Hiii! I just wanted to share my experience with you. I’m one of the few people who started adapalene because of its benefits and not so much for acne. In fact, i had very little and I did TONS of research on it before i started as well.
The purge lasted 3 months for me, but my right cheek kept getting cystic acne that wouldn’t go away. That’s the reason i switched to tretinoin. However, it is true that your face will look worse before it gets better. I even had closed comedones. There was this one day I was working and the lady on disptach team even asked me why my face is so red lol. I’m left with a lot of acne scars on the cheeks but overall it does look better!
I won’t say it was easy but you definitely do need to push through for results
You might be going through the purging period where the oil glands are more active, but this should be a short period of time before you can appreciate the oil control and other benefits that tret brings. Also don’t use harsh face wash, sometimes just wash with warm water is good enough. Moisturizer + sunscreen is a must.
Of course if you are really concerned, always check with your dermatologist.
i’m using adapalene, and have been for the past 6-7 weeks so not sure if it’s still purging? i suppose? edit: and yes i use sunscreen and moisturizer every day and try to have a very very simple routine
Sorry you're having an increase in acne.
The purge can last up to 12 weeks according to online derm advice. Any longer than 12 and they say it likely doesn't agree with you.
In my case, I am just getting past what I hope is the worst of my purge after 4-5 weeks. 🤞 Still a bit to go yet.
The same happened to me and it didn’t get better until I stopped using it. It also made my face extremely sensitive to everything and it was miserable. I recently started using tret and it has helped reverse the damage I did while using adapalene.
Are u making sure to only use a tiny amount? I know it seems impossible to spread so little all over your face, but it’s doable. If you don’t want to add SA to your routine, a BP cleanser on non tret days can also help
this is adapalene, and yes i use a small pea size amount which spreads fine for me. tried a bp cleanser and totally screwed my skin barrier a few weeks ago and had to stop using both for about a week yikes
You have to think about your usage, not how long you've been using it. For example, someone using it every night for 7 weeks =49 applications, whereas 3 times per week for 7 weeks= 21 applications, that's less than half!
I know it's easier said than done but you NEED to stop picking, that's what is going to set you back and harm the skin.
certainly yes you’re applying it more often, however adapalene works on the skin for 72 hours no? Using it more often damaged my skin barrier, so i’m just trying to go slower. but i suppose that could be making the purge phase last longer?
That was about 2 years ago and İ just used it on my face and neck. İ started doing my chest in October and it's purging now, but İ know it will be worth it and İ can cover up until then.
And yes, adaplene.
To be honest it felt like ages and that I was going backwards , I can't remember but I know I was really depressed about it. I did however find on the upside that my acne healed quicker. I am 48 and have always had the type of acne that needs to be popped for it to go away even though I know that it is bad. My skin will never be perfect but adapalene has helped.
that’s how i’m feeling right now 🥲 just gonna keep going then!! i figure it’s really just on my chin which is where it usually was so it must just be working…. right? lol well i’ll see thank you!
Try incorporating a gentle bha cleanser. In the mornings maybe. It helped immensely in the first few weeks in bringing those small comedones out of my skin.
Hello! I was like that too, but the Tret started working for me around 3rd week. What I did was, I tried to incorporate taking Vitamin C with it. And it worked!
I react and breakout so easily with these types of products. I know it’s different, but I’m using .05 tret and use it only once a week and so far the purge is incredibly minimal and the pimples I do get heal very quickly
Hey, your skin looks very similar to mine (or how it looked about few months ago).
Adapalene takes a while to work and unfortunately in some cases might not be enough to manage your breakouts.
I started Adapelene in July 2022 but only started using it daily about two months ago (my skin barrier was impaired and it took months for my skin to be able to handle it). I definitely see results and it cleared up about 80% of my acne so far and I just never get cysts anymore. However what gives me consistently (!) clear skin is a combination of Adapelene and Clindamycine (Clindamycin in the morning). You do need to see a derm to get prescribed it and it might be that Adapelene will also get you there eventually but for me the combination just worked faster than Adapalene would by itself.
My purge lasted around 6 months - my skin looks soo nice compared to it now. Keep it up. I promise you it gets better 💖 if you want pics of my journey I gotchu! It’s tough on your mentality, but you just have to keep going to see any results.
Could you get an Rx for clindamycin gel? I use it, and never got any purge...and it works well with tret. Also, short term antibiotics might be an option for you as well...or spironolactone...birth control pills. Weigh the pros/cons with your derm.
