aren't sensitive to any of the ingredients or maybe you can sample either the ultra or the sensitive.

Let me know how things go!

Hey Mew~

Just wanted to see how you're doing. Did you stick with Psoria Gold or stop using it? Did your problems with itching and darkening of pigmentation resolve?

Hope you are seeing some progress!

Katie

Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:20 am

venus wrote:

hi,everyone
I started using tretinoin 0.05% about 3 years ago for my acne. The first 3 months were good. My skin looked great, very shiny and moist. But at the end of the third month, little by little I started noticing a small frown line on the left side of my forhead and enlarged pores appeared on my forhead. i kept using it for another 3 months,but at the end of the 6th month i had grown laugh lines,wrinkly and saggy forhead and large pores. I couldn't believe it. Untill using tretinoin I didn't have even a small line on my face, and there it was, my face being destroyed slowly in front of my eyes. I went to my doctor and explained everthing and asked for an explanation, but she wouldn't hear me. She said it had nothing to do with tretinoin and that tretinoin is one of the best anti-aging products ever. But I don't think so. as I said I never had such a problem before, and I was 23 years old. i quit it,but after 4 months i was put on differin for 2 months for acne.it helped with acne,but no helping with wrinkly and saggy forhead and laugh lines.those lines have been there for 3 years .i'm 26 now and there has been no improvement. my skin has become so sensitive. I'm even scared of laughing as it leaves deeper and deeper lines on my face. I don't know who to be mad at, myself or the cold-blooded doctors who don't hesitate a minuite in ruining your life. I wish I knew what I know now back then, I wish there was something I could do to reverse all this. I've hardly ever put on make-up in my life. I just had acne which was due to hormonal imbalance which could well be treated in other ways.

Hi Venus,

I'm sorry you are dealing with this. I know how frustrating it is to watch your skin change and age before your eyes and not know how to fix it or what is happening. I wish I had a magic solution for you but unfortunately I don't. Because I need one too!

I have seen some improvement with my orange peel textured and lined skin using a product called Psoria Gold and Cerave moisturizer but not sure if that's what you need but might be worth a try. I just learned through my experience the importance of being gentle with my skin rather than being aggressive and rough with it.

Best of luck!

Mon Jun 03, 2013 8:57 pm

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Hi Kash
Just wondering how you're going with the psoria gold? Have you seen any improvement yet?

Cheers
Mew

Hey Mew,

I think it's been helping overall. It's definitely helping with inflammation and break outs. The texture sometimes looks better but then it doesn't. I think it's brought down some swelling and made my texture a bit crepey at times but its hard to say! My face always looks better when it's swollen. It's only been a few weeks so I'm really hoping that in the end it does help my texture.

I do like the ultra better than the regular though. Sometimes I don't even wear moisturizer with it.

How are things going for you so far?

Good to hear it's helping in some way. I've been using the classic for about 2 weeks - it seems to have helped control the oil and my face is no wear near as greasy now so that's good. What I have noticed though is the pigmentation on my face and blemishes seems darker and my face itches at times. What's getting to me is the not knowing if it's going to help at all - don't want to waste 6 months and see now improvement! Oh what to do!! Very Happy

Hey Mew,

Hmmm.. I haven't noticed any darkening of hyperpigmentation- it actually seems to help lighten them. I do remember a little bit of itching when I first started using it but I wondered if it was because my skin was becoming a bit drier. Maybe there's an ingredient that you could be sensitive to? Does it happen every time and does it make you rashy? Maybe you could email Siana about what you are experiencing.

It's hard to put faith in a product that takes time to supposedly work. I wonder at times if it is the right thing to use but I feel I have nothing to lose and I can't say I've seen much worsening and some days looks better so its worth a shot. Hopefully you aren't sensitive to any of the ingredients or maybe you can sample either the ultra or the sensitive.

Let me know how things go!

Hey Mew~

Just wanted to see how you're doing. Did you stick with Psoria Gold or stop using it? Did your problems with itching and darkening of pigmentation resolve?

Hope you are seeing some progress!

