I'm excited to have found this board! I started Carac on my arms last night. My doctor is having me do it 2 hrs before bedtime every day for FIVE weeks. I'm to use moisturizer, but when I start "erupting", I'm to use NO moisturizer and NO makeup! (The latter applies, of course, to when I do the three week treatment on my face in early November).
The instructions have me a bit baffled, however. My dermatologist told me to dampen a finger under the tap, put a "pea-sized" glop of Carac on the finger, and rub it over the entire upper part of my arm, from wrist to above my elbow a bit, (to where AK's end). The problem is that the Carac almost disappears the minute I apply it, and it feels as if it is not covering the whole area. At the Carac company website, it speaks of putting a "thin layer" of Carac over the entire area being treated.
Can anyone describe how much you have been told to you use on your arms? Your face and ears? Your suggestions on how to determine if you've used the right amount would be appreciated.
In reading some of the posts, I see that people use Vaseline, etc. What is that for? The only use for Vaseline I was given by the doc is to use a line of it on my lips to keep the Carac off of them, and a line of it underneath my eyebrown since I have a couple of AK's in my eyebrow that need Carac. The Vaseline, of course, will keep the Carac from going into my eye.
I wish I'd heard about using Retin-A to soften the arms prior to beginning. When I used Carac on an area right above my lip awhile back, I had to use Retin-A to get the Carac to work. Hopefully, I am not wasting my time with the Carac since I didn't use the Retin A on my arms! Guess time will tell.
Thanks to all of you who have posted, and in advance to anyone who can help with the dosage, etc.