whenever my skin starts to clear, even slightly, i start to notice all my scars again...

my scars make me want to cry.

My skin is actually looking pretty good. It's a little flushed, and definitely flaking a lot. But the blemishes I've been getting definitely go away quickly, and then the skin covering them flakes off immediately once the inflammation subsides.

My nose, cheeks, and forehead look unusually clear. My chin has some healing to do, although the pimples in that area have shrunk. Right now, the only problem area is around my hairline. And my back has a few spots too, but nothing is especially oily or inflamed. It mostly looks like my skin is just trying its best to heal by shedding a lot.

My lips are constantly a bright red hue. They don't feel so great, but I think they look good with a little color and some aquaphor to moisturize.

So far, the side effects have been varied and fairly random. I still have been taking claravis with fatty foods, but my body seems to tolerate it now. I'm fine enduring the side effects as long as they don't habitually affect my daily life.

Last night I took claravis along with a bowl of clam chowder. I think the fattiness of the chowder really affected the absorption because I've had a rough last 18 hours.....

I went to bed with terrible joint/muscle pain, so I took a couple advil after an hour of tossing and turning. Finally, the advil helped and I was able to fall asleep.

When I woke up, I looked in the mirror and discovered that my face was basically flaking off.... and then a couple hours later my nose started to bleed profusely. It stopped within a couple minutes, but boy was it bad....

I'm starting to realize that I've experienced a LOT of the common side effects so far.

Lips are dry. Hands are dry. Eyes are dry. Scalp is dry/peeling.

Face is dry tight, inflamed, and breaking out.

Day 13. No real developments break-out wise. Skin doesn't look much better, but it doesn't look worse either.

My lips, however, are a different story. No matter how much aquaphor I apply (wouldn't be surprised if I digested a tube already), my lips are in a red, bloody, peeling, heinous state. They're desert-like!!! Giant flakes have been peeling off, but they stay halfway attached--so they don't come off easily. If i try to pull the flakes off, my lips start bleeding. So I think I just have to accept the fact that my lips have fluttery scales now. I am considering cutting the next one off with scissors.... ugh!!!!

I have taken two packs of Claravis so far. That means I just finished day 10.

It's still early, but my consistent side effects have been limited to dry lips. I did have that short-lived ring-around-my-arm rash a few days ago, but since then I've been fine.

So far, I'm really happy. I feel positive and generally more cheerful than usual. Claravis has given me hope.

I can't wait to get through the next few months and then finally celebrate with a beer

Today is day 9.

I woke up this morning and my hair was full of body. Usually it's slicked down and greasy looking, so you can imagine my JOY when I realized that all I had to do was brush it! And then I was good to go!! That has been the biggest plus so far.

Also, I have started to use lotion. This is an astonishing development, considering that I have always HATED moisturizers of any kind. The idea of moisturizing skin already coated in a layer of its own natural oil secretions repulsed me. I know that moisturizing is really good for your skin, but I would never do it because it seemed so unnecessary. Today, however, I slathered myself in curel, and I actually put aquaphor--not just all over my lips--but all over my hands.

My face looks a lot less greasy. And all 3 of my cystic spots have started reducing in size. My back is another story though. The 3 cysts on my face appear to be relocating to my back.....not good.

Oil production has been significantly reduced. Actual break-outs have not.

My back is starting to crop up with break-out areas--prior to Accutane, it was not really an issue.

My skin is starting to peel.

It's very similar to the peeling that occurs when you apply topical retin-a or (tretinoin gel) to your face. The only difference being that the areas seem limited so far to the tip of my nose, sides of my face, and my lips. No peeling yet on the sides of my nose, chin, or forehead.

Also, the arm rash went away within the hour. It was really weird and intense.

And lastly, I had a painful shoulder muscle spasm this morning. Also weird.

i realize i'm updating multiple times throughout the day about every little thing that happens to me accutane-wise...

but now i know its not all in my head...

i have a very hot-feeling stripe-y arm rash. like 3 red arm bands around my upper forearm. not good.

has anyone else experienced this reaction before? and so soon into the treatment??

my skin is peeling and breaking out simultaneously!

delightful!

lips are flaking. they do not hurt though

Not much to report. My chin indeed broke out, but it's not too bad.

I have a painful underground spot forming on the side of my head near my ear. I don't feel very oily. This might be due to the Yaz.

First "sign" that something new is happening:

I just took a nice long shower, and now all of my skin feels like it has a light sunburn. Tomorrow is day 5.

Its only day four, but I woke up feeling great today. No headache at all.

A particularly red and cystic spot on my shoulder looks like it has shrunk considerably in the last four days. But my chin feels like its about to break out...