If you’re in my Facebook community Skincare and Beauty 101, you may know that on June 26th we had a very educational live with dermatologist Dr. Mamina. I chatted with her about Dermatica, the online derm service she works for, and a wide array of interesting skincare topics. She was so knowledgeable and we are so appreciative that she took the time to share her expertise.

However, we also received a huge amount of questions! Because she couldn’t possibly get through all of them in time, the Dermatica team and their dermatologists have generously agreed to answer any that we didn’t cover in the live or received after. This blog will feature the answers I’ve received so far and I will do a part 2 with the rest.

Read to the end for a discount off your first 2 months with Dermatica.

This is not affiliate and none of my content with Dermatica is sponsored, I just feel strongly that tretinoin is a skincare staple and should be accessible to all.

Q&A Part 1

What are our top tips for starting a retinoid and managing side effects and working your way up in strength?

When you first start using prescription retinoids, you may notice your skin becoming red and flaky. Retinoids can also make your skin feel dry and tight as well as give you a burning, itching or stinging sensation. If you experience the above reaction, please do not worry, this is a normal response when starting retinoids. The steps below will help ease you into retinoid use and minimize your reaction. However, if you don’t have any of the above reactions it does not mean your retinoid is not working.

Steps you can take to minimize initial reactions:

• It is very important to remember that these side effects are worse during the first few weeks of your treatment and that they are entirely normal.

• If you do experience irritation from a retinoid, you can minimize this by using the product every other night until your skin starts to get used to it, which could take a few weeks.

• If the dryness, peeling and redness is too uncomfortable for you, try applying your moisturizer first, waiting 3-5 minutes for it to absorb, and then apply your retinoid treatment to your face.

• If your skin is extremely irritated after the first few days of treatment, take a few days off and do not use any medicated treatments until your skin settles down. Then, when you start using your retinoid again, apply as above, but wash it off after 60 minutes. Slowly build up the amount of time you have the treatment on your skin until you can keep it on overnight.

• Once your skin gets used to the treatment and you are applying it on a daily basis, you may start seeing improvements within a few weeks. However, it can take up to three months of regular use for the full effect of the treatment to be noticeable. So please be patient with your skin!

What is a good morning routine when using retinoids nightly?

When starting out it’s best to keep it simple. In the morning, gently wash your face, pat dry and apply a moisturizer of your choice and then your mineral/physical sunscreen SPF 30 or higher.

Can retinoids be used on alternating nights and still be effective?

Yes they can!

How would you introduce and use tretinoin in reactive rosacea skin?

At  Dermatica  we  don’t  recommend  this  as  it  can  be  irritating  to  the  skin.

Is  there  any  trick  to  successfully  use  tretinoin  on the  neck?

You  need  to  be  careful  when  using  tretinoin  on  your neck  because  the  skin  is  very  thin  and can  get  irritated  so  the  best  thing  is  to  go  slow. It’s  better  to  start  out  with  a  retinol  however even  that  can  be  irritating  before  using  tretinoin on  your  neck.  It  is  also  good  to  work  your way  up  and  only  apply  it  a  few  nights  a  week.

What  is  the  shelf  life  of  Dermatica  products?

Our  personalized  formulas  are  compounded  (meaning they  are  made  to  order  based  on each  patient’s  exact  skincare  needs)  in-house,  in our  pharmacy,  and  the  expiry  date depends  on  the  date  we  compound  the  cream  and  these are  based  on  stability  testing. We will  always  ensure  that  we  supply  you  with  treatment that  has  an  expiry  date  to  allow patients  to  use  the  treatment  for  a  minimum  of  28 days.

Is  there  any  ingredient  that  helps  with  red  and  brown spots  for  very  dry  skin?  Are  retinoids  or other  topicals  worth  for  hypertrophic  scars?

Red  spots  or  marks  can  develop  post  acne,  these  can fade  gradually  and  retinoids  such  as Tretinoin  help  to  fade  them  quicker. The  same  with  brown  spots,  post  acne  brown  spots  can fade  gradually  by  using  Tretinoin and  sometimes  it  will  be  good  to  add  Hydroquinone too  if  the  spots  are  due  to  sun exposure  or  melasma.

We don’t  offer  treatment  for  hypertrophic  scars,  these need  to  be  seen  in  person  by  a specialist.

Besides  tretinoin,  are  there  any  prescription  only topicals  that  are  helpful  for  photoaging?

Retinoids  such  as  Tretinoin  and  possibly  Adapalene are  the  gold  standard  for  photoaging treatment.  Our  topical  formulas  also  include  niacinamide and  azelaic  acid  as  they  have been  shown  to  be  helpful  as  well.

Thoughts  on  “purging”  and  whether  it  occurs  with  ingredients that  don’t  encourage  cell proliferation  or  exfoliation

Purging  can  occur  with  retinoids  such  as  Tretinoin and  Adapalene.  In  the  first  weeks  of treatment,  a  worsening  of  acne  may  be  observed,  including the  appearance  of  small  white.

Dermatica Discount

Interested in Dermatica? They have formulations with prescription medications like tretinoin and can address many concerns from acne to aging.

• Get 1 month free + 20% off the second month in the US
• Get 1 month free + 20% off the second month in the UK

* valid till August 31st, 2021

Have more Questions for the Dermatica team? Comment below.