The only way to completely prevent a tretinoin purge is to avoid using tretinoin products. You can minimize tretinoin purge by starting your regimen slowly. Start using the products once or twice a week and gradually increase until your skin adapts to daily use.
You cannot prevent your skin from purging on tretinoin because during the purge your skin speeds up the cell turnover faster than it's used to leading to the faster expulsion of your clogged pores leading to more breakouts.
Although purge can't be avoided it can be minimized by starting out slow, 2 or 3 applications per week, and working your way up. The skin adjusts more gradually this way.
Purge & Progress (Weeks 2-8): This period can see an uptick in breakouts as Tretinoin accelerates cell turnover. While disheartening, this is temporary and normal. Your doctor can help you get through this by adjusting your protocol.
Starting with a lower-strength tretinoin cream is often recommended to allow your skin to acclimate to the product. As you build tolerance, you can gradually move to a higher concentration if needed. Here's a typical progression: Begin with 0.025%: Use this strength for several months, observing how your skin responds.
Option one: The sandwich technique
After washing your face, apply a layer of moisturiser. Allow it to dry down for 5-10 minutes. Then, apply a pea-sized amount of tretinoin to your entire face. Allow this to dry down for 5-10 minutes.
You should aim to use tretinoin every night, however, you must start slowly as your skin needs to get used to it. The first 2 weeks apply it 2 to 3 nights per week, after that try applying it every other day, and then if your skin can handle it, apply it every night.
Believe it or not, this is actually a sign that the tretinoin is working! “Purging” is a (semi-scary) term for temporary breakouts, and though we know that breakouts are never fun, sticking with it for those first 6–8 weeks can pay off.
Retinoids have been implicated in causing mild-to-moderate elevations in routine liver tests, but these elevations are usually asymptomatic and transient, resolving spontaneously even with continued therapy.
For some users, acne will flare up within the first few weeks of using tretinoin before it starts to reduce acne. Tretinoin purge is also referred to as “acne flaring.” In addition to increased acne, a tretinoin purge can also include dryness, peeling or flaking skin.
The retinol uglies can last anywhere from 4–8 weeks. The exact length of a retinoid purge depends very much on your skin type and sensitivity. The amount and strength of your retinoid product can also play a part. Some people experience a purge flare-up for only a few days, and others don't get it at all.
It's easy to spot these blemishes and run a mile - but the purge is temporary! It doesn't happen to everyone, but many people find their breakouts worsen before they get better when they start using a retinol product.
During the first few months of using tretinoin, some people experience an increase in their level of facial acne. This may be linked to tretinoin's effects on epidermal turnover. Research has found that up to 20 percent of people who use tretinoin experience the “purge” or “acne flaring” effects.
If the skin purging stage is really troublesome, it can be helpful to decrease the frequency of your actives by alternating days of use. Stick with it - in time, things will likely improve. When the frequency of new spots starts to reduce, increase the frequency of your actives again.
During the first 3 weeks you are using tretinoin, your skin may become irritated. Also, your acne may seem to get worse before it gets better. It may take longer than 12 weeks before you notice full improvement of your acne, even if you use the medicine every day.
Tretinoin counteracts the destruction of collagen and elastic fibers by inhibiting the regulation of MMPs.
Fans of retinoids often boast of an effect called “tret glow”, which is the glowing complexion they get after using the product for a while. You can get that glow faster and treat underlying skin concerns with the following aesthetic treatments to enhance your retinoid results.
Some side effects of tretinoin topical may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.
Some people may notice that this side effect goes away within a few weeks of use, while others may have flaky skin for up to two months. Regardless of how long it takes to subside, tretinoin peeling is temporary and will go away once your skin gets used to the product.
“[Skin purging is] a positive sign that your skin is adjusting to the treatment and purging built-up impurities,” Dr. Yamauchi said. However, if your skin reaction doesn't go away or gets worse, it's best to stop using the new product.
Conclusions: Adapalene offers comparable efficacy to tretinoin, but is less irritating. It represents a good alternative for the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris in Chinese patients.
Signs you should stop using tretinoin
It's normal to experience some dryness, peeling, and irritation—maybe even some purging—as you adjust to using tretinoin. But if the side effects become severe or don't go away, it might be time to hit pause and give your skin a breather.
If your skin is irritated, buffer with moisturizer
You can help protect your skin with a layer of moisturizer before applying the tretinoin. This generally doesn't reduce the effectiveness of the medication, but can help to soothe and moisturize the skin.
This means starting on the lowest dose of Tretinoin that your doctor can offer (in our case that is 0.025 Tretinoin cream) and using once or twice a week initially. The trick is to then slowly increase the frequency as your skin builds tolerance until you can use it mostly every night without any problems.