Brownilocks

She knows that. She said she is "constantly trying to quit for my health and wellbeing" and "do not need a lecture on the dangers of smoking." Just sayin.'

I smoke and have since day one. My derm said it was totally fine to continue throughout my course and wouldn't cause any additional problems (besides obvious ones that smoking causes on its own without accutane of course). I'm on a higher dosage (weigh 50kg, taking 60mg/day since beginning) and am starting month 6 of a 7 month course. Smoke between 1/2 to a whole pack a day and doing fine with it. I find I get a cough sometimes or dry throat more often too, probably because this medicine makes me so dry in general... I've heard of others smoking a pack a day the whole time they were on accutane too with no additional probs. Good luck with your accutane regimen!!!

Hey blabla! I'm about at the same stage and experiencing the same thing! Can't complain about the progress but ready for it to all flatten out and for the redness to go away so I can be clear again like before this horrible breakout started! Don't be down, my derm said it takes those of us with more severe acne longer. Every day we are 1 day closer to our goal of clear skin!!! I'm convinced it will work its just gonna take its sweet a** time, lol!

Agree about the Aussie and it smells good too! I used LaRochePosay moisturizer in the past but it isn't strong enough now. How's the face wash? Does it remove makeup well and gentle enough for the accutane? Just wondering cause its a more expensive brand, but I've heard very good things.

Hey blabla05! Hang in there! I'm on day 33 (or 35 if you count the days I went without pills after the first month) and I am still getting new spots... Its not as bad as my initial IB, which got bad quickly then took forever to fade somewhat... It looks like you are much further along than I was when mine started (day 8). I just kept telling myself during the worst of it, this is a good thing and now my skin is starting to calm down and change. It still looks bad but in a more manageable way if that makes sense. I have acne that scabs over really bad and the scabs are 95% gone now, but the active spots and larger cysts are still there. I've had cortisone shots, but they don't help much, only with small ones.

Myresults_xnow's comment seems to be pretty accurate cause this is the beginning of my second month and I'm still going through the cycles of break out then get better than break out again, but each new breakout is not as bad as the earlier ones, so that gives me some hope!

Good luck! I'm sure the journey will be well worth the wait in the end.

Just a note, another reason to take it with food is because you get more out of it that way because it absorbs into your blood stream better. Derm suggested that I take it with a fatty meal because that also helps to increases absorption. I'm on a high dosage (60mg first month at 110lbs). Had an IB between beginning of week 2 and middle of week 3 but it wasn't too much worse than what was already there and started to see side effects and progress around day 21. I'm on day 25 now and seeing the slightest of progress finally and only 1 new small one in the last week, but my acne was pretty severe this time around (had a clear face using topicals til it exploded again about 3 1/2 months ago). I was against accutane and resisted it for years thinking I could continue to control it with other products, but it came back much worse this time around, so good for you taking the plunge before things possibly get worse! I really think a lot of the side effects are more overhyped and rare than most of us are scared into thinking (other than the dry skin and lips thing, but who cares if you get good skin out of the deal!), I've been doing great since I started and haven't had to change anything about my lifestyle much yet (only thing is more sore after running, so have to take it a little easier and stretch out more). I feel ya on the adult acne though! I'm a 29 y/o female and first got it bad and cystic after I finished college. Before that I was able to control it with OTC stuff and was finally seeming to get clear. Same kinda thing happened this time around. The only trigger I'm convinced is real is stress.. I'm a worrier and each time its gotten worse there's been something crazy going on with me. The controlling it with diet, lifestyle, supplement thing is BS in my opinion, but I digress... Good luck to you and keep updating your progress along the journey to clear skin! Lots of very supportive people on here going though this crazy acne nonesense!

Yes, acne pain sucks!!! Let me add one more thing that sucks for the mouth/chin region acne, yawning! Such a simple, automatic thing that those of us with severe acne have to THINK about! We have to try and relearn simple functions, like getting food into our mouths in a way that won't hurt or crack open the lesions... Its not fair! I got ticked the other night and yelled at a family member for making me laugh... Apologized after but she didn't get how it causes more bad than good. I'm happy and all but I don't want to laugh uncontrollably at anything now cause I'd rather not add insult to injury, ya know?