Katie

Hi there, yes I did stick with it and the itching went away and I don't think the pigmentation is getting any darker but it hasn't got lighter - which I thought it would - probably takes time.

I see from your other post that you have seen some improvement - that's great news!

Mon Jun 03, 2013 8:58 pm

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Kash wrote:

mew wrote:

Hi Kash
Just wondering how you're going with the psoria gold? Have you seen any improvement yet?

Cheers
Mew

Hey Mew,

I think it's been helping overall. It's definitely helping with inflammation and break outs. The texture sometimes looks better but then it doesn't. I think it's brought down some swelling and made my texture a bit crepey at times but its hard to say! My face always looks better when it's swollen. It's only been a few weeks so I'm really hoping that in the end it does help my texture.

I do like the ultra better than the regular though. Sometimes I don't even wear moisturizer with it.

How are things going for you so far?

Good to hear it's helping in some way. I've been using the classic for about 2 weeks - it seems to have helped control the oil and my face is no wear near as greasy now so that's good. What I have noticed though is the pigmentation on my face and blemishes seems darker and my face itches at times. What's getting to me is the not knowing if it's going to help at all - don't want to waste 6 months and see now improvement! Oh what to do!! Very Happy

Hey Mew,

Hmmm.. I haven't noticed any darkening of hyperpigmentation- it actually seems to help lighten them. I do remember a little bit of itching when I first started using it but I wondered if it was because my skin was becoming a bit drier. Maybe there's an ingredient that you could be sensitive to? Does it happen every time and does it make you rashy? Maybe you could email Siana about what you are experiencing.

It's hard to put faith in a product that takes time to supposedly work. I wonder at times if it is the right thing to use but I feel I have nothing to lose and I can't say I've seen much worsening and some days looks better so its worth a shot. Hopefully you aren't sensitive to any of the ingredients or maybe you can sample either the ultra or the sensitive.

Let me know how things go!

Hey Mew~

Just wanted to see how you're doing. Did you stick with Psoria Gold or stop using it? Did your problems with itching and darkening of pigmentation resolve?

Hope you are seeing some progress!

Katie

Hi there, yes I did stick with it and the itching went away and I don't think the pigmentation is getting any darker but it hasn't got lighter - which I thought it would - probably takes time.

I see from your other post that you have seen some improvement - that's great news!

Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:30 pm

Thanks so much for this. I am going through exactly the same nightmare now. I was given a complementary skin peel about a year ago and I became hooked into having them every month. The skin therapist then suggested the use of Retin-A which would make my complexion even smoother. I noticed in the next week or so that I had developed very fine lines around my mouth area and chin and when I mentioned this to the therapist she called it a 'rash' and that I should continue with the peels and use more Retin-A to get rid of it. I continued to mention it each time I went and she virtually ignored it and said she thought it was probably being caused by the weather or the air con in my office! About a fortnight ago I became at my wits end as my skin looks like orange peel and the lines even more pronounced. I couldn't even face going into work as the fluorescent lighting made it look even worse. Out of desparation, I went to another skin clinic which claimed to be the top clinic in New Zealand. They were very understanding and explained that my skin had become very thin and dehydrated and recommended me a number of hydrating products (including a serum containing hyaluronic acid which you also mentioned). In addition, I had my first VPL laser treatment which will improve the pores and eventually encourage the collagen in my skin to repair the fine lines (hopefully!!). I am at the beginning of the recovery phase now so will see how it goes but I would definitely after reading this forum and researching never use or recommend the use of Retin-a to anyone or skin peels for that matter. Here's hoping that I have good progress from here onwards. PS I am 42 years old with fair skin.

