34 replies to this topic

[charlotte93]

My name is Charlotte and I've had acne since i was 12 years old. Like most people acne has become my biggest enemy. I wake up every morning and the first thing i do is feel my face in fear of new spots appearing! Over the years i've tried countless treatments consisting of topical creams and antibiotics. Everything seems to work for a while and then after a few months, BAM, i'm back to square one. I'm 19 (20 in April) and in my second year of university. My acne has started to effect my life so much that i've started to miss my lectures and it has stopped me going out with my friends. I hate people looking at my skin. Although i've always had acne it wasn't until last september (2012) that it became noticeably bad and i think that's what frustrates me the most! I've had my fair share of acne so now its time for it to disappear once and for all! After seeing my GP and becoming an emotional mess she referred me to the dermatologist where i was prescribed accuntane. After having the initial blood test (another enemy of mine, i am the biggest wimp ever and manage to faint every time i have a blood test... the next 4 months is going to be extra fun) and pregnancy test I finally started my treatment yesterday. After reading numerous blogs it is safe to say that i could not be more scared. The thought of an initial break out terrifies me but i can't wait to have good skin Part of the reason i started this blog is to document my progress and to compare my journey with others. I have read some terrifying stories but others have been truly amazing. I can't wait to reach to point in my journey when i am happy with the results and can begin to build my confidence levels up again.

 

So here we go...

 

I am 5"4 and approx 120pounds. My derm has started me on 60mg for 4 months. Slightly worried about this because the pharmacist told me she expected me to be started on 30mg but hey ho! My acne is mainly focused around my chin area. I am also really bad for picking my spots, i tend to go by the notion that if i can't feel them, then they don't exist (or its easier to pretend anyway). 

 

Day 1: Took the pill with dinner 

Day 2: No side effects yet although i did have stingy eyes and a headache... although i'm guessing this is due to the fact i worked 9-7.

 

I am using Blistex intensive moisturiser on my lips, i thought i would start applying it early in the treatment to try and avoid dry lips. For my face i am using Simple light moisturiser although i expect i will have to change this soon as my skin becomes drier. 

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[KSG1996]

Hey Charlotte

 

I'm happy that you're on Accutane. It's a rough medication but it truly does wonders. I had severe acne couple months ago and accutane helped me out immensely. I'm going to tell you this. Even if you get the initial breakout (or not, hopefully you don't get it), don't get desperate. Also, if you see that a couple months pass and you see no results, don't give up. Accutane works at different rates for everyone. I, personally, started clearing up end of month 3/beginning of month 4, and it is well worth the wait.

 

Here's my Accutane Journey

http://www.acne.org/...s/#entry3332068

 

Don't give up. I repeat this because it is that important. Have faith. Hopefully you win the battle over acne for good. If you got questions I'm always here to help. Get better

[charlotte93]

Hey Charlotte

 

I'm happy that you're on Accutane. It's a rough medication but it truly does wonders. I had severe acne couple months ago and accutane helped me out immensely. I'm going to tell you this. Even if you get the initial breakout (or not, hopefully you don't get it), don't get desperate. Also, if you see that a couple months pass and you see no results, don't give up. Accutane works at different rates for everyone. I, personally, started clearing up end of month 3/beginning of month 4, and it is well worth the wait.

 

Here's my Accutane Journey

http://www.acne.org/...s/#entry3332068

 

Don't give up. I repeat this because it is that important. Have faith. Hopefully you win the battle over acne for good. If you got questions I'm always here to help. Get better

Hey

 

I've just read your journey and your skin looks amazing now!! I can't wait to see similar results (fingers crossed anyway). How did you find the side effects such as dry skin? I'm on day 3 now and haven't noticed any dryness but i suppose that's normal. How long did your initial break out last? I'm praying that because my acne is only moderate my breakout won't be that bad. My derm told me she would be surprised if it was so lets hope she's right! When do you start the chemical peels? So happy for you and your results!

 

Charlotte

[KSG1996]

Hey Charlotte

 

I'm happy that you're on Accutane. It's a rough medication but it truly does wonders. I had severe acne couple months ago and accutane helped me out immensely. I'm going to tell you this. Even if you get the initial breakout (or not, hopefully you don't get it), don't get desperate. Also, if you see that a couple months pass and you see no results, don't give up. Accutane works at different rates for everyone. I, personally, started clearing up end of month 3/beginning of month 4, and it is well worth the wait.

