Adult Acne Battle

     I have been dealing with acne ever since I was a pre-teen and things did not get much better for me long term in my adulthood.  I've tried and retried so many things in hopes of conquering this self-confidence diminishing battle.  As discussed before, I decided to listen to my mother, whom as a Medical Esthetician, knew that my skin issues could not be treated without seeing a doctor.  After visiting my esthetician I was instructed to use Toleriaine Purifying Cleanser, the Sulfa-lo bar, and Toleriane Fluide (along with SPF of course).  I was also seen by the Physician's Assistant that works in the same office and was prescribed Retin-A (to use at night).  After only a week I've seen a major oil reduction in my usually super oily skin.  I have a follow up in 8 weeks to see how the Retin-A is working to treat and prevent breakouts.  I have been using the Retin-A for a week now and so far so good.  

     Using Retin-A speeds up the skin's cell turnover rate causing rapid exfoliation, revealing healthier skin.  That being said, some peeling may or may not occur.  It's also best to ease into a Retin-A because if you go in too strong in the beginning irritation can occur.  Years ago doctors advised not to use a moisturizer so that the effects of the Retin-A would be stronger and faster, but that is not really practiced anymore because it's been found that using a hydrator helps drive the product down to cellular level; causing better product penetration.  

     Before trying something new from a professional, I always recommend asking lots of questions to know the why, how, when, and what to expect.  Had I done this years ago my issues may have been long gone.  I suppose the best thing about my journey is that having these ups and downs has made me so much more knowledgable, so now I can in turn help others with similar issues and actually understand what they're going through.  Please never give up, and always stay beautiful!!