I got acne as a teenager and it never went away.

Through the years, I have tried numerous skin treatments to clear my skin. Some of them worked for short periods, and some of them made my skin worse. I never found that holy grail that would give me consistently clear skin.

I even went to the dermatologist a few times. I met with more success there, but inevitably, my skin would get irritated, I would become inconsistent with the treatment, and it would stop working. Or I couldn't stomach the cost of the prescription products.

My silver lining was that my acne was not severe. I did not have cystic acne and my breakouts generally consisted of only a handful of pimples at a time. However, because I am a skin picker (I know! I shouldn't be!), I also had scars from my breakouts.

Throughout my 20s and 30s, my pictures show the damage that acne was doing to my skin — especially if I wasn't wearing makeup. There are very few pictures where you can't see pimples or the scars from them on my skin.

Once I hit my 40s, dealing with ance became even more frustrating. It seemed a cruel trick of nature to be dealing with perimenopause, graying hair, and acne all at the same time.

Why was I facing the obvious signs of aging while also dealing with the skin of a teenager?

Like mother, like daughter

Nothing would have changed with my skin if my teen-aged daughter had not also started to suffer from acne.

I suggested over-the-counter products for her to try, but they were ineffective. She initially had no desire to go to the dermatologist for treatment, as she considered acne "no big deal."

But when she developed large pimples in her ears, I became concerned about the impact on her hearing and insisted we go to the dermatologist.

The dermatologist prescribed adapalene (which is also available over the counter as Differin). Adapalene belongs to a family of vitamin A derivatives known as retinoids that are commonly used to treat acne.

Retinoids promote the turnover of skin cells and stimulate collagen production. The turnover of skin cells helps prevent the clogged pores that are the starting point of pimples. Increased collagen can also plump your skin and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.

Adapalene is a standard treatment protocol for acne. Hearing the doctor recommend it to my daughter was a lightbulb moment for me. I remembered Retin A, another popular retinoid, as one of the acne treatments I had used in my youth. Retin A's active ingredient, tretinoin, is slightly different than adapalene's, but works in the same way.

Retin A had been effective in treating my acne, but it was also very irritating to my skin and I eventually gave up on it.

Reddit to the rescue

As we got my daughter set up on her skincare routine, I wondered if it was time for me to give prescription skincare another chance.

I was so tired of having pimples and acne scars on my face.

I started doing some research on adapalene and Retin A. And I found the r/tretinoin subreddit.

There are several subreddits dedicated generally to skincare: r/SkincareAddiction; r/SkincareAddicts; r/Acne; r/30PlusSkinCare. But I know of only two dedicated to specific products: r/Tretinoin and r/Accutane. (Accutane is an acne treatment generally reserved for more severe acne that hasn't responded to other treatments).

As r/Tretinoin has 206,000 members (compared to 76k for accutane), it's clear that tretinoin is a hugely popular skincare treatment on Reddit.

The tretinoin subreddit members are a wealth of information on retinoids in general.

I learned that you have to start slowly and build up to using the product every day — or that you may never be able to tolerate using it every day.

I learned that using tretinoin requires dedication to maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Keeping your skin intensely moisturized is key.

I'm sure my dermatologist gave me these instructions the first time I tried Retin A, but getting step-by-step instructions from other people using the treatment was a type of hand-holding a dermatologist couldn't provide.

I also learned about the many ways to get a tretinoin prescription online, without having to go to the dermatologist. Several companies offer a virtual consultation where you send photos of your face and a description of your skin concerns through an online platform.

The company employs doctors or nurse practitioners who review your information and make a recommendation for your treatment formula. Usually, these formulas combine tretinoin with other active ingredients that also fight acne and signs of aging, depending on your particular skin concerns.

This online option is what I ended up choosing. I went with Curology, and the process was easy. I uploaded my pictures, described my skin, and a couple of days later, I had a recommended treatment formula to approve for shipping.

Curology is also cost-effective, compared to some of the other skincare routines I've tried. A two month supply of the treatment formula is $60. Because I have high-deductible insurance, this beats what I would pay if I went through a dermatologist and obtained a prescription.

Curology starts your formula with a lower concentration of tretinoin to reduce potential irritation and purging.

Purging, as I learned from Reddit, often occurs at the start of tretinoin treatment. As the tretinoin speeds up the rate of cell turnover in your skin, the substances that clog your pores get pushed to the surface faster, causing additional breakouts. Purging is a sign the tretinoin is working and it should subside after a few weeks.

My results on tretinoin from Curology

Using advice from Reddit, I started my treatment slowly and used recommended moisturizers and special techniques (e.g., the "sandwich method") to reduce the irritation from the treatment.

I was pleasantly surprised not to experience any purging. After about two months on the starter formula, I requested an increase in my tretinoin concentration. Again, this was the advice I received on Reddit.

My skin tolerated the higher concentration well and I began to see results. After about four months, there was a noticeable difference in my skin. My breakouts stopped. And slowly but surely my acne scars faded.

I've been using Curology for a year now, and I have clear skin! Occasionally, I will see the start of a pimple, but it always resolves itself before becoming very noticeable.

In addition to seeing results, I love that my skincare routine is so simple now. When you're using active ingredients like tretinoin, you have to be careful about the other active ingredients you include in your routine. This is another area where the tretinoin subreddit has been so helpful — there are many reports on the active ingredients that can aggravate skin being treated with tretinoin.

Since the Curology formula already adds azelaic acid and clindamycin to my treatment, all the other products I use are super simple, basic formulations.

All I do is wash my face, moisturize, use my treatment formula, and wear sunscreen when I'm outdoors. I don't have to worry about trying out new products or new routines.

It wasn't until my skin started clearing up that I realized the mental space that acne was taking up. From that slight sense of disappointment I'd get when looking in the mirror to the constant wondering if I could find the "right" treatment to fix my acne.

Honestly, this whole experience has been such a relief for me. Reading through the tretinoin subreddit gave me the confidence to give the treatment a try and the subreddit remains a reference source when I have questions about tretinoin for me or my daughter.

If you've been struggling with acne, take a look at the tretinoin subreddit. Read about people's results and difficulties with the treatment to see if it's something you should try (or retry with the added benefit of new information).

Also, don't be put off by the fact that tretinoin is only available by prescription. If you don't have a dermatologist, or don't want to see one, there are many online platforms that will supply you with tretinoin. I use Curology, but you can read about the many others in the tretinoin subreddit.

I find Curology is also cost-effective, compared to some of the other skincare routines I've tried. A two month supply of the treatment formula is $60. You can add on cleansers, moisturizer's etc., but you can find cheaper options at the drug store. Although, the Curology formulations are high-quality and the sizes are great for travelling.

Because I have high-deductible insurance, the Curology cost beats what I would pay if I went through a dermatologist and obtained a prescription.

If you do find you're interested in trying out Curology, you can start with a 30-day trial for just $5. And if you use my referral link to subscribe to the products, you'll get a $20 credit you can use towards cleansers, moisturizers, etc., (I'll also get a $20 credit, so thank you!).