 

Here's my Accutane Journey

http://www.acne.org/...s/#entry3332068

 

Don't give up. I repeat this because it is that important. Have faith. Hopefully you win the battle over acne for good. If you got questions I'm always here to help. Get better

Hey

 

I've just read your journey and your skin looks amazing now!! I can't wait to see similar results (fingers crossed anyway). How did you find the side effects such as dry skin? I'm on day 3 now and haven't noticed any dryness but i suppose that's normal. How long did your initial break out last? I'm praying that because my acne is only moderate my breakout won't be that bad. My derm told me she would be surprised if it was so lets hope she's right! When do you start the chemical peels? So happy for you and your results!

 

Charlotte

 

Haha thanks for the answer

 

Well for dryness I noticed it a week into Accutane. It's really really important that you moisturize and use a gentle facial cleanser. Probably the reason why my initial breakout got so bad was because of that reason (That I didn't moisturize often and didn't cleanse my face with a cleanser so often). Oh and for the peels it's usually a couple months after being on Accutane since your skin gets paper thin while on it. The peels are only for the marks you see in the last 3 pictures, so in terms of acne it won't do much. Oh, and also use lots and lots of chapstick. Drink a lot of water (if you go to college or school, I recommend you take 2 bottles of water with you every day, your body really needs it while on Accutane).

 

That's pretty much it in terms of side effects. I never got anything besides the dryness and chapped lips. I wasn't even sun sensitive (which surprised me because I'm pretty white). Oh and one last thing. Wear sunblock whenever you go out. That was also my mistake. The sunblock will prevent those marks from coming, so I tell you this to help you prevent those post-accutane red marks from coming after acne.

 

Hope I helped!

[charlotte93]

Day 3: Still not noticed any changes but its still early days. At least i've not had any side effects so far so can't complain Going out tonight with my friends for St Paddys today. I wasn't going to drink but my derm told me it would be ok as long as i was sensible so i might have one or two and see how i get on  

[electricbetty]

Hi Charlotte, good luck with your treatment. My skin went rubbish when I was in my second year of uni too, so I know how you feel! It's good advice to eat a good diet and drink lots of water during the course. I was like you in that I was worried about what alcohol does to you while on Accutane, I had one small bottle of beer on Friday night and it was such an error. Cue headaches and the reddest face and neck in all of humanity. You'll probably start seeing changes in week 3-4, it takes a while to kick in so don't over-think anything

[charlotte93]

Hi Charlotte, good luck with your treatment. My skin went rubbish when I was in my second year of uni too, so I know how you feel! It's good advice to eat a good diet and drink lots of water during the course. I was like you in that I was worried about what alcohol does to you while on Accutane, I had one small bottle of beer on Friday night and it was such an error. Cue headaches and the reddest face and neck in all of humanity. You'll probably start seeing changes in week 3-4, it takes a while to kick in so don't over-think anything

 

Thank you I have been trying to drink around 2 litres of water a day and eat lots of fruit so fingers crossed this helps too! I had 4 drinks on Sunday and didn't have any bad side effects but i think this may be due to only starting Accutane on Friday. I've decided not to drink during the rest of the treatment process just in case. When did you start taking Accutane?  

Days 4-6: So drinking didn't seem to effect me, thank god! Although i don't think i will take the risk again, its just not worth it. Looks like it will be a sober birthday for me next week The guy i liked was at the party on Sunday. I'm still too nervous to speak to him though because i don't want him to see my skin and be put off. I can't wait to start seeing changes so i feel more confident and can finally pluck up the courage to talk to him. Still not seeing any changes, I have been getting an extra couple of spots though but nothing major... So far so good! I have noticed that the spots i'm getting go away a lot quicker so I can't complain. I think my skin is starting to get a bit more oily though. Before starting Accutane i switched from Freederm to Simple face products because i thought it would be less harsh on my skin. Does anyone know if it really makes a difference what products you use? My eyes have been playing up recently, they seem to ache/water a lot. I've seen a couple of people say the say thing in their blogs so think i will check this out with my derm. 

[charlotte93]

Day 6 Update: My skin started to feel reaaaaally oily towards the end of the day, it didn't look too bad but it did make me slightly paranoid! My skin also started to itch a little but i don't know if that was because i was conscious of the oilyness? 

