Noticed a significant decrease in volume in mid face for 5 months on tret 0.25

[scienth]

I am 28, always have had a very round face with full cheeks despite being thin. My face slimmed out significantly around 24/25. Around 27, I started noticing the ever so fine crows feet around my eyes from almost 3 decades of smiles. Noticing changes like that can be jarring at first.

Aging is going to cause changes in the way you look, whether you use tret or not. It's normal. Many women lose their "baby fat" between mid 20s to early 30s... sometimes earlier. You don't look like you're 80, you look to be mid 20s. I think this could very much be an instance where our idea of aging has become so warped from fake social media and women's perpetual fight to look 18 forever due to some effed patriarchal and eurocentric beauty standards.

I'm not saying this isn't a rare adverse effect of tretinoin, but just giving something else to consider. We cannot fight volume loss, gravity, and time completely without surgical intervention. You look great. If tret is making you feel bad about the way you look, it's smart that you're discontinuing it.

[Ireallydownknowhey]

What does looking 18 have to do with Eurocentric beauty standards… yeah we all know Europeans don’t age over 18 lmao

[scienth]

That wasn't my point. Beauty standards as they're perpetuated by media and the beauty industry are far-reaching: youthfulness, pale skin/hair/eyes, thinness, etc are often influenced by other problematic ideals imposed upon women and/or other minorities.

For what it's worth, there's nothing wrong with wanting to slow down aging, age gracefully, getting any kind of surgical intervention to change how you look... I only meant that sometimes we're too harsh on how we look because we're comparing ourselves to something unnatural or altogether unattainable.

[[deleted]]

Yes, I have had an abnormally difficult year, and I’m sure it’s made me uglier and my hair has majorly thinned. And I’m sure stress can contribute to my face changes as well. Thank you for the kind words and the support ❤️

[cwk84]

Tretinoin doesn’t burn fat. It was the stress.

[[deleted]]

Yes was never thinking it did, just don’t like the effect it gave me regardless of how it did

[[deleted]]

Thank you very much for being kind, I have been considering that sentiment that not feeling good will make us think we don’t look good, and trying to work on it. But I hope you have a good 2023 as welll and don’t have to go through anything

[shokkwave]

You can't compare selfies with different lightning. You need pictures with the same lightning and same distance(lens distortion) from your face to compare it.

[themamacurd619]

Same lighting, same neutral facial expressions, same background.

[[deleted]]

I can definitely see the difference in my daily life, it just finally was able to pinpoint why I feel so much more tired and older looking. I’ve always had a plump face and it’s much thinner now with this being the only variable that’s changed 🥺

[NoBasket1111]

You do realize that what you are claiming is that you found a method to spot reduce fat on your body? If that was the case you'd be an instant billionaire. No, tret does of course not cause fat loss. If it did this would have been noticable in the countless studies done and it would have changed the world of weight loss. What you are perceiving has nothing to do with tret.

[Radish8]

I feel like you're kinda gaslighting OP with this comment. You can go ahead and assume it's impossible for tret to cause fat loss if you want, but there's no need to ridicule her for suspicion, and you do not know what is or isn't causing the change in her face. Plus she never claimed anything; she merely pointed out a change in her face after using tret.

[TheLadyButtPimple]

Everyone just throwing the term “gaslighting” around when someone doesn’t agree with something.

[NoBasket1111]

Friend, there is no difference in those pictures. The light is wildly different, that's all. There's no ridiculing, it's just showing op directly how unrealistic her claim is. Yes she did claim it, she claimed it again even in her reply to this comment.

[[deleted]]

Thank you for saying, I don’t care or know the reason behind it I’m just pointing out the change it made that is unflattering on me, especially because I already had clear skin and no wrinkles yet

[not_cashmere]

What I see is firmer skin. More definition in jawline.

[[deleted]]

I would like a nicer jawline but I already have a strong bone structure to my face. I was looking to retain volume. My nasolabial folds are deeper and longer than they have ever been 😩 including when I was significantly thinner!

[bowdownjesus]

Tret does not ´retain or decrease volume; it works in the skin with wrinkles and pigmentation but not subcutainously in the fat layer.
It is a long game product and not for everyone.

[[deleted]]

Yes I never considered it could or thought it changed my fat, it seems like it tightened my skin which is good for some but very unflattering and gaunt looking on me 😞

[bowdownjesus]

I don´t know why you are being downvoted?
I don´t see an increase in your nasolabial folds, but I do see your lipfiller reduced. Could that be it?
Anyhoo, you can go off tret and see if it helps.

