Obagi (Retinol) help please!

[mrsbumbum]

Am freaking out! Been using 1 % obagi retinol for about a week. The nurse told me to use it every other night and use factor 50 each day which I have been doing. It was hot here yesterday and I had to be somewhere where there was no shade at lunchtime so was in the sun for about an hour. My face feels burnt today but actually isnt looking burnt at all ) just a tiny slight bit of redness round my marionette lines. Have I damaged my skin?! I am using Obagi to clear up my adult acne and it has been great doing that but feels so burnt and uncomfortable and like am damaging it? I am also thinking about getting a 'vampire facelift' (the plasma needling therapy) but I now think I may actually go for botox instead after this experience, as we are in the Summer and am scared about the damage to my skin? What do you all think? :-)

No technical advice but I do not have sensitive skin and was using a face cream with retinol in it, and accidently got some on my eye bag area (despite the clear instructions not to apply there)

And it felt like my skin was dissolving... went peely and scabby for a few days but cleared up okay and no lasting damage. Definitely won't do again

yes mine has been going peely and scabby too Pombliboo123, I don;t think I am going to use it while the sun is so hot. It is amazing stuff but it is also scaring me a little bit!

I take it you mean 0.1% strength tretinoin / retin-A as part of the Obagi regimen, which is very strong indeed.

In addition to factor 50, which I assume you are reapplying every couple of hours, you are supposed to avoid all sun (i.e. stay in shade at all times, no excuses). That goes double if you're using the Hydroquinone blender to reduce marks...HQ massively accelerates hyperpigmentation in the presence of UV light.

I'm very surprised you've been started on this regimen at this time of year to be honest, because under the circumstances you can most definitely damage your skin (it's more commonly prescribed during winter AFAIK for this very reason).

Hope you're OK.

omg am totally panicing now DividedKingdom! My skin doesn't look red at all today but was a bit pink yesterday, it just feels uncomfortable? I am going to stop using it. The last time I used it would have been Thursday evening I think. I am only using the 0.1% and not the blender that you mention. it is freaking me out that even though the last time I used it was Thursday I am feeling the effects today and can't do anything about it!

Maybe wait til sept. Ive stopped all my microneedling and retinol creams as its too sunny and im catching the sun inadvertantly when driving. Hope you get the results you are looking for

OP I've looked at your timings again...you've only started a week ago...have you done any "shedding" yet?

If you haven't (and you'll know what I'm talking about if you have!) then I think you may be about to start i.e. that's where the feeling of discomfort is coming from. Do you feel very tight almost like you might have cling film on your face? The remarks about sun are absolutely correct, however I think you're feeling may stem from the fact your face is about to start shedding/flaking off (part of the process which is deliberate) and not from having caused yourself sund damage yesterday.

OK, school run but I will check back later.

DividedKingdom, yes I have only applied it three times, I was wrong about Thursday being the last time I applied it, it was actually Friday as I was given it on Monday, applied it then and then again on Wednesday evening and the third and last time was Friday. My skin was the tiniest bit flaky last week but I wouldn't say it 'peeled'. When I applied moisturiser/suncream the very slight flakiness seemed to disappear. My face feels like it has been sunburned but definitely isn't red like a sunburn at all now. We are in Scotland and there was no sun last week, it was in fact like winter with temperatures reaching a balmy 13 degrees so perhaps she just thought the weather wasn't going to improve anytime soon. And even when the weather was crappy it still felt uncomfortable and like I was a bit sunburned, you know that feeling on your face you get when you are abroad and you have been out all day and then you are in your room getting ready to go out for a meal and your face feels like you have caught the sun and you look in the mirror and you look all glowy? Well that's what it feels like but without the tan/redness and glowiness!

Wizzywig I think I shall definitely wait until September now. This is why I am now thinking about botox as the plasma therapy needling may not be best for this time of year. And I want to be able to not be scared to go out!

I should add yesterday it just suddenly got hot. It was cold in the morning and then hot all of a sudden at lunch. Hot again today so I am trying to stay inside. Got shades and peak hat on as got to go outside to supervise playtime!

UPDATE! My face has started going red again! I haven't been in the sun at all really today (kept to shade, been wearing hat and sunglasses and have reapplied factor 50 as well) so am wondering if it's more the ambient temperature and because I am warmer than usual that is turning my face red rather than actual sunburn/damage? It shall be interesting to see what it's like tomorrow again.

Hi OP I would suggest plain aqueous cream or similar for night, full sunscreen in day and just let your skin reset without any irritants or actives. You should be OK in a few days.

Did the nurse warn you about how intense this can be? The Essential Day Spa forum has a looooooooong thread by Obagi users which might be helpful.

I'd suggest phoning your derm for advice if you feel something is not in line with expectations by tomorrow.

By the way, in case it wasn't mentioned to you, 0.1% Tretinoin (your dose) is the strongest variant of retinol that exists. It took me about 2 years to build up my tolerance to use it, and that was less frequently than you. It's about 20 times the strength of retinol products you buy in a shop . It's wonderful stuff, but I tend to use 0.025% because I don't want all the shedding. If you're using it for resurfacing you do need the shedding! But it can be brutal depending on how sensitive you are...most derm recommend cutting with moisturizer or reducing the frequency of application of Tretinoin until you can cope, but nest take advice from your own derm.

Right, this should keep you busy

www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=32112

Lots of experiences here and hope you get insight ink what's normal to feel and how to protect your skin through the process.

Thank you SO much [DividedKingdom]! I emailed my derm about an hour ago. I am definitely going to stop using it I just wish she had told me about this as it the burning sensation is simply not pleasant. I think every time I put sunscreen/moisturiser on it is almost reigniting the burning sensation. The redness seems to come and go so am not sure it is sunburn as such. Hopefully in a couple of days it shall have calmed down. It;s to be hot again tomorrow so another day of paranoia and shadehunting to deal with! Thanks again!