ACCUTANE GALLERY

The main objective of this pinned thread is so that all of the Accutane users have an opportunity to post their Accutane before and after pictures in order to enable easier viewing by other members. We are hoping that this thread will facilitate locating the before and after photos, as well as alleviate some of the difficulties associated with the screening process in the original gallery.

Guidelines:

Hello, I decided to make a low dose accutane log.
I am starting today, I just got my prescription from Walgreens and I have no insurance. It was about $220 for a month. I am going to take this after lunch in about 1 hour.

My acne isnt really severe, it was at one point. I have some leftover scars from my old acne. Right now I have 2 active pimples on my chin and a bunch of red marks on my cheeks and forehead. The reason I decided to start Accutane is because about 2 months ago I developed SEVERE acne on my neck. At this point, I am unsure if the outbreak on my neck is acne at all. My neck acne is almost gone but it still feels bumpy and I have one huge pustule. My neck is left with a bunch of hyperpigmentation.

I will update side effects and improvements!

DAY 0

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my log, chronicling for the next 6 months me and the "TANE".

I will be adding pics on a weekly basis. W/O makeup EEKS!

Its difficult for me to look at, but let's rip off the band-aid shall we? More pics to come

First I will say that I have had some success in the past using other medicines. But the bane of acne has gotten progressively worse. I adapt, IT adapts. Ive wasted probably THOUSANDS trying to avoid Accutane. Check the run-down at the bottom of the page for detailed information on different drugs tried to banish the bane of acne from my life.

The purpose of this blog is to 1) get advice and support from fellow acne survivors 2) share my experiences, good and bad.

If anyone has any questions about meds/products i have used in the past, go ahead and comment. Happy to share.

im ready to be done with acne for good!

ACNE UPDATE
acne getting cystic again (booooooooo), although the Duac has kept the worst stuff at bay, I still have inflamed skin around my acne. and get cysts on my cheeks, and chin, along with blackheads, and whiteheads mixed within the inflamed area. Skin is not at its absolute worse, but now since ive stopped Retin A, scarring-pitting is getting worse. Common residents of my face include the always delightful CUATRO headed monster on the freaking inside of the bridge of my nose, causing the good ole ance-induced blind spot. And good ole MOAP (Mother of All Pimples) is back on my cheek she brought her sister LMF (little mother trucker) along for the vacay on my face.

GENERAL INFO
I am 27 years old, a student with moderate to high stress level. I am of average height and weight with a muscular/curvy build. I am 5'4" 155lbs and my body fat is around 27%. I like to swim, bike, and go on hikes.

CURRENT REGAMIN

MORNING-Face wash: Nutribiotic "sensitive skin" non-soap skin cleanser

Moisturizer: Twin Lab's Na-PCA non oily with Aloe Vera spray

Sunblock Face: Eucerin "sensitive skin" Every Day Protection SPF 30

Sunblock body: Don't go out into the sun. Waaaaa Waaaaa Waaaaaa Neutrogena spf 60
for sensitive skin (the ultra pasty baby kind.....yuck!)

EVENING-Claravis (isotrentinoin) 20 Mg P.O. after dinner

Face wash: either as above, but if greasy: The Body Shop "tea tree"foaming cleanser

Body wash: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps 18-in-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap

Moisturizer: Same as above, plus some body oil if very dry.


DIET/EXERCISE
I work out regularly, and I eat a healthy organic vegetarian diet. But i do still eat chocolate, and fried foods once a month, i limit it to only once a month, and the rest of the month I never touch a fried food, or sweets. i consume a daily NET of about 1400-1600 calories, and eat plenty of fruits and veggies. My main grain is steamed brown rice. But i do occasionally eat small amounts of bread. I also try and eat Fish twice a week. I take multi vitamin "women's formula" every day (w/o vitamin A). I drink about 1 GAL of water a day. I never ever drink pop. I avoid dairy, and drink soy milk, but not that much. I drink green tea in the morning, and seldom to never consume caffeine. I do not currently drink any alcoholic beverages. I do not smoke (ciggies/other)I am really into Health and Nutrition, and study it with fervor. But I have yet to have my acne affected by my diet.

OBGYN (sorry guys, but us girls have gotta talk about this stuff)
I have been on BCP (birth control pills) now for over 6 years. I don't think they have helped me with my acne, but they do help me regulate my periods, and my hormones are stable now. When my acne was at its worse 2007-2008, i had cysts on my ovaries, which i believe contributed to cysts on my face, neck, and chest. since 2009 my ovaries have been cyst free, needless to say....the acne did not clear up, but has lessened in severity.


Past Experiences:

2010- present. YYEEEEESSSSSS! tried everything under the sun, now Accutane is last here to save the day!

late 2009, early 2010- Duac, Retin A micro, skin at its worst, continued scarring-pits

2009- 6 months minocycline- completly clear, but with abnormal liver functions, ezcema rash arms, chest, neck.

2008- Differen Gel, clindamycin, BZP, for 1 year didnt do nada, beginning scarring-pigment. large cyctic acne along jawline, and on neck. no bacne. no assne (lol)

2007- Differen Gel, BZP, didnt do anything, but differen gel healed acne faster, no scarring

2006- BCP, BZP, acne not that bad, used more OTC stuff, but progressively got worse, spread to chest and back. Inflamed acne.