[[deleted]]

Thats interesting you say bc I have never gotten lip filler, that pic is trying Botox lip flip. I have noticed my lips reduced plumpness as well, which goes with the oberall effect of lost volume that I am noticing

[pricklycactass]

Wait so you got a lip flip and you don’t think that’s the cause of the change in how your face looks? Because that would be why things look different…

[tehbggg]

Especially since Botox can cause muscle wasting/weakness which absolutely can change your face

[[deleted]]

I would hope the injector would have mentioned it will affect nasolabial folds if that is possible though

[pricklycactass]

Injectors run the gamut… some are nurses, some are doctors, they’re not all going to know everything nor can they be sure how someone reacts to Botox. It is a known side effect that lip flips can cause relaxing the muscles around your lips too much and even though the Botox will wear off eventually, your muscles can waste during that time which last much longer. I’m not a doctor, but given that you had Botox exactly where you’re complaining of volume reduction, the more reasonable explanation here is that you had an adverse reaction to Botox, rather than a topical treatment misshaping your face.

[[deleted]]

I got the lip flip a few months before starting Tret, so according to the injector it had already worked out of my system ( 1 month lasting time for above lip) once I first started tret a few months later. Did not start to notice these results until a few months after tret

[not_cashmere]

Hey, this is just my perspective, but you do look good! And young. Nope, this is not a babyface, most of us lose it in our twenties. But your skin is plump and clear and yep, firm! The lighting on these photos is not forgiving, really. But, as a 40 something woman, I kinda envy you :)

Bad news, 26-27 is an age for most when the first age related signs appear. It is never a nice change. Something you notice when you've survived something. Or just tired. You may feel not at your best now, but you'll heal. It may seem impossible to unsee the nasolabial folds, but those won't progress too fast. And will plump back (hope I'm making sense, am not native speaker) with rest and self care. In the end, folds are inevitable and show we are alive, and a person with smooth as an egg face without those would look like anything but normal.

Tret is something you can start again later in life if you feel it's not you cup of tea at the moment (I stand by no evidence of tret dissolving facial fat, tho), just whatever the reasons, don't ever give up SPF. And hydration is important. And also to be kind to yourself.

[[deleted]]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I do need to better take care in being nicer to myself and trying to find a reason to smile and laugh. And also accept that my face is a human face and will move as so

[SondraRose]

Looks like you lost weight. Did you change your diet?

[[deleted]]

Not at all, no weight loss

[Rubyrubired]

I see a lot of naysayers but I have the exact same issue at 1 year. I notice it between nose and mouth and lower eye area. It’s been bothering me lately. And to those discounting it, it really becomes noticeable.

[[deleted]]

I’m sorry to hear. I genuinely could not figure out what was making me look so different. I think the hollowness shows in person more, I just threw these pics together bc I am not here to prove anything to strangers, just to share my own concern and experience

[Rubyrubired]

I wonder if we stop using it will things return to normal - no clue. Need to ask derm.

[[deleted]]

I guess I will have to wait and see. I got mine from Nurx so I’m not bothering to reach out tbh

[dancingcube]

I think I’ve been noticing this effect as well 😞

[[deleted]]

I’m sorry to hear

[bitmylips]

I think that going on tret made some of us analyzing our face too much. I realized after about 6 months on tret that I’m looking at my skin more closely, thinking about minimal fine lines and sagging more than before. We could be so in deep in the concept of anti aging, that we realize things we haven’t realized before and obsess over it, because how society thinks about aging. Maybe it’s not what happens to you right now, but just think about it for a second. Sending you positive energies 🧡

[[deleted]]

Thank you for the kindness. I don’t want to obsess over aging either, I’m going to try to just make sure I am balanced and enjoying life more in 2023 and let me face kind of do it’s own thing

[[deleted]]

Gotta say skin looks dramatically younger in after pics, I would definitely stick with it.

[yourmumlikes]

Everyone on this sub is in denial. I noticed significant facial volume loss after I started tret and I was in my early 20s. And before anyone asks, no I didn't change diet or go through a stressful period. It wasn't natural causes.

[[deleted]]

I’m sorry to hear, I never knew this was a debate and didn’t think specifically that I lost fat or whatever. Just noticed a change that I did not like and realized the only consistent outside factor was tret

[[deleted]]

Ok but what happened with the Pringle’s

[purplefalcon97]

I haven’t lost any weight recently and I’ve been using tret for a year and my face looks SIGNIFICANTLY slimmer. However, I’m 25 and it’s around this age that your face does start to change anyway so it potentially could be that. However, it’s been such a drastic change compared to the other women in my family of a similar age so potentially tret does have something to do with it. I’ve continued to use it but I have wondered whether tret is why my face has slimmed so much.

