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I can't skip washing my hair anymore either. Sad sad day
Such a bummer, isn't it? It kind of worries me that oil is returning, but I guess I can't think about that too much. So far so good anyway. Hope you're doing well, Betsy!
Total bummer, it worries me too that the oil is returning. Hopefully without the acne.. I try not to think about it at all. A path I'll cross if it happens I suppose. So far so good is right! Hope you are doing well to Rachel!
That's my other fear besides my hair shedding and the acne returning - the oil coming back. I had super oily skin before. So far it has just gone back to a nice balance of what I assume is "normal" skin. My derm said the oil will probably come back but not as bad. I would be happy for my skin to stay exactly as it is today - it is the perfect dryness with no acne. I'll take a little bit of oiliness as long as zits don't come with it! And I want my hair to stop shedding - NOW!!!!
I just keep trying to remember to breathe and enjoy my skin for the time being and believe the shedding will stop once the accutane is out of my system.
Total bummer, it worries me too that the oil is returning. Hopefully without the acne.. I try not to think about it at all. A path I'll cross if it happens I suppose. So far so good is right! Hope you are doing well to Rachel!
Yes, hopefully it's without the acne! But you're right... It's best not to think about it because hopefully acne is something we will never have to deal with again!
That's my other fear besides my hair shedding and the acne returning - the oil coming back. I had super oily skin before. So far it has just gone back to a nice balance of what I assume is "normal" skin. My derm said the oil will probably come back but not as bad. I would be happy for my skin to stay exactly as it is today - it is the perfect dryness with no acne. I'll take a little bit of oiliness as long as zits don't come with it! And I want my hair to stop shedding - NOW!!!!
I just keep trying to remember to breathe and enjoy my skin for the time being and believe the shedding will stop once the accutane is out of my system.
Yeah, my oil isn't bad or anything either. Hopefully Accutane has done its job and it'll stay that way. My derm said Accutane stays in your system for 2-3 months after you stop taking it, but hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the hair loss to stop!
Hope you ladies have a great Thanksgiving!
57 Days Post-'Tane
I have had a few teeny tiny bumps pop up recently, including a whitehead that is currently inside my nose. That's a joy, isn't it? Considering these spots are always gone within a day or two, I don't stress about it. I really think it's probably linked to the amount of Christmas cookies I have been eating. Oops?
I'm also wondering if it could be a result of my foundation, Everyday Minerals. I have been using this mineral powder foundation for years now, but they recently changed their formula and added lauroyl lysine. I wouldn't be concerned about this had I not read some reviews of people claiming this new formula caused breakouts. I haven't read anything that said lauroyl lysine was bad for the skin, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it's not my foundation. Having very fair, sensitive skin makes it a huge pain to go searching for a foundation and matches and doesn't make me break out. Really don't want to start that search again.
Also, yesterday I read this interview with Emma Stone on Refinery29. You can find it here: http://www.refinery29.com/emma-stone
In the interview she talks about her struggles with acne and even mentions that she took Accutane, but only for two months. I think it's kind of cool that Emma can relate to what we've all been through. And, well, I have a girl crush on her. 
57 Days Post-'Tane
I have had a few teeny tiny bumps pop up recently, including a whitehead that is currently inside my nose. That's a joy, isn't it? Considering these spots are always gone within a day or two, I don't stress about it. I really think it's probably linked to the amount of Christmas cookies I have been eating. Oops?
I'm also wondering if it could be a result of my foundation, Everyday Minerals. I have been using this mineral powder foundation for years now, but they recently changed their formula and added lauroyl lysine. I wouldn't be concerned about this had I not read some reviews of people claiming this new formula caused breakouts. I haven't read anything that said lauroyl lysine was bad for the skin, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it's not my foundation. Having very fair, sensitive skin makes it a huge pain to go searching for a foundation and matches and doesn't make me break out. Really don't want to start that search again.
Also, yesterday I read this interview with Emma Stone on Refinery29. You can find it here: http://www.refinery29.com/emma-stone
In the interview she talks about her struggles with acne and even mentions that she took Accutane, but only for two months. I think it's kind of cool that Emma can relate to what we've all been through. And, well, I have a girl crush on her.