 

Day 7: I CAN'T BELIEVE ITS BEEN A WEEK!!! Time has gone so quickly! I have a couple of spots on my cheek, an area which is not normally affected by my acne, so i'm guessing this is part of the IB? They're not that bad though. Nothing a bit of makeup wont hide! When doing my make-up this morning i noticed that my skin has started to get a bit dry, mainly above my left eyelid and on my cheeks. I use Bare Mineral foundation so don't think the powder will help mask the dryness. Also noticed that the sides of my nose has become super super sensitive, it hurts to touch. My eyebrow area is also a tad sensitive but again, nothing major. I'm actually really happy that i'm starting to notice some effects of the Accutane, at least i know its going to start working soon! Still praying and crossing all my fingers that i won't have a bad IB. Hopefully it waits till after next Friday!! 

[redglim]

不错，加油。

GOOD 

[electricbetty]

When did you start taking Accutane?

 

I started on the 19th Feb so just over a month. I went for my blood tests today and was chatting to the nurse 'cause she asked if I'd had any side effects, she said she used to work with my Dermatologist and she says 9 times out of 10 if you complete the course, acne never comes back. So that's a nice prospect!

 

The alcohol thing, just do whatever you want. There are a lot of people on here who swear it never bothered them, which is fine. Just keep getting regular liver function tests and if nothing bad comes back, you'll be fine having a couple... don't deprive yourself on your birthday!!!

 

Also you say above what products people use, I spoke to a pharmacist the other day who told me to use Simple shampoos because things like sulphates and parabens which are in cheap shampoo, that makes your hair fall out way quicker.

[Bug5637]

Hey Charlotte! I too just started my accutane on march 6th I've been on 2 weeks as of yesterday woohoo! I'm a 19 year old male with mild face acne and severe chest and back not fun. The acne on my face hasn't been bad just gets red and a lot of baby whiteheads recently I'm guessing cause its pushing all of the stuff out? The acne on my body is drying up SO FAST it's such a relief! I've been so happy to see this. The acne on my body is so sensitive that I can't even wear a white shirt with out bleeding through it in some spots, also wearing a seat belt hurts and even when people hug me it hurts so bad if they pat my back too hard! anyways do you guys know any good shower gels to use? I need something good!

Week 1 - no sides

Week 2 - slightly dry lips, shoulder acne flakes off after a shower, face is way less oily!

I use vasaline Chapstick and I use neutrogena blue face wash the cool sensation one - works well!

[charlotte93]

When did you start taking Accutane?

 

I started on the 19th Feb so just over a month. I went for my blood tests today and was chatting to the nurse 'cause she asked if I'd had any side effects, she said she used to work with my Dermatologist and she says 9 times out of 10 if you complete the course, acne never comes back. So that's a nice prospect!

 

The alcohol thing, just do whatever you want. There are a lot of people on here who swear it never bothered them, which is fine. Just keep getting regular liver function tests and if nothing bad comes back, you'll be fine having a couple... don't deprive yourself on your birthday!!!

 

Also you say above what products people use, I spoke to a pharmacist the other day who told me to use Simple shampoos because things like sulphates and parabens which are in cheap shampoo, that makes your hair fall out way quicker.

I hope we're two of the 9 people! The thought of having clear skin makes this whole process worthwhile. I think i will drink on my birthday and then wait until i finish my treatment! Luckily i have exams etc coming up soon so that's a perfect excuse to stop! I will definitely be investing in Simple shampoo Still washing my hair once a day even though i don't need to, desperately need to break the habit. What moisturiser do you use on your face? My nose has already peeled. Someone asked me today if i'd been on holiday because "its snowing in Scotland so its not possible to have sunburn" I just agreed! How are you finding the whole process so far?  

Hey Charlotte! I too just started my accutane on march 6th I've been on 2 weeks as of yesterday woohoo! I'm a 19 year old male with mild face acne and severe chest and back not fun. The acne on my face hasn't been bad just gets red and a lot of baby whiteheads recently I'm guessing cause its pushing all of the stuff out? The acne on my body is drying up SO FAST it's such a relief! I've been so happy to see this. The acne on my body is so sensitive that I can't even wear a white shirt with out bleeding through it in some spots, also wearing a seat belt hurts and even when people hug me it hurts so bad if they pat my back too hard! anyways do you guys know any good shower gels to use? I need something good!

Week 1 - no sides

Week 2 - slightly dry lips, shoulder acne flakes off after a shower, face is way less oily!

I use vasaline Chapstick and I use neutrogena blue face wash the cool sensation one - works well!

 

I'm glad you're seeing results so soon Oh no, that sounds awful Hopefully your skin becomes less sensitive over time! My nose has become super sensitive, its hurts to touch... so weird!! I have been getting lots of whiteheads too! I'm really bad for popping them though. I find they clear up quite quickly but leave a patch of dry skin. Don't know if this is the same for you? I've been using Simple nourishing body wash and cocoa butter after i've showered. I've not had any problems using them so far Do you think you've started your IB yet?

