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hey rachel! i'm happy that your marks are going. i wanna ask you how do you put the lemon juice on your face? how do you apply it?
I juiced the lemon the first time, but now I find it's easier just to cut a slice off the lemon every night and rub it all over my face.
and you wash it then or you let it to be absorbed? thank you for the answer. i'll try it
hey rachel! i'm happy that your marks are going. i wanna ask you how do you put the lemon juice on your face? how do you apply it?
I juiced the lemon the first time, but now I find it's easier just to cut a slice off the lemon every night and rub it all over my face.
and you wash it then or you let it to be absorbed? thank you for the answer. i'll try it
I've read reviews where people have said they wait like 15 minutes or so and wash it off, but I don't. My skin is super sensitive, so I thought it would be bothered by the lemon. But I haven't been washing it off and it's been fine! If you give it a try, I hope it works for you! You just have to see how your skin handles it.
167 Days Post-'Tane
While fresh lemon juice has certainly helped, I had to cut back on using it since it dried out spots my chin. That zit that was on my right cheek is still there, but a much smaller, red bump now. It won't budge otherwise. I've had a few small red bumps pop up within the last week and I have no idea what caused those. Too much sugar and dairy? Perhaps, but I don't know.
I tried a homemade mask of organic milk, raw honey, and turmeric, which seemed to improve my skin. However, the acne that I have just isn't budging for the most part. It's reminiscent of how my skin was before Accutane... My acne just wasn't responding to anything I put on it.
So, I caved. I called my dermatologist's office. He didn't see me, but he sent two prescriptions over to my pharmacy. One for an antibiotic and another for Epiduo. Upon reading a few reviews for Epiduo, it has me mildly terrified simply because the last thing I want is to make my mild acne turn into something worse. I'm scared to even take the antibiotic for 10 days! 
I'll probably pick up the prescriptions tonight and see what happens.
172 Days Post-'Tane
Figured I'd pop in to say that I picked up the prescriptions my derm sent to my pharmacy. He prescribed me a 10-day supply of Cephalexin, as well as Epiduo (as previously mentioned). I haven't taken the Cephalexin because I'm concerned it'll make my skin worse. I have been using the Epiduo, but only as a spot treatment at night, instead of all over my face. I just worry about the whole purging stage and I don't want to go from mild acne to a face full of zits by adding a new cream to my routine.
Epiduo has helped tremendously on the spots that I have. That pesky zit on my right cheek never fully went away, but Epiduo is actually taking care of that. I think I'll keep using just a tiny bit as a spot treatment for now and maybe I'll eventually use it all over. I'll see how it goes.
Hope everyone is doing well.
if you're not sensitive to BP, epiduo can be a lifesaver. IF you keep using it as a spot treatment, you unfortunately don't prevent acne from coming up which is the goal of treatment. But if it works for you, keep at it girl. Definitely keep us posted on your progress
Thanks! I've been applying the Epiduo to my cheeks and chin since they're my problem areas. I just haven't tried it on my nose or forehead. But it hasn't even been a week and it's been working great so far, which is a relief. I haven't had a single new zit pop up. Haven't felt so relieved since being on Accutane! I'm hoping since nothing new has popped up, maybe I'll avoid any purging with this stuff. That's the worst to go through!
Have you used Epiduo?
hi Rachel,
I have followed your blog loosely but i just wanted to mention something - have you ever considered your acne may be hormonally induced? I noticed you break out mostly on your jaw and chin area and my dermatologist and endo (and even my herbal doctor) told me and through my own research i have come to a conclusion that acne on that area is usually hormonal in nature. My doctor told me that if you have an underlying condition, to check for any hormonal disturbances before accutane because some patients return to the derm a few months, or even weeks later saying their skin has gone bad again or is breaking out. that way you can avoid accutane.
I think its worth a shot.
hi Rachel,
I have followed your blog loosely but i just wanted to mention something - have you ever considered your acne may be hormonally induced? I noticed you break out mostly on your jaw and chin area and my dermatologist and endo (and even my herbal doctor) told me and through my own research i have come to a conclusion that acne on that area is usually hormonal in nature. My doctor told me that if you have an underlying condition, to check for any hormonal disturbances before accutane because some patients return to the derm a few months, or even weeks later saying their skin has gone bad again or is breaking out. that way you can avoid accutane.
I think its worth a shot.