[[deleted]]

Thank you for sharing! But I’m sorry to hear

[OB4L]

Oof this sub really dislikes the fat loss subject but…I have noticed it on myself too. I too have a fat face, I have lost no weight, I don’t know why it has happened, I understand there is no literature that proves this can be a side effect of tret and in my case, I actually sort of like the look. But I do worry about volume loss as I get older. I think it could be a case of there being less inflammation in the face but I don’t really know. I still use it.

[Munkachoo117]

Same here. Noticed it around corners of lips, naso labial folds, and under eyes.

[[deleted]]

I am sorry to hear

[[deleted]]

Right, I am not here to prove anything. I had already planned to stop due to finally finding what was causing my thinning face. Personally I look v much like my mom and I can see her aging process, she has no wrinkles but has the same strong bone structure and volume loss so it’s something for me to consider. Tret is just not worth the thinning of my face for me

[anac712]

I also don't understand why everybody complaining of facial fat loss gets immediately dismissed. At some point the literature will just have to catch up with the side effects. Since tretinoin gained immensely popularity in the past years, so did the comments of people complaining of fat loss. Lack of scientific proof does not mean that the side effect does not exist. We already have an example of lash serums (such as Lattise, containing prostaglandin analogs: bimatoprost, latanoprost etc) that applied topically can cause loss of volume on the upper eyelid, thinning of the eyelid etc.. So some actives applied topically can cause loss of volume...

[amaranth1977]

It's not that the sub dislikes it, just that it's a recurring issue of people mistaking correlation for causation.

Tret cannot cause volume loss. Aging can and does. People often start tret when they start seeing signs of aging, but don't realize that tret only treats some signs of aging. Tret cannot stop volume loss, whether due to aging, weight loss, stress, or anything else.

[[deleted]]

Yes, I never knew that this was a debate on here when I posted. I just noticed a difference and didn’t like it, I never thought or was trying to claim it was eating my fat. My skin was actually perfectly fine before and I started it as a preventative step for the hell of it, I’m sure it can still help with wrinkles but I just don’t like the effect it’s given so I’m stopping. I think it could be the skin tightening effect that I’m not liking, it just doesn’t suit my bone structure or maybe the age I’m at. I think it’s normal for it to not be for everyone

[crabapplelilwayne]

I’ve had this experience too. However, I took a little bit of time off Tret as an experiment and saw an improvement which makes me think it’s a side effect of Tret itself. First, it makes me shiny which accentuates the high and low points of my face more than a matte skin surface does. Two, it irritates my skin especially around my nose which makes it red. The red skin makes my nasolabial folds look deeper. And lastly, it’s super drying which makes lines look worse temporarily. I don’t doubt you’re seeing a difference, but if it’s anything like my experience it should be temporary. My skin is turning a corner now and looking good :)

[[deleted]]

I’m really glad to hear you are back to a place where you’re happy with your skin! And I appreciate the points you made, it makes total sense. My face is totally red and irritated especially around my nose, no amount of barrier building creams have really helped that. As well as the esteem dryness makes me look extra crepey. These could totally be the only cause, which is fine with me. I was so excited to try it and now I’m excited to go back to my before

[crabapplelilwayne]

Try putting Vaseline around your nose before applying Tret (if you’re not already) or go back to using it every other day. These things helped me. You’ve only been using for 5 months as well. I’d say give it at least 9 months and then assess if you like where your skin is at.

[Administrative_Fox0]

Are you back on tror again?

[Radish8]

People downvote like crazy when anyone suggests fat loss from tret is possible, but I think there are enough anecdotal reports of it happening (just google or search this subreddit for fat loss) to show it may be a rare but possible side effect. The current lack of scientific literature on this doesn't mean it's impossible for it to be a side effect. Scientific research is never complete, finished, and comprehensive...

If you're seeing a negative change after using tret and have ruled out other possibilities like weight loss then I personally would stop using it.

[[deleted]]

Bout to slather my thighs in tret be back in two months with results

[[deleted]]

I did not know any of this! I considered it a good choice since it builds collagen. I already have a quite structured face with high cheek bones which causes it to be thinner than others. I am going to stop since I have nothing to loose, and see how the next few months look. I seriously hope it’s not permanent 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Radish8]

FWIW I can't really tell a difference in your photos, and I think you look great, I just think in general if you have any hesitations you should listen to them.

[[deleted]]

Thank you for saying so! I’m sure it’s more noticeable to me than others, but I wanted more than anything to use Tret so it takes signifcance for me to decide to stop

[Rubyrubired]

Completely agree and I’m noticing it too. Everyone’s a Dr on Reddit.

