Differin for Acne

[glamslam]

Some of you guys have raved about this prescription acne treatment. What's so great about it? And, do you use it every day as a maintenance thing, or only when breakouts occur? Thanks!

 

[sugersoul]

Originally Posted by glamslam Some of you guys have raved about this prescription acne treatment. What's so great about it? And, do you use it every day as a maintenance thing, or only when breakouts occur? Thanks! omg, i love it!
- it's non drying

- u see improvement within a week (if u apply it diligently every night)

- allows your skin to shed dead skin cells

- #1 perscription topical treatment for acne

this is from someone who has tried proactiv (which didn't work for me in the long run!!) so that's why i am so devoted to differin

 

[nydoll23]

my sister swears by this stuff,i use it sometimes when i go over there if i have a lil breakout,Its worked for me too.But i dont know the effects for the long haul.

 

[girl_geek]

I used it for quite a while, and I used it all over my face every day as prevention as my doctor told me to do. I also used it in combination with prescription Clindagel and exfoliation using a Buf Puf sponge and Cetaphil soap, also by doctor's orders. It did work pretty well but after using it for a year or two my doctor switched me to prescription Tazorac cream (and kept the other treatments), and I think that worked even better. None of those medications ever dried out my skin -- I think benzoyl peroxide is the only one I had problems with dry skin and then only if I used a high dose (like 10%).

 

[Liz]

do you have to take a pill along with it to make it work faster?

i'm trying to ween(sp?) myself off of taking any pills (i want to only take like advil, benadryl for allergies, and vitamins)

 

[NYAngel98]

I have Differin, and it's great!!! I used it alot when I had more breakouts, now since it's cleared up... I use it every so often to keep pimples away, and during that "time of the month" when I get tons of breakouts - and it even helps out then... it's AWESOME!

 

[sugersoul]

Originally Posted by Liz do you have to take a pill along with it to make it work faster?
i'm trying to ween(sp?) myself off of taking any pills (i want to only take like advil, benadryl for allergies, and vitamins)

Doxycyclene usually works perfectly by itself without differin. differin usually cures pimples that are on site, doxycyclene helps prevent pimples. i love it! i decided to abuse that privilege and slept in my makeup on a couple of friday nights

to test if i would break out while i am on doxycyclene...

hehe but nothing happened! of course i wouldn't reccomend you doing that tho! i remeber i use to break out so bad whenever i sleep in my makeup!

i really hate taking pills myself, but it really has no side effects (unless u take it with a empty stomache; you are just asking for it). i just pop two everyday, and even if i forget one day, i just continue on the dosage and nothing really happens.

as long as it's legal, dermatologist reccomended, it's all good

 

[sugersoul]

Originally Posted by Liz do you have to take a pill along with it to make it work faster?
i'm trying to ween(sp?) myself off of taking any pills (i want to only take like advil, benadryl for allergies, and vitamins)

forgot one more thing:if you are taking doxycyclene, an antibiotic, at the same time as taking a birth control pill, it would render the birth control pill useless.

 

[girl_geek]

Originally Posted by Liz do you have to take a pill along with it to make it work faster?
i'm trying to ween(sp?) myself off of taking any pills (i want to only take like advil, benadryl for allergies, and vitamins)

I never took any pills for acne, but then again I only had clogged pores caused by oily skin and not "true" acne. (True acne requires the presence of a certain bacteria.) My brother, on the other hand, had true acne and took pills for a year or two but now just uses prescription creams. I do think that the pills are for more extreme cases of acne -- they have several potential side effects so I think most doctors only prescribe them when creams aren't working.
Since Differin is a prescription you'll obviously have to go to a doctor to get it, and a good dermatologist will be able to tell you whether he thinks you should use other medicines as well. I spent several years trying different medicines until we found the right combination (of course I tried each medicine for several months before the doctor switched to a new one, since it can take time to see results!) But recently I switched to OTC products to save money -- I thought I was growing out of my acne now that I'm almost 24 but I guess the medicines were working better than I thought because all the pimples are coming back

When I was using my Tazorac and Clindagel I would only have 0-2 pimples on my face at once, now I have a lot!

 

[girl_geek]

Originally Posted by sugersoul forgot one more thing:if you are taking doxycyclene, an antibiotic, at the same time as taking a birth control pill, it would render the birth control pill useless.

Good point, read all the papers carefully because some medications have unexpected side effects ... for example, the Tazorac cream should not be taken while pregnant because Tazorac's chemical structure resembles vitamin A, and too much vitamin A can lead to birth defects! (Amazing what you'll learn in the fine print!)

 

[sugersoul]

Originally Posted by girl_geek I never took any pills for acne, but then again I only had clogged pores caused by oily skin and not "true" acne. (True acne requires the presence of a certain bacteria.) My brother, on the other hand, had true acne and took pills for a year or two but now just uses prescription creams. I do think that the pills are for more extreme cases of acne -- they have several potential side effects so I think most doctors only prescribe them when creams aren't working.
Since Differin is a prescription you'll obviously have to go to a doctor to get it, and a good dermatologist will be able to tell you whether he thinks you should use other medicines as well. I spent several years trying different medicines until we found the right combination (of course I tried each medicine for several months before the doctor switched to a new one, since it can take time to see results!) But recently I switched to OTC products to save money -- I thought I was growing out of my acne now that I'm almost 24 but I guess the medicines were working better than I thought because all the pimples are coming back

When I was using my Tazorac and Clindagel I would only have 0-2 pimples on my face at once, now I have a lot!

hehe that's what i thought too! but the university health center is always so generous with prescriptions

hehe...

