51 replies to this topic

[Lindseym]

Well my first round was 3 months in 2003, second 3 months in 2005, and now here is the 3rd for an undetermined period 2012.

I am washing with Spectrogel to start with and using Neutrogena oil free moisture for senstive skin .

I took my first pill last night. Right now I only have a few minor pimples on my face as I have been doing Penaten every night for the past week however I have some painful ones around my eyebrows, very clogged pores everywhere, oil, and several pimples on my back.

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[Lindseym]

Day 2 pictures as yesterdays photo was taken before taking my first pill at bedtime:

[Tootsler]

Your acne doesn't look bad -- I can hardly see any pimples whatsoever.

[Lindseym]

Right now I am mostly clear on my face, I have about 3 however it is because I have been using Penaten nightly, and not wearing any makeup... it will last about a week and then I will break out again. I have seriously bad break outs all over my face with my period as I can not medically be on BC which used to regulate it. My chest, back, and shoulders bear the most of my acne.

[shinataro]

Good luck what was your first two rounds like?

[Lindseym]

The first round took me from acne all over my face to clear enough to be confident in public without makeup for almost a year, I had very bad head aches and dry skin...and my nose felt like I had booger cement but otherwise that was all. The second round lasted much longer and I had about the same effects. So far on day one I already have my headache starting.

[Sasch83]

Good Luck Girl! Did you follow your course with maintenance therapy (ie: retinoids)?

[Lindseym]

Hey ! no retanoids for me... my first one I ended just before the 3 months as I was starting chemotherapy ... so I had to kind of focus on that

So Day 3 ! Pictures right out of the shower before things have had a chance to calm down! using a professional camera that shows EVERYTHING! so this will be better!

[Lindseym]

Day 6
Things have definitely goten worse,I(10 actives that are super red) am not sure if it is because that time of the month should be starting any day soon or if it is my first time experiencing the accutane IB. I am washing in the morning with Clearasil rapid action face wash to help with the redness, following up with garneir moisture rescue for sensitve skin for days that I am indoors and at nights (Spectro sensitive blemish prone at night) or else Olay sensitive spf 15 during the day when I am outdoors.
My skin was starting to get a little dry so I have had to discontinue my rescue Penaten masks which normally clear my up almost over night....

Pictures from day straight out of the shower again with my canon 7D. I was pretty embarassed today, happy I can hide in office most of the day and only have one meeting with upper management looking like this as I refuse to wear makeup.

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[cupcake_19]

hey Lindseym,
I was wondering if you noticed any major differences between your first and second round of accutane? I'm on my second round after three years and I noticed I'm breaking out a lot faster this time. My skin is also SO dry and my lips are extremely chapped and i'm only on my second week. My first round of accutane I never experienced dry lips and it took a while before I had an IB. I'm worried that since my skin is thinner and less oily after my first round of accutane that my skin can't handle accutane the same way? please let me know!

[Lindseym]

Hey,
I didnt really have an inital break out on either of my previous rounds, I was on 20mg/ day. Now on round 3 I have been started at 40mg per day which is supposed to be my dose for the whole course... I am thinking it will be 4-6 months but I am not sure. This time around holy cow am I ever breaking out, every morning I am seeing a new zit before the old ones have healed, its quiete depressing but I just have to keep telling myself its the STORM before the Calm lol!

I have a big photoshoot this weekend so I am going to do a Pentaten mask tonight to see if it makes my skin peel... as its normally my rescue remedy to clear a face up fast! I am officially at one week and havent had any issues with my lips...but I do apply blistex medicated lip ointment every morning and before going outside to teach (I teach riding lessons so its hard to avoid the sun and wind burn)

I think my biggest problem on the second round was my nose ! painfun painful cement nose! and it seems to be starting again... any suggestions for that issue would be helpful!

[whoartthou1]

taking accutane for clear skin? o.O

[Lindseym]

taking accutane for clear skin? o.O

Definitely not clear skin just bad photos and a good tan to hide the bumps. my face has thousands of closed and open comedones.

[Lindseym]

Day 8,
I broke down and did a Penaten mask last night to get rid of some of the redness, my face looks much better and didnt dry out! I definitely wont be doing these nightly but its good to know its an option.

