whatthekell

hi,
i actually called my derm last month when this happened because i thought missing 2-3 days was gonna give me a problem. but they said no worries, the accutane stays in your blood. which is why we still have to use 2 forms of birth control and get bloodwork done the month after we're finished our course.   i also asked if i should take 2 pills a day instead of three so that i wouldn't go any days without and she said NO don't do that. so i would just take your dose like usual, then when you run out, you run out. bloodwork for me only takes a day to process and i have the most shitty insurance i know. so don't sweat it =)

that is post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. this happens after a pimple heals, but sometimes benzoyl peroxide makes it a little more prominent. it will go away over time! no worries =)

it really depends on your type of acne. if you only get a pimple here or there occasionally, then you might be able to get away with spot treating. but if you break out randomly everywhere, anytime, you're better off applying all over. that way you prevent them as well as treat existing ones.

heyy bud
don't freak out! =)  i was just at the derm yesterday and he said it's normal to get pimples even up to your 4th month. he said that is when you should start seeing them stop. i think even though you were clear for a month, you've still got some time left so it's not done getting everything out. also, you just moved! maybe you have some stress from that? whatever the reason, try to keep calm. my bf always tells me not to stress or it'll cause more. he's right!

why did you drop from 60 - 40?  i just got bumped to 60 and i think i will finish there too.

talk to ya soon!

hey,
i used to be on dan's regimen and my problem was my chin area as well. it will help with it. but i just checked out the cleanser you're using, and it's got "myristic acid" as the third ingrdient, which is pore clogging. i used to use clean and clear foaming facial cleanser when i was on the regimen, but i see that clean and clear no longer makes it and now has the "essentials" cleanser and it's different. so i don't know what to tell you as far as switching cleansers.  you might also want to consider buying Dan's BP offline. you are going to love it so much more than the cream crap. you get so much for your money too. i know on the spot is very expensive and you prolly go through a tube every 2 wks or so. i think one of dan's regular sized bottles lasted me a month in a half to 2 months.

but back to the problem. your skin is just purging out all the gunk under your skin. it's very normal for you to keep breaking out. i broke out for a long time. i didn't see a   significant decrease in my breakouts til the third month. i was on for a total of 8 months, and even then i wasn't 100% perfect, but compared to before, you could say it was clear.

omg you sound just like me about 3 months ago. go out and get "clean and clear popped pimple relief"

if you squeezed the hell out of it and got no where, as in it's still full of pus but you can't get it, this cream overnight will bring it to a head. it always worked for me. not only that, when you wear it again the night after you popped it, it should scab over and be able to peel away and be covered nicely with makeup.

i hope it works for you! and keep in mind, nobody gives a shit. we only notice our zits because we obsess over them. everybody else will look over it. yea you might catch someone look at it briefly, but honestly we do the same to others. it's natural. but nobody's thinking omg that girl has a big scab! enjoy your vaca! =)

heyy
so today is my 5th day. it's movin fast! =)

i took my first pill tues night (sept 11th). now normally every morning i wake up with at least 6-10 whiteheads. i went to bed with 2 swollen pimples (from picking not-quite-ready pimples) and when i woke up the next morning, i had 3 whiteheads, and those swollen pimples had shrunk dramatically. so i was very pleased =) but then... as the day progressed, i had whiteheads everywhere. it seemed like every pimple on  my face decided to come to a head that day. which was good and bad. good, because it will clear up fast. bad, because after i popped all 15 pimples, i looked a mess. i also got a pimple under my chin, like on my neck. a spot that i can't really see. so my bf had to pop it for me! hahaha. what a nice guy =)

the next morning i only woke up with 2 whiteheads.

and today! i woke up with 1 tiny tiny whitehead. yayy! but it's the middle of the day now so i have at least a handful of whiteheads again. weird how my face just changed its time of day of breakout. oh well. i like waking up and not having to spend a half hour removing whiteheads. i'd rather do it later.

other than that, i noticed i'm very dehydrated. which is weird because i only drink water. i normally drink 2 nalgene bottles a day. which is 2 liters. so i guess i have to drink even more now. i also had a horrible headache this morning. like i was hung over. but i obviously didn't drink. so i'm assuming it's dehydration. i was also a little nauseous. but now i'm fine!  my body is very sore. but i'm a massage therapist and very active, so this is to be expected. my derm told me not too many people get sore joints. but based on the amount of people on this site, i think a lot of them do. add me to the list!

kaaay well i will have a new pic on mon or tues!

