Pill 32
Am I only 32 days into the treatment? It feels much longer for some reason...Perhaps because I am taking accutane twice a day now.
Got another cysts on my cheek. Oh botha. The other 3 cysts are healing but they are still very much red and obvious. I have a feeling accutane is going to be a bumpy ride with lots of ups and downs but at least my face is better than when I started. =) And I'm very grateful for the dry, matte skin.
It's disheartening sometimes to read about other people's experiences and see a lot of them stop breaking out or even having clear skin by the end of the first month. Maybe it's the blurry crappy quality photos in low light that people tend to upload thus making their acne look nearly invisible. What's the point?
I met this girl at a wedding who asked me how long I've been on accutane when she saw me take the pill. She was shocked when I said a month because my face still looked like shit. Apparently hers cleared up in a month then she insinuated that I must be doing something wrong. Whacko.
How rude! As far as I'm seeing on these boards, everyone's experience is different. I'm sure most of us are professionals when it comes to taking care of acne prone skin because we've been dealing with it for so long. I feel like an expert on skin care and makeup because I'm always having to do extensive research on products I consider putting on my face. I'm sure you do the same thing. Don't let people like that get you down. You are doing what's best for yourself and the accutane is doing its job, just give it time. The dry, matte skin is no small novelty either!
Pill 32
Am I only 32 days into the treatment? It feels much longer for some reason...Perhaps because I am taking accutane twice a day now.
Got another cysts on my cheek. Oh botha. The other 3 cysts are healing but they are still very much red and obvious. I have a feeling accutane is going to be a bumpy ride with lots of ups and downs but at least my face is better than when I started. =) And I'm very grateful for the dry, matte skin.
It's disheartening sometimes to read about other people's experiences and see a lot of them stop breaking out or even having clear skin by the end of the first month. Maybe it's the blurry crappy quality photos in low light that people tend to upload thus making their acne look nearly invisible. What's the point?
I met this girl at a wedding who asked me how long I've been on accutane when she saw me take the pill. She was shocked when I said a month because my face still looked like shit. Apparently hers cleared up in a month then she insinuated that I must be doing something wrong. Whacko.
Yeah, based on what I've seen most people don't clear up within a month...more like 2 1/2 months. If not longer. I guess it could depend on how severe your acne is. On my first course, it was pretty bad, and I didn't notice many changes until about 2 1/2- 3 months. Now that my acne is more mild/moderate, a small reduction in oil could make a bigger difference.
I somehow miscounted but today is supposed to be Pill 39. I haven't been updating as much because there is not much to say. No dramatic new changes to report. The 3 old cysts are healing but they haven't completely deflated yet. The new big cyst on my cheek is big but it's not so painful anymore. Got 2 small pimples yesterday and by today the head has already appeared. It appears they might dry up and go away in 1-2 days.
Face is not too dry but my lips are. Experiencing some back pain and dry eyes as well. All very tolerable.
Yay! I'm so glad for you that things are clearing 
Get the rash on your hands under control quickly so it doesn't spread. I have to wash my hands a lot because I work in healthcare, so I use a heavy hand cream and gloves at night. I'm also pretty religious about lotioning my hands throughout the day. You could even use the gloves and vaseline at night to really seal in the moisture.
Long post alert.
Pill 42 Still no new zits.
I wore makeup yesterday for the first time since forever. My skin is finally smooth enough and bump free (for the most part, just have 3 bumps from the healing cysts but it's not that bad) for me to wear makeup in confidence. I just hate the caked over look when you wear foundation or powder with a shitload of zits. It may hide the color of the acne but it can't cover up the texture on your skin so I figured I would just wait until my skin is better to wear makeup again and the day has finally arrived!
The best part is my skin stayed matte for the entire day! Normally I would feel greasy within 2-3 hours (that's before Retin-A, with Retin-A my face would be greasy in 30 mins) but it was perfect all the way until I washed it off at 11pm. I'm not experiencing any flaking or peeling on my skin at all. Must be my nighttime moisturizer.
Here's what I used.
- Shiseido sunscreen followed by Clinique gel moisturizer. Don't ask me why but these two used together creates a really nice canvas for makeup.
- Mac studio fix powder. I like to keep things as simple as possible, plus I'm lazy, so I use the studio fix in lieu of foundation and powder. I've tried Laura Mercier and Hourglass foundation and powder but somehow I preferred using the Mac one.
- Nars exhibit A blush
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- Mac fluidline.
