I have been using 0.25 percent for two years. I switch to 05 percent and use it at least once a day. I use good skin care too. So I am doing this at the medium level as everyday skin care. I still have lines and acne breakouts.
Great video! I also have the book, but I haven't read it yet. I believe his skin care philosophy is very effective, and it's the only thing that worked for me. Z. Obagi is very anti moisturizer because it affects the effectiveness of retinol products.
I agree on al fronts. I do use hydrators because I wouldn't be able to use high does tret without them and be seen in public 😂. He is definitely the most aggressive with skin restoration and the most effective.
Yes, Dr.Obagi is very anti moisturizer, his philosophy is a Health glow skin doesn’t need moisturizer 😂😂. That I think 99% of the Dermatologist don’t agree 😅
Last year, I did the aggressive protocol, for the full 5 months. However, I used the full regimen daily…GSR (Exfoliating cleanser, Dual Action Scrub, Oil Control Pads), Exfoliation Accelerator, Pigment Control, Pigment Control and Blending and 0.1% Tret. No moisturizer, no hydrating products, with the exception of DPD at night, per my aesthetician. I thought my face was going to peel off. But, I pushed thru and completed it. Let me tell you, it was rough but the results were amazing! My skin looked completely different. It definately works but it is not for the faint at heart. It is aggressive but you will definately see results.
Exactly! And true to Dr. Obagi's style. This is very intense and the more you are able to tolerate, the more incredible the results. Thanks, for sharing! ☺️
@@theocbeautymd You’re very welcome! I wish you luck. Once you see the results, you may want to do it again. Even though it was intense and I struggled, I plan to do it again after the first of the year 😁
@@theocbeautymd I only used once daily. My skin wasnt healthy enough in the beginning, as I went from no skincare to that ZO protocol. I have considered it tho for next time. I look back at my before and after and its insane how well it worked just once daily. I can only imagine how well twice daily would have turned out.
I started the medium program (1 gram of 0.1% Tret nightly) since 3 days ago, and my skin looks already even up and my under eyes wrinkles area is les thin. It's amazing! I can't believe it. I am planning to do it 5 months. Let's see how it goes. I just have a little bit of peeling around mouth and chin area but I wash it off gently with a cotton pad. Thank you for this routine Dr. Ania Marie.
I wish you the best of luck! Remember if it gets to be too much, you can always take a night or two off. I'd love to hear about your final results in 5 months! 🤗
Ok I’ve been on tret for 2 1/2 years. I can tolerate the highest dosage so I am trying this routine. Thanks so much for sharing. First night went fine no irritation yet but have been very diligent with spf this morning. Fingers crossed 🤞 it works out for me. Your skin looks so good
Very interesting program. You already look amazing Dr. Ania Marie! I hope the irritation gets better soon. I've got to try the Alastin products! I'm looking forward for your review when you complete program. Have a fabulous weekend!
Wow! So insightful, and I wish you the best of luck with this program bc there’s only so much my poor skin could tolerate haha. But ironically enough, I have a question about moving from alastin’s skin complex to their body product. I assume their body product has a higher concentration of the trihex tech (and at a better dollar value, tbh), so I was wondering whether you have any reason to advise against the switch for my facial skincare routine? My skin is generally receptive to most products/rarely sensitized, though I stay away from fragrance, and I would love to ramp up my alastin game. Any thoughts doc?
Stay tuned. I was about to answer you and I realized I have to double check the concentration in the body formulation. We think the same, I love Alastin for the TriHex and choose the products based on TriHex concentration. The highest concentration is in the nectar and I think I know about the other products but I don't want to mislead so I am double checking and will get back to you!
Wow, that’s amazing ! I have been on the fence since last year about doing this, and I always “chicken” out just before putting that much retin A on my face. I use the 0.5 cream. I also have the 0.1 gel but it really irritates my skin, even just using a pea size amount. I would love to get the pores reduced, maybe I should finally give this a go or at the very least increase the amount I use on a daily basis with the 0.5 strenth.
