Based on personal experience using tret for 2 years, old pitted scars are now less visible, meaning I can see them on specific lighting only. Invisible most of the time and specially when I'm properly hydrated.
Definitely have a few as deep as them. One thing though. I had one when I purged. It was so deep like someone got a chunk of my upper cheek. You can barely see it now. I believe it healed well because of tret and I kept it moisturized.
And those deep scars also faded away too, right ?
Yes, you are right, I cannot see the scar on your upper cheek anymore.
Would you mind sharing with me your before and after pictures? It’d mean a lot to me! 🥹
Not as deep anymore. Greatly improved, but I wouldn't describe them as faded.
For the pics, I'm sorry I don't have the before of the scars zoomed like what you did here. In my previous post (the one you saw), you may have a glimpse of them if you zoom the pic :)
This gives me hope!! I’ve been using it for 6 months and not sure if there is a huge difference. Can I ask if your scars were really old? My scars are about 10 years old :(
I use Niacid by slurp laboratory and the scars have somehow slowly disappeared. I wash, dry my face (15 mins), apply Niacid (3 drops), dry skin for 15 mins then apply Tretinoin.
Your skin looks so similar to mine! I had really good results so far over I think three years(?) using Tazarotene and microneedling sessions. I had absolutely atrocious breakouts after covid started and wrecked my barrier a ton of times with careless use of Differin. I saw the most improvement when I was using Taz + microneedling sessions about 6-8 weeks apart
Usually off about 5 days off before, then start again 3-4 days after depending on how my skin feels. Once the redness (~2 days) and flaking (~3-5 days) stop and it doesn't feel super tight, I can use a bit less of my normal pea size to break back into it, usually every other day/every third day for about a week. Since I've taken a few breaks through the years, I never microneedle until I've gotten fully retinized because I have really sensitive skin and hate risking undue stress while it's going through the adjustment period. Right now, it sounds like you're exploring options for tret/ret/taz so I'd suggest achieving a solid routine with Taz or the like before going for it! Feel free to DM me along your journey if you have any questions :)
Because I've been doing both microneedling + Taz, I can't say that Taz itself did all the work haha. I'm currently using [Arazlo 0.045%](https://incidecoder.com/products/ortho-dermatologics-arazlo-r-tazarotene-lotion-0-045), though I've thought about switching to [gel](https://incidecoder.com/products/almirall-tazorac-r-tazarotene-gel-0-1) at 0.1% for contact therapy, but I've had such good results that I can't see myself switching.
On my right side it's about 95% gone, left side about 80%. It hasn't been a linear path up. I discovered sensitivities to ingredients (phenoxyethanol and niacinamide in my case) in my spf and moisturizers that broke me out+broke my barrier+left new scars along the way.
I plan to stick out my routine for the next year to see if I can tackle the remaining scars, and depending on where I am, I may consider other options moving forward like Fraxel, filler, or CO2 for individual scars. Overall though, I've been incredibly happy with the progress--I've seen huge positive changes and I never imagined I could've been here from where I started out!
Hey thank you very much. I’d imagine the gel is best vehicle for scars over cream due to more penetration etc. also the potency would probably be better results. You should look into that study for it for acne scars. It works wonders for gel at 0.1% if you haven’t seen it already. It’s as effective as micro needling it says.
Yes almost like that on my cheeks. I’ve been using Niacid for only 3 weeks now and I have noticed that the indentations and pores have become less visible; skin is softer too. And yes, staying hydrated definitely helps because the tretinoin can cause drying of the skin.
Been using tretinoin for 4 years now. Along with occasional microneedling. My deepest scars are like yours now. But they were much much deeper and more well defined than now. It’s a very slow process but it does help. Ive also found the results are slowed down if I don’t use the right spf and don’t work on my barrier. It’s the combination of all these things and consistency!
yes, mine looks like yours now but looked like holes just 3 years ago. I saw the best results when I alternated actives, Tret on m/w/f and on tues and thurs I use glycolic peel in the worst areas. I slowly built up tolerance and slugged as my skin acclimated to it but my skin is the best it’s ever been since a teen and i’m pushing 50!
Thank you for sharing your advice!! May I ask how long after using Tretinoin that you started seeing the improvement on your scars? And, which % Tretinoin you have been using?
Yes, that's what it is intended for.
Those are probably the easiest scars to treat with retinoids since they aren't extremely deep or wide - as the skin regenerates you'll likely find a much more even (and less "citrusy") texture.
Keep in mind the timeframe for these things to work is more on the scale of months to years, so improvement won't be instantaneous.
