42 replies to this topic

[droidone]

Hello!

This log describes my experience using isotretinoin to combat OILY SKIN. Yes, I'm using accutane for oily skin. It has come to this unfortunately
If you are doing the same, please share your experiences and don't hesitate to ask questions. I'm finding very few logs and few publications on accutane for oily skin therapy, but pooling our separate experiences and knowledge may help us understand the mechanisms by which we can successfully reduce sebum production long-term.

My case:
I'm female (so hormones probably have a lot to contribute to this misery). I'm currently 22. I did have mild acne from age 16-19ish. After then, the acne stopped, the oil increased. The oil is SEVERE, especially on face, neck, chest, and back. I'm prone to getting few but problematic blemishes on my upper arms and chest. Also, wherever my skin is oily, it tends to get shiny and flaky too, like the skin sheds fast. Accutane has dramatically reduced that.


Other drugs I've tried:
There's not much you can do to combat oily skin. I went on birth control (Diane-35). It improved the overall quality of my skin but i started getting random crippling migraines, so I had to abandon that. I tried Vitamin B5 therapy, but it didn't reduce it by much and I'm hesitant about taking large dosages of B5 long-term. Also, the mechanics of B5 don't work to give you long term results, neither does birth control. Hence, I'm on accutane. The go ahead for me was finding out 4 people I knew went on the drug and were thankful. When I mentioned accutane to people around me, chances were they knew someone who went on the drug. Isn't that promising? The nurse that does my blood tests also went on it:P It's surprising how many people go on Accutane, and never look back.


My treatment:
I'm taking CLARUS, 40mg per day for 6 months. I weigh 120lbs.
Also, I have no idea if the following is contributing to my clear skin (I was breaking out badly in month 2-3 of accutane) but I'm also:
- drinking a glass of water 15 mins before breakfast every morning
- refraining from eating 3-4 hours before bedtime



MONTH 1
MONTH 2

Edited by droidone, 31 July 2012 - 02:52 PM.

[droidone]

Since I just started my log on acne.org, here's my first month in hindsight:

-------FIRST MONTH OF ACCUTANE ------------

Week 1: By end of the week, I noticed the consistency of the oil was different. It felt thin (maybe just reduced) and I felt my skin was resilient to pimples. I actually put on powder foundation for the second time in my acne life. Except for a picked pimple on my forehead, my skin was fabulous. I didn't get shiny for 5 hours after putting on the foundation. It was awesome but still oily. Dry lips but not so that I needed to moisturize.

Week 2: I started getting bloated. Really bloated. For about a week every time I ate, my intestines were constantly rumbling. Not in a painful way, just really annoying. The bloating and gas. I actually bled once too but that was only because the skin down there was really dry. I never experienced that again, even with the mild constipation. My lips start feeling really chapped. My face flakes if I don't moisturize properly. Pores on my nose, chin, forehead and cheeks are plugged. It starts feeling really gross just washing my face in the morning.

Week 3: My sky is truly DRY. Morning to night, no oil at all. My hair feels like straw. Before accutane, I needed to wash my hair every morning otherwise it would look greasy. Now, I'm sure I can go daysss without a wash. Which I fully intended to do.

Week 4: No more bloating, intestinal grumbling. Contrary to my expectations (of diarrhea and IB), I am fine in those areas, except the dryness is leading to some constipation. I am also noticing a pimple a day. I don't feel bad because I'm optimistic about accutane purging my skin. But these clogged pores! How do I get rid of them? I used a biore pore strip on my forehead and almost everything came out. But there are stubborn clogged pores that I fear are budding into pimples. Especially on my cheeks. The plugs on my nose just come out when I stretch the skin. It's the most grossest fascinating thing I've ever seen. Also I've been noticing that I'm "flushing", or I think that's what this is. But on my chest and back. The feeling is like a rush of heat and some needle-like tingles that lasts a few seconds when I'm excited. I thought it was a new reaction to adrenaline, but I've ruled that out with experimentation. It's not bothersome though, just curious.

