173 replies to this topic

[Sasch83]

Hey guys and gals! I am a 28 year old woman who is back to using topicals in order to try and control my acne versus curing it. I was on accutane for about a month and had to stop because of health issues. The last course was my third time on it and i think its safe to say that in the long term, it did nothing to control or get rid of my acne. This last treatment helped a lot though so as soon as i stopped, i rushed to my derm to get on a topical in order to gain control before the massive remergence of bumps that i now will take place. As of yesterday, i am on the following regimen:

AM

Sumadan Wash

Aczone

Finacea

Moisturizer/Sunblock (haven't settled one yet)

PM

Sumadan Wash

Ziana

I go back to my derm in a month to follow up and i plan to post updates once a week or so as from what i remember....topicals work or don't work slowly.


I'm scared to break out bad as the accutane has cleared me up a lot in one month but such as life - i got to work on my patience.

DAY #1 After applying my AM regimen, my face got red and burned a bit. After 5 mins though, it stopped. It's definitely dry though, even though i applied moisturizer so i'll see how that progresses. It's 40 degrees in NY (bummer) so it looks like i'll be walking around with my moisturizer just in case. Hoping to get some feedback on what other users on this combo have experienced (or your experience with a single topical that i mentioned). My derm recommended these meds because they are less irritating that other stuff.

Wish me luck!!!!!

BTW - starting this journey with:

small bumps on my forehead

2 inflamed bumps on my chin

3 under the skin but rising stars on my left lower chin/cheek area

a mass of small under the skin bumps under my jaw and on my right chin/cheek area.

[Sasch83]

DAY # 2

Ok so i know i said i would post once a week but i think i'll post whenever i notice something new and guess what folks....i noticed something new:

My face is dryer than the sahara and bumps are coming to the surface. My derm said that i shouldn't have an initial outbreak but to expect that bumps that were already forming to come up and play. Washed my face tonight and noticed numerous small bumps all over my jaw. One under the skin one on my right cheek and two more popping up on my chin. The ones o my left cheek are slowly coming up to join the party. This sucks as i went through this drama in the first few weeks of my accutane treatment. But like everything else in life - victory tastes sweeter when you have to struggle to achieve it.

Would love to hear others experience with these topicals (together or separate).

Edited by sasch12, 20 November 2011 - 09:31 PM.

[Sasch83]

Day # 4

Oh acne how i hate ye. So i thought i would be one of those lucky souls to skate on by without an initial breakout but alas, it is not to be. These suckers are deep under the skin bumps that don't rear their ugly heads . Trying to not get too down about it as everything is a process and i just have to roll with the punches. Could definitely use some encouragement from other members who are at the beginning or towards the end of their acne journeys.

[DeeDeeParis]

i know how u feel! i have one underground bump as well! but they go away!!

[Sasch83]

deedeeparis, thanks for the response. This blog has been dead...lol. Glad someone understands what it feels like.

Day # 7

Well, my regimen is going. I am such an impatient person and i want results like yesterday...sigh. Well so far i had another under the skin bump surface and many of my small bumps are visible in the mirror. Apparently my acne looks much worse to me than to everyone else and the pictures don't do them justice. My texture does feel better though but i most likely attribute that to my short stint on Claravis. I posted my face as of today in the Gallery section. Dryness is down as i am using cetaphil and that bad bout is THICK. My face is also greasy but i figure once i get my acne under control, then i can worry about shine control. how do others deal with the emotional effect of watching your skin go to shitz while everyone around you is carefree and acne free?

[gems2889]

hey and be patient it take retiniods a long time to work. I also had whole bunch of under the skin bumps they eventually made there presence known lol. oh and for me it was very hard to get use to my skin because i always had clear skin about 99% of the time now my face is full of red marks. but I try to keep myslef remind that this is just a phase and it will eventually go away when I keep my acne under control. I have cried, had panic attacks and isolated my self for sometime but I now feel way better since my face is looking a bit better with makeup on. I try to stay postive and be happy but its hard my skin has always been one of those things that I ocd about and when its not behaving I freak the fudge out! whenever u feel down this is a great website to come on it has helped me so much.

Edited by gems2889, 24 November 2011 - 03:35 PM.