Glad you mentioned the makeup. I can't wear any now but had considered Bare Minerals in the future. I usually check ingredients before I buy most stuff, by now I don't have to since you've done it for me with this one! I've had good success with Clinique at the times I've been clear (which I just was for 5 1/2 years before this painful, severe stuff can back to bite me!). I will look into the brand you mentioned as well, though! Thanks!!

One postive (yes, I said positive) thing I will say about this crap is that I'm much stronger now than I've ever been in my life! I used to fret about such dumb stuff! I laugh at people who do that now. I've lost all the old anxiety issues I used to have. Not much can phase me like before. So stupid to melt down over the dumb stuff that no one will even remember worrying about in a year or so. I'm battling a physical AND mental demon all at once and I'm going to win! I feel pretty good about myself too! Gonna be gorgeous again one day soon whether my pores like it or not! You will too samorales! I just keep telling myself, its hurting me cause it knows I'm gonna kill it. I'm gonna destroy it and wipe it off the face of the...well, the face, lol! Gotta get some humor out of it too I guess! Thank you for offering support! Glad to know that I am not alone in this struggle!

Oh, by the way, keep us updated on your progress. Nothing has worked for me so far except Rx meds. I'm on accutane now and I've got my fingers crossed. If you ever need advice about Rx meds or accutane just PM me. I've tried most stuff and doing good on the accutane thus far, though very minimal aesthetic progress as of yet.. Good luck to ya!!

Same here, never wanted accutane and tried to avoid it. I did stay off of it for a while, too. 5 1/2 years of 90-100% clear skin with topicals (tazorac)! Then it came back this September worse than ever.... I don't have kids yet (the whole reason I've waited is because of the strong acne meds, even topicals, which cause birth defects), so mine did not stem from that, but my doc still says its a hormonal connection. She thinks that stress is also a big factor and of course genetics. I had been REALLY stressing and anxious right before this breakout came on strong. Genetically, I got the oily skin from my mom's skin and the sensitive skin from my dad's so I guess when the two combined, PRESTO, only person in the family with severe acne... My parents and sisters have perfect skin. My teenage sister doesn't even take off her makeup at night and rarely gets zits. Seriously? I do everything by the book religiously and look like this? Shouldn't she be dealing with this at her age and not me at 29? Anyways, getting off track and just venting a bit, lol!

Neither my derm nor I buy the diet/exercise thing that some people on here try to push. I've been doing both for years so why is my skin bad again? People on here who play that BS game must have mild acne to begin with if it really works. Believe me, I've TRIED it!! For some reason when I or others say that it falls on deaf ears. The whole "anyone can cure their acne naturally no matter how severe it is," "you must want to poison yourself if you are willing to take accutane," "acne is an internal problem not a skin problem," load of crap really ticks me off. Don't treat me like a child. I don't WANT to take accutane. Like you said, I never did. I cried when I found out I had to, but I've come around to embracing it now. This site really helps with that cause there are a lot more helpful, encouraging users out there than predatory ones! None of us went out begging to get on accutane. Wish I hadn't put it off for fear of it and tried useless stuff as long as I did or I might be clear by now! Oh well, I'm doing good right now (though no change much in my lesions yet) and look forward to my skin making some progress in the next few weeks and months! Good luck girl! Glad we all have each other for support in battling this crazy stuff!!

Just chiming in here:

The burden of proof falls to the person making the claim, not the person they are trying to convince. So yes, you should have some sources if you're trying to convince someone of something.

Well said Tim! Where is the scientific evidence for this? How about some successful case studies at least? I eat mega healthy and have for years dude.. I'm a 29 y/o 5'6", 110 lb. female in peak physical shape. I am a long distance runner, go to the gym regularly (lift, vary my cardio, calisthenics), eat no refined sugars OR simple carbs (only whole grain, usually in the form of quinoa, brown rice, barley, and only 100% whole wheat bread), eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies, nix the salt and butter 99% of the time (and only eat REAL butter or use himalayan sea salt if I do), LOVE greek yogurt, eat only lean proteins (no beef or pork, only chicken and wild caught salmon, arctic char, local trout that I catch myself, and steelhead). So...why do I have severe acne?? Its not coming from the food, that's for sure or lack of exercise or obesity. I'm very clean too and wash my face routinely (twice a day) yet gently to prevent irriation. My husband is the complete opposite. Won't touch fish, eats beef for like every meal, mostly fatty hamburger, eats processed EVERYTHING from chips to fruit roll ups to snack cakes to sugary cereals to candy to cheese, is OBSESSED with all things dairy (drinks 1/2 gallon 2% milk a day and eats cheese like its going out of style), eats pizza and fast food, eats greasy fried food and mayo-based foods like chicken and tuna salad, and lives off of sugary sweet tea and Pepsi (probably drinks 6-8 cans a day). I can't even remember the last time he drank a glass of water (which is all I drink, save a glass of unsweetened organic green tea every once in awhile). He rarely even washes his face with soap and guess what, perfect skin.

