Day 62
I just got back from four days in California for work. My skin didn't appreciate the travel as much as it did in florida. I broke out on Sunday with six massive pussy actives right arround my mouth the night before my big meeting with the head office to my company.....
Needless to say there were some tears shed.
My stupid eczema also decided to spread up both my arms underneath as well as along both of my hands on the backs....
I'm peeling like nothing I've ever seen even though I'm using my own cream AND aquaphor EVERY NIGHT and my lips are aching even though I put on chapstick about every 30 sec...
Does it make any sense that this could be my IB ? I've been on the 40 mg for 5 weeks and I jsut don't understand how I could be doing so well to all of a sudden have all hell break loose on me...
I'm not very happy right now and starting to think I was crazy to do this.... I know my derm said I should see significant chances at 6 weeks but that's only going to be bc I got so crazy bad in the last couple! Not because I'm improving overall..... Ugh I just need to bury myself in a cave for six months and hope I come out with better skin.
I don't know if I'll put up pics tomorrow. It's embarrasing how aweful I look and I'd rather use my pics to show progress rather than how poorly I'm doing.
Hope everyone is having a good week 
Keep your head up, lady! I actually broke out a bit this last week, too. I wonder if the Aquaphor is possibly making you break out? Just a thought. Or have you added anything different to your regimen? Anyway, I'm sorry you've had such a bad day... hope tomorrow's better!
Day 62I just got back from four days in California for work. My skin didn't appreciate the travel as much as it did in florida. I broke out on Sunday with six massive pussy actives right arround my mouth the night before my big meeting with the head office to my company.....
Needless to say there were some tears shed.
My stupid eczema also decided to spread up both my arms underneath as well as along both of my hands on the backs....
I'm peeling like nothing I've ever seen even though I'm using my own cream AND aquaphor EVERY NIGHT and my lips are aching even though I put on chapstick about every 30 sec...
Does it make any sense that this could be my IB ? I've been on the 40 mg for 5 weeks and I jsut don't understand how I could be doing so well to all of a sudden have all hell break loose on me...
I'm not very happy right now and starting to think I was crazy to do this.... I know my derm said I should see significant chances at 6 weeks but that's only going to be bc I got so crazy bad in the last couple! Not because I'm improving overall..... Ugh I just need to bury myself in a cave for six months and hope I come out with better skin.
I don't know if I'll put up pics tomorrow. It's embarrasing how aweful I look and I'd rather use my pics to show progress rather than how poorly I'm doing.
Hope everyone is having a good week 🙂
Oh dear. I think we've all been there. There were days I called out of work because I looked so bad. I just couldn't bear to face anyone. When it got really bad in college, and I didn't have the luxury of calling out due to class attendance, I'd go, but make sure my hair hung in my face so no one could see.
Everyone gets their IB at different times. If you remember RCRanger's log (I saw that you commented on it), he broke out fairly steadily almost til the end. Then BANG, insta-clear.
My derm told me this: The first month you will look horrible. The second month you will look better, but not much, and it's in the third month that things start dramatically improving. That's, according to him, the normal path of things. Of course, everyone's different.
Have you tried taking Vitamin E? I've been taking it every day since starting Accutane. It helps your skin heal.
Anyway. Eat well, get lots of rest, and if you put up pictures or not is your call. But think of it this way: Every spot that comes up is one spot you'll NEVER have to deal with again.
Day 63 - 9 Weeks
Thanks for the reasurance ladies! I felt better this morning about the whole situtation. I mean I can tell myself not to worry and hold in there and it will get better, but it always feels so much more meaningful when someone else says it. I guess my internal voice kind of sucks at its job 
So I don't know if somone up there heard me but things seem a little brighter this morning. The eczema on my hands and arms has calmed a bit, it's still scabby and gross but it's not ragging like it was for the last few days. It's funny bc I actually ran out of the sample cream my derm gave me to use on it and didn't get a chance to fill the sript yet it still looks better... weird.
My face ok. No new actives since Monday, they started to clear up right after my big ass meeting with head office... lucky me lol. I guess it's fitting. The spots are still pretty angry and red looking and starting to peel arround the edges but at least they aren't mountains of puss
I think there's a new painful little beauty starting up in the middle of my cheek but one is much better than the six that I saw last so I'm not minding so much right now
Mallory - thanks so much for your message! I haven't changed my regime much but there are small things that I guess might be to blame like all the travelling. I found that even in the airport and on the plane my skin dried out like I had a peeling sun burn! Must just be super dry in those places. I'm also going to try and lay off the aquaphor for a week and see what happens. I'll just have to moisturize like crazy to stop the peeling lol thx again and sorry you broke out last week too!