2005- Retnol A micro, Clindamycin, BZP, worked great 90% clear. No scars

2004- BCP, BZP, used more OTC stuff. Acne begins on chest and back. No black heads. Skin oily but non sensitive. non-inflammed acne.

PICTURES Apr 09 4 MONTHS into MINO!!! at full-dose

I've been reading heaps of logs and decided to keep one of my own. I officially start on accutane tomorrow...

My derm prescribed me 20mgs and asked me to take an one pill every alternate day to see how I go... if nothing happens, I am meant to increase my dosage to 1 daily... but how in the world am I supposed to know what 'happens' or 'doesn't happen'?

-.-

Petrified of IB and side-effects... fingers crossed we all get through it!

Oh, and I'll post god awful acne pictures shortly.. have cream all over now so its all hidden.... going to bed scared. SIGH. #FML much?

Hello there. I feel like I should have some type of unique title haha! Everyone here is so original so please try not to be too underwhelmed.

Anyways, here I am, on Accutane (it's Claravis but I'm just going to call it Accutane) about 9 months after I was first prescribed it. In January of this year, I had gone to the derm and asked for Accutane. After about 3 weeks on it I got this nasty, ENORMOUS cut in my lip that was oozing yellow shit and just crazy stuff.

So, 9 months later, I am back on the miracle drug (hopefully). I have had acne since about 11 and it is just getting annoying. I have also begun to develop cysts (only have had 2 but they scare the hell out of me) so hopefully this can be used as an awesome preventative measure too.

I am going to try to update this log as much as possible (with weekly pictures, of course ).

By the way, some side information. Male, 170 pounds, started 9/1/10, on 40 mg but going up later in the course, I am just starting slow. Also, I am already at day 5 since I procrastinated to make the log but there haven't been any changes so here it is.

DAY 5

Skin looks really, really shitty and is starting to peel but isn't dry. Hmmm, weird. My skin tone looks crappy and all that. I just realized it's kind of nice having this log so people can see my progress (hopefully). I would consider my acne moderate, I think?? Well, here are the pictures and READ THIS BEFORE YOU SEE THE PICS: I edited them to hide my identity, I am not some creepy guy who I don't know haha, but the pictures look really weird so just try to look at my skin ok?


http://s1005.photobucket.com/albums/af177/myaccutanejourney/

(where it says "SEPTEMBER 5" is the day I took the picture FYI)


Thanks for reading and I end 3/1/11 so it's going to be a looooonggg journey!

EDIT: I am going to list the products I am using here since it would probably be worthwhile to know.

Lips: Carmex (works great!!)
Skin: Cetaphil's cleanser and moisturizer
Everyday I take: Vitamin C (1 gram), Fish Oil (2), probiotic (1), Glucosamine/Chondroitin (1), vitamin e (400 IU), and vitamin d (2000 IU)

Hii everyone! I recently just joined this awesome community I been snooping around here for awhile and decided it was time to be a part of it. I just started my awesome accutance adventure 9 hr ago. I hope it all goes well for me, I been suffering from acne on and off awhile, and hopefully this will be the "cure" for it. The thing is I was completely clear last year, until recently I decided to go on a diet and from that my acne problem started again ..... When i finally thought my acne was getting better, it got worst again. My main problem is the cheek area. It looks horrible, especially with the red marks all over my cheek. It makes me even more sad when my mom tells me how scarred my face look. It's not like I want it to be like that. She doesn't know how much it hurts when she says that... I think it's the accutane pill that making me feel a bit emo atm lol. Anyways i'll post pics up eventually.

DAY 1
Took accutane around 3pm ish. 2 hrs later got a bit of headache and sleepiness, not sure if accutane is the cause of it... so far i have little bumps on my forehead, 1 small pimple on my left cheek, 2 on my right and 3 pimple on my neck, andddddddddd bunch of red marks on my cheeks

Hi acne.org readers!

I have been following accutane users on this site for a couple of months now and have been struggling with whether or not I should take the plunge. My story is very similar to many people on this site - I'm 24 years old and started getting persistent cystic acne about a year and a half ago. I have tried just about everything from Eastern to Western medicine in order to rid me of the disaster that has decided to grace my face.

Everyone on this site gives such great advice and moral support especially when people want to vent about their skin. I finally took my first pill today and am very excited to be spending the next 5-6 months reporting my progress and getting opinions from you

Angela

i took the plunge.. 16 weeks of Accutane and i'm in for the long haul.
20 mg side affects one week in... birth control (Yaz) one month...

your all total foxes even with your maaad acne

x

Hi guys, my names Jay and I'm 20 years old. For those of you have seen me around the boards...welcome back...for those of you who havent, I'll give you a brief description.

-I have moderate acne on my face, sometimes worse sometimes better.
-I've had at least some form of acne since puberty.
-It's gotten much worse in the last couple of years, spreading to my shoulder and the back of my neck on occasion.
-After countless failed attempts with my persistant acne, my doctor and I decided that I should try Accutane if it really was what I wanted (which is was!).
-Both people in my mothers and fathers side of the family have had acne...leading me to believe this is mostly genetic. I have a couple cousins who had cystic acne on their face growing up, and my mother has acne like me on her face. I have no idea where the body acne came from though.