Tue Jun 04, 2013 5:53 pm

Pipster28 wrote:

Thanks so much for this. I am going through exactly the same nightmare now. I was given a complementary skin peel about a year ago and I became hooked into having them every month. The skin therapist then suggested the use of Retin-A which would make my complexion even smoother. I noticed in the next week or so that I had developed very fine lines around my mouth area and chin and when I mentioned this to the therapist she called it a 'rash' and that I should continue with the peels and use more Retin-A to get rid of it. I continued to mention it each time I went and she virtually ignored it and said she thought it was probably being caused by the weather or the air con in my office! About a fortnight ago I became at my wits end as my skin looks like orange peel and the lines even more pronounced. I couldn't even face going into work as the fluorescent lighting made it look even worse. Out of desparation, I went to another skin clinic which claimed to be the top clinic in New Zealand. They were very understanding and explained that my skin had become very thin and dehydrated and recommended me a number of hydrating products (including a serum containing hyaluronic acid which you also mentioned). In addition, I had my first VPL laser treatment which will improve the pores and eventually encourage the collagen in my skin to repair the fine lines (hopefully!!). I am at the beginning of the recovery phase now so will see how it goes but I would definitely after reading this forum and researching never use or recommend the use of Retin-a to anyone or skin peels for that matter. Here's hoping that I have good progress from here onwards. PS I am 42 years old with fair skin.

Hi, be careful with lasers - sometimes they do more damage than good. I have exactly the same problem with my skin as your described and it was caused by IPL. I would advise you to check outwww.iplandlaserdamagesupport before having anymore treatments. I regret having IPL, my skin was OK before and just one treatment ruined it.

free skin care · Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:28 pm

so basically nightmare with this, all over face, now my face is dry, cracked, enlarged pores, with fine lines on forehead and nasolabial, they appeared virtually over night, and they have not gone away, very upsetting, dont know what to do

Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:00 pm

Hi everyone

Sorry about the long post, I just want to make sure that I've provided all of the information.

I have been following this thread for several months, if you'd like to read my initial story please first look about 2/3rds the way down page 2.

It has been about 8 months since I first started noticing the damage and threw away the tube of tretinoin cream. I'm writing in the hope that I'll be able to help others who have been feeling helpless the way I have, who have spent hundreds on off-the-shelf products and consultations with 'skin specialists' with no success. If you've just read my last post, to bring you up to date I've been through a couple of bouts of increased anxiety and have been on the edge of depression because of how this has made me feel about myself. Like you, the feelings of regret and wanting to rewind time play on your mind, and the obsession with looking at the damage drive you to insanity.

I'm no expert on skin, but doing my research online I would agree with others that the retin-a/tretinoin cream damaged the outer 'Stratum Corneum' (google it) layer of the skin which is supposed to protect the deeper layers. This brings any previous scarring and other damage to the surface, and reduces the skins ability to retain any moisture, making the bodies efforts to repair the skin useless. If your case is anything like mine, as time went on, any irritation seemed to leave more permanent marks.

When my skin was at its worst I had decided to try putting nothing at all, and this ended up making the skin start to look even more like leather and irritated it to hell - my whole cheek would be susceptible to flushing and feeling like it was on fire when exposed to even the smallest amounts of warmth or if I was slightly dehydrated. It seems like every few days I would notice more orange peel pores, depressed scars, redness and wrinkles/leathered patches. Each day I would wake up, fearing how much worse it would look than the previous. Both 'skin specialists' I
have seen suggested that I try laser or IPL, one even tried to diagnose me with rosacea. It was at that point I walked away feeling like even the supposed experts could not offer me any reasonable help. At the end of the day most of them are just trying to pay for their expensive machines by signing people up to use them on - a bit disappointing really.

Anyway, several years ago when looking for treatment of a surgical scar, I came across a blog post from a health specialist listing the reasons she is against Bio-Oil, and she listed an alternative list of natural oils that she suggests applying mixed together. Each oil has known healing and moisturizing properties, and I encourage you to look into each of them yourself. I decided there was no harm in trying the combination on my face since this is where each of the oils are commonly used. I have been using this for several weeks and have noticed a huge improvement in the size of my pores, the general texture of the skin and the plumpness. The wrinkles are barely visible and in a few more weeks I believe they will
be gone altogether. I'm happy to say that this is the first time I have seen really encouraging results since the initial damage.