[r0bert0000]

I am also a month in with claravis. I am taking 40 mg a day. So far, I am going through the initial breakout which has been bad along my jaw line. The first two weeks were the worst as I have not experienced a breakout like that in a very long time. Coworkers were asking me about the breakouts and it was embarrassing since I work around pretty nurses all day. I began to feel down about it, but I immediately changed that by having a "who gives a crap" attitude. I know I'm only trying to better myself and that it will eventually get better.


It is getting better though. So far the only side effects I've had are the chapped lips and dry skin. I also seemed to have tanned because coworkers have asked me if I've been spending time in the sun which I have not. It seems even the slightest sun exposure is giving me a tan. The only problem I've had with the medication is that I can't drink anymore. I've always enjoyed a few beers after a long work week, but I'm almost 30 and I've been dealing with acne for almost 15 years and I'm hoping this will finally get rid of it.

[droidone]

I am also a month in with claravis. I am taking 40 mg a day. So far, I am going through the initial breakout which has been bad along my jaw line. The first two weeks were the worst as I have not experienced a breakout like that in a very long time. Coworkers were asking me about the breakouts and it was embarrassing since I work around pretty nurses all day. I began to feel down about it, but I immediately changed that by having a "who gives a crap" attitude. I know I'm only trying to better myself and that it will eventually get better.


It is getting better though. So far the only side effects I've had are the chapped lips and dry skin. I also seemed to have tanned because coworkers have asked me if I've been spending time in the sun which I have not. It seems even the slightest sun exposure is giving me a tan. The only problem I've had with the medication is that I can't drink anymore. I've always enjoyed a few beers after a long work week, but I'm almost 30 and I've been dealing with acne for almost 15 years and I'm hoping this will finally get rid of it.

That's the spirit. Glad to hear that you're seeing improvement in the initial breakout. I hardly got blemishes before accutane, and now I'm slightly breaking out on my cheeks. Feels like high school all over again. But, this is a small price to pay for clearer skin down the road.

Is your skin completely dry? Like no oil at all? Up until the end of the first month, I would wake up with a totally matte dry face. I'm into the second pack now. My derm was going to up my dosage to 60mg, but I guess I was being over cautious when I refused. I regret that now as it seems my skin is getting slightly oily again, but it could be due to my time of month

[droidone]

Before starting the second pack, I wanted to see just how drastically the oil reduction was. Before tane, I required a hair wash every morning, unless I was lazy or did not go out. Last week of my first month, I did not wash my hair until it actually looked like it needed a wash. I lasted 7 days. Could have gone on, but...that's kinda gross But 7 whole days! And my hair looked like it was freshly washed. It was a confidence booster. I could let out my hair, tie it up, it looked so squeaky clean. haha.


Day 36:
I have no back/upper arm acne. My back feels so smooth, it's shocking. It was always bumpy, not very acne prone, but always a couple problematic blemishes there and that awful rough bumpy texture. I feel I can wear a backless! My upper arms are clear too! God, I hope this keeps up.
My face though...seems like the oil is trying to make a reappearance. The problem with that is I will never get rid of the clogged Accutane pores if the oil keeps fluctuating. Hmm, I'll speak to my derm about upping the dosage.

[r0bert0000]

I am also a month in with claravis. I am taking 40 mg a day. So far, I am going through the initial breakout which has been bad along my jaw line. The first two weeks were the worst as I have not experienced a breakout like that in a very long time. Coworkers were asking me about the breakouts and it was embarrassing since I work around pretty nurses all day. I began to feel down about it, but I immediately changed that by having a "who gives a crap" attitude. I know I'm only trying to better myself and that it will eventually get better.


It is getting better though. So far the only side effects I've had are the chapped lips and dry skin. I also seemed to have tanned because coworkers have asked me if I've been spending time in the sun which I have not. It seems even the slightest sun exposure is giving me a tan. The only problem I've had with the medication is that I can't drink anymore. I've always enjoyed a few beers after a long work week, but I'm almost 30 and I've been dealing with acne for almost 15 years and I'm hoping this will finally get rid of it.

That's the spirit. Glad to hear that you're seeing improvement in the initial breakout. I hardly got blemishes before accutane, and now I'm slightly breaking out on my cheeks. Feels like high school all over again. But, this is a small price to pay for clearer skin down the road.