- Too Faced and Blinc Kiss me mascara. Both have the tube technology that keeps your mascara from running or smudging. I used them in Bali and they stayed put even though I was sweating profusely.
- Aquaphor on my lips
On normal days I would just use the sunscreen if I'm going out and at night I apply on Perricone Skin Clear Hydrator. For cleansing I switch off between Perricone Skin Clear Cleanser and Cetaphil, whichever is nearer. Too bad Perricone is discontinuing his Skin Clear line.
I agree with you on the caked over zits makeup look. I did it anyway when my skin was really bad because otherwise my face was so red you could see it from really far away. That's really great that your skin is nice and smooth! I've never tried the Hourglass foundation, but I LOVE their veil mineral primer. I tried their Illusion tinted moisturizer, but it was too heavy for my skin and really hard to wash off, so it made me break out. Too bad because it looked really nice and had great coverage for a TM. I've heard great things about the MAC makeup, but I've never tried it. Which Clinique gel moisturizer are you using? Is it the yellow one?
Yes it's the yellow one that comes in a gel or lotion form but gel is better for me because I have oily skin. Mac is great and much cheaper than other brands. The studio fix powder is 26.50 and lasts for about 6 months. I'd rather save my money to splurge on other things like skincare and lipstick, a new lipstick is always the perfect pick-me-up. I recently bought the new Kate Spade Supercalifragilipstick but I'm not sure when I'll be able to use it...
So excited that you are finally seeing results from all of this! I really cant wait for the day in general I can walk outside without makeup on without feeling self concious! I can do it on my days off because I dont care about the general public but work is so much different. I would never leave the house without makeup on for work.
Just be careful with that Mac powder. It is notoriously bad for your skin!
I also use the Cure Aqua Gel (bought it when I was in Japan) and I think its a must for exfoliating during accutane without irritating! Keep going Its going to be wonderful!
ahasegawa, you use the cure too! That's awesome. Yea I know Mac is bad in general because it's not noncomedogenic, but I've been using it more or less since I was 15 and it's never caused me to break out. I gave BB creams a try a few months back after hearing how it's so great for your skin and that broke me out like no other. I gave it two separate tries and both times I woke up the next morning with 4-5 new zits. Can't be a coincidence. Maybe I need a try a different brand of BB creams. Do you use it?
Dang I forgot my Claravis packets at my other house which means I will miss half a day's dosage before I can pick it up. Hope it won't affect anything.
I'm starting work soon on a film that's been delayed for 1.5 months. Worked out in my favor I think since my skin now is way better than it was 1.5 months ago.
Clinique just came out with a BB cream (released in in the US anyway). I tried the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream over the summer & I broke out really bad (nodules on my chin & right by my mouth - hideous). I don't know if it was from that product because the summer is always hard on my skin. I've read that they are not really all that great for acne prone skin because they are so thick. Have you thought about a tinted moisturizer instead or just a suitable liquid foundation? I can't say enough great things about the Make Up For Ever HD liquid foundation. It is the very best I've ever tried
I'm also joining the Cure bandwagon as soon as it arrives; I just ordered it this morning from Amazon.
Jesoli, did you have to pay 59 bucks for it? I bought mine from beautycarousel.com where it's only $34.75.
Yea I think I'm going to try a tinted moisturizer next when my skin gets better. I am hoping that I will be clear enough that I can just put on Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch and call it a day. It creates an airbrush effect on your skin, smoothing out the pores and lines and completely mattifying your face.
I looked on Beauty Carousel first, but with their shipping costs it would have been more expensive than Amazon (or maybe the same) & it wanted Paypal, which I don't use.
I love that you are really makeup savvy like me, but with different products & brands! I've tried tons of different makeup brands in all price ranges, but the ones you use are ones I have not tried yet. I've never tried that Clarins product (going to look at it though), but my similar hope is to be able to only wear my Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 during the day & nothing else (maybe a light gel moisturizer underneath, and eye & lip makeup of course!). I am very pale, so I must wear sunscreen every day & that primer is very gentle & lightweight.
ahasegawa, you use the cure too! That's awesome. Yea I know Mac is bad in general because it's not noncomedogenic, but I've been using it more or less since I was 15 and it's never caused me to break out. I gave BB creams a try a few months back after hearing how it's so great for your skin and that broke me out like no other. I gave it two separate tries and both times I woke up the next morning with 4-5 new zits. Can't be a coincidence. Maybe I need a try a different brand of BB creams. Do you use it?
Dang I forgot my Claravis packets at my other house which means I will miss half a day's dosage before I can pick it up. Hope it won't affect anything.