I actually have considered it myself, but my dermatologist never seemed to think it was a hormonal issue, which is why it wasn't something I looked into further. I started taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen many years ago, which was supposed to help, but it never had any impact on my acne. I'll actually be seeing my derm next month and I will discuss with him what he thinks may be the cause. Fortunately, things are fine right now though. But I tend to get random flare-ups that don't seem to happen in any sort of pattern, which makes it the most frustrating.
Although, it's a little late to avoid Accutane since I already did a five month course, which helped tremendously. Despite the minor acne that has occurred since being off Accutane, I still think it was the best decision I made for my skin so far. But if things get worse, I definitely plan to find out if it's potentially a hormone imbalance.
206 Days Post-'Tane
Saw my derm today for a check-up. My skin is doing just fine. Haven't had much acne since I started using Epiduo. Hooray! 
The only bad news is, he said I should wait a year before getting any tattoos. I read some stuff online saying six months after Accutane was okay, which means I could get something done now. I guess I'll wait though. It's going to be torture waiting till October though because I have one in need of touching up and another that I want to get done. Anyone else get tattoos after Accutane? If so, how long did you wait?
277 Days Post-'Tane
Today I decided I would add to my list of what I think have been pointless post-Accutane updates since they basically never change. I've had a few zits pop up here and there, but nothing major. For the most part, my skin has remained clear.
I still use Epiduo all over my face every night. I have also gotten into the habit of using raw, unprocessed honey as a cleanser/mask on a regular basis since it is a natural anti-septic. If anyone is wondering, the honey I use is called Honey in the Rough and it comes in a glass jar at my local grocery store. This honey actually crystallizes and you have to warm it up to get rid of the crystallization. I actually don't do that, but if you have super sensitive skin that doesn't like rough exfoliants (think St. Ives Apricot Scrub) you won't want to use this honey on your face when it has crystallized, so be sure to warm it up first! While I do occasionally use it as a cleanser (following my normal Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash though), I prefer to use it as a mask and leave it on for at least a half-hour. Whenever I do this at night, I notice such a huge difference the following morning. My skin looks brighter. So, I highly recommend trying raw honey if you haven't already.
I do have some red marks left behind, so I plan to start using fresh lemon again for that, but only on the red marks (not my entire face this time, as it is clear).
Hope you're all doing well!
How do you find Epiduo? Is it better than using differin or BP on there own? I worry it might be too drying for me.
I actually really like Epiduo. I was scared to use it at first because I was afraid it would make my skin worse before it got better. (I got a lot of minor acne breakouts three months after Accutane.) However, Epiduo cleared up my breakouts immediately without drying my skin. And my skin never got worse after I started using it.
I used Differin years ago, but I don't remember it clearing up my skin. I used it along with some benzoyl peroxide pads and the whole experience was terrible because it dried out my skin so bad. For me, BP on its own just makes me itchy and I never see results! So, Epiduo has been a lot better than Differin and BP for my skin.
336 Days Post-'Tane
Just sitting at work and happened to think to myself how in about a month, it'll be one year since I finished Accutane. Time FLIES. But seriously, nothing but good things have come from taking Accutane for me. So, I just wanted to say that I'm still clear and loving my skin!
Hope you all are doing well! And here is an updated photo that I took on Sunday (my birthday!)...
One Year Post-'Tane
I cannot believe that it was exactly one year ago today that I took my last Accutane pills. Crazy! And there's no better way to celebrate than with a few zits! I have what I think is my first cystic zit since 'Tane. (Can't remember having any since then.) And I've got a random bump on my right cheek and a lovely zit in between my eyebrows. Perhaps it's due to my poor eating habits these past few weeks, but my Epiduo doesn't seem to have any impact on them. Epiduo does, however, work amazingly for knocking out small zits right away.
It may only be three spots, but things like that always make me paranoid my acne is coming back, though I'm sure it's not the case! A few zits here and there is expected. Will be busting out a mask tonight though to help get rid of them.
Hope you all are doing well. 
Hi! I finished my course of Accutane a week ago and I'm really paranoid about the acne coming back.
Would you recommend I start using something on my skin now to prevent that? Are there any over the counter treatments you'd recommend?
Thanks
Hi! First off, congrats on finishing your course! It's such an amazing feeling to finally be done, but I completely understand your paranoia. I'm still paranoid about my acne coming back and I've been off Accutane for over a year now. Some dermatologists prescribe a prescription topical treatment to use after Accutane, but mine didn't. He didn't think I would need it. But I kind of got into some poor eating habits three months after I finished my course, which resulted in a lot of minor breakouts, so he gave me a prescription for Epiduo. I've been using that ever since.
