13 replies to this topic

[random1]

A bit of back ground knowledge :
I have been with [facial] acne since 7th grade. I am currently a senior in high school. It is mainly concentrated on my chin and cheeks (see photo). My acne is composed of large red bumps and big whiteheads. Also my skin is very oily. I have the unfortunate luck of also having sensitive skin. That is why Dan's Regimen simply failed me, my skin would flare up a nasty shade of red and flake orange when applying the slightest amount of BP on. I have gotten by day to day with gentle cleansers and some small amounts of DAPZONE. So since my face has been too sensitive to go the topical route my dermatologist started me on tetracycline antibiotics 5 months ago(took them up until 4 days ago). They worked like magic for the first two months, leaving my skin looking great. After that Im guessing i built up tolerance since my face started reverting back to its old and usual ways. Here I am a week after stopping the antibios and have been taking Isotretinoin (brand name Claravis) for 4 days now. I weigh 135 pounds and am directed to take 30mg twice daily.


What i seek to gain from Accutane : My face is prone to deep and big bumps as opposed to small whiteheads(what I used to get in middle school) so I hope that the redness and inflammation goes down. The pores on my cheeks have become big and easily visible so I also wish that they atleast appear smaller (since I know its impossible to revert them back to their usual size). Basically, I hope Accutane lives up to its reputation(the good one) and helps me get rid of these bumps for good.
There is a picture inserted to serve as my "Before" . But any feedback would be appreciated.

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[KelsOrKp]

I'm with beautifuldisaster on this one!

Nothing, but nothing has ever worked on my skin. I am in to my second month of roaccutane, and all I can say is, I wish I had done it sooner. Yes there are some very common side effects that we all have to deal with, but man, I reckon it's been well worth it so far

The only advice I can offer, is make moisturizer and chapstick your new best friends. Drink plenty of water. And wash with a very mild facewash and try not to exfoliate. If you squeeze the spots, because the skin is so fragile, it will make a mess of your face, so be as kind to your skin as you possibly can, I learnt the hard way lol

The first month was a bit up and down for me, I did lose faith, but stick with it!!!

Wish you all the luck in the world, keep us posted

[neo16]

Your journey sounds kind of familiar to what I have gone through. Looks like we started right around the same time. I started on April 6th and am taking 30 mg of Claravis twice daily. Like you, I am hoping this gets rid of those bumps that come up. Hope things work out for you.

[NeedAMiracle!]

Im on day 6 of my Accutane course! Good luck with everything

[random1]

DAY 8

I THINK the IB may finally be coming to a close(hope its not just wishful thinking) I no longer have (from what I can see) any new ones forming and the ones I did have seem to be in that "healing stage". That isnt doesnt give me too much to cheer about since i still have tons of red marks on my cheeks.HOWEVER, it should be noted that the IB got so bad (+30 bumps) that I started putting on a light layer of Adapalene- a topical retinoid(which has always been gentle on my skin(just not effective ) ) on at night. Therefore, I cant say if its the Accutane or the Adapalene thats been keeping things rolling. But either way I dont intend on going out of the house just yet. I hope that if keep this simple routine going I'll start seeing real results by mid or late this week.



SIDE EFFECTS : Very light to non-existent at times

Dry lips (as expected) and a reduction in my oil production( definitely noticeable)
Hands get shaky at times
Some light headaches

THANKS ALL WHO HAVE READ THIS AND GIVEN ME WORDS OF NICE!


A but misleading photo since it doesnt show my chin (which looks the same as my cheeks) but it gives the idea of where my breakouts have been located.

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[SupernatualFanatic]

I'll be right behind you by a week since I start tomorrow. I agree, I bet your acne is going to clear amazingly. Just remember, it may get worse before it gets better, but just hang in there because it WILL get better and in the long run you're going to be so happy! I wish you the very best of luck!

[random1]

Great to hear! Keep up with updates, id like to know how its goes. Aw thanks, I know the best is yet to come and I'm sticking with it.

[random1]

DAY 12

A small update and a bit of rant on my life. Day 12 doesnt bring too many new things. I am still getting new daily whiteheads. One thing that has changed is the dryness.I have been going nuts with the lotion LOL. But really, I am starting to notice other sections on my body with dryness. My back and hands have been feeling rough lately (they like never are). But its my upper and bottom lips that have been getting the worst of it. I put on lotion and chapstick so frequently now. They arent cracked though- yay! But they just have this layer of like tough skin over them. Its tolerable. Some side effects that have actually gone away are the shakiness and headaches. Other than that I feel no other internal effects from the meds.