I'm starting work soon on a film that's been delayed for 1.5 months. Worked out in my favor I think since my skin now is way better than it was 1.5 months ago.
Well I am very glad that Mac doesnt break you out! It is very good coverage but it made me break out so bad. It was such a horrible cycle! I used the Mac to cover up the pimples it caused lol!
ACTUALLY! I am an avid user of BB Cream! Its so funny you would say that ! LOL!
What brand did you use specifically? I have one HG BB cream right now and I am branching off to try another couple BB Creams just to test them out ^^ I actually only use BB creams at the moment and I am really happy. I would be happy to give you some suggestions
I find it so interesting you take your accutane twice a day. I take my Clarvis once a day (40 mg + 20 mg pills)
If I had to take it morning and night I would fear forgetting about one or the other lol!
ahasegawa, you use the cure too! That's awesome. Yea I know Mac is bad in general because it's not noncomedogenic, but I've been using it more or less since I was 15 and it's never caused me to break out. I gave BB creams a try a few months back after hearing how it's so great for your skin and that broke me out like no other. I gave it two separate tries and both times I woke up the next morning with 4-5 new zits. Can't be a coincidence. Maybe I need a try a different brand of BB creams. Do you use it?
Dang I forgot my Claravis packets at my other house which means I will miss half a day's dosage before I can pick it up. Hope it won't affect anything.
I'm starting work soon on a film that's been delayed for 1.5 months. Worked out in my favor I think since my skin now is way better than it was 1.5 months ago.
Well I am very glad that Mac doesnt break you out! It is very good coverage but it made me break out so bad. It was such a horrible cycle! I used the Mac to cover up the pimples it caused lol!
ACTUALLY! I am an avid user of BB Cream! Its so funny you would say that ! LOL!
What brand did you use specifically? I have one HG BB cream right now and I am branching off to try another couple BB Creams just to test them out ^^ I actually only use BB creams at the moment and I am really happy. I would be happy to give you some suggestions
I find it so interesting you take your accutane twice a day. I take my Clarvis once a day (40 mg + 20 mg pills)
If I had to take it morning and night I would fear forgetting about one or the other lol!
Yes, do tell me all your BB cream secrets. I tried two different products from The Face Shop and another from Missha. It would be great to find a BB cream that works for acne prone skin.
Hmm I never thought of taking two 40mg pills at once but that would save a lot of time. I just figured taking it twice a day would disperse the medication out more evenly. Perhaps that's why I didn't have any breakouts from having my dosage doubled. Who knows. I'm just making this all up.
Seems like you're already seeing significant results at just day 10. Luckyyy.
I tried Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream and it was so so. My FAVORITE hands down is Lioele Triple the Solution! Its amazing! It spreads on your face like silk, and has great coverage yet you dont feel like you are wearing a mask ^^ I really suggest that one. It is a little bit of an investment at 30 bucks (I get mine on amazon) But I will be repurchasing because I love it sooo much!
I simply take mine in the morning at the same time because thats what the pharamacist told me to do! lol I asked him before I left because I was confused @@
My results thus far are a good start. still get actives every day like I usually would but things seems to be smoothing out. I am on a anti-inflammatory to help combat the initial breakout.
I wish you the best of luck and I know this treatment will work wonders for you Wish me the same! lol
I looked on Beauty Carousel first, but with their shipping costs it would have been more expensive than Amazon (or maybe the same) & it wanted Paypal, which I don't use.
I love that you are really makeup savvy like me, but with different products & brands! I've tried tons of different makeup brands in all price ranges, but the ones you use are ones I have not tried yet. I've never tried that Clarins product (going to look at it though), but my similar hope is to be able to only wear my Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 during the day & nothing else (maybe a light gel moisturizer underneath, and eye & lip makeup of course!). I am very pale, so I must wear sunscreen every day & that primer is very gentle & lightweight.
Hmm the shipping does jack up the price quite a lot. I don't remember paying that much though...maybe I had a free shipping coupon at the time. Sorry. =( The product does last forever though.
Yea I do like trying different stuff from all over the world. I got a mud mask from Israel that was pretty fun to use but the best product I've gotten so far is this peeling mask from Vietnam that completely removes all blackheads. Biore's got nothing on this stuff. Plus, it's dirt cheap. I can't wait until I make more money so I can try the fancier stuff like Creme de La Mer. It's so much fun trading beauty secrets, especially with someone who's on the same level as I am in terms of what we look for in products. I am definitely going to try the Boots wipes now that I'm wearing makeup again.