Honey - thanks to you too! I was definatly having one of those days when I just want to hide away under my desk and not show my face until it was dark out Thanks for the advice about what your derm said too! I know your right, I guess it's hard to see at times because I just want things to get better like yesterday lol. Don't we all
I haven't tried Vitamine E, it's one of those things I keep forgetting to pick up. I'm taking Biotin, a B-complex, C, Iron, Cal-Mag, and the omegas lol so it's not really much to add one more to my roster I feel like a druggie sometimes when I come into the office with my tupper wear of pills lol I'll definately pick up some vit E though I think it would help a lot!
Have a nice weekend and Thanks again!
Hey lady!
Reading your post! We have a lot in common (minus the marriage thing).
Just writing to wish you well
some comments:
1) I am so glad I got aquaphor from the states. Its so key
2) have you considered bandaids+ polysporin for pussy actives?
3) are you on the pill?
4) how much do you weigh? you really started at a low dose!
Sounds like the process is rolling but it is indeed a roller coaster.
I will keep reading on about your progress!
Hey inuk
Yay for canada ... but not winter if it gets any drier I'm preety much going to have to start bathing in Aquaphor to stop from flaking and peeling everywhere I go !
I tried polysporin the other night before bed on my actives but I didn't really notice much of a difference. It was mostly to clear up the actives that had broken and were bright red. They were definately bright red but my healing seems to be on a slow setting for now so I didn't expect more than that. I'm going to try taking Vitmine E to see if that will help speed up the active turn over time too.
As for the pill... no I'm not anymore as of two weeks ago. My acne kind of came out and got a lot worse last year when I stopped taking the pill and I was avoiding going back on. Of course my derm convinced me to give it another go. So I spent two months on Diane 35 and ended up with the same side effects that made me get off the pill to begin with. It was not pretty. So when I saw him last he suggested I stop the pill and use a couple other methods until I could see a gynecologist. Which of course take two months in our grand ol' health care system
So I'll see a gyne at the end of this month and look into some other options. What about you any pill problems? I know my hormones like to go on their own little roller coaster ride every month so I'm avoiding all hormal birth controls for as long as I can.
I started on a low dose for a couple reasons. I'm about 5"1 and weight 120lbs. Because my acne was moderate - mild but persistent my derm didnt' want to shock my system into a terrible IB by putting me on a high dose. His plan was to take from Dec - July and keep me on a small dose so that my side effects would be minimal. He did mention last time I saw him that he may increase my dose again. But I know that if I tell him I'm having too many side effects he won't do it I'm hoping alot of them clear up in the next two weeks so that I can at least go up in dose a little bit. I wouldnt' mind getting this over with faster thats for sure
Thanks again for the msg. Are you on accutane, how are you doing? are you keeping a log? I like reading that ppl are in a similar situation it makes it feel like I'm just going through the normal process of things
Take care!
hey girl
Re: birth control- yeah I never know
I wasn't on it until 22 (I used different methods) and I sometimes wonder if my skin would have gotten QUITE as bad as it did when it reached its nadir about a year ago. I have been on diane for a total of 2 months and I didn't notice it being so amazing.
I just wonder with all of us ladies about the hormone factor. It does seem like there are a lot of us between say 21-26 who are struggling with persistent acne of varying degrees of severity. I think acne in our age group is complicated. Not to say it isn't in other age groups.
I have a weird relationship with bcps- one minute I want to just stop, the next I feel to scared to come off for fear that it will all get worse.
I am lucky winter-wise because I live in Vancouver so its never terribly cold! Plus, sun over-exposure is pretty much a non-issue most of the time. Spent my childhood in Montreal though - I was there for a month last year when i was on an intense retin-a routine and I wanted to die.
My derm was surprised that my GP didnt start me on a lower dose.
My IB was bad- everything that is still on my face is a leftover from the severe nodules i got when I started. They just dont seem to heal as well. i must remember I have previously had zits from hell, and have previously been stunned by how long they took to go away. Its so hard to figure out what causes acne to flare, how long it takes to go away etc, despite our constant analyses.
Anyways, will be reading on.