Well that pretty much sums up my story .

ANYWAY back to the good part...the Accutane.

I weigh 165 pounds or about 80kg and I'm starting on 40mg a day...a fairly low dose I suppose for my weight, but a good starting dose to see my initial reaction for month 1. If all goes well month 2-5 will be 80mg to have a greater chance of the acne never returning.

I'm doing a video journal on youtube for any of you interested in following up with me, asking questions about accutane info, commenting, sending me message, anything! I want to be as helpful to others while I go through this...and of course track progress. I'm going to post the link and I hope this isnt against forum rules, but this is the link to my channel on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/jjacked?feature=mhum

I'm starting in about a week, and I'll try to do daily-weekly updates on acne.org, and weekly updates deffinately on youtube.

Thanks guys for all the support...in a week its time to get serious.

Background info: I'm 17 and I've tried almost everything for my acne, antibiotics, topical treatments, vitamins, iron,zinc and nothing ever works, not even a little bit. So now I'm on my 5th day of taking Claravis 60 mg.I've seen before and after pics and I'm really hoping this works. Wish me luck!!!

Hey guys!! So i'll give a brief bulleted history of my 4 years of acne and what ive tried:

-Mild/Moderate Acne since 14
-1st tried OTC products (Clinique, Proactiv, Neutrogena, Stridex, C&C)
-Went to Derm 3 years ago and since then have been on:

• Some Perscription Face Wash
• Doxycyline
• Suflur Cleanser/Face Wipes
• Retin-A
• Tetracycline
• Differin .1
• Differin .3
• Aczone
• Tazorac
• Ziana
• Spironolactone

-Some where in between all that i was on accutane (it was 9 months ago) It improved my acne but i never cleared 100% i had all the typical side effects but nothing bad, bloodwork always perfect. was on for a 7 month course. (40, 40, 60, 60, 60, 60, 30) those were the doses. some of the hard core acne breakouts have returned. (the deep scarring ones)

ANYWAY enough historty.

i start in one month. my derm said i will probably do a longer (sorta low dose) course. which im totally fine with. sounds good to me. basically i start my senior year in a week. i would like to be done fussing with this shit before college. i know that i will still breakout, i know its not a cure, i know ill have to be on meds after, but im hoping to have a more managable situation. a more consistent skin situation. rather than the ups and downs i experience now. i want to go to college to learn and have a great time. not be constantly worried about my skin. (I KNOW that 1 or 2 breakouts constantly are normal) im not expecting any miracle unlike on my last course where i was so hopeful to never deal with acne. oh how wrong i was...

so for this month before tane my new regimen is: (ill update my signature)

AM:
DDF Sensitive Skin Cleansing Gel
Aczone (some stupid topical i was perscribed)
DDF Ultra Lite Oil Free Moisturizer

PM:
DDF Senstive Skin Cleansing Gel
DDF Ultra Lite Oil Free Moisturizer
Aczone
Differin .1 gel

Pills/Supplements:
Tri Sprintec BC
Vitamin D,C,E
Fish Oil and Zinc

Other:
Use DDF Revolve 400x Deep Cleasning Brush 1-2x a week
Drink Lots of water and green tea

So there ya go. I start accutane in a month. so my routine will change. but i was sorta curious of how this regimen will work in the mean time

SUGGESTIONS: aloe vera gel. im gunna purchse it before my course starts. what brand is best? im also gunna get more Cerave Lotion as well as the cream (DDF isn't enough)

OH pictures! these are on my other thread but ill put them on here. NOW, since these pics were taken last night i have gotten two new pimples on top of the ones u see there. I KNOW my acne is mild but as u can see its the most persistant shit on the planet.


Okay ya and one is Jimi Hendrix but i love him. and i think if u look close u may see some acne? idk i can't tell.

I finally figured this out..... (revised & edited many many times)

Well a little about my life w/ acne.....
I have suffered from acne from for about 6 years and ever since i haven't been quite confident. yes im that person who tries to avoid social activites/pictures/face to face conversations just because of my persisant acne. Desperate to seek advice i googled "acne cures" and came along this encouraging website and read about people's stories of accutane and their big change to now clear skin. as any paranoid person would i researched accutane and read about horror stories of accutane's "permanent" side effects. Everytime i would go to my derm's office i had the curiousity of asking about accutane but i wouldnt and so ended up taking countless anitbiotics and topical creams which wouldnt really work for me. SO i put my doubt and paranoia aside & asked my derm about accutane and he agreed to put me on it. after 3 long months of wanting to get my hands on accutane it finally happened! my derm recommended me taking 40mg 2x a day (i dont know for how long but i hope not too long) which seems like an awful big amount considering i weigh 120pounds but anyhow i hope it works! i started amnesteem on july 30th so today is actually my 15th day!!!