So onto the important bit! I've come up with a complete regimen that may help you. Take or leave whichever bits you like. These things will cost you up to $100-$150 depending on where you live, but considering that's less than your average skin specialist consultation, I think this is a pretty small price to pay.

You will need
General:
-Standard Cetaphil Cleanser
-Standard Cetaphil Moisturizer

Exfoliating:
-A coffee grinder (if you don't already have one)
-Plain old oats/rolled oats
-Honey (Manuka Honey if you can get it)

The oil:
-Almond oil (approx 100ml)
-Jojoba oil (approx 50ml)
-Rosehip oil (approx 20ml)
-Vitamin E capsules (smaller quantity you can find)
-Lavender Essential Oil (smallest quantity you can find)
-Geranium Esseintial Oil (smallest quantity you can find)

Find yourself a small clean container, an empty Cetaphil bottle or similar will do (even a 250ml one). Now what I did is took half of the contents of the first three oils and pour them into the container:
-50ml Almond oil
-25ml Jojoba oil
-10ml Rosehip oil
The reason I suggest half, is that you may decide down the track that you want to change the blend, or apply one of more of the oils
individually. It's also a good idea to spot test the ingredients, since like anything you may find your body does not like one of the ingredients and you may like to leave it out. If you're a woman, and you're pregnant/lactating, do not use the lavender and geranium essential oils!

-Now take four of the Vitamin E capsules and a clean pin, prick each one with the pin and squeeze the contents into the container with the rest of the oil.
-Put 5 drops of both the lavender and geranium essential oils into the container. Put the lid on and give it a good shake. Now you have your oil.

Something to keep in mind - the expensive skin products you buy off the shelves are usually made in massive batches like anything else, the companies cutting corners where possible in terms of ingredients, since at the end of the day their goal is reduce the cost of production, and increase revenue. The oil that you will be making contains only quality, natural ingredients which no manufacturer would be able to provide at a reasonable cost up front, so you really are only doing your skin a favor.

So here is what I do in the morning:
-After showering, wash my face with Cetaphil cleanser and pad dry with a towel.
-Put enough Cetaphil moisturizer on my face without making it look greasy, carefully massaging it into the affected areas.
You don't want to put the oil on during the day unless you're not planning to go out, or you'll just end up with a shiny face!

And in the evening:
-Before bed, wash my face with Cetaphil cleanser and pad dry with a towel
-Put a similar amount of Cetaphil moisturizer that I use in the morning in my palm, put a couple of drops of the oil on top, rub in hands and apply to face. Then take a couple more drops of the oil, and massage into the worst affected areas.

The tricky part is that you need to do your best to sleep on your back as much as possible for two reasons:
-You want to oil to soak into your face, not into your pillow
-Pressing your face into your pillow will further irritate the damaged areas, and wrinkle the skin.

It's quite difficult when you're used to sleeping on your stomach like I am, but you can train yourself to, and if you must to you can sleep on your side with the side of your face on the edge of the pillow to limit contact.
I also suggest that you change your pillow every 2 nights, flipping it each night to make sure you're only in contact with a clean surface.

Twice each week in the evening (say Sunday and Wednesday) after washing with cetaphil cleanser, you want to make a honey and oat mask. Honey and oat masks are brilliant for very gently exfoliating without stripping moisture from your skin (once again - google is your friend Smile

-Use the coffee grinder to grind 4 tablespoons of oats and pour into a cup
take one heaped teaspoon of honey and put it in the cup
-Pour hot water (boiled if possible) slowly into the cup, and mix, pressing the mixture up against the side of the cup with the back of your spoon. The consistency needs to be slightly runny - you'll figure out the right amount after a few goes. If it's too dry, it'll be hard to apply cause it'll just stick to your fingers. If it's too wet, it'll slide off your face the moment you apply it.
-Apply all over your face, don't get it to close to your eyes.
-Go and watch TV or something, place a towel round your neck cause you don't want it dripping everywhere!
Leave it for up to 20 minutes. If you leave it for too long, it dries out too much and is harder to remove.
Gently remove the mixture with warm water over a basin with running water. This takes a few minutes so take your time.
Apply the Cetaphil moisturizer and oil as above.