I tried Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream and it was so so. My FAVORITE hands down is Lioele Triple the Solution! Its amazing! It spreads on your face like silk, and has great coverage yet you dont feel like you are wearing a mask ^^ I really suggest that one. It is a little bit of an investment at 30 bucks (I get mine on amazon) But I will be repurchasing because I love it sooo much!
I simply take mine in the morning at the same time because thats what the pharamacist told me to do! lol I asked him before I left because I was confused @@
My results thus far are a good start. still get actives every day like I usually would but things seems to be smoothing out. I am on a anti-inflammatory to help combat the initial breakout.
I wish you the best of luck and I know this treatment will work wonders for you
Wish me the same! lol
Thanks for the recommendation! Sounds like a great product, will try it out.
I know you will have clear skin soon. With your cheery personality and accutane on your side, acne does not stand a fighting chance. All the best to you.
Pill 45.
Zits are still drying up and there hasn't been any new addition to the clan (10 days since my last breakout). I can feel some tiny little bumps when I wash my face in the shower but it must just be gross stuff in clogged pores finally getting pushed out.
Two gross dry spots/scabby patches/rashes on the back of my hands. I'm trying some Aquaphor healing ointment tonight to see if it does anything. It doesn't hurt or itch but it's quite unsightly.
There's a small area of dry skin on the tip of my nose. Wonder what's up with that?
BamaGuy, that's pretty much what happened to me although I didn't see a significant improvement until week 5-6. But of course everyone reacts different to these things. How is yours coming along?
Woke up this morning with a budding cyst on my cheek. It doesn't hurt and it's quite small but I can tell it will get big if I leave it alone ergo I'm zapping it (3 times in the morning and 3 at night) then putting some benzoyl peroxide on it. That should get rid of it.
Honestly, I've been expecting a zit to pop up sooner or later. I wonder if it has anything to do with my missed dose or me forgetting to wash my face before bed 2 nights ago. And of course I've been stressing out about grad school applications which resulted in me being a bit careless with my acne maintenance.
Very naughty of me but I didn't use my Perricone moisturizer for two nights and noticed that my nose wasn't as smooth and perfect as before. A tiny bit of blackheads were popping up again and my pores just wasn't as small. Fortunately, I used it again last night and my nose is almost back to its small-pored self. It also got rid of the dry patch on my nose.
I remember when I first started using Perricone for my first major breakout in college that it also helped with the post-acne red marks. Let's see if it will prevail once again.
I promise to be super diligent from now on.
On a side note, I find it super helpful to write down all my concerns/thoughts so I don't have to dwell on them anymore and get on with my day. I don't really care if anyone reads it but I'm glad if someone should read it and find it helpful.
On a side note, I find it super helpful to write down all my concerns/thoughts so I don't have to dwell on them anymore and get on with my day. I don't really care if anyone reads it but I'm glad if someone should read it and find it helpful.
I am happy that you do! Please continue doing so... I find that it is an important help for me as well during this course to read about other people's ups and downs.... In that way I sort of know what to expect later on. So keep writing... It keeps me going as well. And good luck with everything!
Pulling an all-nighter. Taking a break so I'm coming here to type out some mindless ramblings to kill time.
The dry patch, rash-looking thing is spreading to cover maybe 1/2 of the back of my hands. I'm developing the same type of rash on various parts of body as well. The Aquaphor Healing Ointment is not working so I need to try something more powerful. Am I not drinking enough water? How much am I supposed to drink a day?
My skin is doing fine. I only have to moisturize at night and that's enough to keep the dryness away. My lips are a completely different story. Extremely dry and peely that I have to reapply Aquaphor or Carmex every hour or so. Good news is the dryness is giving my lips a rosy tint and with aquaphor on, it looks like I'm wearing pink lipgloss.
The dry patch, rash-looking thing is spreading to cover maybe 1/2 of the back of my hands. I'm developing the same type of rash on various parts of body as well. The Aquaphor Healing Ointment is not working so I need to try something more powerful. Am I not drinking enough water? How much am I supposed to drink a day?
It's eczema, it's a common side effect. I've been using aquaphor in combo with aveeno's daily moisturizer and it's pretty much non existent. It's important to keep moisturizing those spots all throughout the day rather than just day and night, that's what's helped me
btw, I've shelled out $250 for creme de la mer and it's nothing special! Felt like an ordinary moisturizer that was way overpriced. I'd advise maybe SK-II products, or La Prairie for luxury brands