Sorry to hear about your little flare up, Rachel! I hope everything goes back to normal for you!!
Oh & I love Emma Stone! I had no idea she was ever on Accutane! Wow.
Sorry to hear about your little flare up, Rachel! I hope everything goes back to normal for you!!
Oh & I love Emma Stone! I had no idea she was ever on Accutane! Wow.
Thanks, Katie! Fortunately they were only teeny tiny bumps that only I could see and everything is good now. Feels good to never have zits! 😛
Hope you're doing well!
Hi Rachel! Sorry to hear about the minor breakouts! I hope they go away quickly. Have you noticed your shallow scarring improve since being off the drug? Thanks!
Hi Sammy! My shallow scarring was barely detectable. I didn't even notice it much until my dermatologist pointed it out. I do think everything is filled back in because I don't notice it at all now. I do still have red marks and I'm impatiently waiting for them to disappear.
Rachel, I just read through nearly this entire thread (too much time on my hands I suppose). Your skin is so similar to mine before you took accutane. It's awesome to see how well you're doing! Do you feel as though you've had any lasting side effects? I'll be on 60mg for the next 6-8 months, ugh. Thanks for continuing to post post-accutane updates! -John
Rachel, I just read through nearly this entire thread (too much time on my hands I suppose). Your skin is so similar to mine before you took accutane. It's awesome to see how well you're doing! Do you feel as though you've had any lasting side effects? I'll be on 60mg for the next 6-8 months, ugh. Thanks for continuing to post post-accutane updates! -John
Hi, John! Don't worry, I remember reading a ton of logs in their entirety before I started Accutane. Great way to educate yourself! 🙂
I actually haven't had any lasting side effects. I really didn't have many side effects during my course other than some minor aches and occasionally feeling really tired, which I don't experience anymore. Everything went back to normal for me pretty quickly. I don't feel like I was ever even on Accutane except in terms of having clear skin now.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! Good luck with your course!
119 Days Post-'Tane
So, I've basically had teeny tiny pimples popping up on a regular basis ever since I finished my Accutane course. I'm not sure if this is anything to worry about, but it's certainly frustrating because it makes me wonder if it's a sign the bad acne will eventually return. Fortunately, these zits only last a day or two. However, I now have my first big, red zit since finishing Accutane. It's along my jawline on the left side of my face. It won't budge. And I have a tiny zit on my right jawline.
I've been trying to figure out what could possibly be causing all these little zits. I thought it was my foundation (Everyday Minerals), but my skin continued to break out in tiny spots even after I stopped using it. I had also started taking a multivitamin at the beginning of this year. I have taken a multivitamin in the past and it, oddly, seemed to make me break out. I'm not sure why, but I can't help but wonder if it's because my skin seemingly hates biotin. Since I stopped taking the multivitamin, my skin actually stopped freaking out, but it has since started back up again. The only thing I could attribute this to is possibly poor eating habits.
The good thing in all of this? Except for the bright red zit on my jawline right now, the rest of these teeny tiny bumps have really only been detectable by me.
But I'm now on a mission to figure out what is causing all of these minor breakouts. I guess I should probably stop snacking on Teddy Grahams and Yoo-Hoo. (Totally serious.)
Other than that, my friend recommended trying the Jason Vitamin E Oil. As we all know, Vitamin E is great for the skin. And I've read amazing reviews on the stuff, so I ordered some online in hopes that it will help with the light scarring that remains on my cheeks. Hopefully there won't be any adverse reactions, but I will keep you all updated.
Hi Rachel!
I was just perusing on here to see how all my lovely girls were doing post-Accutane. So weird that you had some spots creep up 
I have to say that it's been almost 4 months since I took Accutane and I have had a few tiny pimples, but they go away fast. Oddly enough, I also had one inside my nose--it was sooo painful wtf!
I came on here case today I had like 3 tiny pimples just randomly crop up. It started to make me worry and I immediately logged onto acne.org to find confirmation of my experiences.
The only idea I have is that I am taking an antibiotic for Strep throat and I think that could be breaking me out slightly. I'm thankful to be finishing it in 5 days, it was only a short course.