Is your skin completely dry? Like no oil at all? Up until the end of the first month, I would wake up with a totally matte dry face. I'm into the second pack now. My derm was going to up my dosage to 60mg, but I guess I was being over cautious when I refused. I regret that now as it seems my skin is getting slightly oily again, but it could be due to my time of month

It's the same for me. I never had breakouts on my cheeks. Blemishes would usually form on my chin. During the breakout, I would have one here and there on my cheeks but it wasn't that bad. I started my second pack a few days ago, and my face is dry with no shine at all and that has never happened with other medications. I have to use a moisturizer which Ive never used before and really dislike because I don't know if its helping or causing more problems. However, my nose is starting to get a little oily again. My dermatologist said he may or may not increase my dosage. So Ill have to wait and see.

[droidone]

I am also a month in with claravis. I am taking 40 mg a day. So far, I am going through the initial breakout which has been bad along my jaw line. The first two weeks were the worst as I have not experienced a breakout like that in a very long time. Coworkers were asking me about the breakouts and it was embarrassing since I work around pretty nurses all day. I began to feel down about it, but I immediately changed that by having a "who gives a crap" attitude. I know I'm only trying to better myself and that it will eventually get better.


It is getting better though. So far the only side effects I've had are the chapped lips and dry skin. I also seemed to have tanned because coworkers have asked me if I've been spending time in the sun which I have not. It seems even the slightest sun exposure is giving me a tan. The only problem I've had with the medication is that I can't drink anymore. I've always enjoyed a few beers after a long work week, but I'm almost 30 and I've been dealing with acne for almost 15 years and I'm hoping this will finally get rid of it.

That's the spirit. Glad to hear that you're seeing improvement in the initial breakout. I hardly got blemishes before accutane, and now I'm slightly breaking out on my cheeks. Feels like high school all over again. But, this is a small price to pay for clearer skin down the road.

Is your skin completely dry? Like no oil at all? Up until the end of the first month, I would wake up with a totally matte dry face. I'm into the second pack now. My derm was going to up my dosage to 60mg, but I guess I was being over cautious when I refused. I regret that now as it seems my skin is getting slightly oily again, but it could be due to my time of month

It's the same for me. I never had breakouts on my cheeks. Blemishes would usually form on my chin. During the breakout, I would have one here and there on my cheeks but it wasn't that bad. I started my second pack a few days ago, and my face is dry with no shine at all and that has never happened with other medications. I have to use a moisturizer which Ive never used before and really dislike because I don't know if its helping or causing more problems. However, my nose is starting to get a little oily again. My dermatologist said he may or may not increase my dosage. So Ill have to wait and see.

I'm wondering if it's because our bodies are getting used to the drug. But I've read countless times that the effectiveness is in the cumulative dosage, so I shall remain hopeful. Only thing I'm stressing about is the intense clogged pores I got when my skin was super dry. If the oil comes back, and reduces again, I may have to tackle clogged pore problems again:( And this is not helping my breakouts heal.

I'd say a week ago, there was 100% reduction in oil on my face. It was astonishing. Today, it's more like 80% reduction. This 20% is a party pooper.

[r0bert0000]

I am also a month in with claravis. I am taking 40 mg a day. So far, I am going through the initial breakout which has been bad along my jaw line. The first two weeks were the worst as I have not experienced a breakout like that in a very long time. Coworkers were asking me about the breakouts and it was embarrassing since I work around pretty nurses all day. I began to feel down about it, but I immediately changed that by having a "who gives a crap" attitude. I know I'm only trying to better myself and that it will eventually get better.


It is getting better though. So far the only side effects I've had are the chapped lips and dry skin. I also seemed to have tanned because coworkers have asked me if I've been spending time in the sun which I have not. It seems even the slightest sun exposure is giving me a tan. The only problem I've had with the medication is that I can't drink anymore. I've always enjoyed a few beers after a long work week, but I'm almost 30 and I've been dealing with acne for almost 15 years and I'm hoping this will finally get rid of it.