My kind of acne:
It isnt severe but its uncontrollable when it comes. ive tried almost everything even proactiv which didn't do anything for me but just burnt my skin and i ended up looking like a cookie(baked), OTC acne medications, anitbiotics, and home remedies that seemed quite dangerous. ok now about my acne, it is bad.... sometimes i get huge monsters on my nose that i look like rudolf with a deformed nose and then i often get giant cyst on my chin, the only places where im not affected by these lovely creatures are my cheeks and jawline but everywhere else is where they love to inhabit.

Side effects:
DRY lips yes.... . on my 3rd day my lips were peeling but i believe it was because i was using plain vaseline as my lip moisturizer which was horrible and grossly gooey
DRY hair oh goodness my hair is extremely dry it feels like i have hay instead of hair, i started developing dandruff but i went to go buy Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Anti-Dandruff shampoo/conditioner, i don't see any visible dandruff but my hair looks horrendously dry
Joint PAIN Body ACHE: i pretty much stayed in bed for about 2 days cause my body ached so bad. ive been taking Fish oil with my pills (not at the same time though) and im noticing a difference, my body doesnt ache that much and the joint pains aren't bad at all.
DEPRESSION: ???? no not at all.... I've been feeling quite anxious for my skin to look/be clear and beautiful!

As off now my skin is.....undetermined.
I've noticed that my oiliness is gone (i used to have the most oily tzone ever). Before i started accutane i had a massive cyst below my eye next to my nose, through a whole week it kept getting bigger and bigger i didn't leave my house all week! i decided to pop it, it just hurt so much and i couldn't look at IT any more. i then thought ive made the worst mistake ever because it looked more red and 10x more swollen. i just put some tea tree oil on it and by night it had gone down! i think it was accutane that helped b/c before my cyst would take forever to go down.

I think im beginning to get my IB because i have a big active on my chin, one that is growing between my eyebrows and several others below my nose..... i just hope and pray it doesn't get worse

Ill keep updating and soon post some pictures.....
I would like to hear from you guys and other people taking accutane, i would greatly appreciate some support

p.s my is anna but y'all can call me Ann

Starting a course of Roaccutane on Tuesday. I don't get major acne, Its just due to my very oily skin that I do get consistence spots and haven't had a clear face for a long long long time! Ive herd and read Its very good for oily skin and me and my doctor thinks that the reason for my acne/spots.

Il keep you all posted!!

Xx

I suffered from cystic acne 17 years ago and went on Accutane. I was on it for about 4 months. The acne was in remission until last November when I got a massive cyst on the right side of my face. The cyst erupted into about 25 pimples. I tried Spironolactone and had negative side effects. I went on Cephalexin (antibiotic) which cleared me temporarily but now the cysts are back. I usually have 3-7 cysts at a time in the areas of my cheeks and chin. I've hesitated going on Accutane again because of the potential side effects. Now I'm at the point where nothing's helping, I feel ugly and they are painful. So, I've made the decision to begin treatment in early June. I plan to post updates to benefit others.

missy.miss Accutane- day 1

Email this entry | Print this entry Aug 25 2010, 09:33 PM
Hell all! After 3 years and going through 3 types of anti-biotics which were unsuccessful the dermatologist finially approved for me to take roaccutane (accutane in us). I find it extremly annoying having to travel to the hospital to collect them! buy at this point i do not care i am just happy i can go on them. I took my first 2 tablets today which are 20mg each. i obviously have not experienced any side effects yet as its the first day but i am prepared for it! (major stock ups of chapsticks). Im not looking forward to the initial breakouts that most people get, especially when i am working but hey i just have to think of the future! my skin have been a rollercoaster when somedays my face clears up but still have large pores and little bumps and days when i break out like crazy with blackheads and inflamed red spots. so im praying accutane can clear these up and also improve the texture of my skin. I will be posting a pic of my face tomorrow so watch this space . x

Ok well I wasn't going to make one of these because I thought I'd obsess over my skin even more if I did but I know that I'm going to need a place to turn to when the next few months start getting rough!

History:

Antibiotics: Doxycycline cleared me for about 8 months when I was 16/17 and it was awesome! My skin was flawless and it really is one of those periods in my life that I look back on and wish could have continued.

Topicals: Isotrexin Gel(Isotretinoin and Erythromycin) cleared me along with the antibiotics and maintained my clear skin after I'd stopped the Doxy but unfortunately all good things come to an end and when I started my last year in school this stopped working.
Zindaclin (Clindamycin and Zinc) worked for about two months and kept my skin relatively clear. It also worked very quickly and healed my skin within about 3 days after starting it during a horrible breakout period. I was really at a loss when it stopped working - I didn't realise antibiotic resistance could happen so quickly.

BCP: Dianette works pretty well for me but not well enough. I went on it after my Doxy period and it kept my forehead (which had been my main problem area) and cheeks clear but I got hormonal pimples around my chin and upper lip on my pill-free week every month without fail. I was happy though cos 1/4 weeks broken out was OK for me.
Yaz was the monster that's made me start Roaccutane though. I went off Dianette after a year to switch to Yaz because of the DVT risk etc. when I started college last year. Huge mistake! Within 2 months my left cheek was breaking out consistently every 2 weeks so by the time a breakout had healed another one was coming. My forehead wasn't too bad on it but between my eyebrows and my left cheek esp. were really bad. I gave it 7 months but couldn't take it anymore so now I'm back on Dianette but it's defo not working as well this time.