 

[empericalbeauty]

Well....The best treatment for acne is..Washing your face without any soap (especially if its sensitive), then go to walmart ( u can cover ur face with a hoodie if u r ashamed to be caught at walmart or something) and buy the EQUATE astrigent. After washing your face, clean it with equate till there is no dirt at all on the cotton pad. and thats all. Worked for me. i had acne for Like..4 years?..and now its gone. i still have scars which i try to heal with this really good product ..Ambi and something else. And if u must use a lotion, it must contain AHA...The alpha hydroxy Acid. Good stuff

Worked for me.. so i thought i would share.

 

[destiny]

yeah, I really wanna try that alpha hydrox enhanced cream. but i am still deciding whether to get that one and Paula's choice 8% AHA.. I also heard great things about alpha hydrox foaming face wash...:icon_love

 

[peekaboo]

I would like to try Differin as well but am wondering about the results versus Retin A Micro and Tazorac. As I mentioned in another thread, I keep getting these horrendous chin zits..seem to be hormonal but are driving me crazy.

 

[Jennifer]

Originally Posted by destiny yeah, I really wanna try that alpha hydrox enhanced cream. but i am still deciding whether to get that one and Paula's choice 8% AHA.. I also heard great things about alpha hydrox foaming face wash...:icon_love i wouldn't suggest AHA since you're young. if you're at least 30, then go for it, but there's no need for it now. i made the mistake and used it and got such a bad burn, i almost ended up in the ER. not sure why that happened, but after that, i've read in tons of places to stay away from it.
i got differin last week (finally) and it's no miracle product. i LOVED mary kay's acne gel, but i became immune to it.

 

[girl_geek]

Originally Posted by Jennifer i got differin last week (finally) and it's no miracle product. i LOVED mary kay's acne gel, but i became immune to it. If you've only been using Differin for a week, it's way too early to tell if it's working! Your pores can clog 2-3 weeks before the pimple even appears, and it often takes at least a month (if not two or three) until you can really tell whether an acne product is working.
About two months ago I started trying a new benzoyl peroxide formula (Neutrogena's On the Spot treatment, a 2% formula -- much less drying than all the other 10% formulas), and I started seeing some results about a month after I started, and now that two months have passed I'm still seeing my face slowly clear up more! So wait a while before you make any judgements

 

[Nicolet]

Originally Posted by peekaboo I would like to try Differin as well but am wondering about the results versus Retin A Micro and Tazorac. As I mentioned in another thread, I keep getting these horrendous chin zits..seem to be hormonal but are driving me crazy. Peekaboo,
I recently had the same experience, with a horrible breakout mainly on my chin. I also believed it was hormonal, I had just weaned my 2nd from breastfeeding and all of a sudden..whoosh. It took my a few months, but what helped was a cleanser by MD Formulations for oily, problem skin, the use of some Apple Cider Vinegar (as suggested by Andrea (thanks!)), and also some Aloe Vera. The combo of these things, as well as drinking more water and today (I'm not sure how tomorrow will be) I don't have one pimple on my face. I didn't even breakout during or before my period this month. I also switched my mineral makeup from Bare Escentuals to Jane Iredale's and that's also when I saw a huge improvement in my complexion. Good luck in finding something that works for you!

 

[Jennifer]

Originally Posted by girl_geek If you've only been using Differin for a week, it's way too early to tell if it's working! Your pores can clog 2-3 weeks before the pimple even appears, and it often takes at least a month (if not two or three) until you can really tell whether an acne product is working.
About two months ago I started trying a new benzoyl peroxide formula (Neutrogena's On the Spot treatment, a 2% formula -- much less drying than all the other 10% formulas), and I started seeing some results about a month after I started, and now that two months have passed I'm still seeing my face slowly clear up more! So wait a while before you make any judgements

oh, definitely, but everytime i use an on-the-spot treatment, like mary kay, it went away the VERY same day, as well as other treatments i've used.

 

[girl_geek]

Originally Posted by Jennifer oh, definitely, but everytime i use an on-the-spot treatment, like mary kay, it went away the VERY same day, as well as other treatments i've used. Really? wow! The On-The-Spot (or any prescription cream I've tried) tended to take a few days to heal a zit once it appeared ... but they all work for prevention so once I get my face under control it's much better

 

[mechelw]

Originally Posted by Disguyzdgurl7 I'm on this regimen:- Doxycyclene (acne clearing pill, 2 times a day)

- Differin

- Finacea Gel (heals old acne pigmentation)

- Othro Tri Cyclen (the previous statement about the pill ineff. with doxy is false, two doctors have told me that I can be on both at the same time and my pill is still working, which is obvious or else I'd be bleeding like crazy now, lol.)

- Lancome Pure Focus Cleanser

- Lancome Pure Focus Toner

I really like Differin because it's very gentle, the only topical product that has never burned my skin. It's really great and I only have small spots and acne scars on my face now...which will take a few weeks to heal. So, this is really working to clear any breakouts.

where do you get the doxycyclene? Any side affects? I've neve heard of the one! And finacea gel??