If I'm not peeling or flaking but I know I'm dry as heck and I keep pounding on the moisturizer that means that I'm doing a good job of keeping my skin hydrated right?
I just want to know whats normal for dry skin status?
And does anyone else think that their skin looks way better when its properly hyrdated? I feel like I look like an old hag when its not and scars and reddness are more noticeable.
And I think that your doing fine with the moisturizing. Don't you just love Vaseline!?! I completely agree with the looking like an old hag with dry skin. Month 2 Day 15 Week 6 (total day 45)
-) I love vaseline! I don't care if it looks like im sweating all the time, I love the way it feels. My skin has improved so much since using it. I really just hope this dry skin isn't permanent. It seems to lessen on the off days I don't take accutane. I'm wondering if I should lower my dosage to 10 mg every day. I don't care if I have to be on it longer, I just don't want long term side effects. I mean I'm putting pounds and pounds of moisturizers on my face I just keep layering and layering it, I don't want my skin to shed any more than it already has. Trying to stay positive. I was kinda down last night because I felt like I looked old with the dry skin, I hate HATE the feeling of dry skin.
Here are the weekly pictures, I don't know what's wrong with my camera or hands but I couldn't get it to focus as much as the previous ones.
Left http://www.flickr.com/photos/66341338@N07/...tream/lightbox/ (bad side)
Right http://www.flickr.com/photos/66341338@N07/...tream/lightbox/
I hope you guys can see the marks they are there trust me and I am wearing light powder before I go to work.
No unusual side effects other than just dry skin and IT SUCKS. Dry eyes. yada yada yada.
And one active on my forehead which i picked at (i know I know)
Month 2 Week 6 Day 16 (Actually day 46)
I really hope dryness is normal. I have no flaking or peeling. I have one spot on my right side near my jawline so it must be hormonal I could be semi pmsing. I usually start to feel usual about a week in half prior to my period 😉
Everything is good I guess, sometimes I still get down about my skin but then I get myself out of the hole and just tell myself anybody who really cares about me won't care about the condition of my skin. In fact If I cared less I'd probably have less damage than I already do.
Working in a restaurant under heating lamps can sometimes be quite annoying. It dries my skin out and then my powder or foundation looks kinda gross and melted off arghhhhh but I can't complain. I'm really trying to see the long term goal here.
Hope everyone is well and anyone reading this I hope those accutane users are well too!
Month 2 Day 17 & 18 (47 & 48)
No new actives. Just red marks that are left from months and months prior to tane. I'm having some bad back pain but that could also be cause I've been sleeping a lot and I'm getting my period. I'm so over the facial skin dryness, I hate it. I'm wondering how long of a course I'll have to be on? 6 months just seems like such a long freaking time. The overall tone of my skin is healing every day its less red and irritated but I hate this dryness. I'm moisturizing twice a day and its a ton each time. I want zero flaking. And I'm hoping the thin skin is only temporary. I've also been struggling with loose forehead skin, I think about it every day and it gets me really down to think that I might have caused damage by those chemical peels.
Anyone think it could cause permanent damage? I had 7 peels done over 1 in half year time, they were 10% and 20% salicylic acid peels and each time they left them on for 3 mins. This causes me some major anxiety thinking about it.
And here's just a recap to compare that this drug is seriously amazing. I've only been on it for 2 months (taking it every other day) The dryness sucks and I worry about premature aging but hey.... nobody is perfect
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/post-a37032-.html This was prior to accutane by a few weeks this was the worst breakout I've had in awhile and it lasted FOREVER, I'm still suffering from red marks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66341338@N07/...tream/lightbox/ This was a few days ago, Look at the difference of my pores, texture and overall redness, I didn't notice this until just now looking back.
thank god for accutane
You're so sweet guttflower I wish I could take away all the acne in the world, I don't think others who don't suffer seriously understand the psychological damage it can cause. Even after I'm clear I know I will still be self conscious and very careful (I guess it's a blessing in disguise, hopefully I will have beautiful old lady skin) 😉
By the way I'm hoping to be able to start taking 40 mg every day in month 3 and 4 and then 60 on 5 and 6. We shall see what the derm says. I have noticed in the last few days my skin is not as dry as before.