I've been using the DKR for the last two months (Log: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Acne-It-H...l-t270308.html) except for a break when I had a staph infection and I think it's woking at last as my cheeks and upper lip are pretty clear but my jawline and chin are shite. The DKR is pretty good I think but it's very very time-consuming and stings like a bitch! It's also pretty expensive for me to ship Dan's BP here every 2 months. I'm still using this regimen for the first few days until my skin is too sensitive for it. Because I'm on such a low dose I think that I'll prob get away with it for another week or so and then hopefully I'll be able to spot treat it during the IB.

Future:

Well the Roaccutane plan is: 20mg for the first month and a half
40mg for the following month and a half
60mg for the final 3 months

It was my first ever visit to a dermatologist on the 12th when he prescribed it. (He's a pretty funny guy - kind of away with the fairies and looks like Donald Trump ) He just explained everything, gave me a consent form to sign and sent me off with a prescription and a pee jar. I went down to the lab and had my prego test and had roaccutane in my hand within an hour. He said he assumed it was negative and that I could start straight away. I am very very careful with contraception but I thought it was kind of naive of the doc to assume something like that. I did say I didn't want anymore antibiotics cos they interfere with the pill so maybe he took it from that but there could be a reckless whore (don't mean to be crude) going in there prego already and leaving with a prescription!

Here's a list of products I'll be using (hit up Boots and spent a fortune but I'm stocked up with the pharmacist's recommended products):

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion
Holland and Barrett Jojoba Oil
Dove Visible Effects Hand Cream
Vaseline for Lips and Nose
Neutrogena Intensive 6-hour Lip Balm
Tears Naturale Eye Drops
Silcock's Base as a Body Soap
Aqueous Cream as a Body Moisturiser

Wish me luck guys! (I'll try to update at least every 3 days but I want to try not to over-analyse everything as I've already been warned by the boyfriend not to read too much into everything - he knows me so well!)

OK so the first time I went on Accutane was about 5 or so years ago. Ive been breaking out since I was 12. Very normal "young teen acne". When I was 18, I had a baby and my face was horrible! Red dots everywhere. Now, Ive seen way, WAY worse than what mine was. I have red spots on my cheeks from old zits that I despise with a passion. My chin loves to have parties almost weekly. My face looks pitted. I look in the mirror when I have no make-up on and think about how much I hate what Im seeing. Every single day. No its not the worst Ive seen and I give all those people mad props for dealing with it.

But it still effected me horribly at times. I could usually hide alot with make-up. But the fact is is that Im 29 now, and I am O V E R it. Im sick of looking like Im going thru puberty! I work as a bartender and having to talk to hot guys so up close is humiliating. Going out in public is humiliating at times!

The reason it took me so long to go back on Accutane was because I have not had insurance in 5 years. Recently I decided to bite the bullet and finally get some and would pay whatever I had to each month to get my pills! Like a junky!!

I already knew what to expect, was already on BC pills, knew about iPledge. Had my appointment, had to wait another month and finally got my prescription!! After some "we never received your prescription from your dr" from my pharmacist and some phone calls to the dr, she sent them to my grocery store (since she said Walgreens is waaayyy to expensive and to never go there) and also having to wait a day since they had to order it, I finally received my pills!!! Cost me 15 bucks. So many dam hoops to jump thru!! Currently I am on 30 mg a day.

I already know what to expect. I remember drying out. I remember smiling at customers and my lips would crack and bleed before your very eyes! I remember getting rashes all over my arms (mostly the right one, from sitting at the computer and using the mouse. Just my arm touching the desk gave me a huge rash, and I have some pretty touch skin!) I then learned the put a towel down to rest my arm on and it mostly stopped. The thing that sucked was that i was a server at the time and having to reach across the table to hand out food..... uhggg I just felt like everyone saw my arms and were cringing! I put makeup on it to cover it up!! I remember getting headaches the first month and the nurse telling me "my brain was swelling." I remember getting 2 HUGE, under the surface craters on both of my cheeks, in the same place, and I had to go to work that night. I also remember calling my friend at work (while crying) to get someone to pick up my shift and have me work in the kitchen, just so I would not have to look at people. Ahhhhh thank you acne, for making my life hell...!!

But, the outcome, was amazing. If I got a zit, it was like 2, small little jokes of a zit each month. I gladly welcomed them considering what I had went thru. But, tru to form, almost exactly a year after Accutane, my zits slowly started to return. It was not till about 2-3 years ago when 3 major events happened in my life, all in the same 3 months, that I started to break out horribly again. (school, boys, another ex boy who got married, etc)

OK, enuf about all of that! Its been 3 weeks almost. So far, nothing too much to report. Slight drying of my face and my lips feel like there is a film over them. A couple little/medium size zits showed up in random places on my face. Due to my job, I spray tan (hey, I have to wear a mini skirt and spaghetti strap tank top!) and use alot of bronzer, so I pile on the makeup and bronzer powders, which I think helps ALOT! (to cover or at least camouflage the party on my face). I guess id rather look like "one of those girls" and be orangier than pale and pizza face.