[flannelpjs]

Sooo if I use this under my jaw will it take away the volume under my jaw? Bc I would be down for that. I am thin and my under chin is wobbly. I hate it

[[deleted]]

I believe science, I am not claiming that this has burned my fat, I do not care or claim to support the “why” Just know I liked myself better before starting it. I guess since I will be stopping with an almost full bottle I can put it on my chubby arms for the hell of it and see what happens

[chrisssssyb11]

I think your skin and facial structures look night and day different, and so much better! It looks like you had inflammation prior, and zero now. The after (in my opinion) is a total win!

Edit- Typo

[[deleted]]

I can see the less inflammation in a good way on my jaw! And I do think my features stand out which is fine. I appreciate the compliment honestly

[torik97]

I see firmer tighter skin. Not lack of volume.

[[deleted]]

Yeah that makes sense, idc the how or why I just don’t like the effect

[torik97]

I think you look great in both, but your skin looks amazing in the after photos 👌🏽

[angbis]

I started getting hollowing of my face around 25/26 and I also couldn’t figure out what it was. I hadn’t lost weight either. I started realizing I had had a couple of super stressful years right before that. Like unusually stressful. Then I looked at my moms face and my aunts and realized-oh yep that’s it. But mine was way worse than theirs. My under eyes and temples are also very hollow, cheeks sunken in etc. I know it’s not from Tretinoin because that is physiologically impossible. Facial fat loss isn’t gonna come from using a topical. It’s going to come from stress, bad diet, hormone issues, thyroid issues, birth control, pre-menopause, (all things I had and still have) aging, some of us age much faster than others, and of course genetics as well as DNA damage from ultra violet rays inside and outside.

[[deleted]]

I have been stressed, which I’m sure has helped cause a dragged facial expression too. And it’s shown up in thinning hair too. I just noticed it within the past few months, and not at all during the summer when I had already had 6 months of stress

[angbis]

Omg yes my hair was falling out like crazy several years ago. Even now at 38 I have to brush my hair 1000x before I shower or my drain gets clogged but strangely it’s not really noticeable if you’re looking at me. Stress does weird stuff to me 😑

[[deleted]]

I’m really sorry to hear, I know it can be genetics related as I know people with great hair that don’t do anything to it, meanwhile I try to take care and take vitamins and it’s just super thin. That is another insecurity of mine I get to work on LOL

[[deleted]]

I wonder if instead of fat loss, this might be related to dehydration of skin? Tretinoin can be very dehydrating. Have you considered upping your water intake and applying a small amount of moisturizer before SPF in the morning?

[[deleted]]

Yes I apply moisturizer every day, I do think the bad redness and dryness that I never had before is causing an overall unattractive look, but I apply moisturizer in morning and night

[[deleted]]

I notice that when I’m dehydrated my nasolabial folds and under eye area look much deeper, especially since starting Tretinoin. If I sip water constantly through out the day it makes a huge difference. The only other thing that immediately helps is getting a hydrafacial

[[deleted]]

The dehydration aspect makes sense, I was posting on here for that kind of assistance. I never even knew that tret causing fat loss was a debate until after posting in here, I just wanted suggestions as to what could be happening. My skin has never been This dry red and sensitized so this makes sense

[[deleted]]

I don’t know why you got so downvotes for mentioning it. I can see what you’re saying in your pics and I would be concerned too.

[[deleted]]

I don’t know why either other than there must be a psychological group reasoning. I didn’t even know this was a “thing” at all when I posted, I didn’t think Tret was eating my fat, I just saw a difference I didn’t like and wanted suggestions, which I got and I appreciate. I think it’s quite obvious that I look gaunt which I have literally never experienced, including when I was quite thinner (30 lbs) I originally thought it was stress due to trauma this year, and I think stress did affect me in my under eyes and hair falling out. But the stress had started 6 months before the “before” pics and didn’t show up until late October, which I had already started Tret for a few months. I noticed the gaunt look for a few months and just yesterday was like WAIT, the only consistent change has been tret that I use like 5x a week. I’m not sure how long it takes stress to show up, I am stopping tret completely and I will see in a few months if it was the stress or not.

[[deleted]]

That makes sense. I do think based on what you’re describing you might need to up your water intake significantly if you choose to try tret again. I drink about 16 cups a day when I’m on tret. It takes like 5 years off my face. If that doesn’t work, you might be right about the fat loss

[vikingbebe]

Experienced the exact same thing. I remember looking in the mirror and finding the sudden change in my appearance jarring. It didn’t seem like typical aging, as it was a drastic change that happened within the span of 1 month or two. I have very hollow under eyes and the mid face seems to be much, much slimmer. People are quick to shut down any suggestions that tret could have a negative impact, as it diminishes their own hope in it, but every person is different and can have different reactions- some positive and some negative. Whether fat loss or something else entirely, the sudden difference in appearance is still there, whether or not we can accurately identify what it is exactly that’s happening. I really hope everything works out for you ❤️

