Topical Retinoids In The Uk (acne & Minoxidil Aging)

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Unlucky93

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Hi,

Bit of a long shot, but I've been trying to treat my mild acne for about 6yrs now and have tried all oral antibiotics and most topical treatments. I wanted to try a retinoid cream as it would also help with minoxidil aging sides. Went to the GP today and had to literally beg for it. She finally said yes then went to search for the treatment on her computer and found out that it can only be prescribed by a private dermatologist.

Why is it so hard to get in the UK?

Has anyone successfully got some?

Is there another way I can get my hands on some?

Thanks.
 
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Ikarus

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Unlucky93 said:
Hi,

Bit of a long shot, but I've been trying to treat my mild acne for about 6yrs now and have tried all oral antibiotics and most topical treatments. I wanted to try a retinoid cream as it would also help with minoxidil aging sides. Went to the GP today and had to literally beg for it. She finally said yes then went to search for the treatment on her computer and found out that it can only be prescribed by a private dermatologist.

Why is it so hard to get in the UK?

Has anyone successfully got some?

Is there another way I can get my hands on some?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

In the UK, medications which are prescribed for skin or hair have to be approved by a dermatologist. I asked for cyproterone acetate, and the GP said she will happily prescribe it to me but she needs secondary authority from a dermatologist.

I believe they have a certain amount of medications they can prescribe to acne patients, and after none of those work they refer you to a dermatologist. Usually, they give you medications such as Duac, Epiduo, antibiotics or Acnecide before they can refer you to a dermatologist where they can prescribe you an actual Retin-A cream / gel.

But, that's weird... I asked for a tretinoin gel once and my GP prescribed it to me, although it was combined with an antibiotic. Maybe you should ask the GP to refer you to a dermatologist for your acne and mention that it's making you extremely depressed and suicidal. Mention that you have tried all of the other acne treatments and non of them are working so it's better to be referred to a dermatologist. And then pressure them to make it an urgent referral. That's what I did and I got referred to a dermatologist and saw one in less than two weeks.
 
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Unlucky93

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Ikarus said:
In the UK, medications which are prescribed for skin or hair have to be approved by a dermatologist. I asked for cyproterone acetate, and the GP said she will happily prescribe it to me but she needs secondary authority from a dermatologist.

I believe they have a certain amount of medications they can prescribe to acne patients, and after none of those work they refer you to a dermatologist. Usually, they give you medications such as Duac, Epiduo, antibiotics or Acnecide before they can refer you to a dermatologist where they can prescribe you an actual Retin-A cream / gel.

But, that's weird... I asked for a tretinoin gel once and my GP prescribed it to me, although it was combined with an antibiotic. Maybe you should ask the GP to refer you to a dermatologist for your acne and mention that it's making you extremely depressed and suicidal. Mention that you have tried all of the other acne treatments and non of them are working so it's better to be referred to a dermatologist. And then pressure them to make it an urgent referral. That's what I did and I got referred to a dermatologist and saw one in less than two weeks.
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Thanks. I'll give that a go. Its shitty because I literally turned down a referral to a dermatologist a few months back because my GP told me "all they'll do is put you on accutane" so I thought there was no point as my acne really isn't that bad.

Did the tretinoin help your skin? What are you currently using?
 
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Ikarus

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Unlucky93 said:
Thanks. I'll give that a go. Its shitty because I literally turned down a referral to a dermatologist a few months back because my GP told me "all they'll do is put you on accutane" so I thought there was no point as my acne really isn't that bad.

Did the tretinoin help your skin? What are you currently using?
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My situation was quite different because I was begging to go on Accutane, since it is such a wonderful medication in which I got no side effects whatsoever. I did have to stop taking it after 1.5 months since my liver enzymes elevated, which is probably because I took too high of a dose. If you did decide to go on Accutane, you should ask to go on 5MG which is the lowest possible dose since you will have no side effects and a significantly lower chance of having elevated liver enzymes.

I did not like the tretinoin gel at all and stopped using it after a few weeks because the texture was disgusting. Next week, when I visit my dermatologist, I am going to ask for a 0.05% tretinoin cream instead. I currently use a 1% retinol cream which I bought from Space NK, and it is greatly effective (I have been using it for almost four months). The main differences between a retinol and retinoid is that retinol has to be broken down by the body into an active form to be useful (it's slower) whilst retinoids starts working as soon as you put it on your skin. So, a retinol is less irritating on the skin compared to a retinoid.

