Facialist says I should stop using retinol before my appointments but my derm put me ON it... who wins?

Roylina Team Silver · 2,010 lifetime points Verified UK Pro — qualified & insured Premium Lovers account Premium Gold account 2 hours ago 2 1 min

Facialist says I should stop using retinol before my appointments but my derm put me ON it... who wins?

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Bit stuck between two professionals here. My dermatologist put me on prescription retinoid for texture/breakouts about 6 months ago and it's honestly been great, skin's the best it's been in years.

Booked a course of facials (mix of deep cleansing and one dermaplaning session) and the facialist told me to stop the retinoid for a full week before every appointment. That would basically mean I'm off it a week out of every month which feels like it defeats the point of using it consistently?

She explained it's about skin sensitivity during treatments which makes sense, but a week before AND a few days after feels like a lot. Do all facialists ask this or is a week excessive? Would it make more sense to just space the facials out more and keep the retinoid consistent?

Genuinely don't know whose advice takes priority here.