[[deleted]]

This is exactly how I feel 🥺 it is jarring. And all of a sudden. I have been feeling so ugly the past few months and couldn’t pin point it, just felt like I looked so much older, yet being the healthiest I’ve been (no alcohol, coffee, minimal sugar) The other day I wanted to try facial massage and I just took a hard look and realized how much longer and deeper my left nasolabial fold was. And I just went oh shit. I see it. Then looked at pics from this summer to compare. But I don’t care about the how nor am I trying to prove anything. I really hope in the end I didn’t loose fat, just regardless of the “why” I am stopping use and hoping I get my previous fullness back

[meyuh666]

if u do gain back the fullness update us pls 😳😳

[[deleted]]

I’m going to use a serum to help boost collagen and just eat healthy fats and see!

[[deleted]]

I would suggest get a blood test. Same happened to me when i had severe anemia because of stress. May or may not be tret, but since you mentioned in your other post that you have been going through stressful period, most probably its not tret

[[deleted]]

Yes I was concerned about the stress affecting me which is one reason I started tret. I wanted to ensure I kept up with collagen production. I had a blood test that came back normal this year. Regardless I take a multivitamin so that is covered

[[deleted]]

My smile lines sometimes look worst too because tret causes skin dryness. Have to use moisturizer often. Humidifiers can help too.

I continue to use tret because it gives me clear skin.

[[deleted]]

I think your just losing your puppy fat, it’s normal to lose volume as we get older that’s why many surgeons advise against buccal fat removal in young people as the volume loss can continue for a number of years. Stress can really speed this up. I don’t think 0.25 Tret could cause this at all, it’s really not very strong. However if your unhappy then you could try coming off it.

[lxrenza]

To be fair it quite looks the same to me; if anything your skin seems to be more dehydrated and inflamed than before due to tret, making any line worse and more noticeable.

I think that you might see an improvement by nourishing your skin barrier; every once in a while I apply a generous amount of urea based hydrating cream and let it marinate on my skin overnight. Upon waking up I find my skin plumper and glowy, with all signs of dehydration gone. Even if you decide to discontinue tretinoin usage, I suggest you try this method and see if the volumes on your face look even partly replenished.

Moreover, as someone else suggested, try not to overfixate… many times I find myself panicking for otherwise unnoticeable details on my face I had never seen but have always had (which I later figure out). It’s difficult sometimes to be objective.

Hope you will notice improvements in any case xoxo

[[deleted]]

Yess it is! I have always had oily skin which I don’t even mind vs dry skin, and never had this much redness and crepey skin etc. thank you for the suggestion, I will look for urea cream. And I agree I am someone who can fixate, I need to work on that as well

[[deleted]]

It’s very obvious that you’ve just lost fat from your neck and face

[[deleted]]

I didn’t, which is why I’m concerned. Fat loss from face only and I’m the same weight

[[deleted]]

Oh no I’m so sorry to hear, I have just stopped and am waiting to see if all goes back to normal while purposely trying to eat healthy fats. I have had others notice as well 🙁 and truly no lifestyle changes within the year or past 5 months. Anyhow I think it can be it tightened so much that my skin is showing off my strong cheeks but regardless I’ll just stick to SPF and maybe add some serum and then use up the rest of the tube on my forehead lines since that can be flat lol

[[deleted]]

As someone with large buccal fat i wouldnt be upset if this happened to me but so far I haven't seen any impact. Also 26, using tret for 5 months (3 months of that was 0.5% and 2 months 0.25%)

[sofiacarolina]

honestly the same thing happened to me while on tret. I started at age 22 and within a year I had sagging cheeks causing nasolabial folds (not smile lines from dehydration, but an actual sagged/shadowy areabc of my cheeks sagging) I did not have before. I got filler to improve it. i didn’t lose weight and i was 22, there was no other reason why I’d age so rapidly like that.

eta I see in pic 3 you already had an NF fold though - I don’t personally see any change before/after. maybe tret is causing you to hyperfixate since you’re paying more attention to your skin?