Yes, you definitely have to start slow and gentle and have very effective hydrators to protect the skin. You can also try applying a hydrator, then tretinoin and then a second hydrator (sandwich method) 🥪
Great video! You always talk about the most interesting skincare topics. I have only heard this method mentioned once, with the increasing/ double dose. The photos depict exactly what I would expect lol. I am trying to get to that point but I’m doing just a slow and steady incline. My method has been increasing the frequency to nightly before increasing the dose (currently tolerating 2 on, 1 off with .1% tretinoin. Is this how you think I should proceed or should I try high dose less frequent and slowly bump up frequency? Thanks for the fun video! Would love to see something about potentially mixing retinoids like adapalene in the am, tretinoin at night. I know it’s frowned upon but I’ve seen people mention it. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Thank you! ☺️ I definitely think increased frequency is better than increased dosing with less frequency. My skin was fairly well acclimated to a nightly retinol (alpharet) with tretinoin 2-3 nights/week or just a little mixed in with my alpharet before I embarked on this skin adventure. I think slow and steady is always a good idea. Though I must admit I was surprised how well my skin adjusted. I thought it was going to be much worse. I think protective hydrators are key! It's not a bad idea to add a less "heavy weight" retinoid in the am. Good thought 💡
@@theocbeautymd Doc, i always get them all mix up and its hard for me to tell the difference between retina, retinol, tretinoin. I just started use alpharet for the past 2/3 weeks and i love it. I was wondering if i should mix it with a little but of tretinoin at night so that it can work even better for my skin? I try using my husbands tretinoin 0.05 and my skin was just so raw. So i stop. Guess my skin is just too sensitive 🤷♀️. Now the alpharet OMG i am in love- i can already tell the difference in my skin texture and firmness in such a short amount of time. My question is can I use Alpharet night cream in the daytime also? I am currently using these at the moment for AM: SC ferulic Alto defense serum Interfuse face & neck cream Interfuse lines Alastin restorative neck complex for neck only neostrata triple firming neck only Cerave skin renewing day cream encapsulated retinol- on face and neck/chest Last is my 2 mineral sunscreen that i layer on What can i skip and keep in my AM routine. Is this AM routine too much? And advice would be much help Doc. What do you recommended? Thank you advance.. i am sorry if this is way too long 😬🙏🏻
@@sweetnalia I think your routine looks amazing! If you feel it's too much, you can alternate some days but I think it looks great. As far as alpharet, if you've only been using it 2-3 wks, I would stick to that for longer. You might use it nightly and if you want to spice things up, you can try the alpharet peel pads 2 times a week and see how that works for you. I wouldn't use alpharet in the am tho. Eventually, you could try adding a drop of tret into your alpharet and see how it goes.
@@theocbeautymd thank you 🙏🏻 Doc. I will take ur advice and continue. I am using my alpharet night cream every night. I just got the intensive Alpharetta night cream. I think I might try to alternate that every other night. Will definitely try the pads. Thank you Doc. Hope you Have a great weekend ahead😇
I doubt it. I think I am more likely to stay on a nightly tretinoin at a lower dose (typical pea size). I am really limited on what skin care products I can use right now because my skin is more sensitive. But if this give amazing results after 5 months then who knows!
Wow fascinating video. But i'm a little bit confused because a lot of derms here on youtube say that whatever strength of tretinoin you use, you will achieve the same results in the long run, so you don't really need to use high strength of tretinoin. What do you think about that? And also, have you noticed any benefits other than clean pores? More like anti aging benefits (firmer skin, less wrinkles etc...)?
I get why it's confusing! I think most derms are trying to cater to a wide audience and many people have sensitive skin. It IS true that even a tiny amount of tretinoin will have positive results on the skin but the effects won't be the same as they would be at higher concentrations. I think what a lot of derms are trying to convey, is that if you end up with a damaged skin barrier, redness and irritation at higher tretinoin doses, this will not serve your skin and you are better off using a lower concentration and keeping your skin barrier in tact and happy. Having said that, Dr. Obagi is known for aggressive and incredible results. It's not just the high dose of tretinoin but the hydrators used are critical because the skin barrier needs so much support at higher doses. And keep in mind, this is a temporary program, not a permanent routine. The high doses do have positive effects on the dermis that lower doses do not, but all doses have positive effects on the epidermis. In terms of what I see, yes, the pores, sebum reduction, hyperpigmentation reduction and more elasticity, so my wrinkles are not becoming static, they disappear when I don't animate. I haven't used any neuromodulators and I can see the skin becoming more springy and resilient I hope that made sense!
