Hello,
I never envisioned logging my acne treatment progress in public, but at least @Walker is interested, and I’m under the impression that others may be as well. If I don’t create this thread soon, chances are that I’ll become completely discouraged and lose interest since that’s how my mind works.
Based on my observation, my facial acne is presumably mild, and inflammatory lesions, namely papules and pustules, are predominant. I think of papules as deep, inflamed bumps without visible puss within the surface, whereas pustules (or pimples) are, go figure, characterized by pus encircled by inflammation. I break out on a weekly basis with 1-4 inflammatory lesions.
Prior to my first application of adapalene, I’ve used benzoyl peroxide (BPO) alone for the first 3 months, and I’ve used it in combination with salicylic acid (SA) for the last 3 months. With these mainstay OTC ingredients, I’ve noticed an appreciable reduction in the size, redness, count, frequency, and overall severity, of my breakouts. Even if my results aren’t ideal, treating and helping prevent acne on a regular basis with manageable expectations has given be something to look forward to and has improved my mood and self-esteem to an extent. That being said, I’m not currently discontinuing BPO nor SA but rather adding adapalene to the mix.
Moving forward, I started adapalene gel on April 15, and my second application was on the 18th. I’m introducing it slowly, once every third day and in place of BPO, and over a dry (no longer damp) but moisturized face, so as to minimize dryness and irritation. I use a SA-based wash the following morning, every morning, and BPO on my off-nights. I will increase the frequency as tolerated, every two weeks, up to once a day as directed. I expect side effects, if any, to subside after 4 weeks, an improvement at 8 weeks, greater improvement at 12 weeks, and continuous improvement thereafter. Depending on the results, I may alternate BPO with SA in the morning, or discontinue BPO or SA; in terms of my acne control, BPO takes precedence over SA.
For those of you in the US considering adapalene gel, it's available OTC under the brands Differin, La Roche-Posay Effaclar, AcneFree, and ProactivMD; importantly, they're all identical.
I'll post updates as changes occur.
C’ya.
I never envisioned logging my acne treatment progress in public, but at least @Walker is interested, and I’m under the impression that others may be as well. If I don’t create this thread soon, chances are that I’ll become completely discouraged and lose interest since that’s how my mind works.
Based on my observation, my facial acne is presumably mild, and inflammatory lesions, namely papules and pustules, are predominant. I think of papules as deep, inflamed bumps without visible puss within the surface, whereas pustules (or pimples) are, go figure, characterized by pus encircled by inflammation. I break out on a weekly basis with 1-4 inflammatory lesions.
Prior to my first application of adapalene, I’ve used benzoyl peroxide (BPO) alone for the first 3 months, and I’ve used it in combination with salicylic acid (SA) for the last 3 months. With these mainstay OTC ingredients, I’ve noticed an appreciable reduction in the size, redness, count, frequency, and overall severity, of my breakouts. Even if my results aren’t ideal, treating and helping prevent acne on a regular basis with manageable expectations has given be something to look forward to and has improved my mood and self-esteem to an extent. That being said, I’m not currently discontinuing BPO nor SA but rather adding adapalene to the mix.
Moving forward, I started adapalene gel on April 15, and my second application was on the 18th. I’m introducing it slowly, once every third day and in place of BPO, and over a dry (no longer damp) but moisturized face, so as to minimize dryness and irritation. I use a SA-based wash the following morning, every morning, and BPO on my off-nights. I will increase the frequency as tolerated, every two weeks, up to once a day as directed. I expect side effects, if any, to subside after 4 weeks, an improvement at 8 weeks, greater improvement at 12 weeks, and continuous improvement thereafter. Depending on the results, I may alternate BPO with SA in the morning, or discontinue BPO or SA; in terms of my acne control, BPO takes precedence over SA.
For those of you in the US considering adapalene gel, it's available OTC under the brands Differin, La Roche-Posay Effaclar, AcneFree, and ProactivMD; importantly, they're all identical.
I'll post updates as changes occur.
C’ya.