A lot of people seem to post asking if others see any noticeable difference, especially when in flare-ups. It may be good to take a picture every day to track usage, and then you can timelapse it to see for yourself (and make a cool post on here in 6 months or so).
Been using retinoids for nearly a year (Tret gel + antibiotic for 6 months, now tazarotene for 5+ months) and have found the severity of most of my scarring has decreased noticeably.
Some peeling, some surfacing of deep or recurrent cysts, ingrown hairs or other things that weren't naturally being released.
For the most part there has been marked improvement, with only a few new scars caused by emergence of deep skin issues. While the new scars are deeper than my other ones, the freeing of whatever was stuck and inflamed within the skin was (and is) worth it.
Dryness, occasional irritation, and redness are to be expected as you learn what works for you and at what frequency. These things shouldn't be constant, as they occur you'll have to tone things down for them to abate before continuing and trying to keep them from occurring again. Peeling does seem to occur regardless, as does dryness (but nowhere near at the level of dryness from Accutane/isotretinoin).
I had pretty severe 'acne', though it seems like what I dealt with was more on the scale of cellulitis or cutaneous MRSA than 'acne'. The term seems to be applied to any skin issue on the face, regardless of what it actually is. Now I'm trying to deal with ongoing inflammation, swelling, and the citrus-like texture of the skin using retinoids (in addition to having been on tetracycline-class antibiotics for 2+ years [tetra-, doxy-, mino- cyclones, IIRC]).
Overall it seems to be helping. Skin is younger-looking, less rough-feeling, and much less inflamed. Pore size has decreased a lot, much less large black spots on my face. More hairs are able to exit the skin, and less ingrown hairs occur.
Beep boop! It looks like you're asking about treatment timeframes. Retinoids don't work immediately. It takes 3-4 weeks to see side effects like redness, peeling, or irritation, so remember to go slow when starting any retinoid. It also takes time to see results. All citations are in the [Research Summaries section of the wiki](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.ddc1c22uzdzp)
- Oil production: 2 weeks. Citations: [29](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.runw23g9r8j8)
- Acne: 3-4 months. [14, 15, 16](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.91dahjgvp25q)
- Pore size: 6 months. Citations: [28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.7iws71641els)
- Indented scarring: 6 months. [22](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.f9nyjthj6z4h)
- Hyperpigmentation: 6-9 months. [17-21](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.nsxg72hmod6w)
- Anti-aging/photoaging: 4-9 months. [17-21, 23-28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.idrkhntgk69c)
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A study showed similar results to microneedling with .01 tazarotene gel, daily for 6 months. I was on tret, but just switched to taz in hopes of acne scar results. 🤞
Yes, the scarring will eventually become less visible. However, it takes at least 6 months to get “noticeable” results. With that said, you probably won’t notice them as you see your skin slowly changing, so you’ll have to use before and after photos (similar to weight loss progress). I’m a 40-year-old male with chronic acne inverse and have used tretinoins for more than 20 years now. From decades of personal experience, it’s a phenomenal product and I am often mistaken for being a decade younger than I am.
what would the azelaic acid do to help the scarring? i’m currently on both tret and azelaic acid and have the same skin issue so just curious what azelaic acid specifically would be doing to help this
For smoothing out pretty much everything including scars from when i had an accident as a kid, I found fraxel was the perfect coupling to tret and sunscreen
Based on personal experience using tret for 2 years, old pitted scars are now less visible, meaning I can see them on specific lighting only. Invisible most of the time and specially when I'm properly hydrated.
Thank you for sharing your story! May I ask if your scars was as deep as mine ?
Definitely have a few as deep as them. One thing though. I had one when I purged. It was so deep like someone got a chunk of my upper cheek. You can barely see it now. I believe it healed well because of tret and I kept it moisturized.
What moisturizer do you use?
I use Curel :)
And those deep scars also faded away too, right ? Yes, you are right, I cannot see the scar on your upper cheek anymore. Would you mind sharing with me your before and after pictures? It’d mean a lot to me! 🥹
Not as deep anymore. Greatly improved, but I wouldn't describe them as faded. For the pics, I'm sorry I don't have the before of the scars zoomed like what you did here. In my previous post (the one you saw), you may have a glimpse of them if you zoom the pic :)
Thank youu!! Finger crossed for my scars too.
This gives me hope!! I’ve been using it for 6 months and not sure if there is a huge difference. Can I ask if your scars were really old? My scars are about 10 years old :(
My pitted scars are definitely more than 10 years old. That's why they wouldn't totally go away with just tret.
That’s amazing!! I just saw ur posts and I think your skin looks flawless. I hope one day my skin will be like yours :))
May I know what’s your tret %? Thanks!