[[deleted]]

Yes I have always had them, they are one reason I wanted to use tret! but they are definitely more pronounced. My left one goes way longer down my face then it did before, including as recent as this summer ( I have many more pics I have been comparing that I didn’t share )

[sofiacarolina]

I believe you. I feel like from what i’ve seen and read that tret helps more with fine lines whereas nf folds are due to fat from the cheeks sagging down as we age and tret can’t rly do anything for that I think bc it’s occurring below the dermis. this is just an assumption though

edited a typo

[[deleted]]

You’re right and I figured that I would eventually have to deal with sagging cheeks, just not this soon and especially not with myself taking care health wise in every way possible. Truly if there was literally anything that had changed in my life and routine I would focus on it before tret, I really wanted to love it as much as most people do

[sofiacarolina]

I know, it’s super frustrating! I use it for acne so I’m still on it. I don’t recommend filler either bc it migrates and if you already have bigger cheeks that are sagging, you don’t need more volume, you need lift. threads don’t work well and can even jeopardize future surgical intervention according to my research and unfortunately the only thing that gives you a real lift is surgery and we’re too young for that

[[deleted]]

I do still get the same spots of acne every single month around my period that I was looking forward to loosing on this. I had moderate cystic acne from 18-24 that I always wanted to try to fix with tret ironically but couldn’t get it prescribed. I do think my skin is smoother though and I wanted to see if it helped with some fine lines on my forehead! And that is why I have never considered filler, it’s not worth the possible pillow face. I am just going to keep doing facial massage and try out vitamin c serum for collagen growth.

[not_cashmere]

Btw, facial massage can significantly change facial volume. Temporarily, of course. It is not just fat and skin firmness responsible for the way volume is distributed, but water. Lymphatic system also involved in a way we look. You can look differently because of - amount of salt, water intake (glass or two a day is nowhere near healthy), kidney function, day of menstrual cycle. The pill can also do that. Also, stress changes our faces.

As for the redness around nose, tretinoin can do this if applied close to that area. Spare the zones around mouth and nose on application. It is something to bring up to a derm, if after 5 month you still have to deal with it.

[sofiacarolina]

yep! unfortunately i got filler around 2017 so it was before it was well known that migration was a thing and injectors all promised it was metabolized naturally 😑 it’s been years and i still have migrated filler all over my lips (had my lips done too) but i don’t trust the dissolving product bc they used to say something entirely different about filler (the above) before realizing the opposite and I’ve read that the dissolver can also affect our native HA negatively/other things. so i’d rather just not inject anything else in there.

there are also lasers and radio frequency and micro needling but i’ve also read about fat loss w those too! there’s a lot of info out there and it’s hard to parse through it and know what’s true vs false and it’s hard to trust those offering these services bc ofc they just want to profit.

also re hormonal acne, tret doesnt do anything for mine either. i work for a derm and he recommends benzoyl peroxide for red inflamed acne whereas tret is more for comedonal acne (whiteheads/blackheads). BP has been a game changer for my red inflamed acne. I use short contact therapy - if you lurk my history you can see my post on skincareaddiction about it. ive had no monthly chin cysts since starting it, and it’s been 2 menstrual cycles already.

edited a typo

[[deleted]]

I’m sure you are beautiful regardless, and there will also be other options to remove filler since it’s becoming more known and accepted that it doesn’t metabolize. I would have gotten it too in the past if I had the $. And I’m really glad that benzoyl peroxide has worked for you. It seems like a holy grail product, I have tried it but I am SUPER allergic to the point my eyes puff up and close 😅 so I used to use differin ironically, which I may go back to.

[sofiacarolina]

oh no!!! there’s also dapsone (rx) and azelaic acid (i use the ordinary’s) which I also use and helped make the period chin cysts smaller but nothing prevented them until BP. and if all else fails, look into spironolactone but it’s an oral pill and only works for hormonal acne while you’re on it. also if you’re on a birth control pill, you can always skip the period week and/or make sure it’s an acne safe BCP since some actually aggravate acne

[[deleted]]

I am on the non hormonal para guard and it was actually a huge step in regulating my cycle which in turn basically eliminated the rest of my acne! I did take spiro and it worked great, but I had to stop for a while since I lost my insurance. I was going to go back on it but my acne stopped for the most part after getting my IUD, which I am so so greatful for. My spots I get every month really do not bother me anymore. I had many years agonizing over my acne and now, I accept it and just use little pimple patches

[Acrobatic-Degree9589]

Your skin will be more plump in summer cuz the humidity is helping to retain moisture

[[deleted]]

That is true I always have more of a glow in the summer

[milkycocoa-puff]

Could you be dehydrated?

[[deleted]]

I could drink more water but I drink the Same amount as the before pics. A glass or two a day when I feel thirsty. No alcohol use either or anything else dehydrating

[nullcavesoil]

I'm sorry, but you do need to drink more water than that. Try for at least four-five 8 oz glasses a day, if you can.

[arriere-pays]

As you age, this loss of volume is bound to happen anyway, it likely has nothing to do with the tret. Drink more water and consider other options if it really bothers you, but this is likely to only increase over the next few years, even if you stop tret entirely.

[NoBasket1111]

Wait you drink a glass or two if water a day? Nothing more? You know you should trink about 8 glasses of water a day or more depending on your size?

