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Has anyone ever used Tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A)

  • Thread starter Clint
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Clint

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Hey guys. Has anyone ever used this drug? Well... not really a drug. Ever since I hit puberty, I've had razor bumps on the bottom 1/4th of my neck, and mostly on the left side. Yes, I know how to shave properly... I've tried Erythromycin, Clindamycin, Doxycycline, and every OTC product imaginable. My rents even bought the new Arcitec electric razor for me a few months ago. Saying electric razors do not give a close shave is an understatement, and if I bear down or stretch my skin to get a closer shave, I get razor bumps so I may as well shave with a razor.... I still use my razor (the one with 6 blades. Name escapes me right now) for the rest of my face, but not my neck. Hair removal creams work great, but the effect on your skin, and the ungodly smell, aren't worth it. Especially since I'd have to do it every other day anyway. Waxing (yes, I've even tried waxing) painful and messy.

It's not as if it's debilitating lol. If you saw me on the street passing by, you probably wouldn't even notice, BUT I don't care what everyone else sees or doesn't see, I care about what I see.

So, my question is, has anyone used this product? It's really my last resort. I've tried everything else short of laser hair removal. It's my understanding that Renova and Retin-A are uber-expensive, so I'm going to ask my doctor for the generic (not that the generic is cheap :( ) It's a lifestyle drug, so insurance won't cover it (understandable... but when you consider they cover Viagra it seems sort of silly)

It's mostly used for sun damaged skin, wrinkles, and acne. Oh, I guess I forgot to say it's because I have curly hair :( My mother said she has some Renova I can try out, but she said it's older than dirt. Can't hurt to try it before I go to the doc's office in two months to get more Propecia. Another lifestyle drug :( Time to move to Canada.
 
wow complications from shaving?
I have to shave every other day and I have never had any problems.
What are razor bumps?
 
Retin-A Micro .1% user here. My insurance covers most of it, but as you said it is rather expensive stuff. I use it for acne, but good HEAVENS I know that (at least this concentration) doesn't help razor burn. If I use a razor to shave I normally stop the treatment for a day or two or it's just too much irritation.

It sounds like I've got something similar to you, too. Whenever I shave on my neck I get CRAZY irritation. My solution is as follows: I got an electric razor and I use the clipper thing (like a small version of clippers used for giving haircuts.) That gets it down to a pretty reasonable length without any irritation. I've found that if I do that FIRST, then I can use the electric razor to get rid of what remains with relatively little irritations because I'm not going over it a thousand times. After that it's just a matter of moisturizing the heck out of it.

A not about the Retin-A, though a tube costs over 100 dollars, it lasts several months. As I said I use it for acne, so I need to apply it to more area than just my neck. I could see a tube lasting you a goooood long time.
If you've got specific questions you can feel free to contact me if you don't want to discuss it here.

Also: #!($ skin problems. :)
 
You said razor burn. Not the same as razor bumps :) I'm hoping that you didn't mean razor bumps lol. Luckily, I never, ever get razor burn. Isn't 1.% the highest concentration?

No problems discussing anything publicly. The only place I get razor bumps is on my neck, after all. OMG I'm really laughing out loud lol.
 
Problem solved right here. Don't shave. Well with a razor. I don't. I keep a little beard and I'm fly to death. The ladies love it.
 
You said razor burn. Not the same as razor bumps I'm hoping that you didn't mean razor bumps lol. Luckily, I never, ever get razor burn. Isn't 1.% the highest concentration?

Eh, on my neck I normally get burn first (just redness and irritation) and then followed by bumps. D:

While I'm not certain that .1% is the highest concentration, the only other concentration that I know of is half of that.

Like I said though, if they give you a lower concentration, you may not have the problems I get when using it around shaving.

What the heck is it about necks anyway? The rest of my face has no problems with shaving, but my neck... Arg. I guess it's at least partially due to the fact that I need to navigate my adam's apple...
 
Have you tried traditional old fashioned wet shaving like your grandfather used to do, as in using a badger hair brush, English shaving cream, and the old fashioned single edged razor. You might be able to solve this problem by doing an old fashioned wet shave even with your current razor. This solved my problem with shaving bumps even with my current cartridge razor. The brush really makes a difference as does the nice imported shaving cream. You have to spend more time doing this but you get a much closer shave and you don't irritate the skin like with canned creams and just using your hands and it got rid of my shaving bumps.

I blame cooperate shaving creams and such for the loss of this art. I wasn't trained how to do it properly and had to teach myself, and yes you will have to relearn to shave.
 