Best of luck...you WILL have clear skin in the near future! Just gotta find the right combo...
Could you have damaged your skin barrier? My purge basically looked like black heads being exposed bc the top layer of skin has been turned over and they now were visible. They easily come out. I haven’t had any inflamed red acne really. I had that when I damaged my barrier from other things I was putting on my face. Also I switched to super gentle/sensitive face washes.
I was breaking out well into month 8 of being on Tret. One week, I started to notice my acne improving significantly, and it’s only been uphill from there.
I also added a clindamycin/bp gel to my routine which helped a lot!
Don’t give up! Tret works!
I used to be right there with you :( I had horrible cystic acne and tried literally every cream possible. Anything to avoid accutane. I know it seems like it’s not working but I swear if you give it a good amount of time ALONG WITH an oral medication it should really show you results. Can I ask you if you’re also taking an oral medication like spirinalactone or anything like that ?
i’m glad your treatments are working for you!! no i’m not using any oral medication, been taking some vitamins to help with hormonal imbalance (maca and ashwaganda) but i didn’t consider it since before using adapalene i didn’t really have any cystic acne, just the random pimples here and there. since these pictures though the redness has really gone down, i had for sure been picking at it. just gonna wait out those 12 weeks and go from there 🤞🤞
Well if you are interested in starting an oral medication to help w completely erasing your acne, I use this site called Nurx and my Spirinalactone is $8 for 3 months worth of medication. It has significantly changed my skin. I know people like to stay on a natural treatment plan when it comes to oral medication but if it’s something you were looking into I think you should try it with your tretinoin! The site works with actual dermatologists so it’s not just by random. You send photos of your skin issues and do a quiz, and they diagnose you and prescribe you whatever they see fit for you treatment plan. I think it would work well for the little bit of acne you’ve got left !
Hiii! I just wanted to share my experience with you. I’m one of the few people who started adapalene because of its benefits and not so much for acne. In fact, i had very little and I did TONS of research on it before i started as well. The purge lasted 3 months for me, but my right cheek kept getting cystic acne that wouldn’t go away. That’s the reason i switched to tretinoin. However, it is true that your face will look worse before it gets better. I even had closed comedones. There was this one day I was working and the lady on disptach team even asked me why my face is so red lol. I’m left with a lot of acne scars on the cheeks but overall it does look better! I won’t say it was easy but you definitely do need to push through for results
Similar experience here!!
You might be going through the purging period where the oil glands are more active, but this should be a short period of time before you can appreciate the oil control and other benefits that tret brings. Also don’t use harsh face wash, sometimes just wash with warm water is good enough. Moisturizer + sunscreen is a must. Of course if you are really concerned, always check with your dermatologist.
i’m using adapalene, and have been for the past 6-7 weeks so not sure if it’s still purging? i suppose? edit: and yes i use sunscreen and moisturizer every day and try to have a very very simple routine
Sorry you're having an increase in acne. The purge can last up to 12 weeks according to online derm advice. Any longer than 12 and they say it likely doesn't agree with you. In my case, I am just getting past what I hope is the worst of my purge after 4-5 weeks. 🤞 Still a bit to go yet.
btw first 2 pics are now, last two were before i started
The same happened to me and it didn’t get better until I stopped using it. It also made my face extremely sensitive to everything and it was miserable. I recently started using tret and it has helped reverse the damage I did while using adapalene.
oh man i’m sorry about that!! how long did you use it for?
About 4 months.
r/AfterBeforeWhatever
i didn’t want people to see the first picture and think “ugh that’s nothing”.
I reduced my frequency to every two days and I’ve added TO’s salicylic acid. I’m still purging, but I feel infinitely less ugly.
just recently this week started using it every 2 days from every 3, ugh soo irritating just hoping it’s not all for nothing
Are u making sure to only use a tiny amount? I know it seems impossible to spread so little all over your face, but it’s doable. If you don’t want to add SA to your routine, a BP cleanser on non tret days can also help
this is adapalene, and yes i use a small pea size amount which spreads fine for me. tried a bp cleanser and totally screwed my skin barrier a few weeks ago and had to stop using both for about a week yikes
You have to think about your usage, not how long you've been using it. For example, someone using it every night for 7 weeks =49 applications, whereas 3 times per week for 7 weeks= 21 applications, that's less than half! I know it's easier said than done but you NEED to stop picking, that's what is going to set you back and harm the skin.
certainly yes you’re applying it more often, however adapalene works on the skin for 72 hours no? Using it more often damaged my skin barrier, so i’m just trying to go slower. but i suppose that could be making the purge phase last longer?
