Hormonal Acne and Accutane

Will Accutane rid me of potential hormonal acne? I'm scared of finishing my course only to severely break out again.

Plucking Eye Brows and Accutane

I know waxing is a no-no on Accutane, but my eye brows are looking wild. Can I pluck them with tweezers while on Accutane? If not, how do you ladies keep your brows shaped?

An Accutane Odyssey - Monthly Pics

Hey fellow 'taners,

This last few months have been a rollercoaster ride of an experience.

Let me start with an intro: I'm 29 years old, and have had acne since I was 13. My acne was what you could categorize as mild to moderate. I mostly just put up with pimples until I was 26 and then decided to go on Dan's Regimen. Let me tell you, in the beginning, Dan's regimen was great. It pretty much cleared me up save for a few pustules/papules here and there. I had no real qualms the first year and a half on the regimen. The second year and a half I started getting frustrated with flakiness, redness, shininess, as well as my skin looking textured. I hated the fact that I bleached any fabric my face touched, and through all of this,I still would get pimples. Six months ago, I started getting small pimples on my cheeks that would leave small dark red marks. That freaked me out and so in May I decided to go holistic. I quit the regimen cold turkey and waited for my skin to hydrate before I started a lemon juice regimen...

..and thus began the trip on the Highway to Hell.. My skin started breaking out, first just pustules all over my chin. So I freaked and two weeks later, switched to Apple Cider Vinegar. I read if ingested as well as applied topically, Apple Cider Vinegar was great for skin. I tried it for two weeks and quit because I was worried for my tooth enamel (my teeth started getting real sensitive and I'd rather have bad skin than bad teeth). Now the nodules started showing up: something I had never dealt with before. Holy shit, do they hurt! I decided to go back on to Dan's regimen but more cystic and nodular acne came. My forehead, which never broke out, erupted full of painful bumps. My jawline and chin throbbed from the pain of large clusters of emerging cysts. Everyday that I looked in the mirror, I was greeted with more cystic acne. I became depressed and withdrawn. I hardly ate, lost 15 pounds, avoided people and hated myself. I wrecked my skin..

Okay so I decided to do something I was reluctant to do: see a dermatologist who promptly recommended Accutane. So I took the book home, cried, worried and finally decided,"Yes, I will do this."

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After I made the decision to take Accutane, I also decided to stop beating myself up and move forward. Sure my face looks awful, but it's only temporary. At first, I was scared shitless of side effects.. but as time passed and more painful lesions sprouted up, I realized that I would rather take the gamble then live how I have been for the last three months. I will clear up and look even better. I'm fortunate to have a great support system consisting of my friends, family, co-workers, and all of you on Acne.org. I would be lost without everyone who has stood by me.

Tomorrow is the day I begin my course. I'll be on 60mg from the start and will be on a 6 month course. Wish me luck, and best wishes to all of you!

Accutane and Swimming

I'm going to be starting Accutane (or whatever generic I end up with) soon. I enjoy swimming in the pool at night and am wondering if the chlorine in the pool is going to increase the dryness? Anyone else swim and if so, advice on staying moisturized?

Thanks!

Countdown to Tane

Anyone else in that 30 day window to start Accutane? When does your course start and how bad is your acne? Just curious