Dr.Deepak
07-07-2008, 08:52 AM
The cream base is preferred for dry skin and the gels are preferred for oily skin.Easily irritated skin should be started with adapalene cream 0.1%,tretioin 0.025% cream or 0.01% gel,Retin-A Micro 0.04%, Others can be started at higher strength.The strength of products may be gradually increased once you have become tolerant of the weaker formulation.
Apply sparingly every other night to the entire face except around the eyes,lips and neck.After 2-3 weeks,if there is no excess irritation,erythema,dryness or scaling is noted,increase to every night.For tretinoin,apply before bedtime on throughly dry skin--Wait for at least 45 minutes after the face has been washed.Tazarotene is best applied over or several minutes after the applications of a moisturizer at bed time.
Use mild,gentle soaps not more than twice daily.
Avoid excessive exposure to sun.Use sunscreens
Use water based cosmetics if necesary
Expect mild redness and peeling within a week,lasting 3-4 weeks and a fareup in the acne during the first 2-4 weeks.This is explained as a surfacing of lesion onto the skin.
Clearing requires approximately 3 months.Inflammatory lesion improves more rapidly,but Comedones(white heads and black heads) takes longer.Effectiveness cannot be judged before 8 weeks and is best assesed at 12 weeks.
Continue retinoids application after the lesion clear.
Apply less frequently if the daily use of retinoid cannot be tolerated,for example every other night or skipping every third night.
Although there is negligible systemic abrorption of topical retinoids,this agent should be discontinued if pregnancy is suspected.Some cases of neurologic toxicity and ear malformation have been reported.
Apply sparingly every other night to the entire face except around the eyes,lips and neck.After 2-3 weeks,if there is no excess irritation,erythema,dryness or scaling is noted,increase to every night.For tretinoin,apply before bedtime on throughly dry skin--Wait for at least 45 minutes after the face has been washed.Tazarotene is best applied over or several minutes after the applications of a moisturizer at bed time.
Use mild,gentle soaps not more than twice daily.
Avoid excessive exposure to sun.Use sunscreens
Use water based cosmetics if necesary
Expect mild redness and peeling within a week,lasting 3-4 weeks and a fareup in the acne during the first 2-4 weeks.This is explained as a surfacing of lesion onto the skin.
Clearing requires approximately 3 months.Inflammatory lesion improves more rapidly,but Comedones(white heads and black heads) takes longer.Effectiveness cannot be judged before 8 weeks and is best assesed at 12 weeks.
Continue retinoids application after the lesion clear.
Apply less frequently if the daily use of retinoid cannot be tolerated,for example every other night or skipping every third night.
Although there is negligible systemic abrorption of topical retinoids,this agent should be discontinued if pregnancy is suspected.Some cases of neurologic toxicity and ear malformation have been reported.