Hey! I just wanted to tell you that you're making some steady progress, and your skin is looking great! It looks like you're using the flash on your camera when you take pictures. Your skin looks great regardless of the flash (which always accentuates any redness/blemish). You're also very naturally beautiful. Keep up the good work, and keep us posted! 
Day 70 - 10 Weeks
Wow I can't believe it's almost been three months! It really doesn't feel that long looking back right now. I can catalogue my progress so far by a pimple a week I think lol... there was the one on my eye, and oh the one in the middle of my ching... and oh ya that crapy cyst on my left cheek BUT the good news is that I think I can pick out 10 -12 bad spots in 10 weeks. In my world pre-tane I think thats awesome!
So Updates! First, skin is still sucking like it did last week. pics to follow so you can see for yourself . I have this HUGE cyst thats hibernating in my left cheek. It's weird bc it really hurts but won't really come up, it's just sitting under the skin and looking like a giant bruise! and that's making it super difficult to cover up with anything, even concealer.
But to add some balance to the equation I have another "cyst" on my right side beside my mouth. I say "cyst" because I'm not convinced yet that it is a cyst. I keep waiting for a white head to appear because it's pretty teany and it hurts like a pimple, not like a cyst. But it's been a little over a week and there's no head to it??? weird?
and for some added fun A massive active with a pretty little puss filled head has popped up right on the apple of my cheek God I can't wait for the sucker to pop! Sounds bad but I'm using every ounce of will power not to pick that sucker right off my cheek! So far so good, just keeping my hands busy writing in logs The spot on my eyelid is also back just to make life a little more gross ugh thank god for eye shadow, it's so easy to cover pimples with shiny purple powder
As for the side effects.... Lips are painfully dry and cracking, I think the weather is helping but I started using jojoba oil on them at night and under my aquaphor during the day, and it makes them all silk and soothed! The stuff is a god send! I even mix some into my moisturizer at night to fight off my peeling skin.
My face is peeling really badly! I'm trying the oil and seeing if that will help but otherwise I'll probably just have to suck it up until spring silly canada
My eczema is being weird too. It was raging yesterday! I mean full on raised scabbs, bright red, itchy and painful.... this morning NOTHING! my hand is barely even bumpy. there are no red spots, no scabs, NOTHING! I don't really know what to do about it but i'll take a good day when I get one
Anyone hav advice on birth control other than the pill? I'm looking into IUD's or anything else right now because I just can't bring myself to go on the pill again. But everything I read is all the same so I don't know how it will effect me That is if I can ever get in to see a gynecologist in this lifetime! I have to wait three months for even a consult ugh the medical system sucks
OH and does anyone know if a lot of weight loss can affect you on accutane? I'm working my ass off (almost literally) to fit into my awesomely sexy (but glamorous) wedding gown and I've lost 10 lbs in about a month and a half. I know accutane is based on your weight so I'll mention it to my derm, but I like having background info before I see him I'm planning on loosing 5-10 lbs more if I can (if not c'est la vie ) but I girl can hope
Hope everyone is doing great! Have a happy Valentines day this weekend!
Day 71...
I'm an idiot. That should be the name of my log actually ....argh!
So my anti-picking self-control gave out last night. The big ass white head on my cheek "cracked" open a bit in the shower after my soccer game and I thought " oh look at that it must be ready to pop and start healing, especially since I have a big romantic valentines day diner/dance to go to Saturday. Yay what luck..."
Needless to say... it was a filthy little trick of my skin. The spot was not even close to being ready to get on it's way. So I picked off the skin that had split and low and behold... nothing came out, it's still GIGANTIC but NOW it's a bloody red scab instead....
If you ladies like sex and the city and happen to know many an episode as i do.... it literally looks like the GIANT pimple Carrie has on the train and can't pop... all red and mountainous and horrible.
Oh and plus the two cysts that have been hanging out must have decided they want to fight to win the "Giant Ass Pimple" Contest becasue they've seemed to grow too.
So thats' all, I'm an idiot.
Happy Friday!
PS - don't pick REALLY.
Oh, ugh, I feel your pain. I pretty much did the same thing with the mysterious boob cyst of a few weeks ago. Throbby goodness, am I right?
Anyway, here's a tip to cut down the swelling:
Get uncoated aspirin (I don't know if you have Rite Aids in Canuckistan but I buy "lightly coated" Rite Aid brand aspirin), and drizzle a few drops of warm water onto the aspirin until you have a mushy paste.