Ive been stressing out because ive been flaking(pun intended- lulz) on my family and friends because of all the breakouts ive been getting. I cant even look my dad in the eyes. I keep telling myself its not fair that I cant see anybody because of my own insecurities. I just stay inside and bide my time. School has been killer too. Its hard to concentrate on my homework and tests because of how much my mind is focused on my face. Im trying tho, im trying.

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[SupernatualFanatic]

I'm really sorry you don't feel good about youself, you should. You are handsome with or without acne, except your nose ring is distracting me while I type this hahah. But anyway, everyone has insecurities that they deal with, and for this community it is acne, and there is so much time I've wasted during my teen years (I'm still a teen haha) that I wish I could have back, but I would call into work, school, cancel on friends, etc. I'm not sure if your one to do this, but if you are one to look in mirrors constantly, DON'T do it while on Accutane, our skin is going to go through massive changes, and it's going to need to go through a destruction, and reconstructing (weird terms I used there huh?) so that our skin can be acne-free! But your skin may look worse for a while, but it will get better. It takes some people three months for their skin to do a complete turn around, and that is normal and okay, but you have to push through it, and try to focus on everything BUT your skin at the moment. Turn down the lights, flip over the mirrors, and baby yourself for this course as if you have a bad flu. Relax, read, watch movies, listen to music, and try really hard to not think about your acne. I know it's hard, cause I do it a lot too, but doing these things I've mentioned has helped me even before on Accutane to get through my days in a good mood. You can do it! I'm here if you need to vent, you deserve to vent as much as you want

[random1]

I'm really sorry you don't feel good about youself, you should. You are handsome with or without acne, except your nose ring is distracting me while I type this hahah. But anyway, everyone has insecurities that they deal with, and for this community it is acne, and there is so much time I've wasted during my teen years (I'm still a teen haha) that I wish I could have back, but I would call into work, school, cancel on friends, etc. I'm not sure if your one to do this, but if you are one to look in mirrors constantly, DON'T do it while on Accutane, our skin is going to go through massive changes, and it's going to need to go through a destruction, and reconstructing (weird terms I used there huh?) so that our skin can be acne-free!

Lulz, yea I let it hang occasionally. But thanks for the compliment hehe. OMGZ, the whole "wasted time" thing is like the story of my life. I mean like most teens ive had my share of fun times but theres also this HUGE gap where ive missed out on things because of the way I looked. Thats why Im so set on finally dealing with this so that my last "teen" year doesnt get wasted on being a recluse. Yes i am DEF the type to constantly look in mirrors. Practically every hour I look at myself in some kind of reflection. I dont even know why I do it, since I KNOW that nothing will change in mere hours. Its more out of habit than anything. Ive taken your advice and been making an effort to not do it as much since i know it just messes up my mood. Yeayea, its hard. Your last line is so nice since i dont really have anyone to vent this to (im literally the only person in my family that has skin problems) so thanks for the offer !

[SupernatualFanatic]

Yay! Yes don't look in dem mirrors during this Accutane course, cause our skin is going to crazy, flip shit on us, then be really nice, flip some more shit, then finally get on the road to being nice for the rest of our livess - BUT until it gets to that point, try to look the least amount as possible. And your welcome None of my friends or family deal with acne, so I don't really bother them with it - except my parents are understanding about my course, but I still know they don't want to hear it about 24/7, so that's why I came here. I came here to meet new people, share my acne experiences, and now share my Accutane course and how I'm doing, because I know everyone here all has that one thing in common that can break our self esteem and that's our acne. Everyone who is going the same thing as us is here for you, and totally understand when you just wanna scream sometimes out of frustration, so if you ever have to do it, you know where to come to! I hope your enjoying your day!

[Polyspast]

It'll work. Your acne isn't bad at all so you should clean up nicely. Just don't expect it to work for a least 2-3 months. It all depends on your dose. Good luck!

[wmd1234]

I read your posts and I want to encourage you but I don't think I can write anything that hasn't been expressed better by Taylor! What she says is right. Acne is tough. There have been so many times I've stayed inside when I wanted to go out because I felt so worthless. Just know that by taking Accutane you're on the right path. You'll be a different person at the end of your course, I promise. In the meantime, do what you need to do. Stay healthy, try to focus on school, be social when you're up for it. Also remember that nobody is thinking about your skin as much as you are!