I wonder if that could be the cause?
And yes, decreasing sugar should help your skin 
Miss you! gina xoxo
Hi Rachel!
I was just perusing on here to see how all my lovely girls were doing post-Accutane. So weird that you had some spots creep up
I have to say that it's been almost 4 months since I took Accutane and I have had a few tiny pimples, but they go away fast. Oddly enough, I also had one inside my nose--it was sooo painful wtf!
I came on here case today I had like 3 tiny pimples just randomly crop up. It started to make me worry and I immediately logged onto acne.org to find confirmation of my experiences.
The only idea I have is that I am taking an antibiotic for Strep throat and I think that could be breaking me out slightly. I'm thankful to be finishing it in 5 days, it was only a short course.
I wonder if that could be the cause?
And yes, decreasing sugar should help your skin
Miss you! gina xoxo
Gina! So glad to hear from you!
I worry about the random breakouts that pop up too. It always makes me think the bad acne is going to return. Thankfully, that hasn't happened. I have no idea what the exact cause of my breakouts has been, but I recently started using the Queen Helene Mint Julep mask I had hidden in the depths of my bathroom cabinet. Haven't used that since quite some time before Accutane. I don't remember it ever working for me, but this time around, it did! All of my red spots are gone and I've only had once since I started using the mask. I do have some tiny flesh-colored bumps on my left cheek that won't go away. They've been there for a while now, so I'm hoping I can find something to finally destroy those pesky things. I'll definitely be reducing my sugar intake though. I know that'll help my skin tremendously.
Sorry to hear about your breakouts! I do agree that it's probably the result of the antibiotic though. Hopefully they'll clear up soon since you won't be taking the antibiotic much longer. I'm happy to hear your skin has been doing fine otherwise!
Miss talking to you girls every day!
Hi Rachel!
I was just perusing on here to see how all my lovely girls were doing post-Accutane. So weird that you had some spots creep up
I have to say that it's been almost 4 months since I took Accutane and I have had a few tiny pimples, but they go away fast. Oddly enough, I also had one inside my nose--it was sooo painful wtf!
I came on here case today I had like 3 tiny pimples just randomly crop up. It started to make me worry and I immediately logged onto acne.org to find confirmation of my experiences.
The only idea I have is that I am taking an antibiotic for Strep throat and I think that could be breaking me out slightly. I'm thankful to be finishing it in 5 days, it was only a short course.
I wonder if that could be the cause?
And yes, decreasing sugar should help your skin
Miss you! gina xoxo
Gina! So glad to hear from you!
I worry about the random breakouts that pop up too. It always makes me think the bad acne is going to return. Thankfully, that hasn't happened. I have no idea what the exact cause of my breakouts has been, but I recently started using the Queen Helene Mint Julep mask I had hidden in the depths of my bathroom cabinet. Haven't used that since quite some time before Accutane. I don't remember it ever working for me, but this time around, it did! All of my red spots are gone and I've only had once since I started using the mask. I do have some tiny flesh-colored bumps on my left cheek that won't go away. They've been there for a while now, so I'm hoping I can find something to finally destroy those pesky things. I'll definitely be reducing my sugar intake though. I know that'll help my skin tremendously.
Sorry to hear about your breakouts! I do agree that it's probably the result of the antibiotic though. Hopefully they'll clear up soon since you won't be taking the antibiotic much longer. I'm happy to hear your skin has been doing fine otherwise!
Miss talking to you girls every day!