Looking good Lips! Ahh, if my skin was like yours Id be effing happy! And I completely agree with you in that others who don't suffer seriously from acne understand the damage and stress it can cause to ones social life and self-esteem. I can't wait to be acne free, scar-free, and walk out my front door make-up free!
Day 49
This is taking forever for me, I hate taking 40 mg every other day I just want to stick to 20 every day. I'm sick with some kind of awful cold/flu/fever thing so I haven't taken my 50th pill yet. My eyes are incredibly dry and that's really the only side effect thats bothersome. My skin is fantastic, I haven't had a zit in I don't know how long. I moisturize and moisturize and moisturize, I think this is what's going to have to happen. The first month I was on 40 mg every day, then 40 every other day (20), next month its gonna have to be 20 every day, fourth month 40 every day, fifth month 40 every day, sixth 60 mg every day
Something like that. I really just want to get off this stuff ;-( but its doing great things for my skin
Lips, we're pretty much on par with our Accutane journeys 
September 22 was day 49 for me!
It seems like you're having great results with Accutane so far, so awesome to see! My experience has been a little rockier and I'm still getting actives, which is disheartening, but I try not to focus on them too much. Easier said than done some days though.
Good luck with the rest of your accutane course, I hope it keeps going so well for you
Thanks Ali Sorry I haven't written in a while for those of you who are following I got insanely sick for 4 days. I have never ever experianced anything like that in my entire life....I have never withdrawaled from drugs before but this felt like what I've read. I had a fever of 103 for a few days, shakes, I could not get warm for the life of me, severe sore throat and the worst part insanely horrible muscle aches. My mom had it a week before I did but I don't know if it has to do with the accutane slowly your body down to heal.... it was awful so I stopped taking my accutane while I was sick.
Month 2 Day 50
I have no actives what so ever and everything is healing up really fast. I will say that the sensitivity is increasing. I don't know if I've hit my plateau for dryness but it seems to not be as horrible as it was a few weeks ago which is really nice. I hate being dry. I can wear whatever make up and primer and yada yada and not break out. It's really really nice. I'm still wondering how long of a course I will have to be on. I will post pictures tomorrow. Oh and My shifts at work got cut so I'm gonna try to find another job.... ;-(
Month 2 Day 51
I feel like this is taking forever. Argh. Skin is really good I had a blackhead that I tried to take care of and now the surrounding area is red which sucks because my entire face is basically clear and then theres huge red mark by my nose. Whatever, it will go away. 😉 I have dry eyes when I wake up which sucks and today I have a dry throat but that could just be allergies.
Month 2 Day 52
Whatever I had last week has returned and it really blows, I hate being sick. I really need to lower my dose. The only thing that really bothers me is just dry eyes, when I stopped the meds when I was sick it went away so I know its the accutane. I have another stye on my left eye. I have one active by my eye but everything else is healing nicely. When I stopped taking the meds my skin looked awesome for those five days.... it was dry or plastic looking. Argh this is a hard journey so far, mentally.... i really can't wait to be acne free without accutane in my system.
So I haven't taken my pills in 5 days since I had an event to go yesterday I didn't want dry flakey skin during the day.... is it weird that my skin within that time calms down and its not as dry? I haven't broken out. I def. need my dose lowered to 20 mg a day. I'm gonna make an apt for monday. I'm on day 55 with my pills. I still have a long way to go... but I can't wait to be off this drug its a miracle for sure.... and I'm so thankful but it is a drag.
Back on the accutane train, I didn't take my pills I think for a week in half because I could not get rid of that stupid cold that I had. I have four more 40 mg pills to finish, and then a derm apt on monday. I'm gonna ask to be put on 20 mg a day. I hadn't got a pimple while I was off the pills I was starting to get tiny little blackheads though ;-( so that's my only concern is relapsing.
So the weirdest thing happened. I went to my derm apt everything is fine and I'm getting my dosage lowered to 20 mg a day, so my course will need to be extended and that's fine with me... but she called me and said that I don't need to answer the Ipledge questions? Has anyone else not had to answer them.