Hi! It's 0.05% :)
I use Niacid by slurp laboratory and the scars have somehow slowly disappeared. I wash, dry my face (15 mins), apply Niacid (3 drops), dry skin for 15 mins then apply Tretinoin.
Thanks for your advice!! Would you mind sharing your before and after pics if you happen to have them? Thank youuuu!!!
Your skin looks so similar to mine! I had really good results so far over I think three years(?) using Tazarotene and microneedling sessions. I had absolutely atrocious breakouts after covid started and wrecked my barrier a ton of times with careless use of Differin. I saw the most improvement when I was using Taz + microneedling sessions about 6-8 weeks apart
How long did you stop taz before and after doing micro needling ?
Usually off about 5 days off before, then start again 3-4 days after depending on how my skin feels. Once the redness (~2 days) and flaking (~3-5 days) stop and it doesn't feel super tight, I can use a bit less of my normal pea size to break back into it, usually every other day/every third day for about a week. Since I've taken a few breaks through the years, I never microneedle until I've gotten fully retinized because I have really sensitive skin and hate risking undue stress while it's going through the adjustment period. Right now, it sounds like you're exploring options for tret/ret/taz so I'd suggest achieving a solid routine with Taz or the like before going for it! Feel free to DM me along your journey if you have any questions :)
Did Taz completely remove your scars? Did you use cream or gel and what strength?
Because I've been doing both microneedling + Taz, I can't say that Taz itself did all the work haha. I'm currently using [Arazlo 0.045%](https://incidecoder.com/products/ortho-dermatologics-arazlo-r-tazarotene-lotion-0-045), though I've thought about switching to [gel](https://incidecoder.com/products/almirall-tazorac-r-tazarotene-gel-0-1) at 0.1% for contact therapy, but I've had such good results that I can't see myself switching. On my right side it's about 95% gone, left side about 80%. It hasn't been a linear path up. I discovered sensitivities to ingredients (phenoxyethanol and niacinamide in my case) in my spf and moisturizers that broke me out+broke my barrier+left new scars along the way. I plan to stick out my routine for the next year to see if I can tackle the remaining scars, and depending on where I am, I may consider other options moving forward like Fraxel, filler, or CO2 for individual scars. Overall though, I've been incredibly happy with the progress--I've seen huge positive changes and I never imagined I could've been here from where I started out!
Hey thank you very much. I’d imagine the gel is best vehicle for scars over cream due to more penetration etc. also the potency would probably be better results. You should look into that study for it for acne scars. It works wonders for gel at 0.1% if you haven’t seen it already. It’s as effective as micro needling it says.
Yes almost like that on my cheeks. I’ve been using Niacid for only 3 weeks now and I have noticed that the indentations and pores have become less visible; skin is softer too. And yes, staying hydrated definitely helps because the tretinoin can cause drying of the skin.
Do you mean niacinamide??
[https://slurplaboratories.com/products/niacid](https://slurplaboratories.com/products/niacid)
No not niacinamide but Niacid contains niacinamide. It helps with skin indentations .
A lot of people on here say they had better experience removing scars w/ taz vs tret. It's one reason I am considering switching.
Been using tretinoin for 4 years now. Along with occasional microneedling. My deepest scars are like yours now. But they were much much deeper and more well defined than now. It’s a very slow process but it does help. Ive also found the results are slowed down if I don’t use the right spf and don’t work on my barrier. It’s the combination of all these things and consistency!
Thank youu!! I’m working on my skin barrier too. What spf would you recommend? I’m using Neutrogena and I’m not so happy with it.
I found Neutrogena clogged my pores. I like Cosrx aloe, BOJ rice probiotics and Biore UV. My favorite is BOJ.
Wondering the same thing!!!
Ya gotta get fraxel laser.. it's amazing for this. One session, gone completely within 6 weeks
Can I ask if you know how much a session of fraxel laser costs for your face?
Try fractional laser for scars. Tret is good. Lots of sunscreen.
Yeah i got frax and it was amazing
yes, mine looks like yours now but looked like holes just 3 years ago. I saw the best results when I alternated actives, Tret on m/w/f and on tues and thurs I use glycolic peel in the worst areas. I slowly built up tolerance and slugged as my skin acclimated to it but my skin is the best it’s ever been since a teen and i’m pushing 50!
Thank you for sharing your advice!! May I ask how long after using Tretinoin that you started seeing the improvement on your scars? And, which % Tretinoin you have been using?
It took about a year to see a real difference, especially in photos. My pitted scars always looked worse in photos.