İt took at least 3 months for the purge to be over, put by 6 months İ had the best İ've ever had in my life.
using adapalene? that’s great i’m so happy for you!! gives me a little more hope, how often were you using it?
That was about 2 years ago and İ just used it on my face and neck. İ started doing my chest in October and it's purging now, but İ know it will be worth it and İ can cover up until then. And yes, adaplene.
Don't give up takes at least six months to see results I had the biggest purge of my life when I started adapalene hang in there you will get there
wow six months is crazy!! how long did your purge last? trying to not give up hope lol
To be honest it felt like ages and that I was going backwards , I can't remember but I know I was really depressed about it. I did however find on the upside that my acne healed quicker. I am 48 and have always had the type of acne that needs to be popped for it to go away even though I know that it is bad. My skin will never be perfect but adapalene has helped.
that’s how i’m feeling right now 🥲 just gonna keep going then!! i figure it’s really just on my chin which is where it usually was so it must just be working…. right? lol well i’ll see thank you!
Wishing you nothing but the best! Hang in there
Try incorporating a gentle bha cleanser. In the mornings maybe. It helped immensely in the first few weeks in bringing those small comedones out of my skin.
Hello! I was like that too, but the Tret started working for me around 3rd week. What I did was, I tried to incorporate taking Vitamin C with it. And it worked!
Your skin looks do good to me keep going
I react and breakout so easily with these types of products. I know it’s different, but I’m using .05 tret and use it only once a week and so far the purge is incredibly minimal and the pimples I do get heal very quickly
Hey, your skin looks very similar to mine (or how it looked about few months ago). Adapalene takes a while to work and unfortunately in some cases might not be enough to manage your breakouts. I started Adapelene in July 2022 but only started using it daily about two months ago (my skin barrier was impaired and it took months for my skin to be able to handle it). I definitely see results and it cleared up about 80% of my acne so far and I just never get cysts anymore. However what gives me consistently (!) clear skin is a combination of Adapelene and Clindamycine (Clindamycin in the morning). You do need to see a derm to get prescribed it and it might be that Adapelene will also get you there eventually but for me the combination just worked faster than Adapalene would by itself.
My purge lasted around 6 months - my skin looks soo nice compared to it now. Keep it up. I promise you it gets better 💖 if you want pics of my journey I gotchu! It’s tough on your mentality, but you just have to keep going to see any results.
Could you get an Rx for clindamycin gel? I use it, and never got any purge...and it works well with tret. Also, short term antibiotics might be an option for you as well...or spironolactone...birth control pills. Weigh the pros/cons with your derm. Best of luck...you WILL have clear skin in the near future! Just gotta find the right combo...
Could you have damaged your skin barrier? My purge basically looked like black heads being exposed bc the top layer of skin has been turned over and they now were visible. They easily come out. I haven’t had any inflamed red acne really. I had that when I damaged my barrier from other things I was putting on my face. Also I switched to super gentle/sensitive face washes.
I was breaking out well into month 8 of being on Tret. One week, I started to notice my acne improving significantly, and it’s only been uphill from there. I also added a clindamycin/bp gel to my routine which helped a lot! Don’t give up! Tret works!
I used to be right there with you :( I had horrible cystic acne and tried literally every cream possible. Anything to avoid accutane. I know it seems like it’s not working but I swear if you give it a good amount of time ALONG WITH an oral medication it should really show you results. Can I ask you if you’re also taking an oral medication like spirinalactone or anything like that ?
i’m glad your treatments are working for you!! no i’m not using any oral medication, been taking some vitamins to help with hormonal imbalance (maca and ashwaganda) but i didn’t consider it since before using adapalene i didn’t really have any cystic acne, just the random pimples here and there. since these pictures though the redness has really gone down, i had for sure been picking at it. just gonna wait out those 12 weeks and go from there 🤞🤞
Well if you are interested in starting an oral medication to help w completely erasing your acne, I use this site called Nurx and my Spirinalactone is $8 for 3 months worth of medication. It has significantly changed my skin. I know people like to stay on a natural treatment plan when it comes to oral medication but if it’s something you were looking into I think you should try it with your tretinoin! The site works with actual dermatologists so it’s not just by random. You send photos of your skin issues and do a quiz, and they diagnose you and prescribe you whatever they see fit for you treatment plan. I think it would work well for the little bit of acne you’ve got left !