That's the spirit. Glad to hear that you're seeing improvement in the initial breakout. I hardly got blemishes before accutane, and now I'm slightly breaking out on my cheeks. Feels like high school all over again. But, this is a small price to pay for clearer skin down the road.

Is your skin completely dry? Like no oil at all? Up until the end of the first month, I would wake up with a totally matte dry face. I'm into the second pack now. My derm was going to up my dosage to 60mg, but I guess I was being over cautious when I refused. I regret that now as it seems my skin is getting slightly oily again, but it could be due to my time of month

It's the same for me. I never had breakouts on my cheeks. Blemishes would usually form on my chin. During the breakout, I would have one here and there on my cheeks but it wasn't that bad. I started my second pack a few days ago, and my face is dry with no shine at all and that has never happened with other medications. I have to use a moisturizer which Ive never used before and really dislike because I don't know if its helping or causing more problems. However, my nose is starting to get a little oily again. My dermatologist said he may or may not increase my dosage. So Ill have to wait and see.

I'm wondering if it's because our bodies are getting used to the drug. But I've read countless times that the effectiveness is in the cumulative dosage, so I shall remain hopeful. Only thing I'm stressing about is the intense clogged pores I got when my skin was super dry. If the oil comes back, and reduces again, I may have to tackle clogged pore problems again:( And this is not helping my breakouts heal.

I'd say a week ago, there was 100% reduction in oil on my face. It was astonishing. Today, it's more like 80% reduction. This 20% is a party pooper.

I don't know whats going with the little oil reappearing. I haven't read enough about it. If it continues I will ask my dermatologist about it at my next appointment. I just hope that my face continues to improve. Ill let you know how things are going as the days go by.

[droidone]

Day 37: The acne is healing. The pimples on my right cheek, which were freaking me out, weren't so bad after all, haven't surfaced, and are now fading away. My skin is a bit oily, but still 80% less than before. My hair is more oily, which means more frequent washes, which sucks because the rest of the hair besides the roots are dry as straw and pretty damaged from coloring and ironing pre-accutane. Lips not nearly as dry as in Month 1. Going to buy some skincare products today, to help purge pores and moisturize.

I used biore pore strips on my nose and forehead to lift away the plugs from the suddenly drying accutane skin, but they're expensive and little.
I found this DIY video for pore strips made out of flavourless gelatin and milk.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=-bjOB4zS0uE

Edited by droidone, 23 May 2012 - 01:51 PM.

[Vanessa2002]

Hi droidone!

I follow your log with interest, because you seem like me. I am 23 years old and have had acne since I was 12. It's not as bad anymore as during my teenage years, but I still have incredibly oily skin and a high sebum production. My pores do not clog that easily anymore, it seems, so I rarely have really big pimples. However, my skin is still bad enough to prevent me from enjoying my life . I also have mild acne on my back and oily skin on my chest and neck. I am thinking whether or not I should go on accutane. Many people here post positive accutane logs, but most have really bad cystic acne. I am afraid that it might actually make my skin too dry in the longterm. That's why I am really interested in how this will turn out for you
It would be great if you could post pictures of your skin, before, during and after.

[droidone]

Hi droidone!

I follow your log with interest, because you seem like me. I am 23 years old and have had acne since I was 12. It's not as bad anymore as during my teenage years, but I still have incredibly oily skin and a high sebum production. My pores do not clog that easily anymore, it seems, so I rarely have really big pimples. However, my skin is still bad enough to prevent me from enjoying my life . I also have mild acne on my back and oily skin on my chest and neck. I am thinking whether or not I should go on accutane. Many people here post positive accutane logs, but most have really bad cystic acne. I am afraid that it might actually make my skin too dry in the longterm. That's why I am really interested in how this will turn out for you
It would be great if you could post pictures of your skin, before, during and after.

Hi Vanessa! It seems our skin is incredibly alike. Oh if only accutane could give me permanently dry skin! Trust me, having dry skin (no sebum) is no problem. I would rather moisturize everyday than wash oil twice a day:P

Currently, my skin is producing oil again, but probably around 20% of what it used to, which is great. I will speak to my dermatologist next appointment to talk about why this is happening. She wanted to increase my dosage but if the oil is returning, I would expect the same to happen a month after increasing the dosage.