Rachel, Gina!!!!!! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!! Holy cow I've missed everybody! I come on to the site every once in a while to see if anyone has updated and I was happy to see you guys today. 🙂 Rachel I'm so sorry about your breakout but I'm glad you've found something to help. I've been wanting to update on my progress but I also didn't want to jinx myself, haha. I'm so superstitious when it comes to acne. I am 3 1/2 months post accutane. So far I've only had a few little ones here and there and they go away in a day if I put salycilic acid on them. I have to admit when I see any kind of a bump, no matter how small, I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. Last week I woke up with a small red inflammation on my cheek and I literally felt like I was going to faint - pitiful I know. Overall though I have been clear and my oil is definitely much better. I am not an oil slick everyday and still don't have to blot my skin throughout the day which is truly amazing. My derm did not put me on retin a or any kind of maintenance because she says my skin is too sensitive after all the years of too much oil and the many cysts. I just wash and moisturize. She said I could exfoiliate twice a week with either a gentle scrub or a clarisonic if I want to but I'm too afriad to try anything new at this point. I did think I would feel more free once I finished but I still worry it will come back. I am trying to enjoy my clear skin and am staying cautiously optimistic. 🙂 I don't really have any lasting side effects. My eyes get a little dry more often than they used to but it's manageable. I did lose a lot of hair volume at the end which freaked my out but it stopped and I'm hoping it all comes back within the next year. If not, it will be a small price to pay if my skin stays clear. I am glad you are both doing well!!
136 Days Post-'Tane
Honestly? I'm as frustrated with my skin right now as I was just before starting Accutane. My left cheek has about 14 teeny tiny flesh-colored and red bumps. I have a small bump on the right side of my face. The first big zit I had post-Accutane is gone and the other one is on its way out. Something is suddenly brewing on my chin and you don't even want to know what I have to say about that.
I don't drink a lot of soda, but I usually drink one or two small bottles of Pepsi a day. It's an addiction, okay? I have completely cut out all soda for nearly two weeks now and you'd think my skin would get better, but it hasn't. I suppose cutting Pepsi out of your diet doesn't make it okay to snack on ridiculous amounts of cupcakes and chocolate. (It was my little sister's birthday.) Cupcakes in the house are a dangerous, dangerous thing. I'm not even going to admit how many cupcakes I think I ate. Yeah, it's that bad. (Also, don't ask me how I still manage to weigh only 105 lbs. despite all that. It's somehow impossible for me to gain weight, which is why I have the tendency to eat junk.)
So, my only guess as to what is causing these spots all over my face is, as I've stated 100 times before, my poor eating habits.
So, I shall be living off broccoli and water for the rest of my life.
Juuuust kidding.
To help combat this, I had tried the Jason Vitamin E Oil, which I don't think did anything and possibly caused some of the small bumps. I'm not sure. After seeing an ad in a magazine, I bought the Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Cleansing Pads with salicylic acid, despite mixed reviews. Hoping those will help. Will let you all know how that goes.
But in all seriousness... No more junk food for this girl.
144 Days Post-'Tane
Well, my skin hasn't exactly gotten better since I last updated. However, I do think the problem may be due to a product I recently introduced into my regime. In an attempt to clear up the spots I had, I purchased Aveeno's Clear Complexion Cleansing Pads after seeing an ad in a magazine and then reading great reviews. I used the salicylic acid pads on my face every morning, but my acne persists. I'm thinking the Aveeno pads might be causing the sudden increase in acne since that is the only thing that has changed over the last week. And I also got some of the cleanser in my hair and ultimately had tiny zits in that location one or two days later. So, I've dropped those from my regime and now I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do about the cluster of four red zits on the left side of my chin, the bumps I feel along my right jawline, and the swollen, red monstrosity that is next to my nose.
Now, don't get me wrong... Things are NOT as bad as the were before Accutane. However, if things don't seem to be improving over the next week, I'm going to give my derm a call and see if he thinks I need to try a new topical since he didn't prescribe anything for me post-Accutane. The last prescription topical treatments I used were Retin-A Micro and BenzaClin, which I haven't used in well over a year now since they stopped working, leading me to take Accutane.
Going to dig out my Aztec Healing Clay Mask and some Bragg's apple cider vinegar to use as a spot treatment tonight. And I'm also planning to do the Dr. Oz three day detox at some point in the near future. Maybe that will help too.
Fingers crossed that something works.
I can completely relate to you. Ive had persistent acne since 15ish and got it cleared up in high school pretty good by using topicals then kept breaking out. Took Accutane when I was 19 and it returned within a year : /
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that! 🙁 Fortunately, things aren't as bad as they were before Accutane for me, so I'm hoping it'll all clear back up again. But who knows. Sick of acne!