I know to stash lip balm any and everywhere. I use Cetephail on my face with a exfoliating glove. And Eucerine moisturizer, with like 30 SPF.

Hi everyone,

I've been on this site for a while and finally decided to post. I love the support here and am so thankful that there are people going through what I am! None of my friends or family have ever been on Accutane (actually my husband but that was in high school) and have ~perfect~ skin so I needed to find others that are plagued with this...awfulness.

Background - never had a blemish until I was in my twenties. My skin was kept at bay with Dianne 35, pre baby. About 7 months after my lovely baby, my skin broke out again. ALWAYS chin....only ever chin. GRRR. I went on Yasmin and had luck for 6 months. After that, break-outs started again. I took Spiro and had great results. Like, not even a whitehead type results. I decided to go off of the Yasmin and keep with the Spiro. YIKES - all hell broke loose and the Spiro was no match. I decided that instead of having to be on meds forever (and also being super careful about potassium) I would just deal with 6 months of Accutane hell, and hopefully have a good result. We shall see!

I've been on it for 59 days now. I started at 10mg for one week and broke out majorly. My doctor then upped me to 40mg and three weeks after that I was put on 60mg.
I'm feeling the usual dry lips but my skin isn't ALL that dry. Only around my chin, especially after I eat...nice! (A co-worker said that I had food on my face. NOPE - that's skin peeling off. Awesome)

Anyway, just wanted to say hello. Some of your logs really make me laugh and I thought I'd contribute my experience too!

Well, here i am again!!! A sense of deja vu somewhat has i hit my second course of the tane!

I took my first back in 98 however i know that i didnt have it for any longer than two months nor have any bloodtests! (something my current derm looked slightly horrified about!)

I am back on it after mild but persistant acne on the temples upwards. They were on my cheeks about 12 years ago so i think they are gradually going North..and i am hoping the tane "gently" sends it on its way! My forehead is very greasy.....more oil than in Dallas..and i hope that is reduced quite early on.

So first tab took last night..20mg......a lower dose i am guessing because a)it is mild and b) my triglycerides are raised. I think keeping the trigs at the level they are at now(3.1) or to the required level will be the hardest part and i am currently on a low carb diet along with plenty of Omega 3s to bring them down. Fingers crossed!

Good luck to all on the the tane and I now begin my journey with you...........

So I decided to hop on the bandwagon and create another one of these nifty little Accutane logs. I figure that if I'm going to be on this drug for the next 4-6 months of my life, I might as well enjoy it in some form or another (because I am most definitely NOT going to enjoy the acne/side effects part of it!).

A little bit about me: my name is Amy. I am 19 years old and I live in the most beautiful state of Utah. I was born here, raised here and I go to college here. It's kind of a legacy thing, I think. Plus, I think it's just easier on the majority of Utahns, because many tend to almost die of shock when they leave the state. To quote my dearest friend Nicole upon her trip to Italy last summer. "Oh my heck, people over here drink wine with dinner every night!" et cetera. Newsflash Utah: most of the world, contrary to what you may believe, is NOT Mormon. Haha

What else must anyone know about me? Well, besides my state of origin (which explains just so much, if you're familiar with it), I am also a college student which is essentially my life right about now. I will be a junior this fall. I have been an arts major for both years, but I switched. For the first one and a half semesters, I tried my hand (no pun intended) at being a Piano Performance major. However, I decided that switching over to Theatre Arts would be much better suited for me. I still have a ton of work, but I like it a lot better and my university experience has gone a lot smoother since then.

Anyways, back on subject. I have had acne since I was about 12 or 13. It used to be pretty mild and was nothing to worry about. It took a turn for the worse, however, this past January. In retrospect, I think it was stress-triggered. Combined with the fact that the antibiotics I had been on for the past 3 years lost their effectiveness, I broke out horribly. I had never had cystic/nodular acne before, but surprise surprise! I do now. It really ripped apart my self confidence and I struggled a lot. It seems silly to people who don't have to deal with it, but acne plays such a huge role. My friends (with plastic skin. I think you know what I mean...) have told me that I shouldn't let such a minor thing affect such a large portion of my life. But it's just not that simple, as you all know. I avoid mirrors like the plague, I have a hard time making eye contact, I don't like meeting new people, and makeup has ceased being fun and has started being my shield against the world. Some days, I feel like I would rather be tortured than go in public without "my face" painted on. I'm just looking forward to the days when I no longer have to bear this burden. Life is hard enough as it is without having to worry about a face full of zits.

Anyhoo, long story short: when it became clear that this was no short term ordeal and that I would be in it for the long haul, I took the necessary steps to get accutane. I expected my dermatologist to resist this idea, but surprisingly he suggested it even before I did! I got the go-ahead on May 19 and I started Accutane (well, Claravis 60mg) on June 21. No intense side effects yet, just vaguely dry lips and slight headaches when I don't drink enough water. Not even an IB yet, though I haven't breathed a sigh of relief about that one yet. Anything could happen in the next two months, but I have my eyes set long-term. By the end of this year, I will be acne-free and on my way to a fresh start on life!!! Wish me luck!