Like you, I too have acne mainly in the hormonal region (with some on my forehead as well). The only connection I can seem to make with my acne is stress. I do worry a lot about dumb stuff and had been stressed really bad right before this recent, severe breakout. I am on accutane now and hope to get rid of this crap once and for all this time after years of topicals and antibiotics on and off! Don't get discouraged if a healthy lifestyle doesn't do it for ya. Its not your fault you get acne and others don't. I truly believe its mainly genetics, the way we are wired, and the luck of the draw. Science can't prove that any one thing actually causes it, so I refuse to believe its something I did personally. Don't feel bad about yourself for something you don't have any control over! Good luck and see a derm for better results if all else fails! Good look to ya going forward!!

If all else fails try accutane. I was scared of it for a long time, but since I've been on it I actually feel more confident, even with an IB! I feel like there is hope, even though it will probably take awhile. I was really distraught when my acne got severe. I cried all the time and didn't understand why this was happening to me. My family and friends and husband are all perfectly clear, no matter how they treat their skin and I am so careful yet get acne! I had controlled it for 5 1/2 years with topicals before this recent, severe, painful breakout that came up in less than a week... It has been especially hard to cope with since my face was perfectly clear for so long before this and I am 29 and people can't understand why I have this since they think acne is a teenage disease... My acne is also way worse this time than ever before and I've had trouble going out in public and getting the stares, but I've also really grown from this experience. I feel like suffering through something like severe facial acne only makes us stronger. We can take a lot more than those who waltz through life with perfect skin and survive it! Just remember and tell yourself like I do that this is only temporary and you are still beautiful despite the spots! Do not let acne define how you see youself! I was the homecoming and prom queen in high school and now my face is a swollen, bumpy mess, but I know underneath I'm still me and am on the road to recovery! I WILL look like myself again! My mind is made up and there's no stopping pure, raw determination! Be proactive and ask your derm about changing meds til you find something that works for you and don't be scared to take the plunge and try accutane if it comes to that. I was scared too, but so far so good and there is so much support here for those of us going through our first course of treatment! Who knows, maybe you won't even need this step and a combo of antibiotics/topicals will work for you. I'm sure there is something that is going to put those spots to rest once and for all, it's just a matter of trial and error to find the right treatment for your skin. Best of luck to you, gorgeous!

I started on the exact same day as you, lol. I also tried the topicals for years. Did differin for a couple years and minocycline then tazorac for 5 1/2 years and minocycline on and off. I also have my acne in the same place. All around my chin and mouth area with clear cheeks, but also get it on my forehead. I too am going through an IB right now and cysts are all coming to a head. Hope that means they will drain and go away soon... I am ready for some results! I am taking 60mg/day and am 110lb female, so my dose seems kinda high, but I can't complain about any side effects except less oil in my scalp and a tiny, tiny bit of dry skin on the tip of my nose. Good luck!

Dealing with very severe acne is difficult. I am experiencing more than pschological tramua from the way that my face looks. The physical pain that the cysts, nodules, and pustules cause is also taking its toll. I can't wait until this all goes away, but am having a difficult time with it while I am in the early stages of treatment (accutane). In my case, my acne throbs, burns/stings, and itches severely. Since my acne is mostly located around my mouth, eating and laughing are particularly painful, lowering the quality of life that I have and making it hard to forget about my condition.

I started this thread for others going through the emotional and physical pain of acne to have a place to vent and offer and seek encouragment while dealing with this traumatizing disease.

Hoping that others can offer some suggestions to ease the pain and itching that this type of acne causes and offer their personal experiences with pain and coping as a result of their severe acne. Thanks!!