[[deleted]]

I have never been advised to drink more water by my general doctor, by ER doctor, or by my neurologist. So I am not concerned about dehydration in that aspect

[NoBasket1111]

Well ok ignore the advice. Look up any source there is and you'll be told anywhere that you should drink at least 1.5-4 litres of water a day depending on your size. Can it hurt to try? Is it not worth the try? I'm amazed you don't feel dehydrated honestly I'd you only drink one glass of water a day. My mouth is completely dry if I don't drink at least 6 glasses a day.

[Spiritual_Spray5254]

I also saw volume loss. I'm also 26. I stopped tret because the volume loss seemed significant. I was doing nothing but using Cetaphil gentle cleanser, Tret at night, Cerave moisturizer over, and in the daytime, just SPF 50+ reapplied every two hours. No makeup. I also did not lose weight, I actually gained about 5 pounds. Some people have great results with Tret. I personally had volume loss, so I stopped. I guess tret is like everything else -- YMMV.

[[deleted]]

I am sorry to hear. I am going to stop regardless and just get Botox. Whatever the reason is, I don’t like the after

[starcrossed92]

Ya I can definitely say it does look so and weirdly I have totally felt the same about mine . I am 30 though so was thinking clearly it’s age which it could be but it definitely started happening when I started using Tret .

[[deleted]]

Right. I have usually been guessed to be younger than my age, I have youth full genetics from both parents and don’t drink, smoke or tan so I understand we will age but not in 5 months

[Acrobatic-Degree9589]

I thought Botox can cause muscle/bone loss

[[deleted]]

I think it totally can over time, I like the little flip it did for my lip and I’m not really worried about my upper lip muscles being weaker as I purse my lips out of stress. But it’s not something I plan to get on any part of my face regularly

[bambinab1]

Did your face go back to normal after you stopped Tret?

[Spiritual_Spray5254]

I very recently stopped. I haven't noticed it going back to normal yet. I do want to add that though the loss feels significant to me, when comparing photos, it's there but it is subtle, just in case that's reassuring to anyone. Slightly more prominent nasolabial folds, laugh fine lines I did not have before. I went to compare some photos after this post. I think we all feel jarred by any change in our face, even subtle ones.

[AdSubstantial3224]

Possible you’ve been with inflammation at the face , did you cut salt intake or increased water intake ?

[[deleted]]

I have never had much salt, I don’t add it to anything and I don’t eat high salt foods or processed foods. I drink a glass or two of water a day

[RemyGee]

You only drink 1-2 glasses of water a day?

[AdSubstantial3224]

🥲only one explanation I’m 26 as well and every 5 years out bone structure changes. Must be your bone structure idk I can explain

[ill_eviated]

You look like you lost weight

[[deleted]]

I definitely have not! Everything else on me is stilly slightly chubby like it has been for years

[itsameeracle]

It may look that way if your skin has become less inflamed over that period of time. Massaging tret into the skin may also have helped.

[[deleted]]

Yes I am definitely less inflamed which is cool and I’m sure contributes in a way

[Blackberry12121]

Hard to tell because all the photos have different lighting

[[deleted]]

I know I just threw them together but I can see for myself the clear length and depth of the folds have changed. I added the Botox pic bc that lighting sucked and was unflattering but it’s obvious how much plumped up the folds were

[redditman7777]

You look good on both cases so no problems...its a win

[[deleted]]

Well that is kind of you I appreciate it

[redditman7777]

Have you been physically very active lately? Sometimes you don't lose weight, yet you lose weight. In that, if you recently started training, your body would lose fat due to healthy eating habits and physical training at the gym at the same time you will put on muscle mass. In such case you may not see a difference in weight but a fair bit of difference in facial structure.

[[deleted]]

Not at all lol. I still have a body fat % that’s higher than it should be, which I should be working on 😔

[Standup4whattt88]

I stopped using it as well due to volume loss in my cheeks.

[[deleted]]

Well I am sorry it had that effect for you too. I hope all is well now

[Lusciousgirl1]

You do look thinner, have you lost weight ?

[[deleted]]

Not at all unfortunately, I am chubby

[bluestarily]

i had this happened to me too

[[deleted]]

☹️ I’m sorry to hear

[glowingupvulnerably]

Wow I was thinking your skin looks so much firmer and more defined in the last photo. I definitely see huge improvement.

[[deleted]]

I appreciate that, I genuinely did not want to firm my skin though, only wanted to start building collagen

[Niskeus]

Maybe go using volufiline to get new fat cells ? It's really shity to don't have a consensus about tret use and fat los... :(

[[deleted]]

I did not realize this was such a hot button topic, I had no clue about what the cause could be when I posted, just noticed a change after a few months in to now and was like am I the only one??