Spackle it onto the inflamed area, and leave it for as long as you want. Just rinse it off with water. Lukewarm, preferably.
Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory, so it helps with redness and swelling.
Day 75 ....
It has been one crazy weekend. First of all I would like to tell the world right now that
Headtrip-Honey, your a genius!!! LITERALLY lol I tried your tip with the asprin when I got home on Friday night and saw a small difference to the redness and the swelling of the "picked spot" as well as the two cysts I've been fighting off. I also broke open a vitamine E capsule and put that on the gross scab when I went to bed that night. When I got up on saturday the spot was definatly much better! So I though ok why not try the asprin "spot mask" again. I put it on right after my shower when I was getting for my shower that night and left it on while I did my hair. When I took it off the spots were TEANY TINY! really! So I put on a little more vitamine E and had diner before I did my makeup
When I went back to finish up my makeup, the scab actually peeled right off! Not in a, AHHH NOOO kind of way, but in a IT"S HEALED! kind of way lol So my big scab fell of and my cysts actually shrank up a bit RIGHT BEFORE MY PARTY! literally guests walking through the door one min and my skin behaving the next! It was like a christmas miracle without the miracle lol
So I actually looked pretty good on my valentines day party
Since then things have been getting better too. I only have three new actives and they're all along my jaw line on one side of my face so I'm thinking it's from touching my face too much and leaning on my hand. My two cysts are being weird. They are either shrinking or moving deeper into my skin...? is that possible? It just feels like there's less ABOVE the surface, but I can still feel the full cyst whey I run my finger over the area.... But I mean they don't look like giant red bruises on my face so I don't really care lol The scab spot is also healing up nicely. It's now just a little red speck and it's shrinking up every day
Lips are under control and the eczema is being nice too (knock on wood!) So I'm feeling a lot better beginning this week than I did last week YAY !
sdsurunner07 - Thanks so much for your compliment! my skin texture is the one great thing I'm excited about so far It gives me hope that the rest of my facial characteristics will follow suite and be good soon lol. It is funny that we have the exact same regime! Great minds I tell you What's your accutane plan? Are you staying on 40 mg? how are you doing on it? Good luck I'll definatly try to catch up with your log for updates!
inuk - Thanks for the compliment lol I definately feel like I'm through a bit of a rough patch and hopefully I'll start to make some progress
Jerichoa - Thanks for your comment! I can see little changes every week and that's kind of what's been keeping me going. I guess I'm just going to be one of those long drawn out Accutane cases rather than one that clears up right away As long as it works i don't really care I do use a flash on my camera. I figure I should have the most honest pictures I can, that way when my skin looks better, I really know it's looking better thx again for being so sweet!
Day 76 - hmmm
So something weird is defiantly up with my skin. As of last night I started to get these little bumps all along the top of my cheek bones. Its under my eyes from my eyebrow to my nose and than over the bridge of my nose. It's weird because it's teany little bumps that make the skin look very rough. Almost like the look of sandpaper. My whole nose also has the bumps...
Anyone experience this before?
It doesn't hurt or anything but sure as hell looks crapy under makeup aw well I guess there always has to be something lol
Let me know if you have any ideas for what it could be and what I should do.
thx!
Day 76 - hmmmSo something weird is defiantly up with my skin. As of last night I started to get these little bumps all along the top of my cheek bones. Its under my eyes from my eyebrow to my nose and than over the bridge of my nose. It's weird because it's teany little bumps that make the skin look very rough. Almost like the look of sandpaper. My whole nose also has the bumps...
Anyone experience this before?
It doesn't hurt or anything but sure as hell looks crapy under makeup 😛 aw well I guess there always has to be something lol
Let me know if you have any ideas for what it could be and what I should do.
thx!
My guess would be it's either teeny blackheads working their way out, or possibly milia.
I'm glad the aspirin trick helped, though! Word of caution, use sparingly around your nose - if you inhale it, that shit burns.
Day 78 (11 weeks + 1 day)
...almost three months.... ugh
Skin: No change really. Still super dry. I figured out that the patches of bumpy rough skin around my eyes is actually very similar to eczema, but not as bad. So my derm told me to use just a bit of my hydroval creme at night to get it calm down. And just moisturize like crazy.