[Bug5637]

Oh shoot sorry about your nose! Agh same here but I find that if I sterilize a needle and gently poke it to release the pressure with OUT popping it then it goes away! But I'm gonna stop that it's just whiteheads are so not attractive and people just stare right at them! Yeah! The blemish sorta scabs over in a day?! And yeah I started my iB today I think cause my skin is getting a little worse but it's okay! I'm staying strong!

I'll have to look that scrub thanks!

[electricbetty]

I hope we're two of the 9 people! The thought of having clear skin makes this whole process worthwhile. I think i will drink on my birthday and then wait until i finish my treatment! Luckily i have exams etc coming up soon so that's a perfect excuse to stop! I will definitely be investing in Simple shampoo Still washing my hair once a day even though i don't need to, desperately need to break the habit. What moisturiser do you use on your face? My nose has already peeled. Someone asked me today if i'd been on holiday because "its snowing in Scotland so its not possible to have sunburn" I just agreed! How are you finding the whole process so far?

 

Haha yeah me too. Have you had any of this horrific weather where you are? I am in North West UK and it's an absolute joke how cold it is. There is a village north of where I live and it's totally cut off without power. Totally get what you mean about sunburnt face, but it's the freezing wind atm that's getting me weird looks when I pass people!!

 

My best skincare advice is get some cold pressed organic jojoba oil, and put it on your face before you go to bed. You wake up and skin is all soft and not so dry. I just use a Simple moisturiser in the day that I've had since before I started taking Roaccutane, it's in a cylindrical pump bottle and I got it from Boots. Also if the dryness gets unbearable then get a tiny bottle of that Avene or Evian spring water and spray your face with it, it helps.

 

All in all very normal experience so far, blood results all fine, skin drying up nicely. It's so important to keep hydrated, I drink about 4 litres of fluids a day but I reckon that's the best advice to give anyone starting taking the drug.

[charlotte93]

 Have you had any of this horrific weather where you are? 

Not had any snow here thank god! Although i phoned my mum earlier, who lives in the borders, and she said she's been snowed in for 2 days! Imagine that, 10 feet of snow at this time of the year, its crazy!! Thanks for your tips I will definitely be investigating into some of the things you mention. I'm only drinking about 2 litres of water a day,compared to what i normally drink this is a lot more but i will try to up my fluid intake and hopefully it helps. My nose has finally stopped burning, yaaaay! Glad your bloods came back fine. Let the journey continue

[charlotte93]

Days 8-10: My nose has been driving me crazy the past couple of days! Its been itchy/burning like mad but i woke up today and it had stopped  Face is still a little dry, mainly around my chin area where my spots are starting to dry out. Lips are also dry but nothing that a mixture of blistex and cocoa butter won't fix I'd say i've definitely started my IB. Getting more spots than normal, mainly whiteheads and those annoying under the skin ones. Luckily my skin doesn't look any worse than normal so don't think people will notice the extra spots too much Day 8 i felt a little down and rubbish, don't think it had anything to do with the accutane but its worth noting. So far i've been drinking around 2litres of water a day but i'm going to try and increase this to 3. Also need to stop washing my hair everyday but its sooo hard not to, its something i'm very OCD about. Been reading up on hair treatments though so i'm going to try a couple of the next week or two and see if any help with the dryness So far i am loving accutane... Normally when i see my skin i feel so down and ugly but now i just think that the spots are only temporary and in a months time hopefully they have cleared up, woo woo! Accutane is definitely giving me hope!! 

[charlotte93]

I HAVE A MONSTER ON MY CHEEK!!! Woke up this morning with a massive spot on my left cheek. I can see a head under the skin but i can't pop it. Probably for the best as it'd probably leave a scar. Can't believe how big it is. Although at least it's only 1. Also have the worst back pain ever today. Find it worse after i've been sitting for a while (which i've spent all day doing as i have an assignment due tomorrow, eww) Nothing else to report otherwise. 

[charlotte93]

Day 14: Feeling rubbish today! IB is in full swing and my face is looking horrible. I have more spots than normal, dry skin and old spots have started to scab. I think i just feel worse because i'm supposed to be going out tomorrow for my birthday Hopefully the IB won't last much longer and i'll have clear skin in no time  

[electricbetty]

You WILL have clear skin in no time, Charlotte, don't be disheartened! And happy birthday

[redglim]

加油。