I have overused retin a on the face about 10 years ago, which I regret
doing. I did this because I thought it would be a good acne treatment at
the time and I thought that my use of benzoyl peroxide had caused some skin
damage so I thought I was killing 2 birds with one stone, as it were.

I used one tube of the gel (I think it was 0.01% from memory but it might
have been 0.02%) all on the face until it was finished over the course about
about 3 or 4 months. I know have skin on my face that is like a 12 year
old's, but of course the skin on my neck and rest of my body has taken on
the normal path of ageing, which I think looks a bit strange.

Is it recommended to use retin-a on the whole of the body? Would it be a
good idea to use retin-a on the rest of the body in order to match the skin
on the face, or is there some way of reversing the effect of retin-a?

Which sort of professional might be able to advise on this sort of issue?

Craig wrote:
A dermatologist of course. Unfortunately, like
most professionals their knowledge
and ability varies enormously. To find a good one
takes a lot of time and effort.

Good luck!

Is the skin on your face clear now? I'd at least be thankful of
that.

From what I've read, you can use retinoids (such as Retin-A) on any
part of your skin (except for the eyes, nose, ears, mouth etc).

Be careful that you don't apply too much over a large percentage of
your body or you could suffer a vitamin A overdose from your skin
absorbing it all. (Retinoids are a derivative of vitamin A.)

____
Cheers,
Paul Michaels
Fort Lauderdale, FL
www.AcneTreatmentJournal.com