This is very helpful 😍 I’ve just started using tretinoin nightly and I find that I tolerate it well after using AlphaRet for about a year. One quick question on your routine, do you apply the skin nectar and tretinoin to damp skin? or would you dry it first with a face cloth? Thank you! 😍
Tretinoin always on dry skin. The nectar doesn't matter. It prevents water evaporation, but doesn't contain water itself (to protect the skin after procedures)
Yes, in fact the pigmentation group incorporated hydroquinone to this routine. I tried it but my skin could not tolerate it. Hydroquinone is really irritating for my skin. 😘
I am not using it now because my skin can not tolerate high does tret and hydroquinone. I usually use hydroquinone in the fall for 2-3 months when I use lower doses of tret. Right now I find the tret is really helping with the hyperpigmentation and I have added Eventone by skinbetter. It's a nonhydroquinone product for hyperpigmentation.
Nice video, I have tried tretinoin for a while with Agency. My skin didn't do well with the formulas. I used on and off till I cancelled Agency as the products were adding up. This last tret was 0.07 and even this using every other night game me a burning sensation and very dry peeling skin. I'm 78 not trying to look younger just trying to look the best that I can at this age and I guess tret's not it..
Thank you as always for the great content! I do have a question about the part you mentioned about the routine after the 4month high tret dose usage. Should the individual go to using retinol or can they still be on tret but use the recommended amount (pea size). I am asking this since I already use tret 0.05 five times a week and I wanted to try Dr. Obagi’s method and I wanted to know if I have to switch to retinol after this method or I can keep using my normal tretinoin? Thank you.
Yes you can absolutely go back to a pea size amount of tret. The goal is to reduce the side effects of tret by decreasing the amount used. Plus I think he is biased because his retinol is fire! It's like a prescription tretinoin.
Hi Dr. Ania! I’m starting to use tretinoin 0.5 every other night. Can I apply Olay moisturizer (containing high dose ofB3 & vitamin C) after tretinoin? You look beautiful as always ❤️
Good question. Someone else asked this too. So with this program, one has to be diligent about sunscreen and staying out of the sun altogether, ideally choosing winter time to do this. Also, it's fair to say that some of the product would degrade in light but when using such a high dose, the effects would still be significant. As opposed to a small amount of product at a lower concentration. That would have a more profound degradation effect.
Curious how you layered the skinbetter lines Following this high does regimen? I know you love trio by skinbetter did that product sting on this regimen. I have all the same products. Nectar, Restorative skin complex, ZO hydrating cream and trio wonder why those two Would sting your skin. Also can you tell me the differences between trio and boosting cream. Is it more or less hydrating than Trio? what is the texture like? Skinbetter website makes it seem like it’s a lighter moisturizer and texture and hydration and trio and I love that it’s loaded with ceramides which trio only has a two or three ceramides in their product so I was curious and maybe switching between the two just wondering your thoughts I do love nectar And the Zio hydrating cream Both feel very light weight very soothing and protective on the skin especially as you stated when your skin is on the sensitive or irritated side. Thank you for all the helpful information
The boosting cream is really that, a booster. So you can alternate the hydrators, depending on what your needs are. The texture is similar between both creams. In terms of hydration, I don't see much of a difference to be honest. The booster is very lightweight. I find that when my skin gets sensitive Nectar is the best choice, because it really is designed to help skin heal. The hydrating cream is also great because it is also designed for very sensitized skin.
Do you get a lot of these products for free. There products are so so expensive I don’t see how it would be affordable for most ppl to have so many of these products.
I would say that I get less than 20% of my products for free. I don't have sponsors and these companies don't pay me either. But I look at it as part of my work, to learn and understand these products really well so I can educate others and I love good skincare. Funny enough, otherwise I'm more of a minimalist.
Just to make sure... you said that in the moderate model you used 1 teaspoon (1 mg) or Tretinoin 0.1%? Thank you for the information. And, did you mix this amount of tretioin with moisturizer? Do you think couldn't be dangerous to mix medicaments since it could create hot spots? thanks again.
Glad you asked. 1 gram of 0.1% tret is approx 1/4 teaspoon. So I use 1/4 tsp nightly. I mix it with skin nectar which is very gentle but the sandwich method is just as good; first hydrator, then tretinoin then hydrator again.