I have about three actives right now and two cycsts that seem to have burried themself deep in my skin so they aren't huge bumps but more giant red bruise like spots. Of all the actives the one my my lip is pretty painful right now. Yesterday it came to a head and I though it would break soon but instead this morning the white tip was gone and it's just a hard little red bump that hurts like hell. The spot on my eyelid also came back and got all hard and sore but on Wed it kind of peeled off a bit so now it's just a red bump. There's also a new mountain like formation that's taken up residence on my forehead... and doesn't seem to want to leave before the next ice age hits.
Lips - same, Joints - actaully much better, I'm thinking the glucosomine is working
Eczema - changes hourly so who the hell knows whats going on there
I'm thinking I need to ask my derm to bump me to a higher dose. I can't believe it's been almost three months and I'm still breaking out so much. I know everyone is different in how they go through this but ARG!!! it's very frustrating to not see improvement yet, or rather miniscule improvements I guess.
Good news is I'm down another two pounds yay! maybe weighing less will make the accutane work faster Not likely but a girl can hope... otherwise I'll just have to settle for not looking like a cow in my wedding gown
take care everyone
Day 81
sareliz - thx so much! I wish that was my valentines day That was last year when my face didn't hate me so much I won't allow pictures right now when I'm out and on the tane I'm too afraid someone will sneak up a shot on facebook or something where my face looks awful and my skin is peeling right off But next valentines we'll be set!
KeepSmilingThrough - thx! i know I keep reasuring myself that it's not as bad as I think it is. My derm actaully told me to try not to look in the mirror everyday that way I notice the improvements more... I just laughed and told him he was crazy but I hope I do look better to the outside world than I do to myself thx for the support
So update...
Skin - (my fingers are crossed and I'm holding my breath as I type this)... it's not too bad, my actives from last week are drying up. The giant spot on my forehead accidently got scraped off when I was drying my face last night and it's not looking very good but it will heal eventually.
In terms of actives, I haven't had a new active since thursday, except a teany tiny little speck of a whitehead on my upper lip this morning. But even that I didn't realize it was there and it was itchy and i stratched it this morning. It is just a tiny red spot now
MUST STOP TOUCHING FACE!!! I need to wear mittens like they make kids with chicken pox wear so they don't touch their spots lol
Otherwise, eczema still being unpredictable. I have a couple dry scaly patches on my ears that aparently could be eczema too (my almost brother in law says he gets eczema on his ears all the time). Joints are feeling ok, my eyes are SUPER dry but all else is managable.
I am finding my skin is very delicate though. I keep getting little "kicks" and cuts on my hands and arms from nothing I'm aware of. I'm starting to think my skin is just cracking itself into wounds! Ugh this is just so hot lol
anyways ... fingers are crossed that this is my bend in the road!
I am finding my skin is very delicate though. I keep getting little "kicks" and cuts on my hands and arms from nothing I'm aware of. I'm starting to think my skin is just cracking itself into wounds! Ugh this is just so hot lol
OMG, I know what you mean.
I used to think that people were exaggerating the delicacy of their skin, but now I totally realize it's true. I keep getting random scratches from just itching. My dog kicked a gash in my chin. My toilet paper roll gave me a paper cut. I sliced off a chunk of flesh just trying to open this. (Seriously, a chunk of flesh. Luckily it was a shallow chunk, so it didn't bleed, just stung like hell for days)
First of all, I do not think you could EVER look like a cow in your wedding dress. From the picture you posted up earlier, you are beautiful and you are in good shape!
I too have been getting weird spots on my arms where ive either scratched too hard and nicked myself or well, I have no clue.
Good luck with your treatment!! I'll keep an eye out for new posts.
Day 82
Ugh I actaully managed to rip off the same stupid scab on my forehead last night as I did the night before! Only this time, I'm gently patting... and barely getting water off my face, and doesn't the nasty little scab get stuck to the towel and come screaming off again..... so I broke out the mini bandaids and polysporin again I should buy shares in this stuff ...
On top of that I actaully managed to scratch right along my entire jawline to my chin with the button on my jacket! who knew a ski jacket could be the new switch blade
On a positive note (that I repeat while knocking on wood and not thinking about it too much) my skin isn't awful.... One active near my lip still healing up nicely, it doesn't hurt much anymore which is great. And stupid scabby on my forehead. Even my two cycst seem to have gone into hybernation. I can still feel them there but they're under the skin and you can't see them. YAY
My fingers are crossed that it will continue!