Everyone's skin reacts differently, so if one medicine isn't working for you we'll refine the treatment based on your feedback to find an alternative solution. If you upload a new set of photographs to your Dermatica account showing how your skin is doing and then send us an email to help@dermatica.com in the US with your comments, our dermatology team will review them and let you know their recommendations.
We all want instant results but sadly the road to clear and healthy skin is often a long one, so you do have to be patient and stick with a treatment for at least 6-8 weeks before moving on to something else if you're not seeing the results.
If you have a bad reaction to any medication however you should contact us and your GP straight away and stop treatment immediately. It is important to understand that skin irritation and a true allergy to a topical treatment are very different. Prescription treatments can cause some level of skin irritation – redness, flaking, peeling, skin tightness, burning and itching.
Generally, topical retinoids are considered to have no allergic potential – meaning you cannot become allergic to them. Developing a true allergy to other anti-ageing preparations – such as nicotinamide and hydroquinone – is rare.
Symptoms of true allergy to a topical treatment are throat tightness, difficulty breathing, feeling faint and/or swelling of the eyes, face, lips or tongue on the first or second use of the treatment. This reaction can occur within minutes or up to 24 hours after product use. Remember that this type of serious allergic reaction is very different from the local skin irritation that you get at the site of treatment application, such as redness, dryness, peeling and burning. If you think you have developed symptoms of a true allergy, please go to your local A&E department straight away and please let our dermatology team know.