No, it was a boar hair brush. Told ya I've tried almost everything :p

To give you an example of my hair, at the bottom of my beck, where the hair line is, my hair grows almost horizontally, but curved. In all seriousness, no exaggeration. It's too numerous to pluck. If I could get some pharmaceutical intervention, I'd love to shave with a straight edge; it's so close.
 
No, it was a boar hair brush. Told ya I've tried almost everything :p

To give you an example of my hair, at the bottom of my beck, where the hair line is, my hair grows almost horizontally, but curved. In all seriousness, no exaggeration.


Well Boar hair is stiff and irratates the crap out of your skin and actully can make problems like that worse. You have to make sure you do it after a hot shower and sometimes it helps to take a moist warm towel and put it on the area for a few minutes before you shave. And again you have to have the nice english shaving cream it makes huge difference.
 
  • #11
With the exception of the type of hair, I did what you said. Didn't make a difference (Other than the razor bumps, it was the best shave of my life!) Did I mention that the hair on my neck does not grow in a uniform directions? On either side of my neck, it grows downward and sweeps sideways (yes, I know what direction to shave.) and then theres a strip that is straight down on the left side. The hair at the bottom grows up (for the most part!) although some grows sideways. It's screwed up. My neck is like a fun house. My dad's is the same way, but he has a beard. Maybe he gave up.
 
  • #12
I used to get some razor bumps, but ever since I started using a Norelco electric shaver that went away. I use the 7526, the one with the flat head. I tried one with the triple circle heads (like the arcitec) and that one also gave me problems. If I were you I would see if you can't find one of these somewhere that will allow you to return it even if you opened it. I get a very close shave, and I find it is much much better than a razor shave. I can even shave in the car if i'm in a hurry. When do you normally shave? With electric razors it is best to do it when your skin is dry, and don't use any electric shaving gel. If you do it when your skin is wet, or when you are hot, your pores may open up and your hair can recede into the pore after you're done shaving, causing razor bumps.

Daniel
 
  • #13
JustLikeAPill, I had bad acne in my teens not that I'm that old now, but anyway my Mom got me some Retin-A and said to apply it at night (little bit goes a long way haha). It did work for till I ran out. She got it in Mexico so it was very cheap. DM might be right try some shaving cream first it might just be a sensitivity issue. Thats my input.

GL
Josh
 
  • #14
where would you get the old fashioned Shaving Blades?
 
  • #15
A friend has this problem since he's half white, half African American. African American hair naturally grows curly, and after shaving the sharp hairs love to grow back INTO the skin. Once they even begin poking the skin it starts to create razor bumps. Later on it can get infected if it cuts into the skin and begins growing under it. Once it starts doing that, you need to fish it out with a needle. A constant battle... It somewhat sounds like this might be your problem as well since it's just one patch of skin that you even notice a change in direction with. If you feel that's true, you might want to look at some African American shaving products. The one that kinda worked well was pump patrol, lol. I donno check out the website and see if you share the problem. www.bumppatrol.com

-Nate
 
  • #16
Wow, I keep telling you guys that I've tried everything lol. Blaze, I've tried just about all of them. Nate, I've used the creams in the AA section for bumps, the depilatory creams, aftershave, etc. including the brand you just listed. Daniel, I have tried shaving wet, dry, cream, gels, etc with an electric razor. Doesn't make a difference. After my rents shelled out so much for the Arcitec (have you priced those? Wow!) I'd hate to get another one lol.

Nep: Internet :) You can get anything on the internet! I'm sure some finer salons or the mall will carry them.

I guess no one has used it for razor bumps. I'm a freak lol. It's nice that you guys keep giving me recommendations... but believe me when I say I've tried everything I can think of.
 
  • #17
where would you get the old fashioned Shaving Blades?

classicshaving.com has a good selection of old fashioned safety razors and blades if your interested in try it.

Again the type of brush makes all the differnce, or it did for me, boar hair left my skin red and irritated and caused some shaving bumps, pure badger hair on the other hand took care of it. The razor and the cream used are the only other things that can vary so if it didnt work for you I dont know what to tell you. Belt sander maybe? :-(
 
  • #18
I've tried that, too :(


JUST kidding lmao.
 
  • #19
Mr. Flytrap2 might have nailed the answer. Not about your ancestry (so what haven't your parents told you?), but about the solution. Go to a store in a black neighborhood and buy a razor for black men. I was curious and bought one years ago and it might take care of your problem. The blades have little ridges underneath that provide a little space between skin and blade. Because of that, the shave isn't quite as close, but it also doesn't lead to bump amputation either. You could use it in your bumpy regions and use your normal razor elsewhere.
 
  • #20
Watch those video's on pump patrol's website anyways. It's interesting to hear some of the things they say about it. I'd recommend that all guys who shave watch them. The biggest thing that I see is the issue, is shaving properly.
 
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