I'm only writing this now as I wanted to be sure that there were actual improvements before I posted my method here so that I wasn't giving anybody false hope. I tried skindeep77's suggestion of using Cerave PM moisturizer. While this may have worked for her, this seemed to irritate my skin more so I've since stopped using this. However I do believe that she's onto something with Hyaluronic Acid, as I've been taking supplements since February and have noticed my eyes are much less dark and sunken in. If you can't get hold of the Source Naturals Hyaluronic Acid supplements that she suggests, I've been using the Nature's Way ones. They do add up so only get these if you can afford them.

If others would like to give this a try and post their results that would be great! If this works for others the way it is working for me, we need to get the word out there. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Mon Jul 08, 2013 8:17 am

Hi there.

I'm 20 years old, it's been two years since I used Retin-A and had the same experience as the others in this thread. After 6 months of using it, I went to get a haircut, and after sitting in that chair staring at my destroyed red face for 20 minutes I felt like dying, so I threw away the tube and set out to heal my skin. It was mostly my cheeks that were affected (extreme redness, dryness, scars and hyperpigmentation) but my whole face got messed up.

Anyway, I spent a whole year using natural solutions (emu oil, aloe vera, MSM, honey) and these things did pretty much nothing and in some cases just irritated my skin more. I have now officially spent the last 7 months in full caveman mode. Not a drop of water has touched my face, and I even allowed a huge amount of dead skin to built up on my cheeks and I left it on there for a while.

Anyway, I'm in a weird spot now. My skin seems to have healed a ton UNDER the surface, but it still looks like crap ON the surface. What I mean by this is that, the skin on my cheeks looks a lot stronger, and it looks like the moisture is replenished, but all my old marks and flat scars are still there! They have faded, but they refuse to actually go away.

When I look at my face in the direct light, the texture and moisture of it looks very healthy and replenished, and I can see the healthy clear skin coming through underneath! But the surface still looks like crap. I've still got enlarged pores on my inner cheeks and marks all over the place.

I'm wondering what the deal is here. My skin has clearly benefited from the caveman, but these marks just aren't fading. I'm wondering if it could be health related. I've honestly been SO stressed out these last 2 years. Like I swear at the age of 20 I've probably experienced more intense, chronic stress than many people will experience their whole lives and it's all due to this skin stuff. I've also been binge-eating like a maniac and getting no exercise cause I've been so busy with school this year.

Does anyone have any advice for me? I feel like my skin is so close to looking good, but I don't understand why these marks refuse to go away. Like I swear I have this one mark on my cheek that I literally got 2 years ago. It has improved, but no mark should last 2 years! Should I try taking collagen supplements? Should I focus on my health? What do you think?

Confused

Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:55 pm

Is anyone else doing the regimen of Skindeep77? Has anyone had any results using the supplements she has recommended?

Fri Aug 09, 2013 8:00 am

Shyguy, I want to make sure I buy the right products. Could you list the product names of the oils and capsules? Would be a major help. Thanks.

I was also wondering how your skin was improving since the last time you've posted.

Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:10 am

Hi ladies and gents,

I have to tell you that pores can be improved! It's quite true tretinoin can do you some damage. It has made my pores, especially on my cheeks so much bigger and scared the crap out of me. And it has also exposed some indented scars clearer. I can't be sure if they are already there in the first place because I didn't even notice them in the past! And furthermore, it has induced weird creepy lines on my cheeks n made me aged 5 years older. And ya, I have heard you very clearly. People guess your age right to the last digit even if previously they said you looked younger.

Ok, that's about all the bad things. But before I clear up what I have to say, here's my brief history of using tretinoin. I have been using tretinoin for the past 5 months. Yes! First 3 months were marvelous, skin plump of sort but that's actually the tightening effect which the skin was trying to tell me hey! It's going to erupt under the skin n peeling soon! I know peeling is part of the process but peeling too often means its irritated and the tretinoin gel has applied too often! But I did not know that because while my skin seemed to take it every other night application for few weeks so I moved up to apply every night and then eventually with moisturizer 15 mins after tretinoin on face. I'm mainly using tretinoin to improve wrinkles and have a youthful look. Not using for acnes but I have some scars. I have been using sunblock 30 SPF too.