[Sasch83]

hey and be patient it take retiniods a long time to work. I also had whole bunch of under the skin bumps they eventually made there presence known lol. oh and for me it was very hard to get use to my skin because i always had clear skin about 99% of the time now my face is full of red marks. but I try to keep myslef remind that this is just a phase and it will eventually go away when I keep my acne under control. I have cried, had panic attacks and isolated my self for sometime but I now feel way better since my face is looking a bit better with makeup on. I try to stay postive and be happy but its hard my skin has always been one of those things that I ocd about and when its not behaving I freak the fudge out! whenever u feel down this is a great website to come on it has helped me so much.

Thanks so much for the insight! This community has been awesome since i joined. My family and friends look at me like i'm neurotic and maybe i am but come on folks....i'm an adult and most adults i know don't have to deal with this. I am also going through a stressful time as i found out i am prediabetic and i am adjusting my eating habits accordingly (trying to gain weight while cutting back on carbs is harder than a mutha). I'm definitely going to be tapping into these supports as the weeks go on cause i'm preparing for the worse. I'm glad though that someone understands.

Day # 8

Face is oily, under the skin bump on the side of my right jaw seems to have gotten bigger and more inflamed. One on my chin seems to want to develop a whitehead but is taking its own sweet time. I have lots of small flesh colored bumps along my jawline that want to come out and play and a few under the skin bumps that will be joining the party soon....sigh....when will this end?

[eclectic29]

I am actually on almost the same regimen, my derm put me on solodyn, ziana and sumadan wash. I will say the ziana is doing a good job so far. However i have found that i'm getting a lot of cystic acne especially on my chin and then little bumps on my forehead around my hairline. Not sure if its just a hormonal thing or if the sumadan is somehow maybe purging my skin or something.

[Sasch83]

Hey eclectic29! I'm assuming Solodyn is an antibiotic. My derm wanted to hold off on those until she thought i really needed it. Throughout the years i have taken many a antibiotics so not really a fan. How bad is your acne and where is it centrally located? My derm said that pimples that were already on their way up would come up but not necessarily because of the meds - not until week 3 at least. I too have noticed that my pimples are not cyst like so i'm not sure what that's about. I'm not sure which med is doing what but it will make us purge - that i am sure of. I will definitely check out your blog if you have one. Not much to update today so we'll see how tomorrow goes.

[DeeDeeParis]

hello! my derm gave me antibiotics but I'm not taking them! My initial breakout was not bad. just keep up with your regime n be patient. i know how u feel when u just want your skin to hurry up n get clear!!

[Sasch83]

hello! my derm gave me antibiotics but I'm not taking them! My initial breakout was not bad. just keep up with your regime n be patient. i know how u feel when u just want your skin to hurry up n get clear!!

Yup...just want to be clear like yesterday. But still holding steady. I'm very greatful for the support of the org.

Day # 10

So another hard bump has presented itself by my mouth on the right side (not as huge as the one on my lower cheek but lots of potential to get that way). Lots of small bumps on my chin and i predict that they will be inflamed VERY soon. If i click my heels three times, will they go away? The large cyst (?) on my lower cheek hurts when i wash my face and shows no sign of coming to the surface. Hope this is not indicitive of the type of future breakouts.

[Sasch83]

Day # 11 - So it seems that the large cyst like bump has popped a bit and is not so hard. A very small amount of liquid leaked out (i didn't pick) but i can see there is some left. These pimples seem to pop on their own and look as if i picked them. Hope it doesn't scar. The small bumps on my chin have appeared to gone down but i will not lull myself into believing that all is well - my face is a tricky bastard so i know that it will probably turn on me at some point. I'm going to be starting weight training soon and i wonder how my face will handle the sweat and other changes in my body. Ahhh....not knowing what the future holds really blows. I plan on uploading pictures every week so i can track my own progress and hopefully benefit assist others who are about to start similar journeys

[Sasch83]