If you want to consider an alternative to accutane for now, I would recommend you seek an endocrinologist. Ask your doctor to refer you. I believe our abnormally oily skin is due to hormone imbalances (specifically testosterone). My dermatologist even wrote me a blood test request, but I made up my mind. I wanted to try accutane because studies suggest it shrinks the oil glands, and some people claim to have dry skin after accutane.

I will post pictures soon as I have access to my laptop.

[Vanessa2002]

I would not worry about your skin getting oily again right now. The first three months of accutance the skin always goes crazy. Usually the real and lasting improvement does not show until the fourth month. But it may be a good idea to up the dosage. And with the higher dosage your skin may not get oily again, but stay dry. Just try it.
Thank you for your recommendation with the endocrinologist. But I don't think I'll seek treatment at the moment. I am a college student, and right now I am abroad and next semester I will do an internship in London. So right now I am away from "my" doctors and I don't want to start a treatment in one country and continue it in another. I will wait until I am back home (which won't be until next year ) and continue treatment at my dermatologist, who has known my skin for years.

I do think that my acne is due to hormonal imbalances. Mine is genetically caused, I've got it from my mother (who has it from her mother ). I am just fed up with trying tons of different treatments, nothing helps. I think the only thing that really works is accutane. I just want accutane to reduce oil and sebum production and be done with acne FOREVER. I don't have the patience anymore to try out other stuff.

Edited by Vanessa2002, 26 May 2012 - 10:44 AM.

[B552299G]

I totally hear what you guys are saying about oily skin. Oily skin is such a pain! Even when you try to dry it out with washes and topicals, it still looks oily an hour later and feels tight and irritated. One of the things that made me and my derm decide on accutane was that it is clinically proven to reduce oil and the size of the oil glands. This is what was contributing to my cysts we belive because I only get them where my skin is most oil (chin). Hopefully after accutane we will have a more balanced complexion with regular healthy sebum production. But you know what they say, people with slightly oilier skin don't wrinkle as much so at least we'll all stay youthfull at least

[Vanessa2002]

But I'd much rather have wrinkles than oily skin and acne. Wrinkles are something normal, that everybody has. Wrinkles are not disgusting, wrinkles don't gross other people out. Wrinkles don't keep you from enjoying your life and make other people say "Eww, look at her back, all those zits, it's so gross!", when you wear a backless top.

As soon as I'm finished with accutane I will use hydrating anti-aging products, even though others might say I am still too young for this, because all the beauty experts say it is better to prevent wrinkles than to fight them when they are already there.
That way I can have beautiful skin and no wrinkles!!!!

[droidone]

I totally hear what you guys are saying about oily skin. Oily skin is such a pain! Even when you try to dry it out with washes and topicals, it still looks oily an hour later and feels tight and irritated. One of the things that made me and my derm decide on accutane was that it is clinically proven to reduce oil and the size of the oil glands. This is what was contributing to my cysts we belive because I only get them where my skin is most oil (chin). Hopefully after accutane we will have a more balanced complexion with regular healthy sebum production. But you know what they say, people with slightly oilier skin don't wrinkle as much so at least we'll all stay youthfull at least

I wish it were true! I think wrinkles are just genetics and how well you care for your skin. I KNOW my skin will wrinkle worse than my younger sister. Her skin is DRY, she has to slap on vaseline after washing, but her skin is tight and looks really hydrated. Plus, I have deep laugh lines

But I'd much rather have wrinkles than oily skin and acne. Wrinkles are something normal, that everybody has. Wrinkles are not disgusting, wrinkles don't gross other people out. Wrinkles don't keep you from enjoying your life and make other people say "Eww, look at her back, all those zits, it's so gross!", when you wear a backless top.

As soon as I'm finished with accutane I will use hydrating anti-aging products, even though others might say I am still too young for this, because all the beauty experts say it is better to prevent wrinkles than to fight them when they are already there.
That way I can have beautiful skin and no wrinkles!!!!

Crossing my fingers for beautiful skin! So frustrated right now at the "initial breakout". The oil levels are fine but I wish I wouldn't breakout.