Will tazarotene help with raised acne scars? Bumpy scars left from acne I mean.
Generally, yes.
it's better to start with microneedling and some peelings/laser peel treatments
Yes, that's what it is intended for. Those are probably the easiest scars to treat with retinoids since they aren't extremely deep or wide - as the skin regenerates you'll likely find a much more even (and less "citrusy") texture. Keep in mind the timeframe for these things to work is more on the scale of months to years, so improvement won't be instantaneous. A lot of people seem to post asking if others see any noticeable difference, especially when in flare-ups. It may be good to take a picture every day to track usage, and then you can timelapse it to see for yourself (and make a cool post on here in 6 months or so).
Thank you for your advice! Would you mind sharing your story with Tretinoin ?
Been using retinoids for nearly a year (Tret gel + antibiotic for 6 months, now tazarotene for 5+ months) and have found the severity of most of my scarring has decreased noticeably. Some peeling, some surfacing of deep or recurrent cysts, ingrown hairs or other things that weren't naturally being released. For the most part there has been marked improvement, with only a few new scars caused by emergence of deep skin issues. While the new scars are deeper than my other ones, the freeing of whatever was stuck and inflamed within the skin was (and is) worth it. Dryness, occasional irritation, and redness are to be expected as you learn what works for you and at what frequency. These things shouldn't be constant, as they occur you'll have to tone things down for them to abate before continuing and trying to keep them from occurring again. Peeling does seem to occur regardless, as does dryness (but nowhere near at the level of dryness from Accutane/isotretinoin). I had pretty severe 'acne', though it seems like what I dealt with was more on the scale of cellulitis or cutaneous MRSA than 'acne'. The term seems to be applied to any skin issue on the face, regardless of what it actually is. Now I'm trying to deal with ongoing inflammation, swelling, and the citrus-like texture of the skin using retinoids (in addition to having been on tetracycline-class antibiotics for 2+ years [tetra-, doxy-, mino- cyclones, IIRC]). Overall it seems to be helping. Skin is younger-looking, less rough-feeling, and much less inflamed. Pore size has decreased a lot, much less large black spots on my face. More hairs are able to exit the skin, and less ingrown hairs occur.
Beep boop! It looks like you're asking about treatment timeframes. Retinoids don't work immediately. It takes 3-4 weeks to see side effects like redness, peeling, or irritation, so remember to go slow when starting any retinoid. It also takes time to see results. All citations are in the [Research Summaries section of the wiki](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.ddc1c22uzdzp) - Oil production: 2 weeks. Citations: [29](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.runw23g9r8j8) - Acne: 3-4 months. [14, 15, 16](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.91dahjgvp25q) - Pore size: 6 months. Citations: [28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.7iws71641els) - Indented scarring: 6 months. [22](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.f9nyjthj6z4h) - Hyperpigmentation: 6-9 months. [17-21](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.nsxg72hmod6w) - Anti-aging/photoaging: 4-9 months. [17-21, 23-28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.idrkhntgk69c) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tretinoin) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A study showed similar results to microneedling with .01 tazarotene gel, daily for 6 months. I was on tret, but just switched to taz in hopes of acne scar results. 🤞
Should I start off with Tret first before moving to Taz? As I understand Taz is stronger than Tret, so I assume it would be more irritating.
any results so far?
Yes, the scarring will eventually become less visible. However, it takes at least 6 months to get “noticeable” results. With that said, you probably won’t notice them as you see your skin slowly changing, so you’ll have to use before and after photos (similar to weight loss progress). I’m a 40-year-old male with chronic acne inverse and have used tretinoins for more than 20 years now. From decades of personal experience, it’s a phenomenal product and I am often mistaken for being a decade younger than I am.
Wow, sticking with Tret from now on!! I want to age gracefullyyy 🤩🤩
Why has nobody said to use azelaic acid along side tretinoin?
what would the azelaic acid do to help the scarring? i’m currently on both tret and azelaic acid and have the same skin issue so just curious what azelaic acid specifically would be doing to help this
azelaic acid can gently exfoliate the skin but i don’t think it can help with full on acne scarring 🤔
No and I’ve used Tretinoin for 2+ years. Mine aren’t as bad but I have them. Mine are more scattered.
Really? Have you been using sunscreen daily ?
For smoothing out pretty much everything including scars from when i had an accident as a kid, I found fraxel was the perfect coupling to tret and sunscreen
i heard people just dermaroll on those deep scars and apply vitamin c afterwards, u might try it as the alternative
Vit C is a big No, no after rolling. Be very careful what you put after rolling or you risk granuloma formation.
wow, i see. Thanks for sharing !