Tretinoin for loose skin while the weight comes off - my protocol

FLglpguy said:

Tretinoin entered my routine at the same time I started Tirz 2 mos back. So far the loss is only 35lbs, with another 130lbs still to come. My hope was to keep the skin tightening up along the way rather than wait until the weight is off and attempt repairs after the fact. Once this much weight has come off, surgery to deal with loose/sagging skin would be the only route left for me. Up to now there is no loose skin whatsoever. Pool laps and pool weights are part of my workouts, and resistance bands get used daily as well.

Male: 55yr

SW: 386lbs

CW: 351lbs

GW: 220lbs

The starting Tretinoin was .05% CREAM, and in 30 more days I am moving up to .1% GEL. That means a 90 day stretch at .05% cream, then .1% gel from there until the 220lbs goal is reached. DO NOT slather this stuff on. All that is needed is a pea sized dab, very small, placed exactly where you know firmness will matter as the weight comes off.

Every NIGHTIME, a pea sized amount goes under each bicep, on my chin/neck, and on both sides of the lower belly, roughly halfway between belly button and love handles. 5 tiny pea sized amounts...THAT'S IT! Cream and gel do not behave the same. Cream came first for me, hoping it would be the gentler option, and it has been. Gel reaches deeper and the response comes faster. The .1% gel decision is because after 3 mos at .05% tolerance will be higher, and by then I will also be further along in the weight loss #'s. Once the big #'s of 75lbs, 100lbs down, etc... arrive, I want the full effect of the medication working for me.

Once again, my strong suggestion is that nobody decides more is better. IT IS NOT. Do some reading on this cream. It is prescription for a reason, and it stays in your bloodstream. Acne is its usual indication, which makes it useful for those of us on T or HGH trying to keep the scars and bumps from breakouts under control.

I would love to hear your thoughts and/or experience with this or with similar creams you have used or think may work.
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Were you saying that you prepared it yourself??
 
Pixel-pocket said:

FLglpguy said:

Tretinoin entered my routine at the same time I started Tirz 2 mos back. So far the loss is only 35lbs, with another 130lbs still to come. My hope was to keep the skin tightening up along the way rather than wait until the weight is off and attempt repairs after the fact. Once this much weight has come off, surgery to deal with loose/sagging skin would be the only route left for me. Up to now there is no loose skin whatsoever. Pool laps and pool weights are part of my workouts, and resistance bands get used daily as well.

Male: 55yr

SW: 386lbs

CW: 351lbs

GW: 220lbs

The starting Tretinoin was .05% CREAM, and in 30 more days I am moving up to .1% GEL. That means a 90 day stretch at .05% cream, then .1% gel from there until the 220lbs goal is reached. DO NOT slather this stuff on. All that is needed is a pea sized dab, very small, placed exactly where you know firmness will matter as the weight comes off.

Every NIGHTIME, a pea sized amount goes under each bicep, on my chin/neck, and on both sides of the lower belly, roughly halfway between belly button and love handles. 5 tiny pea sized amounts...THAT'S IT! Cream and gel do not behave the same. Cream came first for me, hoping it would be the gentler option, and it has been. Gel reaches deeper and the response comes faster. The .1% gel decision is because after 3 mos at .05% tolerance will be higher, and by then I will also be further along in the weight loss #'s. Once the big #'s of 75lbs, 100lbs down, etc... arrive, I want the full effect of the medication working for me.

Once again, my strong suggestion is that nobody decides more is better. IT IS NOT. Do some reading on this cream. It is prescription for a reason, and it stays in your bloodstream. Acne is its usual indication, which makes it useful for those of us on T or HGH trying to keep the scars and bumps from breakouts under control.

I would love to hear your thoughts and/or experience with this or with similar creams you have used or think may work.
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Were you saying that you prepared it yourself??
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No, making it is not something I do. IndiaMart is where I bought it
 
AcadiaPeptides said:

The 0.1 was what my doctor prescribed, but it runs $100! I am not paying that when GLP's cost me less! I have . . . .other sources.

Where does everyone get their 0.1 Retin - A?
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For anyone in the US: pick up a GoodRx card. It costs $15.

(Edited because autocorrect messed things up)
 
TeresaHip said:

Is there any place to get it besides indiamart?
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It's the sole source I've used to obtain any of these products without a script. No hassle, and nothing has gone wrong with India so far...fingers crossed that stays the same.
 
Mr. Blonde said:

It's the sole source I've used to obtain any of these products without a script. No hassle, and nothing has gone wrong with India so far...fingers crossed that stays the same.
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Likely so. I did come across a few sources, but I'm not sure I trust the ones I've found. Need to lurk and observe.

In the end I'll probably buy it from indiamart. That place gives me anxiety!
 
TeresaHip said:

Likely so. I did come across a few sources, but I'm not sure I trust the ones I've found. Need to lurk and observe.

In the end I'll probably buy it from indiamart. That place gives me anxiety!
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Same here — I've come across too many reports of scams and orders that never arrived from Indiamart.

So I ended up buying tret from a reseller based in France. It reached me in 72 hours, and the cost wasn't too painful (10 EUR per tube). I'm eager to get going with it, though I'd rather hold off until Autumn is properly underway, when the sun isn't quite so fierce.
 
I've been on it for years. My dermatologist prescribed it because of skin blisters. It isn't something I'd begin without bloodwork and a doctor's guidance. And especially not if you're a woman, since you shouldn't become pregnant for years after you stop treatment. Your lips and joints will suffer, the mucus production in your nose will dry up, ... in short, it dries out everything.
 
TeresaHip said:

Is there any place to get it besides indiamart?
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I get mine from Skinorac or All Day Chemist. Another option is an online US pharmacy, though you'll be paying for a prescription there. Both Skinorac and All Day Chemist are legit, in my experience.

One more thing: tretinoin costs so little to produce that counterfeit versions aren't much of a concern.
 
wonttellyou said:

Is anyone here taking oral Isotretinoin?
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A friend of mine used it and had really severe side effects — her mood was badly affected. Be careful with it; it carries far more risk than topical retinoids.

And if pregnancy is possible for you, you need to be extremely careful about avoiding it, since it has caused birth defects. My friend's doctor required her to use 2 forms of birth control before she was allowed to start it!
 
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