Photos for day 8 taken 30 mins after cleansing. Still very oily and starting to get pretty itchy, most of the red bumps were comedones that sat on my skin for the past 6 months turning into pimples and expelling the yucky its not pretty but I like that its working so fast. I have a to be on stage in very harsh light Saturday ...anyone have any good full coverage makeup ideas ? avail at sephora, mac, or even canadian drugstores?

Thanks!!!

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[whoartthou1]

oh, i see what you are talking about. I get these too (on top of my inflamed acne).

Did you ever take oral antibiotics by chance?

[Lindseym]

oh, i see what you are talking about. I get these too (on top of my inflamed acne).

Did you ever take oral antibiotics by chance?

I did try Sufatrim, Minocin, and one other but I cant recall the name :S The only thing that every worked for me aside from Accutane was being on birth control pills but that is no longer an option for me.

Day 9

Day nine starts with a visit from my monthly "angry lady time" one new pimple and the rest seem to be healing. Im am still covered in under the skin flesh colored bumps and there seems to be no oil improvement.

My regime has changed a bit, I am now using Penaten on the red spots (its still a miracle for getting rid of redness accutane or not! I honestly dont know how i ever lived without it!)...washing in the AM with Spectro and using the Garnier rescue for sensitie skin lotion. Throughout the day I will apply a little of my olay sensitive skin lotion and have started using blistex medicated ointment as often as possible.

I am noticing that my eyes are sore and painful but mostly just around bed time so my ritual of reading for an hour is getting a little tricky. I purchased some eye lubricant drops so that should help.

Now on the search for nasal lubricants to avoid concrete nose! I did have to steam this morning after the shower to be able to blow my nose !

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[Lindseym]

Day 13
It has been a bit of a roller coaster, I had a very bad break out over the weekend which is starting to heal. About 4 actives on my forehead, and 3 monsters on my jawline (never had those before), and clusters on my temples.
The skin is starting to get very dry, I had a photoshoot this weekend and by the end my makeup was literally peeling off. Not so hot. I broke down and starting using cetaphil at night despite my loathe for the rubber feeling it leaves and how greasy you look. It seems to helping a bit but I am still very itchy !! My lips require at least hourly applications of blistex medicated ointment (smells gross but it works.) Scalp is starting to be very itchy ...Time to break down and possibly buy some head and shoulders for dry itchy scalp!
My hair is not really falling out yet which is a bonus! my nose is doing ok... I am going to get some moiturizing spray for sure

I am hoping that the IB is on its way out and like last time I dont have a second!
Also this week I get my copper IUD put in... cant wait to see if it really does not have any effect on your skin!

[Lindseym]

Day 19

It seems like my entire face is covered completely with bumps, it feels absolutely gross to touch. Even my neck where I have never had a pimple before is covered. It is really disheartening. I am praying this is just accutane bringing all the bad to the surface ... but when I research many articles say it is a myth that accutane does that. I wish that I could get extractions while on accutane, I have gotten several comments in the last few days on how red my face looks and how bumpy I look... almost makes me want to just stop and deal with the crazy painful ones and at least have some smooth skin in between them.

I am posting a picture... it is really hard to show unless I have perfect direct light just how bad it really looks.

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[Sasch83]

Hi hun, the bumps seem very miniscule to the naked eye s maybe you notice them more than others (i get those too sometimes). You'll get through this, i know you will. I started my treatment tonight and i'm already dreading the IB but i;m taking it one step at a time. I will be following along with your log as we are not too far apart in treatment dates. Maybe we can support each other! Feel free to check out my log as well.

BTW, how do you post pictures in your log?

[Lindseym]

Hey to post pics just hit more reply options and there is a little uploader thingy.

My face is much more red, lots of little tiny white heads actually coming to a head... I did the no no thing and used an exfoliant which got rid of 75% of them. Jojoba oil has been my saving grace! my skin isnt even dry anymore! I follow it up with rosedew by Ann Borlind and its great! easy to put make up on, no flakes etc! which is saying alot as a horse training I am exposed to harsh wind and sun several hours a day.

I do have one super hard under the skin zit under my nose and another on my jaw.... my zeno was taking them down but for maybe a few hours. I gave up after 2 days. Im going to give them a break for a few days and not spot treat and see what happens... Im almost tempted to just put some hemeroid cream like brad pitt does on them to shink them!

Oh I should also add that it is day 24 and I am using Aveda kinetics liquid exfoliant once a week.

Edited by Lindseym, 19 October 2012 - 09:52 PM.