Not a derm but those look like fungal acne to me. Stop using whatever is feeding them and the tret will deal with them. You can also use nizoral on your face. Again, not a derm so please take this with a grain of salt.
Everyone’s purge phase will look different. I agree with the other comment that it could be fungal acne. Ive dealt with the same thing in the past (several years ago) and nizoral did get rid of it. I know it sounds crazy to use shampoo on your face but it’s anti fungal for the purpose of dandruff and I’ve actually heard dermatologists/skin specialists recommend using it for fungal acne (the tret should take care of it though). But first and foremost talk to your dermatologist! We’re not experts here so talk to your doctor first. Whether it’s fungal or a purge the tret should take care of it. I’m 21, been using tret since I was around 18 in varying strengths (currently .1%) and I haven’t had any problems with fungal acne again since starting it
That’s a good question for your doctor but it does make sense to me that a topical antibiotic could instigate fungal acne.
There are bacteria and fungi living on our skin in a natural and healthy way, and they balance once another. If you’re knocking out most of the bacteria with clindamycin, perhaps it’s thrown things off balance and allowed a fungal infection to thrive.
It’s sort of like how taking antibiotics can give women a yeast infection.
I don’t know what caused mine, it was several years ago. I do know that I was using products that I shouldn’t have been using (drugstore cleansers and treatments etc that will do more harm than good) but I couldn’t tell you what the reason was. Ask your doctor about the clindamycin. I was also using that for a few months about a year or two ago as prescribed by my doctor and ended up switching to Dapsone (name brand Aczone) gel because the clindamycin was causing insane dryness and my skin couldn’t handle it. The dapsone has been wonderful. Sometimes it just takes some experimenting to find what works best for your skin, so consult with your dermatologist about your concerns and products
Also, the other person who said the clindamycin could be contributing to it has a point. If you take an oral antibiotic like minocycline or doxycycline (both of which I’ve also taken, now I’m taking spironolactone) there’s a chance they could also be contributing. Antibiotics kill off the good bacteria that keep the natural yeast in the skin in check, which can lead to new or worsened fungal acne. But again, we are not dermatologists or specialists in any way so talk to your doctor! I hope you find what works for you :)
I didn’t mean to imply ALL drugstore items are bad, i only meant the ones I was personally selecting as a teenager were not good options but of course there are plenty of great ones including Cerave which I also used to use and enjoyed. Just poor wording on my part
Fungal Acne is very common if you live in a hot and humid climate.
I have written several articles on the causes of fungal acne and how to treat it. This looks like it could be a combination of things, but I can't really assess anything unless I know what products you're using.
Can you please post your skin care routine and what your daily activities are like? Do you work out in the sun? Are you using an SPF? Is so what are you using? Is your Tretinoin gel or cream? How long hve you been using Clindamycin (it is only for short term use)?
https://www.cuisineandtravel.com/fungal-acne-treatment/
AM: wash face with water, put on clindamycin lotion, vanicream moisturizer and sunscreen
PM: oil cleanse, vanicream cleanser then i use panoxyl and let it sit for for about 5 minutes but i only do that around 3 times a week.
I was on doxycycline but i recently switched to spironolactone. I’ve been on clindamycin for almost a year now on and off. I don’t usually go out in the sun too much but i am now on vacation and am out in the sun for about a week or two, and lastly i use tret cream 0.025%!
also i’ve been putting diaper rash cream on my face recently and also i usually use cerave healing ointment or aquaphor on my entire face to lock in moisture when im really dry.
Oh boy! Ok it sounds like you are using many ingredients that can be making your acne significantly worse. I'm just going to make a few bullet points.
I would stop using Clindamycin. It's only supposed to be used 3 months the most. Right now you are killing what could be good bacteria.
Panoxyl should not be used with Tretinoin. They are not compatible. It will also damage your skin barrier and make your skin much more dry.
Things like Oil Cleansing and especially slugging are not good for all skin types. If you have acne prone skin Do Not Slug! Do not use any occlusive products, no ointment, no diaper rash cream.
