Full improvement should be seen within 12 weeks, especially if you use the medicine every day. You should not stop using adapalene if your acne seems worse at first, unless irritation or other symptoms become severe. Check with your doctor if your acne does not improve within 8 to 12 weeks.
Absolutely not. It's a common, temporary reaction that will usually subside after about 4 weeks of use. Use of Differin Gel should not be discontinued, but be sure to always use it just once daily. Try a gentle, non-comedogenic moisturizer, like Differin Soothing Moisturizer, to help manage irritation.
Adults and teenagers—Apply a small amount as a thin film once a day, at least one hour before bedtime. Apply the medicine to dry, clean areas affected by acne. Rub in gently and well. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
During the first few weeks of using adapalene, your acne might appear worse because the medication is working on pimples forming inside the skin. It may take 8 to 12 weeks to notice results from this medication. Use this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it.
Adapalene is for use only on the skin. Adapalene topical is usually applied once daily in the evening. Wash your hands before applying this medicine.
The active ingredient is adapalene, which helps decrease swelling and inflammation, prevent breakouts, and treat scarring. According to Garshick, “it can help discoloration and textural changes that go along with acne scars by evening out the skin tone and boosting collagen production.”
You should not stop using adapalene if your acne seems worse at first, unless irritation or other symptoms become severe. Check with your doctor if your acne does not improve within 8 to 12 weeks. Do not apply any topical product to the same area where you are using adapalene, unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
Initially, you should use the medicine every other night for the first two or three weeks. If you are tolerating the medicine OK then move up to every night. If you are getting too much irritation, then use it every 3rd night. Your goal is to eventually work up to using Differin every night.
Generally speaking, dermatologists say purging should be over within four to six weeks of starting a new skin care regimen.
To help clear up your acne completely, it is very important that you keep using adapalene for the full time of treatment , even if your symptoms begin to clear up after a short time. If you stop using adapalene too soon, your acne may return or get worse.
As your skin gets used to adapalene, you can then apply it every night. If your skin is sensitive, you may also wash off the adapalene after 1 or 2 hours of applying.
“Topical retinoids such as tretinoin cream and topical benzoyl peroxide will deactivate each other,” says Dr. Mraz Robinson. “You can mix other forms of topical retinoids such as adapalene [now OTC] with benzoyl peroxide, but this can increase the risk for irritation and inability to tolerate the topicals.”
Differin 0.1% Adapalene Gel, for example, can help treat acne. Studies have found evidence to suggest adapalene is just as effective as stronger retinoids, but the skin tends to tolerate it better.
Adapalene gel is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the treatment of acne and has demonstrated clinical lightening of solar lentigines with twice daily application.
Adapalene is a third-generation topical retinoid primarily used in the treatment of mild-moderate acne, and is also sometimes used off-label to treat aging as well as other skin conditions. It is effective for the treatment of mild to moderate acne where comedones, papules and pustules predominate.
Apply a thin layer of Differin all over your face once every day whether you have just a few spots or a full-on breakout. Remember, this isn't a spot-treatment you only use when needed.
So if you're currently battling a bad breakout and have already applied some of your trusty benzoyl peroxide, it's best to hold off starting your Differin treatment. Other products to avoid would be chemical exfoliants or drying agents like toners. After all, Differin is a retinoid that increases cell turnover.
These dermatologists agree that Differin's benefits really begin to show after 90 days of use. Tareen recommends using the gel at night once or twice a week at first, then slowly building up to more frequent use over a few weeks. The reason being that retinoids can severely dry out your skin!
It's a gel that contains adapalene, a medication that decreases inflammation, prevents new acne from forming, treats blackheads, and helps even out discoloration, he explains. Zeichner says you can use a pea-size amount and start applying it every other night as your skin gets adjusted to it.
This medication is used to treat acne. It may decrease the number and severity of acne pimples and promote quick healing of pimples that do develop. Adapalene belongs to a class of medications called retinoids. It works by affecting the growth of cells and decreasing swelling and inflammation.
Differin (adapalene)
Benzac (benzoyl peroxide) is the most effective over-the-counter treatment for mild acne. Treats acne. Differin (adapalene) is commonly used for treating acne, but, it can cause skin irritation. Available over-the-counter from many brands.
According to Dr. Sheila Krishna, it's totally fine to use vitamin C with over-the-counter retinol products or dermatologist-grade retinoids—which, BTW, is the broader term for vitamin A derivatives, including retinol, tretinoin, and adapalene, just to name a few.
The difference is that only the gel is available in two concentrations of adapalene (0.1 percent and 0.3 percent). The lotion and the cream are available in one concentration (0.1 percent). The adapalene 0.1 percent cream and gel are sold under the brand name Differin and the generic name.
Differin Gel should not be used in conjunction with products containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or salicylic acids, which may make irritation worse. Irritation may occur if you use more than one topical acne product at a time. You also shouldn't use wax to remove unwanted hair in areas where you've applied the gel.