Amy



*** PICS ***

the first pic is of me during my freshman year, without foundation. You really don't know what you've got 'til it's gone...

the second and third pics are of me a few nights ago, sans makeup. The sad part is that my skin is actually semi-good in these pics..s


EDIT 8/22/2010: Removed attached pics for privacy reasons

Well first of all my name is Ben.
I'm 18 from Australia and have struggled a bit with acne since hitting puberty. After years of failed over the counter 'crap' I decided enough is enough. The dermatologist wasted no time starting me on (Ro)Accutane. I just bought my first box the other day. After Googling it I expected to pay $138AU for a box of 60 tablets. But thankyou Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, I only paid $33.
I'm meant to take 2 tablets a day and on the box it says 20mg. So I'm on 40mg a day?

Current Acne Situation
My jawline has many pimples on and under the surface. Some feel deep. I am not looking forward to my initial breakout. My forehead and the hairline on the back of my neck has a few pimples on it.
My shoulders (especially my left?) leave much to be desired. Lots of pimples on my shoulders...

Past Experience
ProActive: Expensive venture...and didn't do much at all.
Benzac AC: No change.
Akamin: No change.
Epiduo: I thought this would do it. But no.

So I guess Accutane is the next step for me.
It's now day 3 (?) and I've had 4/60 tablets.

I usually steer away from discussing my acne so this is kinda hard to share my experience with you guys. But you all share your experiences so I guess this is the least I can do.
Stay tuned for some pictures...if I can muster the courage.

EDIT: If you want to discuss your or my progress, or anything for that matter, PM me orr add my MSN...ben.parker@hotmail.com
I'm online most of the time.

HELLOO!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry that I'm so ecstatic, but I'm finally on the medication I've been dreaming of for TWO YEARS. Yeah, guys! TWO YEARS!

I'll briefly tell you all my story:

When I was about ten years old, I started to get severe cystic acne on my face, neck, shoulders, chest, and back. I am now about to turn eighteen years old, and I still have the problem. After some very cruel teasing from my Nana (who isn't even my biological grandmother >_>) I finally gained the courage and self-respect to make an appointment with a dermatologist. I knew I would get Accutane. I had already been to two dermatologists previously within the eight year span, and as you all know, I had tried EVERY product the world offered for the treatment of Acne... Antibiotics, prescription topicals, Proactiv, Murad Acne Complex, Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, etc.

When my new dermatologist took one look at me and saw my chest, she apologized and said I would be starting Accutane after my two negative pregnancy tests, and until that time she gave me doxycyline to hold me over. It helped a lot. When I went back for my Accutane prescription, she told me I should expect a major purge and prescribed me prednisone for the first 16 days.

I had a bit of a hard time getting the Accutane. I was never mailed my username and password, so my dad and I had to wait on the iPledge line for about two hours before a woman was able to assist us. I always thought red tape and government involvement in private matters would be a pain in the booty. This is my first run-in with it, and my assumption was correct. Anyway, I digress...

I was supposed to start Accutane on the 29th of January, but the nurse had entered me in for the 5th of February. That didn't work out because the weather was bad and we couldn't take the prescription to the pharmacy, so we took it on Saturday, February 6th. They said they had to order it and get registered with the iPledge program to be able to give it to me, and that I'd be able to come back and pick it up on Monday.

Well, today is Monday! This morning I started out by taking four 10mg prednisone pills, and my mom was nice enough to pick up my Accutane on the way home. I just took my first Accutane (Claravis, actually, I read that Roche no longer produces the original brand Accutane) and I'm feeling SO hopeful!!

My dermatologist said I'll have clear, beautiful skin before I go to college in August. I can't wait!!!

By the way, I have a low dosage. 40mg once a day after dinner. I'm uploading pictures in a few hours, so stay tuned!

Hiyaaa,
My name's Jaina and I started taking Clarus (basically, Accutane under a different name) three days ago. My skin is a battlefield, at the moment. I'm going to attach photos so you can get an idea. Welcome to my journey with Accutane.
A little bit about myself: I'm 16, I've struggled with bad acne for five or six years, but only in the past year has it gotten to it's worst. At first, it was okay because I could cover it with make up. But now, I have many, many huge cysts along my jawline and cheeks, not to mention lately I've been getting tons of small bumps ALL over my face. My skin is SO bumpy it looks horrid even with make up on. Looking in the mirror has become depressing. I've been feeling extremely hopeless about my complexion, and I hope that in the next 6 months that will change. I never felt like a person who suffered from bad acne, I always thought you could be okay by just washing your face and covering it up etc. But lately I've felt so helpless, I've tried everything and it hasn't worked. This is a last resort.

I'm recording this to see my progress and hopefully realize I'm not alone in this fight!

With that, I leave you with some horrendous photos of my skin, from today. Beware. They're scary. I'm sorry they're so blurry! I promise i'll have clearer ones up asap. But right now I can't find any light that will accurately show my skin, and my camera sucks.

So I'm pretty much new here, so first I wanna say Hi to everyone who reads this !