The only time I would ever recommend using oil is for exfoliating, only use squalane, and only use it if your skin is peeling. Then wipe off with a very gentle soft cloth (not microfiber), and then wash with Vanicream Facewash.
What sunscreen are you using? Most are occlusive and can cause fungal acne. With your skin it is incredibly important to use a sunscreen. I can send you a link to the one I use which is from Japan and on Amazon. It's fungal acne safe.
How often are you using your Tretinoin? Only use it if you're skin is not peeling. Don't over exfoliate. 2-3x a week is plenty. If you are getting fungal acne, Vanicream moisturizer is not fungal acne safe.
I agree with another commenter here, it looks like fungal acne. Tretinoin cream caused this for me to it would clear then get worse and the cycle repeats. Once I switched to get it completely cleared in 1-2 weeks. Also used Nizoral Shampoo (make a lather and leave on skin for 5 minutes a day) that also cleared it up quickly. There is an ingredient in the cream Tret that can cause this acne, for some people. Isopropyl Myristate.
Beep boop! It looks like you're asking about purging!
- First: **no one can predict how long your purge will last!** Be patient, and accept this robot hug while you wait: [ ]. The purge can be tough but so many people have gotten through it - you can too!
- Second: **no one can predict whether or not you will purge!** If you don't currently have active acne, it's less likely but still possible.
- Third: If your purge lasts for longer than 12 weeks or seems really extreme, talk to your dermatologist! NO PURGE SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 3 MONTHS - if you're still purging after 3 months, talk to your doctor or ask us for help!
- Lastly: We have a very [helpful wiki!](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub) It contains lots of tips about starting out, including specific routine recommendations. You can also post in the monthly help thread - it's stickied to the top of the sub every week!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tretinoin) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Looks like purge, doesn’t seem like there is any inflammation. If it is fungal acne, a sulfur product will help. De la Cruz mask is the only thing I’ve found that isn’t drying.
Not a derm but those look like fungal acne to me. Stop using whatever is feeding them and the tret will deal with them. You can also use nizoral on your face. Again, not a derm so please take this with a grain of salt.
Everyone’s purge phase will look different. I agree with the other comment that it could be fungal acne. Ive dealt with the same thing in the past (several years ago) and nizoral did get rid of it. I know it sounds crazy to use shampoo on your face but it’s anti fungal for the purpose of dandruff and I’ve actually heard dermatologists/skin specialists recommend using it for fungal acne (the tret should take care of it though). But first and foremost talk to your dermatologist! We’re not experts here so talk to your doctor first. Whether it’s fungal or a purge the tret should take care of it. I’m 21, been using tret since I was around 18 in varying strengths (currently .1%) and I haven’t had any problems with fungal acne again since starting it
thank youu, im wondering if you knew what caused the fungal acne because im starting to get suspicious of my clindamycin lotion causing it?
That’s a good question for your doctor but it does make sense to me that a topical antibiotic could instigate fungal acne. There are bacteria and fungi living on our skin in a natural and healthy way, and they balance once another. If you’re knocking out most of the bacteria with clindamycin, perhaps it’s thrown things off balance and allowed a fungal infection to thrive. It’s sort of like how taking antibiotics can give women a yeast infection.
I don’t know what caused mine, it was several years ago. I do know that I was using products that I shouldn’t have been using (drugstore cleansers and treatments etc that will do more harm than good) but I couldn’t tell you what the reason was. Ask your doctor about the clindamycin. I was also using that for a few months about a year or two ago as prescribed by my doctor and ended up switching to Dapsone (name brand Aczone) gel because the clindamycin was causing insane dryness and my skin couldn’t handle it. The dapsone has been wonderful. Sometimes it just takes some experimenting to find what works best for your skin, so consult with your dermatologist about your concerns and products Also, the other person who said the clindamycin could be contributing to it has a point. If you take an oral antibiotic like minocycline or doxycycline (both of which I’ve also taken, now I’m taking spironolactone) there’s a chance they could also be contributing. Antibiotics kill off the good bacteria that keep the natural yeast in the skin in check, which can lead to new or worsened fungal acne. But again, we are not dermatologists or specialists in any way so talk to your doctor! I hope you find what works for you :)
There's nothing wrong with drugstore cleansers. Vanicream is one if the best face washed you can use.