I'm using ipad to type here and I'm sorry for being lazy to check my grammar.

Ok, it depends on which version you like to hear. The above has mentioned as accurately as possible what I suffered but I'm not here to tell you the bad things only. It maybe true that one should be given more time for tretinoin to work its magic. I'm not condemning it right away but I got to tell you guys that even if you think your skin does not feel irritated or having redness or much peeling, that doesn't mean your skin is telling you everything is alright. You got to look at symptoms. If enlarging pores are emerging, your skin is trying to tell you to back off a little. Unless your skin is revealing all the good signs of what you are expecting to have, if not, just apply 2-3 times per week and be watchful of signs. Ramp up the usage after few weeks or 1-2 months. I'm going to do so soon after I fully recovered. In summary, based on what I experienced the bad stuff so far, tretinoin does NOT cause enlarged pores or exposed scars etc BUT BUT it definitely is the culprit IF you didn't take cautious steps like what I did Sad

it's that super dryness that caused unnecessary exfoliations and weird lines, exposed pores, some indented scars revealed.

Ok now to the encouraging part. I have read most of the damages caused by tretinoin on this forum and other forums and I became very terrified. I mean who want to age prematurely or having weird face issues popping up while we were trying to solve the initial concern of using tretinoin in the first place. So, after 1-2 weeks, I am beginning to understand my skin is super dehydrated and causing weird lines to appear n aged prematurely in the past few months. So, lets super hydrate your skin back! I have been using rosken oil with rosehip ingredients, olive oil, etc for the past few days. My face was red and super sensitive to all cleansers even cetaphil! But once I started to moisturize my face with oils, it has become better. And while someone in the other forum posted her pictures of her dehydrated face before and after she applied eucerin professional hydrating lotion, I was quite impressed with her results. In fact, I'm super impressed! wow! its like she has found the fountain of youth. Her crumpy looking face looks healthy again with no dehydrated lines. But since my shops have run out of this lotion, so I got the avene soothing hydrating serum instead. After applying it, my pores actually go back to their initial size. The lines are getting less obvious. And I'm definitely going to apply this serum for the next few weeks.

I'm trying to say here that I have taken 1-2 weeks trying to recover so far and results seem to better each time. So please dont despair, my fair ladies. Use the oils or super hydrating serums first. Depending on how long you might have been damaged by tretinoin, give yourself more time. Things will become better. I'm sure from now on, I will be super cautious of tretinoin and its cousins. I am also researching more in dermarolling now because those people having fabulous results on their scars are almost equivalent to mine! And when I say fabulous, I'm referring to 80-90% improvements and not a small 5-10% thing. I'm getting excited as I discover more information and pictures.

Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:59 am

skindeep77 wrote:

I had horrible skin after using Retin A and after 18 months of being totally depressed as a result have finally found a solution. Here’s my story…

Skindeep77 thank you so much for your post. I have had the same experience with retin a.... My skin is like a 60 year old (im 40) because of this cream prescribed by my doctor. I have spiralled into a depression and have withdrawn from the world because im so embarassed at the way i look.

You have given me some hope. I am about to purchase the hyaluronic acid capsules.do you recommend this over the serum or cream?

My skin is like crepe paper and my pores are so enlarged i look awful up close. Looking in the mirror in the mornings or in the car rear view mirror normally sets off an anxiety attack each day. I am so hopeful your routine works for me.

I tried retin a for pigmentation. I can only pray that my skin will restore to that being the only issue.

Thanks so much again for sharing your story. I will do the same when im through the other side!!

Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:44 pm

Hi everyone, I have been following this thread for a few months since I did a TCA peel in Dec 18% and it ruined my face and my life. A month later, i had HUUUUGE pores, indents all over the place, pores connecting to make deep lines, tons of ice pick scars, wrinkly leathery looking skin, slash type indented scars, orange peel skin, brown areas and shiny red areas. I got into such a depression, I actually was suicidal for a little bit which really scared me. I would like to share what did and didnt work and what I truly believe had given me a drastic change the last week.

I first tried raw honey to wash and 100% emu to moisturize. Definitely took some of the inflammation and orange peel look down after a few days, but face was still hideous and still orange peel everywhere. I was also putting clarins primer and bobbi brown concealer on my cheeks and nose to try and cover the pores some. This eventually made my pores bigger and worse looking and overall just a big gross mess, so I vowed to wear NO makeup on my worst areas (my cheeks) until i was passed this healing. I saw some positive difference once I stopped putting anything on my face besides honey/emu, but I was still very very depressed and in a very dark place, it was truly scary. I continued using honey/emu for another month with no real change except my skin tone was even and pretty and tan again like in my youth (except for burnt and hyperpigmented parts of my face). Anyway I believe the emu brought back my natural skin tone. I was pale white and blotchy before I began using it. Emu was causing fast and thick hair growth on my face, (I always have hair but this was CRAZY) so I decided to try 100% tamanu oil instead , known for its healing and skin regenerating properties. I loved it the first few days but it severely dried out my skin, broke me out in red inflamed spots and gave me mega blackheads. I decided to go back to emu and face already started looking better the very next day, so I made a vow to stick with emu, it is unlike any oil ive ever used and I have EXTREMELY acne prone sensitive skin, everything breaks me out, but not emu. Even though made my facial hair grow faster, it was worth bc it was so calming and soothing on my skin.

I had been taking fish oil omega 3 pills and Skindeep's recommendation of Source Naturals Skin Eternal HA supplements from Amazon for about 3+ weeks, and these made my skin everywhere verrrry soft and supple but I was still incredibly embarrassed and ashamed by the way my face looked, so I kept researching. I came across 4 posts discussing Neocell Super Collagen with Vit C supplements and how they shrink pores and can change texture of burn scars, plump and inflate the skin up and firm and tighten the skin, so I figured "what do i have to lose?" I added these Neocell pills to everything else one week ago today, but 3 days ago I woke up to a drastic difference in skin texture, so it HAS to be the collagen supplements. I mean DRASTIC. It is truly insane what a difference it has been for 3 days straight now, so I know its not just typical fluctuation in healing. My skin is so much more plump, scars are softer looking, pores are more flat looking, as opposed to big deep gaping holes, and overall, I am not as depressed anymore. Skin has a little bit less of the burnt look too, its smoother.

Last few weeks I had been working in my office with the lights off and only letting a little natural window light in, and I was just telling everyone it relaxes me or I had a headache, etc, but really I didtn want anyone coming in and seeing my face I was so ashamed of. Anyway, all the lights are on right now as I type this, and I had 2 meetings today, and felt great. My skin is nowhere close to what it looked like pre-peel, but I would honestly say its gotta be about at 75% to where I want my skin to be and before I think it was like 10%, if that makes any sense idk lol. What im trying to say is before I was shutting people out and canceling plans and rejecting invites and now I am ready to be social again bc everything is sort of blurred a little now on my skin, and I look decent again unless you get REAAAALY close, but I feel sooo much better about my skin and Its only been a week, so I am very hopeful that eventually I will get back to my original skin in the coming months. I don’t even care how long it takes because in the mean time I can live with this skin, when before I felt I just wanted to hide and the thought of living with my terrible skin for months on end hoping to heal severely depressed me, and I felt hopeless, hence the suicidal thoughts. I have also been drinking a TON of water for about a month and I have completely cut out all caffeine and decaf as well as all alcohol for a month. I tried a little alcohol 2 weeks ago, like 3 sips and my pores looked way worse the next day so hydration plays a huge role here. Also, when I put a little emu on my skin looks kind of crappy next day but when I put a TON of emu on, my skin looks soooo much better next day after I do the honey wash and scars and pores are softened and skin is more plump. I truly truly believe drinking tons of water, taking these 3 supplements, cutting out the toxins, and using raw honey/emu has made a huge difference, but if I could only buy 1 supplement it would be the Neocell super collagen with Vit C, bc I was on the Skin Eternal HA for a month without much change in texture and Neocell for only 4-5 days and then BAM, woke up to big change for the better. I have read that HA and collagen work best together though, and fish oil helps even more, so that’s why I will continue to take all of these supplements. Good luck everyone, I know what its like to not like how you look and not want to get out of bed, sometimes I would be terrified to look in the mirror bc my skin was so thin and just kept scarring and pores seemed to keep enlarging. I would just come home, cry and go to bed, I would spend all weekend in my apt and not leave for anything, even to check the mail, it was bad bad bad.