If I were you, I wouldn't want to introduce any new products into my skincare routine, simply because I'd worry about that actually causing acne. I have always sticked to products that I know work and don't make me break out. If you know of any cleansers or spot treatments that work for you and don't cause breakouts, definitely add one into your skincare routine to help clear your pores. The only acne treatment I use is Epiduo. I don't use any cleansers with salicylic acid. But I have been using the Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment to dry up the few cystic pimples I recently got. (These are the only ones I've gotten since finishing Accutane a year ago.) They have a regular kind with .75% salicylic acid and a maximum strength version with 2% salicylic acid. Definitely check out something like that to keep on hand if you notice any spots popping up.
Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, let me know!
Hi! I finished my course of Accutane a week ago and I'm really paranoid about the acne coming back.
Would you recommend I start using something on my skin now to prevent that? Are there any over the counter treatments you'd recommend?
Thanks
Hi! First off, congrats on finishing your course! It's such an amazing feeling to finally be done, but I completely understand your paranoia. I'm still paranoid about my acne coming back and I've been off Accutane for over a year now. Some dermatologists prescribe a prescription topical treatment to use after Accutane, but mine didn't. He didn't think I would need it. But I kind of got into some poor eating habits three months after I finished my course, which resulted in a lot of minor breakouts, so he gave me a prescription for Epiduo. I've been using that ever since.
If I were you, I wouldn't want to introduce any new products into my skincare routine, simply because I'd worry about that actually causing acne. I have always sticked to products that I know work and don't make me break out. If you know of any cleansers or spot treatments that work for you and don't cause breakouts, definitely add one into your skincare routine to help clear your pores. The only acne treatment I use is Epiduo. I don't use any cleansers with salicylic acid. But I have been using the Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment to dry up the few cystic pimples I recently got. (These are the only ones I've gotten since finishing Accutane a year ago.) They have a regular kind with .75% salicylic acid and a maximum strength version with 2% salicylic acid. Definitely check out something like that to keep on hand if you notice any spots popping up.
Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, let me know!
Thank you, this was really helpful! I think I'm going to leave my skin alone for the moment, it's still so sensitive I think I'm just going to irritate it. Thanks again 🙂
I'm happy your skin is doing so good, but i have a few questions...(Anyone who has been on isotretinoin could help)
I had my bloodwork done and I'm waiting for my derm to prescribe me the medicine, what should I expect the first 4 weeks in treatment?
If its possible, could you rate (1-10) your side effects?
Do the red and brown marks fade after you stop getting active acne?
Did you experience an initial breakout? How was it like?
Do you think Accutane (Isotretinoin) is a "cure" for acne? and for cure I Mean a Long lasting efective treatment...
Thank you for your time, hope you could respond this, since I'm new to Acne.org I finally admitted that I'm a acne person and I should speak to the experts, haha, greetings.
"I have had acne since I was 15 and it has been getting worse since then, now I am 17 and have pustules, papules, red marks, comedones and some cysts now and then, I have been put on everything, creams, gel, pills. I'm about to see if i can start on accutane and I hope it works"
Hi whatdoesthefoxsay. good luck! I did a 7 month treatment of Accutane. It was very hard! I will say my initial breakout was awful. I was prescribed am antibiotic to help get over the initial breakout, but it was still awful. If you check out my log I should have a few pics up. I had so many red marks left over. The initial breakout and the dry skin was not fun at all. I will say not having to wash my hair every day was great though. my red marks are very faded now though, and I've only been off the meds since June. Time heals all wounds (and red marks!). As for how permanent it is, I do have some acne now. It's no where near as bad as it was though, so I'm happy. If you have any more questions, feel free to let me know (or anyone else here). 