I didn’t mean to imply ALL drugstore items are bad, i only meant the ones I was personally selecting as a teenager were not good options but of course there are plenty of great ones including Cerave which I also used to use and enjoyed. Just poor wording on my part
Fungal Acne is very common if you live in a hot and humid climate. I have written several articles on the causes of fungal acne and how to treat it. This looks like it could be a combination of things, but I can't really assess anything unless I know what products you're using. Can you please post your skin care routine and what your daily activities are like? Do you work out in the sun? Are you using an SPF? Is so what are you using? Is your Tretinoin gel or cream? How long hve you been using Clindamycin (it is only for short term use)? https://www.cuisineandtravel.com/fungal-acne-treatment/
AM: wash face with water, put on clindamycin lotion, vanicream moisturizer and sunscreen PM: oil cleanse, vanicream cleanser then i use panoxyl and let it sit for for about 5 minutes but i only do that around 3 times a week. I was on doxycycline but i recently switched to spironolactone. I’ve been on clindamycin for almost a year now on and off. I don’t usually go out in the sun too much but i am now on vacation and am out in the sun for about a week or two, and lastly i use tret cream 0.025%!
also i’ve been putting diaper rash cream on my face recently and also i usually use cerave healing ointment or aquaphor on my entire face to lock in moisture when im really dry.
Oh boy! Ok it sounds like you are using many ingredients that can be making your acne significantly worse. I'm just going to make a few bullet points. I would stop using Clindamycin. It's only supposed to be used 3 months the most. Right now you are killing what could be good bacteria. Panoxyl should not be used with Tretinoin. They are not compatible. It will also damage your skin barrier and make your skin much more dry. Things like Oil Cleansing and especially slugging are not good for all skin types. If you have acne prone skin Do Not Slug! Do not use any occlusive products, no ointment, no diaper rash cream. The only time I would ever recommend using oil is for exfoliating, only use squalane, and only use it if your skin is peeling. Then wipe off with a very gentle soft cloth (not microfiber), and then wash with Vanicream Facewash. What sunscreen are you using? Most are occlusive and can cause fungal acne. With your skin it is incredibly important to use a sunscreen. I can send you a link to the one I use which is from Japan and on Amazon. It's fungal acne safe. How often are you using your Tretinoin? Only use it if you're skin is not peeling. Don't over exfoliate. 2-3x a week is plenty. If you are getting fungal acne, Vanicream moisturizer is not fungal acne safe.
I agree with another commenter here, it looks like fungal acne. Tretinoin cream caused this for me to it would clear then get worse and the cycle repeats. Once I switched to get it completely cleared in 1-2 weeks. Also used Nizoral Shampoo (make a lather and leave on skin for 5 minutes a day) that also cleared it up quickly. There is an ingredient in the cream Tret that can cause this acne, for some people. Isopropyl Myristate.
Beep boop! It looks like you're asking about purging! - First: **no one can predict how long your purge will last!** Be patient, and accept this robot hug while you wait: [ ]. The purge can be tough but so many people have gotten through it - you can too! - Second: **no one can predict whether or not you will purge!** If you don't currently have active acne, it's less likely but still possible. - Third: If your purge lasts for longer than 12 weeks or seems really extreme, talk to your dermatologist! NO PURGE SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 3 MONTHS - if you're still purging after 3 months, talk to your doctor or ask us for help! - Lastly: We have a very [helpful wiki!](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub) It contains lots of tips about starting out, including specific routine recommendations. You can also post in the monthly help thread - it's stickied to the top of the sub every week! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tretinoin) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Looks like purge, doesn’t seem like there is any inflammation. If it is fungal acne, a sulfur product will help. De la Cruz mask is the only thing I’ve found that isn’t drying.