I believe this routine im doing now will work for chemical peel and retin-a damage and any other chemical damage and just over-exfoliated orange peel skin in general. I wish you all healing!!! xoxo

Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:25 pm

Hi Cristeena, I can just about hear your happiness as I read your post! So glad for you, I hope your skin keeps on improving but it sounds like it's almost there anyway. Thanks for sharing this - I know when I was looking for answers/help there weren't many success stories around so I'm sure yours will help a lot of people with the same problems and give them hope.

Mew

Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:54 pm

Aw thanks Mew!!! Smile

But I still have a long way to go, aside from the enlarged pores, scars, orange peel, and wrinkly skin that im working on, I still have very shiny burnt pink skin on my cheeks, and I dont know if this goes away or not, you can see a huge difference under my eyes where the acid never touched, its white, normal, matte and soft and then my cheeks are super shiny, pink, and plastic and saran wrap looking where its burnt. I googled this, and it said shiny pink skin is a sign of healing, but it has been this way for 2 months, it doesnt seem to be going anywhere, wonder if its permanent scarring. ill keep using the emu though since supposed to be so good for burns. I also have brown areas that hyperpigmented 2 months ago from the peel, wonder if those are permanent as well

Also, thanks for being so sweet emailing with me about all these problems, ill be writing you back soon xoxo

Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:57 pm

Oh also, thanks, I agree, I hope this regimen Im on gives people hope and that they get some success from it, I have been researching for 2 months straight to come up with this, its a combo of everything ive learned about and discovered through trial and error, and I am so thankful to all the people who posted like skindeep, Kash, eletric boom, etc and you to figure this out and help others Smile

I truly cannot believe the difference I am seeing last couple days, today being the best day, its like a miracle that I am so thankful for.

Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:07 pm

You guys can google the neocell stuff, there are so many reviews on iherb, amazon, makeupalley, etc, most are positive regarding skin, and mainly people rave about the smooth skin texture and the glow they get from the supplements. They are large pills, but for the results, who cares. I forgot to mention in my previous post, my skin for 2 months has been pale and dull, but last 3 days absolutely glowing and I felt attractive again.

Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:52 am

Hi everybody,

I have been reading this thread religiously for the last week following my own personal disaster using a retinol cream. I sound very similar to skindeep77 in that I have very fair skin and am in my mid-30's. The cream has caused my skin to age by about 20yrs in the space of 2 weeks. I only used it for 9 nights before noticing that I had a new wrinkle on my cheek that had not been there before. I stopped using the cream immediately but unfortunately as the days go on, the damage gets worse. All my skin is now incredibly thin. I have wrinkles all up my cheeks, on my chin, down my nose and all over my forehead. My skin is much looser and when I make any facial expresions, my face is just full of lines. This has been so devastating for me that I have had to start antidepressants and I will hardly leave the house. I honestly don't know how I'll live with this if it is permament. I have ordered all the oils suggested by shyguy and have also ordered both the HA and collagen supplements that have been recommended. I live in hope that they will repair my skin.

I just wanted to know how everybody else is getting on as it's been a number of months since many of you have posted. Cristeena, are you still seeing positive effects from your skincare regime? Skindeep and shyguy are you still happy with your skin?? Has anybody else made a good recovery? Here's hoping for some good news! Smile

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