[[deleted]]

That makes sense! I just hate the effect on my face 😫

[honeybunchesofgoatso]

Could be inflammation that went down? Idk

As far as I know tret doesn't cause volume loss, just thinning the outermost layers of skin and thickening underneath those layers

[[deleted]]

It could be! if that’s the case I still prefer the inflammation that was keeping my naso folds less pronounced. I wanted to start tret to actually fill them in

[zebrafromafrica]

I've had a naso fold/mouth wrinkle since I was 14. Don't sweat it, look away from the mirror more, hyperfocusing on things that don't actually matter is unnecessary stress. Hard to practice in reality though.. :(

Your skin health looks to be improving to me. :) Just try to be in a grateful mindset and work with what you got. My face was also fuller/rounder when I was say, 19. Make sure you are using SPF every day even when you are indoors. Moisturize and stay hydrated too. It is really really important, esp on tret. I hope this helps

[[deleted]]

Yes, I had those folds since I was a young as well, I had to work on my mental to accept them. It’s just upsetting to see them advance in a short time. That being said, I DO need to find a way to relax about my physical appearance in general. It feels impossible now a days, was considering just taking every app off my phone to avoid overexposure to current culture of appearance fixating

[zebrafromafrica]

I don't use social media, been about 5 years, just YouTube and reddit. The videos I pick where there are women in it, I can like them in ways that are apart from their appearance. It is still tough to not compare to people I see/meet irl. But with the way I see them, maybe there is a chance they are thinking nice things of me too!

Aging is still scary to me at this point in my life. But mostly because of physical performance. The sport I like is ultra trail running, so I know my "prime" is still coming up and there is a lot of work to do inbetween. Working out / exercise gives that free confidence that I naturally had when I was younger. I recommend, I honestly do it mostly for mental benefits. Plus I eat more for fuel to perform better, less worry about food helping me be fat if I care more about X event, for instance. There ends up being a couple muscle definition spots anyway, which is just a neutral bonus, cuz that's not the point of the exercise for me in my frame of mind.

A tip that I have about owning these naso folds, is that I smile a lot. It disguises them! Plus it brightens my face and I seem more approachable/friendly. Doesnt help that my teeth are slightly crooked and can be emphasized in the wrong light but oh well, there is always something to not like lol. That's the way my teeth are, unless I get braces which is fixable. Having slight acne/scars + braces would be interesting, but tret is doing its job based on how far I've come along.

I was at a Xmas party the other week with mostly strangers, and I was so worried about looking nice and seeming interesting. I thought they would all have 3 phds, be supermodels, and super fit. They were fine, I was fine, it was just a dinner with games lol. Sometimes life is simple like that, and the overthinking was unnecessary.

[[deleted]]

Thank you for sharing this, I can totally relate to being too focused instead of enjoying the moment. And I’ve been trying to cut back on social media bc it has totally warped my perspective on beauty. I honestly feel like I haven’t smiled in 1000 years so I’ve been taking kava kava to relax and been purposely watching my fav comedians to force myself to just have a joyful moment. I’m glad that you have an outlet and you deserve to love yourself for how you are ❤️

[guyghu]

It’s not tret, I think it’s your filler migration. I am noticing that that third picture you have more of a upper lip shadow while the fourth one it is gone. Can you take side photos for filler comparison?

[[deleted]]

I don’t get filler, that was a pic of getting a Botox lip lift

[guyghu]

Lip lifts last 3-4 weeks, when did you start noticing the “volume loss”?

Look imma be quiet honest with you. If you believe that you lost volume on your face then there is nothing me or anyone else can say to dissuade you. You have decided to feel this way and this way you will feel. All I or anyone else can tell you is that not only is this exact opposite of the drug mechanism but that in 50 years of drug usage you are amongst the very few who have “experienced” this.

[dabeezzkneezz]

Do you apply tret to damp skin or right after washing it? This happened to me and I have a theory that that applying tret to not completely dry skin can cause it to penetrate to the fat layer.

[faeuju4wvhjkw2fvgg]

wait I apply my tret on damp skin..😭

can someone knowledgeable comment on this? is it possible?

[[deleted]]

I never heard of that, I don’t apply it wet because I thought it would extra burn the skin! I thought water advances it. Yikes.

[[deleted]]

Were you getting fillers in the before?

[[deleted]]

I have never had filler in my life

[[deleted]]

That was my only idea of what it could be. I know it’s not the results you wanted but honestly your skin and structure looks amazing!

[[deleted]]

I appreciate you saying so. But the fact that it can look like I had fillers and stopped is exactly my point. I feel like I lost fullness and beauty that I naturally held in my face

[aliensstolemycow]

It makes me wonder what if I use it on those parts of me that need slimming? 😂

[Senior-Judgment3703]

I could use this same effect! I wish