Hey Rach! So bummed to hear the accutane isn't keeping you clear. I started breaking out too. Even with the use of retin a my acne started to return. Not as much or even the same as it was before accutane but enough to bother me. So I started taking spiro last month and am just about to start my 2nd month. Things cleared up quickly for me thank god and I hope they continue to get better. Having clear skin was amazing and I need that back
Hopefully you are able to clear up with just a topical or something easy like that. Best of luck!
148 Days Post-'Tane
1) I've stayed away from the Aveeno Clear Complexion pads.
2) I wish the Aztec Secrets Indian Healing Clay Mask worked for me, but it still doesn't.
3) Lemons. Yes, lemons.
My skin is looking much better. The three zits I was dealing with are on their way out. The two of my chin are almost gone. But the one on my cheek still persists, though it has gone down in size. It's looking much better, but it still has a ways to go. It feels like a big scab now. And out of the corner of my eye, I can see the sucker sticking out from my face. I've had these teeny tiny bumps on my left check for forever now and they are still there. I think they popped up while on Accutane and haven't gone away since. No idea what to do about those. I feel bumps along my right jawline, but I don't think they're anything to worry about.
Fresh lemon juice is what has helped turn my skin around (or so far it has, anyway). I've known for many years that lemon juice is great for the skin. I only tried it once and when I did it was years ago and I used that bottled lemon juice. I don't remember seeing any improvement. While I've read many reviews of people who have had success clearing their acne with bottled lemon, I'm sticking with fresh juice. Thursday night I squeezed the juice out of a lemon and used it as a spot treatment on the zits I had. There was some improvement overnight, but the zits certainly didn't disappear. I didn't expect them to. But if you all know of something that makes zits disappear overnight, then please, let me know. 
Last night I used lemon juice again, but instead I took a slice of lemon and rubbed it all over my face. Sure, it stung for a minute, but I didn't want to wash it off (though some people do).
This morning I woke up and things are looking much better. My pores are smaller. Zits have gotten a little smaller. No new zits have popped up. So, I'm going to continue using a slice of lemon every night to clear things up and hopefully get rid of my red marks as well. I've read a lot of reviews online where people used lemon juice to lighten their freckles and they claimed it worked, which kinda bugs me because my freckles are actually genetic (not sun damage) and I'm apparently one of the few people in the world that actually likes freckles.
So, fingers crossed the lemon clears things up entirely.
Hey Rach! So bummed to hear the accutane isn't keeping you clear. I started breaking out too. Even with the use of retin a my acne started to return. Not as much or even the same as it was before accutane but enough to bother me. So I started taking spiro last month and am just about to start my 2nd month. Things cleared up quickly for me thank god and I hope they continue to get better. Having clear skin was amazing and I need that back
Hopefully you are able to clear up with just a topical or something easy like that. Best of luck!
Hey Betsy! I've been wondering how you and the other girls were doing. I'm terrible about checking up on everyone here. On the bright side, things haven't been too bad and it seems the breakouts were brought on by poor eating habits and a new cleanser. But it certainly makes you worry that the acne is just going to come back just as bad as before.
Sorry to hear your acne started to come back too. With as much Accutane as you took, I wouldn't have thought you'd have a problem! But I'm glad Spiro is working for you! Hopefully it clears you up and keeps you clear! 
150 Days Post-'Tane
I have been using fresh lemon juice on my face for four nights in a row now and I've really noticed a significant improvement in my skin. I don't have any new acne. Red marks have already lightened a little. Like I said previously, the acne that I had is going away.
However, the the one bump on my right cheek is just so persistent. Will someone come burn the stupid thing off my face or something?! I'm kind of tempted to call my derm and see if they can somehow manage to squeeze me in so I can have him inject a cortisone shot into it. It doesn't have a head on it, so it won't pop and ooze pus. It's just a big, red bump. And I hate it.
154 Days Post-'Tane
Just wanted to say that I have been using fresh lemon juice on my face for a full week now and I have noticed such an improvement in the red marks that were left from my Accutane course. It's incredible how quickly lemon has worked. The red marks aren't completely gone, but they are about 90% gone. Plus, it's nice to have less spots to cover with concealer in the morning!
And that big zit that was on my cheek? Finally on its way out. Thank God.