anytime =)   it helps me too knowing i'm not the only one that thinks this way!  OCD is a lot more common than you think. i was just talking to a patient today about it and her daughter just so happens to have it too.

right!! i've been diagnosed i don't need some guy from the netherlands telling me how it is.
feel free to PM me anytime =)

i totally agree with this.
the majority of the people on here are very nice and helpful. but then there are some who are know it alls and love to argue.

i don't have time to sit here and argue. look up BDD and it will say right there that it;s a form of BDD. and yes it is OCD when you're constantly thinking about your skin to the point it takes over your life. don't tell me that's normal. there are plenty of people with acne that don't give a shit. and there are others who let it control their thoughts.

i can talk about this because i am diagnosed.

and what i was saying was, BDD and OCD go hand in hand. so yes, when you'e obsessing about your face, by which you are spending every minute of the day worrying "if i eat this will i break out?" "is she looking at my zits"  "am i going to break out tonight" "i wonder if my pimples are coming to a head"  - just constant negative thoughts about your skin and always worrying about breaking out, that is obsessive and it's BDD. spending hours in the bathroom checking and rechecking your face for new pimples. using every reflective mirror to check your skin. i'd go on but i have to go to work.

from my personal experience, i want support and a solution. of course i would trade clear skin over the support, but it definitely helps knowing that my boyfriend supports me. as well as my family.
when i moved in with my boyfriend 2 yrs ago, my skin was really good. maybe 3 pimples at a time. but even then i'd lock myself in the bathroom to clean my face so he wouldn't see me. i'd even put a little makeup on the pimples after just washing my face for bed.
over the 2 yrs we lived together, my skin got worse and worse. (my stepdad swears it's this apartment!)  
i became really obsessed with my skin (more than i ever was) because i didn't want my boyfriend to see me like that. but obviously living with him was harder to hide from it than your girlfriend just refusing to sleep over.
i have to say, i have JUST gotten over this fear of him seeing my face. it's only been about 2 months that i've let him see my face totally clear of makeup. my acne got so horrendous that it was just impossible to hide anymore.
it takes a lot to get to that point. and when she is able to let you see her, she will bawl her eyes out. i know i did. but i have to say, after that moment it was like i broke free. i could see he still loved me and didn't judge me. and now i am completely comfortable around him. i am actually the most comfortable being bare skinned with him than i am my own parents. he is the most supportive person i have ever met. and just telling me that he still loves me and thinks i'm beautiful and looks past acne makes me feel better. so always reassure her that. sit her down and tell her all of this.
don't be upset when she pushes your hands off her. just don't touch her face. i'm the same way. he can't even have too much of a beard or i won't kiss him.
once she gets over this fear of you seeing her or the fear you're going to leave her, she will be herself and not let acne interfere with your relationship.
there were times i thought i'd lose him. but i had to tell myself to stop. just posting on here shows that you really care about her. so don't give up! it will get better for both of you =)

ok i think i'll add my thoughts to this since i'm a girl =P

i say skip the makeup. as much as i am grateful to have it for my acne... i think i'd be weirded out if my guy had it all over his face. now my boyfriend used to get pimples (he's now completely clear)  and he would sometimes dot them on the very noticeable ones. that's fine. but as far as smearing foundation or BB cream... that might be noticeable. not saying i'm against guys wearing it.... but if you're about to see her again for the first time, you might be better off just telling her up front.

i know if it was me going to see someone i haven't seen, i'd prolly txt them or something and say i am really self conscious about my skin. i'd warn them ahead of time so there are no shockers. or like i did a few weeks ago, i immediately said "don't look at my skin!" haha. then later txted "i'm so mortified you saw me like that".... even though it was another woman i used to work with, she told me she probably wouldn't have even noticed. (yea right =P )

anyway. don't miss out on this opportunity! if you guys were in a relationship, i know she won't care. she's prolly thrilled to see you and would be devastated if you cancelled, let alone didn't call.

i feel exactly the same.
only difference is, i'm lucky and have a very supportive boyfriend. most guys would run screaming if they saw my skin. but he loves me just the same and it blows me away every day. i can't stand the site of myself. i don't know how he looks past it. but there are guys out there who don't focus on the bad things.
i'm currently struggling with the worst acne i've ever had in my life. i get like 20-30 whiteheads A DAY. fuck. it hurts so bad and looks absolutely awful. =(

calling my derm today to switch my meds yet AGAIN. nothing works. i'm giving in to accutane in a little over 2 wks.

hang in there, i know how hard it is. but we can't let this crap destroy our personalities. i avoid friends too but i force myself to go to work and paste on a smile.