Further, you can actually get a 0.1% retinoid cream from Boots called 'Differin'. I can give you the link, if you want?
 
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Unlucky93

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I've been using Differin on and off for 2 years. Worked really well for a few months then my skin became super oily and I'd break out all the time ;(

What do you think of this @Ikarus? I might take a gamble and buy this from Thailand.
 

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Unlucky93 said:
I've been using Differin on and off for 2 years. Worked really well for a few months then my skin became super oily and I'd break out all the time ;(

What do you think of this @Ikarus? I might take a gamble and buy this from Thailand.
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Is it from ebay? if so your safe i have bought retin-a from thailand through ebay before.
 
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Ikarus

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Unlucky93 said:
Yeah it is. Did it help your skin?
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You could try it, and use it for the meanwhile. But during that time of use you should really pressure your GP into referring you to a dermatologist where they can prescribe you it, preferably this version:

retina-product-3.png


You should start off by using 0.025% instead of 0.05%. If you jump to 0.05% you will experience a horrible phase of peeling and irritation; I made that mistake once and it ended in my face peeling constantly and evident irritation which made me look red as a tomato.
 
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Unlucky93

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Ikarus said:
You could try it, and use it for the meanwhile. But during that time of use you should really pressure your GP into referring you to a dermatologist where they can prescribe you it, preferably this version:

View attachment 115447

You should start off by using 0.025% instead of 0.05%. If you jump to 0.05% you will experience a horrible phase of peeling and irritation; I made that mistake once and it ended in my face peeling constantly and evident irritation which made me look red as a tomato.
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Ok thanks. Just seen the same brand for sale on Ebay. The price is shocking lol
 

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Ikarus

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Unlucky93 said:
Ok thanks. Just seen the same brand for sale on Ebay. The price is shocking lol
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That's a rip off! I would get it for free since I get free medications on prescription, l0l.

You should definitely push to get referred to a dermatologist, it would help you in the long run. Whether you need acne medications, or hair medications, you would need a dermatologist for a secondary opinion so they can give authority to your GP for prescriptions.

My GP was willing to prescribe me cyproterone acetate and spironolactone but they need authority from a dermatologist.
 
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Unlucky93

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Ikarus said:
That's a rip off! I would get it for free since I get free medications on prescription, l0l.

You should definitely push to get referred to a dermatologist, it would help you in the long run. Whether you need acne medications, or hair medications, you would need a dermatologist for a secondary opinion so they can give authority to your GP for prescriptions.

My GP was willing to prescribe me cyproterone acetate and spironolactone but they need authority from a dermatologist.
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Why do you think they need authority from a dermatologist? Seems odd that they can prescribe heavy duty meds for all sorts, but when it comes to hair and skin they need a go ahead. Are topical retinoids really that risky? Lol
 
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Ikarus

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Unlucky93 said:
Why do you think they need authority from a dermatologist? Seems odd that they can prescribe heavy duty meds for all sorts, but when it comes to hair and skin they need a go ahead. Are topical retinoids really that risky? Lol
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Topical retinoids aren't risky at all, but the GPs aren't too knowledgable on skin and hair. A dermatologist would be more knowledgable on the dose to prescribe, and to monitor the results of the acne / ageing. It's more just about getting secondary approval from a dermatologist, although personally I think it's bizarre for the requirement of a dermatologist just for a retinoid. If it was for the medications I'm asking for, it is understandable to get authority from a dermatologist but with a retinoid it's a reach to need secondary approval.

Personally, I think GPs should be able to prescribe retinoids without the need of a dermatologist. It would save the NHS time and money, and have the focus of dermatologists be for patients who need one.
 
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Capone

Capone

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It’s a vicious circle.. retinoids, accutane and Tretinion are known to cause hair problems.
 
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Unlucky93

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I know about accutane's potential sides. They released a study a couple of months ago saying it can cause impotence and infertility. Not sure how topicals would cause hairloss though.

On that note, taking vit.A supplements wouldn't cause hairloss, would it?
 
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