@@theocbeautymd Thank you for your response. For me it is easier to mix the Tretinoin with the moisturizer/hydrator but my question is if this mix could create hot spots on the skin or it just fine? Thanks again.
Question: I have used tretinoin 0.1% for 3 years and my face would always breakout. Once I stopped it and started using Radical night repair my face cleaned up. Is it possible there was something in the generic brand of Retin-A I was using causing breakouts?
Yes, it's possible. There are many tretinoin formulations out there. Some are creams, some are gels, others are in microspheres. If you want to go back to tretinoin, try a different formulation.
Oh yes, all prescription tretinoin creams are comedogenic, Curology etc are comedogenic, microgel is full of silicones and is comedogenic. Only regular tretinoin gel formula (with alcohol, no microspheres) is acne-safe, but it is drying as hell.
I would say similar at the epidermis level but probably different at the dermis level. The RNR is VERY strong, as strong as tret - yes BUT at the epidermis level. This is because RNR is formulated to primarily work in the epidermis. Tret doesn't discriminate between epidermis and dermis so it may be more active in the dermis than RNR. That's my guess based on formulation mechanisms.
I would suggest laser resurfacing, chemical peels or RF micro needling. Alternatively you could have a few drops of dermal filler injected into the lines. And for skin care, tretinoin and sunscreen would be key
What an insightful question! I'll answer it two ways. 1. you would get many similar benefits but not all of them because tretinoin binds receptors in the cells and affects the DNA. A peel does not have a direct effect on the DNA but the irritation it causes to the skin makes the cells respond in a regenerative and reparative way. Ideally, if you condition the skin with tretinoin, then the skin can tolerate more aggressive peels than it would normally be able to tolerate.
@@theocbeautymd love it♥️. The peeling you mentioned took me all the back to when I purchased a series of six vitalize peels to remove old acne brown spots. I did them 4-6 weeks apart. The first 3 I peeled like crazy and then my skin would flake on some areas and peel in others. By the time I got to the 6th peel my skin only slightly flaked. So In my head I was thinking maybe my skin had reached its maximum potential with the skin medica peels. But love your answer ♥️
Hi Doc you use the tretinoin in the day and night during the duration this program? I always thought you can not use tretinoin during the day because it breaks down with sun exposure
No, I only use it nightly. I could not tolerate it twice a day, but who knows maybe I'll get there and give it a try. 🤓 In general, yes you are right, tretinoin degrades in light. This is why it's better to do these types of programs in the winter and be diligent about good sunscreen. I believe that even with some degredadation, if 1 gram of 0.1% is applied, there will still be a substantial effect on the skin. With lower doses (typical tretinoin use), it's likely that a more significant amount of the product would degrade in day light.
@@theocbeautymd thank you very much for taking your time to explain. I appreciated your videos so much. Please keep making them bc i keep rewatching them 😂. I love your videos… thank you Dr Ania. 😘
Yes, it seems very aggressive. However, I'm able to tolerate tretinoin and use the 5% every night mixed with the ZO pigment blender. I may try and increase the amount of tret and see how I do, since I'm not peeling at all with my night time regime. I will also add in the growth factor and hydrating cream to the mix. Did you say you use the tret am/pm?? Did you say you use 1/4 tsp of the tret? Thanks for sharing this!!
I use 1 g nightly, (1/4 tsp) of 0.1% tret. The aggressive group dosing was 1g morning and evening. That's too much for me. The general duration for the program was 5 months. My goal is 5 months. 😊
@@theocbeautymd One more question, please? I was always told not to use tretinoin in the am, only pm. So you're saying it's fine since I will be doing the more aggressive regime.:)
@@sandee5980 In general, tret should not be used in the day because it degrades in sunlight. So it would not be as effective in a daily am routine. This is more of an exception because it is not a permanent skin routine, it's a time limited program and the dose/concentration is SO high, that even if some product degrades, the effects will still be significant. It's also important to do this in the fall/winter when the sun is not as strong, to avoid the sun as much as possible and to wear very good sunscreen.
@@galato4234 You really need sunscreen in day light however if you want to minimize effects of blue light from screens, phones and tablets, you can use sunscreen even if your curtains are drawn.
1000%. This is. exactly what Dr. Obagi recommends. He believes long term use of tret is damaging because of the inflammation it causes so after 5 months of tret (max) you switch to retinol!