Day # 13 - Wow!, it's almost been 2 weeks since i started this log. So far, the big cyst like bump on my right cheek has gone down considerably but there is still a lump under it (possibly the start of another bump?). It left a big, red, mark (to my eyes anyway) so hoping that those disappear over time. My chin so far has been clearer (those smaller flesh colored bumps seem to come and go). I am expecting a breakout soon as my period should make an arrival this weekend (. I have been getting these red, under the skin bumps under both my ears and even though they don't bother me that much, i'm curious to know why i'm breaking out there of all places. On my lower jaw i've also noticed small whiteheads coming to the surface (i gotta stop touching that area). My cheeks have a lot of clogging, come manifesting in teeny tinny red bumps not hard or anything). Overall, i'm not sure if the meds have kicked in or if this is my normal acne (doc said it takes 3 weeks at a minimum for the meds to take effect). I am oily as a mutha though and no dryness - is this normal for everyone else? I'm thinking maybe i'll cut back on the use of cetaphil and stick to neutrogena. I will post pics this weekend.

[gems2889]

I started breaking out like 2 day of using retin a. Also I am oily as can be Im getting fudging tired of it lol. the glore of the ib.... I hope yours doesnt last that long fingers crossed for you

[eclectic29]

Hey girl!! so ive been on it for about 8 days or so almost the same time as you, and i can actually see a little difference. Although pimples keep popping up, my instinct keeps telling me not to give up just yet, my only thing is i wish i had something that cleared up my acne scars!! I need to find something that actually works

[Sasch83]

Day # 15 - Complexion is very muddy. I am flushing and of course, the acne is highlighted. I am definitely noticing more red bumps on my jawline - not too inflamed...yet. I'm not stressing yet though as my totm is coming and a flare up is expected. Still anticipating my initial outbreak - kinda scared but trying not to let it get me down. Anyway, will post pics tomorrow.


Gems and Eclectic, thanks for sharing your experiences. It helps me stay strong knowing that others are going through this as well

[N.clare]

Good luck I think different people have very different responses to these topicals. I have found its been a VERY long process and Ive read on here others who have only had a couple of weeks to deal with. I think the important thing is to carry on until you finally reach the other end with it (however long that may be) and also check in with your doctor to increase/decrease or adapt your meds accordingly. I am going to go on Monday to see my doctor and ask for a slightly higher percentage (im using Retin A 0.025% and I think I can take 0.05% now).
Keep going with your log, especially when your struggling. Its important to get the support and not give up

[Sasch83]

Day # 17

So i finally uploaded pictures and i find it so helpful to be able to see the differences from week to week. I am definitely experiencing more dryness and flaking and some burning sensations. Also i am getting a lot more clogged pores, especially on my fore head and chin . It is not too bad...yet. But i am not getting too complacent. I know that an initial outbreak is coming......soon. I am wondering if maybe my face is becoming irritated as i find myself flushing so much more easily. Should i maybe cut back on some of my meds? A few days ago my ace was this dry.

Also, can someone recommend a good sunscreen that won't leave white streaks and won't clog my pores.

Thanks everyone.

N. Clare, your input has been invaluable to me. I definitely am not the most patient person out there so i needed to be clear lie yesterday....lol. But I have committed to seeing this through.

[N.clare]

I recommend Kimberley Sayer, Ultra light facial moisturizer SPF25... Its a little expensive, but you get masses so actually works out quite good value. its really nice and light and has never caused me to breakout

[Sasch83]

N Clare, thanks for the moisturizer recommendation - it received some great reviews so when some funds become available, i'll look into purchasing it.

Day # 19 - My face is not so great right now. I believe that the medicine is drying me out as my skin is splotchy, i have dry spots and it occassionally itches. Is this normal and to be expected? I'm wondering if maybe i should stop everything for a few days and see what happens. The fact that it is winter here is not helping matters. As of now, i have stopped using the Sumadan wash as it was contributing to the dryness. My chin is breaking out ever so slowly with bumps that hide under the skin. They are not that apparent from far away but i wouldn't be surprised if they came out to play. I am thinking about maybe cutting out dairy and glutten for a month to see if it helps my skin. The only thing with glutten that i currently eat is bread and with dairy, it's cheese. i've been itching lately and wondering if its because of the dry skin or from food allergies. I am staying positive though as it is not as bad as it was BEFORE i started accutane. If it gets to that point, then maybe i'll hit the panic button . In the meantime, i'm holding on tight for the ride.

BTW, got my eyebrows threaded and of course i now have bumps all around - MEMO to self: never thread when area is already irritated.