Tretinoin: how long from 0.25 > 0.5

[MissFoodie]

Tretinoin users: how long did you use 0.25% before switching to 0.5%?
Have not noticed any difference with 0.25% as yet... no peeling, no dryness, no redness, no flaking.... so should I switch to 0.5? Or finish the tube?

6 months at least I was advised

Which brand do you you use, out of interest?

Retirides

It depends what you're using it for. If its for acne, then as a pp said give it six months and then slowly built up.

If it's for anti-ageing then research shows that there is no difference in end result between using 0.25, 0.5 or 0.1. You will get results more quickly with a higher strength one (but risk your face looking like a dinosaur's butt for quite a while) but two years down the road all will have yielded the same results.

I stick with 0.25 per my derm's recommendation, and it took nearly a year but its given me amazing results. It did take about six to eight months of using it every other day to see results though. It's not a fast working solution, and it needs long term consistent use, but absolutely worth it. Do make sure you're using a high factor sunscreen every day too, if you aren't already

Argh, sorry am tired (night here) that wasn't very clear. I meant at 6-8 months I began to see results, at the year mark they were remarkable.

I know it's at least 3 months use before any benefits are noticeable but this is ridiculous, after hearing all these stories about redness peeling etc really was expecting something! Been using every night!

Might start alternating with 0.5....

And yes, spf 50 during day!

Any advice on how to deal with the peeling with the 0.25? This is the 3rd time I've started to use it, following ur advice eatenbydinosaurs to take it slowly and use moisturiser to buffer it etc but I keep quitting because my skin looks like crap. With the current situation these days I'm going to try and stick to using it now that I'll not be going out much for a while. If I just started using it every other night do u think i would get past the horrible stage faster?

Absolutely no advice other than look like shit for a long time.

Jiggy the only real way is to ease off on the frequency a bit if the peeling is getting really bad, so using it every four days instead of every three for example. Or persevere with the frequency and moisturise like your life depends on it.

I used to use nivea blue on the worse areas, and that would sort them, that with hyaluronic acid and regular moisturising face masks, the creamy ones not the mud ones.

It is a bit grit your teeth to get through the skin like a dinosaur's butt phase though, worth it in the end

Guess there's no better time to do this #selfisolation

I might start 0.25 and 0.5 on alternate nights

Daft question... Could I just use it every night to get the peeling phase over and done with quicker?

I'm also in the same boat... Starting again while I can hide out on the house!

I've started it to take advantage of the opportunity to hide away! I've been buffering with a thick night cream (Beauty Pie Japanfusion Supreme Cream) and haven't had much in the way of redness or peeling despite using 0.1%. A couple of night ago I put the tret on first on bare skin then waited half an hour before moisturising and that didn't feel too great the next day (skin was quite pink and sensitive) so for now I'm sticking with moisturiser first then tret.

Im on tret 0.5 every night and no peeling..... will use up tube but then def going to try 0.1

Where do you get your tret from?

@LesLavandes sorry I'm not much help, my inlaws bring it back from their Spanish holidays

I've found what seems to give me the least peeling is if I do my night routine (Cleanse, tone and moisturise) then wait an hour or so then tret on its own. Also avoiding natural creases like around nose or chin

Spain as it's otc

If using it for spots, would you use it only the spots or all over (if skin is 100% line and wrinkle free)?

I did about six months at 0.25.

Out of interest, has anyone used differin (Adapalene). Are the results comparable?

I've used Differin for years and years for acne. Its great for that. No irritation or redness and very effective. No idea how effective it is for wrinkles as I've been using it my whole adult life so no idea if I would be super wrinkly now if I hadn't been using it the whole time???

@emsyj37 that’s why I’ve started using it initially- for acne. I’ve just done 5 months of roaccutane and 6 weeks later, I have lots of little clogged pores on my cheeks- no where else. Just little white spots. I think my body is probably adjusting to not being on the drug but interestingly this is not a type of acne I really suffered with- it was more inflammatory. Will the differin work for this type of acne? I also have them on my upper arms which I’ve never had before.

Differin works in the same way as tret- triggering cell turnover, so it is good for keeping your pores cleared out. Are you sure the white spots on your arms aren't kerastosis pilaris?? I used Korean Itlay exfoliating towels on my upper arms and it cleared the little bumps, but they definitely weren't acne.

I’m not sure to be honest- but I’ve definitely never had them before. They aren’t red, just skin coloured. My upper arms feel very bumpy though xx

Just looked up those towels- they look good!