Day 41:

Since starting accutane, I've had a total of 7 new pimples. Two of them are really problematic. It's like they're never surfacing, just angry slightly raised red bumps. God, I really hope this is over by the end of this month. I'm going to scar from these two for sure. I haven't had acne on my face in a long time, so I'm at a loss at what to do. Retin-A? Benzoyl peroxide? Salicylic Acid? AHA cream? My older sis takes every opportunity to scold me for not taking care, but honestly what can I do? She thinks using a scrub will keep the pimples at bay, but exfoliating is not the issue. Pre-accutane, I would scrub my face every other day with a knitted old cloth and I would never break out. My skin looks great otherwise. I wonder if topical antibiotics are okay to take with accutane.

[Vanessa2002]

Please do not exfoliate or use other harsh treatments like Benzoyl peroxide!!!!! Your skin is very vulnerable right now. I briefly read through somebody else's accutane log the other day and she tried to scrub off the flakes on her skin with a wash cloth and she said that basically three layers of skin came off at once and now she has a huge wound there!
A red bump does not cause scarring. I have a few scars on my face, but they developed through zits which got inflamed and when I tried to squeeze them out, I accidentally pushed everything deeper into the skin.
I would suggest that you leave it alone for now. Maybe your dermatologist can tell you what to do when you see him the next time. The initial breakout sucks, but it will be over in a couple of weeks. Please do not destroy your skin permanently by using too harsh treatments now.

[droidone]

Please do not exfoliate or use other harsh treatments like Benzoyl peroxide!!!!! Your skin is very vulnerable right now. I briefly read through somebody else's accutane log the other day and she tried to scrub off the flakes on her skin with a wash cloth and she said that basically three layers of skin came off at once and now she has a huge wound there!
A red bump does not cause scarring. I have a few scars on my face, but they developed through zits which got inflamed and when I tried to squeeze them out, I accidentally pushed everything deeper into the skin.
I would suggest that you leave it alone for now. Maybe your dermatologist can tell you what to do when you see him the next time. The initial breakout sucks, but it will be over in a couple of weeks. Please do not destroy your skin permanently by using too harsh treatments now.

That sounds horrible Rest assured, I'm very very cautious of using products on my face. But I have been scrubbing my face since I started accutane. Maybe I have thick skin? I don't use the wash cloth anymore, it makes me afraid of breaking out, but I use cream scrubs, like St.Ives apricot scrub. I soak my skin with warm water and let the micro beads do the work. It doesn't aggravate, or hurt, or anything. It feels nice and smooth afterwards.

As for benzoyl peroxide, I tested it on a very small area where I'm breaking out and slept with it. No problems so far, though I'm not going to use it all over, I don't trust it yet:P

[B552299G]

But I'd much rather have wrinkles than oily skin and acne. Wrinkles are something normal, that everybody has. Wrinkles are not disgusting, wrinkles don't gross other people out. Wrinkles don't keep you from enjoying your life and make other people say "Eww, look at her back, all those zits, it's so gross!", when you wear a backless top.

As soon as I'm finished with accutane I will use hydrating anti-aging products, even though others might say I am still too young for this, because all the beauty experts say it is better to prevent wrinkles than to fight them when they are already there.
That way I can have beautiful skin and no wrinkles!!!!

Totally agreed. Acne deflates my confidence so much. Luckily I've been able to keep it under control, but i'm looking forward to being confident that my skin will ALWAYS be clear. Even when your skin is "under control" with all those pesky topicals, a big zit always seems to pop up right at the wrong time like a date, interview, etc. And yes, I would take a few wrinkles when I'm older over acne today anytime.

[Vanessa2002]

Then I wish you all the best results from your Claravis treatment. I wish I could start taking accutane right now *sigh*. I don't wanna wait another 7 months

[veruca salt]

I'm on day 23 and I'm still exfoliating as well. I also use my clarisonic a few times a week. I think every person's skin is different, and I haven't had any discomfort yet with scrubs or masks. I use BP to spot treat, but if that's a bit too harsh, you could try tea tree oil. It's natural, though can be a bit drying if you use too much, so I'd suggest using it along with moisturizer