You might also get more breakouts once you start using retinoids. Keep calm and stick with it. “It's common to see acne get worse before it gets better, as the retinoids can cause a mass 'purge,'” says Robinson. Basically, as skin cell turnover increases, new clogs rise to the top.
Applying retinol is a long-term treatment which promotes fresh skin, fewer blemishes and reduction in acne breakouts. Whereas in the short term, it can lead to acne breakouts, skin peeling, dryness, and a range of other frustrating temporary outcomes. The purge phase usually lasts for two to six weeks.
If you have moderate to severe acne that hasn't gotten better with other treatments, a retinoid may help. When spread on the skin, retinoids can unclog pores, allowing other medicated creams and gels to work better. They also reduce acne outbreaks by preventing dead cells from clogging pores.
6: Myth: If you have peeling or redness, you should stop using the retinoid. With retinoids, it's often a “worse-before-better” type of situation. Typical side effects include dryness, tightness, peeling, and redness — especially when first starting out.
The bottom line. Retinol is a well-known ingredient in anti-aging creams, gels, and serums. What many people don't know is that it can also be used to treat acne and acne-scarred skin. It works at both the surface and middle layers of the skin to unclog pores, smooth scars, and improve tone and texture.
Skin purging happens when new ingredients, like retinol, promote increased cell turnover, which causes clogging and worsening breakouts. This is particularly the case as oil and debris that is trapped deeper underneath the skin comes to the surface.
Your first port of call should be retinoids, thanks to their ability to speed up cell turnover and fade superficial scars in the process. That said, deeper, more indented scars are less likely to respond, according to Dr. Mahto, who rates The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid 2% in Emulsion, £8.
In general, retinol is one of the more gentle varieties of retinoids, however, “if you're going to experience shedding it will begin on day three to five of daily night time use, and this usually continues for about five to 10 days depending on your skin type and the percentage of retinol you've used,” adds Ejikeme.
Purging is slightly different, appearing on the skin mostly as blackheads or small skin-coloured bumps just under the surface of the skin. But it is also possible for purging to cause similar spots to a breakout, too.
Generally, it takes a few weeks to see results, but some OTC options may require months of regular use. Most dermatologists said you'll need to use retinol for a few weeks before you see results, but you should see improvements by 12 weeks with most products.
Retinol is a natural vitamin A derivative often found in anti-aging creams. It can also be an effective ingredient for treating acne and acne scars.
“If you're overusing your retinol, or if you're using a retinol that's too strong for you, it can lead to peeling, irritation, and excessive dryness, which may have led to retinol's association with skin thinning,” she says.
In general, retinol will be fine for most people, as long as you are willing to wait a little longer to see the anti-aging results. Retinoids may be right for you if you suffer from acne or severe acne scarring, as the high concentration will cause cells to turn over faster and deliver quicker results.
Looking at the playbook which dermatologists use to treat acne, retinoids are the dermatologist's first choice for treatment followed by AZA. Combining both retinol + AZA as a pair to attack acne from multiple fronts will help to stop even the most stubborn hormonal acne.
Retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, they should be used at night because some types are deactivated by light and air. It's important to start slowly and allow your skin time to adjust. Using too much too quickly can cause redness, dryness, and irritation.
Not unlike a society quietly bubbling with rage, the bad stuff lurking in your pores needs to come out at some point. As your skin starts getting accustomed to the retinol, in the first two to four weeks of use, your cell turnover will increase and your pores will... well, purge, and all breakout hell will break loose.
Peeling, redness, and irritation are common onset reactions for some people when they first start to use retinol. Some reactions get so bad that the common term used to describe the list of effects has been dubbed the “retinol uglies”. Note from a skincare expert: Many things in life get worse before they get better.
Skin purging refers to a reaction to an active ingredient that is increasing skin cell turnover in order to improve acne. When using prescription-strength acne medications, it's reasonably common for your skin to get worse before it gets better.
Some people have noticed acne breakouts after using retinol, though this is a rare side effect. Eczema flare-ups, skin discoloration, swelling, and stinging are also rare occurrences. Side effects are likely to disappear after a few weeks of regular use, so it's important to give your skin time to adjust.
After two to six weeks of using tretinoin, it's usually okay to start using an exfoliant. However, it's best to use exfoliating products as sparingly as possible while using tretinoin to avoid potentially irritating your skin.
A formula with retinol, like the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Eye Treatment, should be applied after your serums and before moisturizer due to its consistency.
No, Retin-A is not effective in reducing acne scars. At most, it might make superficial scars become less obvious. Can Retin-A cause acne? At first, using Retin-A might cause acne to appear worse than before.
What makes acne scarring worse? Your own DNA plays a role in your scars! Your genes determine how well your skin heals, the amount of collagen produced and the depth of the acne lesions also controls the severity of the scars. However, you can make the scarring worse by smoking, squeezing the acne and picking at it.