19 replies to this topic

[mmthsurf]

I had great skin until I was about 16, then I started to develop mild, persistent acne that was really annoying, but tolerable. Then it started to get worse, but never really became too out of control. I'm 20 years old now and it has seemed to hit a plateau - this needs to be taken care of. I'm on day 25 and I did have a small IB, but it seems to be slowly clearing up now. I still have small red bumps and a few whiteheads, but hopefully these will go away with the continuation of the treatment. I also never really had many blackheads before starting Accutane, but I have a million on my nose now -apparently this is typical though.

My side effects so far have been no more serious than what I had expected.

Here's the gist:

-Dry, flaky skin
-Dry lips
-2 nosebleeds so far
-Itchy scalp
-Increased sun-sensitivity

I'll try to update this as much as possible!

Edited by mmthsurf, 17 May 2011 - 09:53 AM.

[mmthsurf]

Day 27

IB seems to be clearing up, but red marks are getting BAD. They look worse than the zits. I have one on my lower-left cheek that is HUGE and looks really scary - it's not just red, but scabbing over and really gross-looking. Any advice on taking care of these red marks?

Thanks.

[mdn217]

Day 27

IB seems to be clearing up, but red marks are getting BAD. They look worse than the zits. I have one on my lower-left cheek that is HUGE and looks really scary - it's not just red, but scabbing over and really gross-looking. Any advice on taking care of these red marks?

Thanks.

Try putting some hydrocortisone cream on it before bed. What dose are you on?

[mmthsurf]

Try putting some hydrocortisone cream on it before bed. What dose are you on?

Thanks, I'll try that. I'm on 40mg for now and continuing at 40mg through my second month. Then I'll be upping to 60mg to 80mg starting third month.

[mmthsurf]

Day 28

Red marks everywhere! WTF. Some of them seem to be growing. I'm going to try some hydrocortisone cream ASAP. In Mammoth for work right now, but I'll be back in LA on Friday, so I'll go buy some at that point. This morning, a friend told me that my face looks like it hurts. Haha, awesome...

Edited by mmthsurf, 08 June 2011 - 12:47 PM.

[mmthsurf]

Day 29

Red marks are everywhere and getting worse. No new active zits though! But seriously, these red marks suck and they're starting to look really bad. Going to try hydrocortisone cream starting tomorrow night.

[mmthsurf]

Day 32

Red marks are still here, dryness is crazy AND I have 2 new zits that are pretty big!

Not cool!

[mmthsurf]

Day 49

Red marks are here, but improving. I've been using hydrocortisone cream (thanks mdn217) and it seems to be working and skin is showing overall improvement. I moved back to Socal which means I'm back in the water surfing a lot and away from the cold & dry mountain air. Seems to be better on my skin, but the salt water really dries me out haha.

Edited by mmthsurf, 08 June 2011 - 04:01 PM.

[mmthsurf]

Well, no one reads my log, so I'm going to delete it in a day er 2.

The good news is, my skin is clear! Crazy how well this stuff works. I'll get on my computer and post a pic if anyone wants to see. Super clear and smooth! Pretty amazing...

The gist is - accutane works and the side effects are tolerable and waaaaay over-hyped. Only 2 more months and I'm off the tane!

[ballgame29]

Definitely reading your log. Please post your photos! It will be a major help. I have mild yet persistent acne and have been contemplating accutane for a long time. Mostly worried about a significant worsening of acne during the course.

[ballgame29]

Also, worried about red marks! My skin always leaves marks after...so worried about that too.

[Jimmywooo]

I'm reading! Please post your before and after photos~~

[mmthsurf]

I decided not to delete, but I have been really busy and unable to get on here to post.

Just a little update - my skin is extremely dry but completely clear. Looks smoother than ever and the red spots are fading fast.

I'll be done with my Accutane Course in about a month and I'll post some before/after pics at that time.

[mmthsurf]

I have been off of Accutane for a few weeks, and here are the pics that I promised. Sorry for the unflattering angle!









Skin is pretty damn clear and seems to be getting even better by the day as is adjusts to not being on the med!

STOKED! Definitely give Accutane a try...totally worth the results.

Here is the BEFORE picture:

Edited by mmthsurf, 27 October 2011 - 12:57 AM.

[hotburrito]

^You look great! Very clear indeed - you should be really happy Any chance you have any before pictures lying around as well?

[mmthsurf]

Thanks! I just edited the post and added a before pic. Check it out!

[ballgame29]

Well done! Great results. Is it fair to say that you had a small IB early and then cleared from then on? Or did you have other breakouts during your course?

[mdn217]

NICE! I agree that the skin gets better/stronger day by day.....We just gotta hope it doesn't come back after the accutane is totally out of our systems around 2 months after....nonetheless, good results! for the both of us!

[mmthsurf]

Just figured I'd leave an update.

It has been over 3 months and my skin is better than ever. Extremely smooth and clear.

[Quiescence]

congratulations thats amazing!! I also suffer from really bad red marks... how long was it before you noticed them fading? x x