Breif background : So I'm 23 currently in college studying computer programming. I started to have acne around 15 or 16 back then it was mild acne on face ( Mostly chin ) white heads only and also on my back as I got older my acne got worse, especially on back. My parents never did anything cause they believed it was just puberty at its max ( well I did too ). However I started to see more and more acne on my back not so much on my face because I was using medicated products like B. Peroxide and salicylic acid. But for some reason I never did anything to help my back, well now at 23 my acne has gotten worse both on my face and back. Previous treatments have helped my face a little but not my back so about 1 week ago I was prescribed Accutane. I hope that this drug will help me in clearing up my acne and build my self-esteem and confidence to what it once was.

I will post pics of my current state ( although I feel embarrassed to do so )

Well I've finally started accutane. I've been on differin, epiduo, atralin, duac, and minocycline. These have helped control my acne but it never made it go away. My acne is moderate. I have acne on my chest, back, and forehead. I'm on 80mg Claravis per day. One 40mg capsule twice a day.

Started August 5

Day 9

My skin is really dry. Around my mouth and nose I've noticed a lot of peeling skin. The blackheads on my nose seem to be coming to the surface. I haven't noticed any improvement (not that I was expecting any). I have had some side effects such as sore lower back, dry skin, and dry lips.

I have suffered from acne since I was ten years old. Basically, like all of you, I have tried every cream, wash, scrub, moisturizer, oil, toner and mask I could get my hands on for all of those years. In March 2010 I was prescribed Diane 35 and in May 100mg Doxycycline daily, although my doctor told me that I was Accutane-bound either way, I figured it was worth a shot. So, I took those until July. They made a world of difference - considerably less painful cysts, and pimples went away within a few days instead of a few weeks. They didn't do anything for blackheads, though, and I started getting lots of tiny red pimples in places where I didn't get acne before (ie, forehead and nose). Gradually I started to get more cysts (still less than before I started taking it, though).

On July 26 I went to the doctor and he prescribed me Accutane. It's much different in Canada - I went in, we discussed my options, he told me Accutane was the best choice, told me the side-effects of past users of Accutane he has had, not to go in the sun, not to get pregnant and that was it. We picked up the pills that day, and I have to go in for the first and only pregnancy test and blood test after my first month of taking the pill.

I decided I'd make a log because most of the time I have nobody to talk to about acne, and this might help me out a bit if one or two people drop by

Dosage: 40mg for 2 weeks/80mg for the rest of the month + 2 months
Still on Diane and Doxy (I don't know if he renewed my prescription, but he told me to take it until the bottle was done to help the IB. My last pill in the bottle is August 9. Am going to discontinue taking Doxy whether or not he renewed it.)
Products: Cleanser - C&C Morning Burst
Moisturizer - Neutrogena Moisture spf 30
Sunscreen - Neutrogena Ultrasheer face sunscreen spf 45
Chapstick - Polysporin Daily Lip Protectant or Lypsyl. Vaseline at night
Shampoo and Conditioner are both for dry scalp/dandruff

Day 5
The first day I woke up and noticed a difference with my skin. Tight all over and my jaw was flaking. I was camping and didn't have any moisturizer except some sunscreen that doesn't do a great job of moisturizing - just protecting from the sun. Also had very dry lips, I didn't want to eat or talk.

Day 6
First time I noticed flushing. I thought it was severe sunburn from the sun, but my entire face was red - not just my cheeks. I figured it could still be sunburn though, because I expected my face to be really weak against the sun since, you know, I was on Accutane after all...
Also skipped my pill this day. Took my other 2 pills, went to take tane last and the little bugger fell on the ground. Of course it was midnight and I couldn't find it even looking with a flashlight.

Day 7
Got home from camping. Was completely red until after supper when my skintone was completely normal. That was when I realised I had severe flushing pretty much the entire weekend.

Day 8-11
No IB yet. No progress yet either. Eyes itchy and irritated easily by the wind, although indoors they are fine unless the fan is near me. Skin dry and flaky around jaw. Lips dry and very very cracked around the edges. Yesterday, a friend said I had something in my hair and picked out a piece of dandruff . Decided I definitely need to start using shampoo and conditioner for dry scalp and washing less (I have washed every day and sometimes twice a day for as long as I can remember), since I didn't have dandruff before I started my course. In other news, I'm finally finished with school. After working so hard, I finally have time to rest and help my body through this first month of Tane before school rolls around again in September.

Hey !

I am 15yrs old and I have been on Accutane 20mg for about a week.

I read other people's blogs and decided to make one also.
People seem extremely friendly
I guess its easier to get thru the journey with other people who know what you`re going through.

Ive had acne for about 3years...(face back chest, literally EVERYWHERE)
I didnt have that many breakouts (only scarring) till this summer when I broke out a lot,
probably because of ... too much sun , and bad sleeping habits , and JUNKFOOD

so..my dermatologist put me on accutane,
i really hope it will work out for me !




HEY GUYS,
just wanted to give a quick heads up on what products I use,
so here it goes ,

face cleanser: Spectro Jel (Blemish Prone Skin - non irritating)
facial moisturizer: Spectro moisturizer (Blemish Prone Skin - non irritating)
body wash: Softsoap Coconut exfoliating body wash with jojoba butter
body moisturizer: Cetaphil moisturizing lotion
concealer: Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer (beige medium)
foudation: L'oreal Paris - bare naturale - gentle mineral makeup (SPF 19)
brush: E.L.F. Professional Total Face Brush