Hi whatdoesthefoxsay. 🙂 good luck! I did a 7 month treatment of Accutane. It was very hard! I will say my initial breakout was awful. I was prescribed am antibiotic to help get over the initial breakout, but it was still awful. If you check out my log I should have a few pics up. I had so many red marks left over. The initial breakout and the dry skin was not fun at all. I will say not having to wash my hair every day was great though. 🙂 my red marks are very faded now though, and I've only been off the meds since June. Time heals all wounds (and red marks!). As for how permanent it is, I do have some acne now. It's no where near as bad as it was though, so I'm happy. If you have any more questions, feel free to let me know (or anyone else here). 😀
Thanks for that information, first of all, sorry about my English since I'm venezuelan and my main language is Spanish, well, I'm right now taking tetracycline pills and aplying topical erythromicin in my skin while I wait for the accutane(Roacutan here in my country) because my derm told me to do so, I hope that it helps in my Initial Breakout (in case I start on accutane) However, I still wonder how bad and when was your IB, did it make you feel bad? It was worse than your Initial acne? I'm so afraid of the treatment, If it doesn't work I will be so sad...
I'm happy your skin is doing so good, but i have a few questions...(Anyone who has been on isotretinoin could help)
I had my bloodwork done and I'm waiting for my derm to prescribe me the medicine, what should I expect the first 4 weeks in treatment?
If its possible, could you rate (1-10) your side effects?
Do the red and brown marks fade after you stop getting active acne?
Did you experience an initial breakout? How was it like?
Do you think Accutane (Isotretinoin) is a "cure" for acne? and for cure I Mean a Long lasting efective treatment...
Thank you for your time, hope you could respond this, since I'm new to Acne.org I finally admitted that I'm a acne person and I should speak to the experts, haha, greetings.
"I have had acne since I was 15 and it has been getting worse since then, now I am 17 and have pustules, papules, red marks, comedones and some cysts now and then, I have been put on everything, creams, gel, pills. I'm about to see if i can start on accutane and I hope it works"
Hi! Welcome to the forums! And I want to say good luck on your course! It will likely be a rough journey with the side effects and whatnot, but it will be worth it in the end.
The main thing to be prepared for is dryness. This will be the most apparent side effect. You're going to want to make sure you keep your skin and your lips moisturized. Here in the States, a lot of us use Aquaphor on the lips to help with the dryness. It works wonders. I'm not sure what country you're in, but definitely make sure you have something good for the lips because they will need it! Also, be sure to drink a lot of water! Accutane dries everything out and you want your body to be hydrated as well. Some people have reported getting dehydration headaches while on Accutane if they don't drink enough water and this happened to me a few times earlier on in my course.
I got really lucky with my Accutane course. While I was waiting a month for my dermatologist to give me my prescription, he had me take doxycycline, which is an antibiotic. I do remember my skin purging a bit while I took this, so it may have prevented my skin from purging while on Accutane. I can't be 100% certain on this, but in my mind, it probably did help. I was very fortunate that once I started taking Accutane, my skin cleared up quickly and stayed clear. I did get breakouts early on in my course, but nothing too bad, so I wouldn't say I had much of an IB. Overall, my skin started looking better once I started taking it. But it's important to remember that everyone is different. While I was on Accutane, I talked with some other girls on this forum who dealt with nonstop breakouts throughout their entire courses and didn't clear up until the very end. I know that can be discouraging, but you just have to hang in there and tough it out because it will get better!
I didn't have bad side effects. My main side effect was the dryness and the rashes that came as a result. I would get small rashes on my thighs or arms, but as long as I moisturized, they went away. I did have the occasional joint aches and back aches, but it wasn't anything unbearable. I think how bad your side effects are is likely related to the dosage you are taking. I only took 40mg a day, which was really ideal for my body. (I'm 5'2 and 105 lbs.)
Accutane did not get rid of my red marks. I still had red marks once my course was over, so I had to treat them myself. I used fresh lemon juice to get rid of my red marks, but if you decide to do this... Wait until your skin is back to normal post-Accutane and always spot test it first to see if your skin can handle it. Some people do this, but dilute the lemon with water. I didn't start treating my red marks until three months after I finished Accutane because my dermatologist said that's about how long Accutane stays in your system.
I like to think Accutane is a cure, but let's face it... It's not. You will still get breakouts after Accutane, but they should be infrequent and less severe. Some people end up needing to take Accutane two or more times, unfortunately. I have had occasional breakouts lately due to my poor eating habits, but otherwise, my skin has been fantastic and I've been off Accutane just over a year. It's an amazing feeling to wake up in the morning and not be worried about acne. But the best thing you can do is to just be positive and remember that in time your skin will be flawless! It may be tough, but like I said, it will be worth it in the end.
If you have any other questions, just let me know! Happy to help!
Thank you, I never thought You would type such a long answer. I am now taking tetracycline so I hope it prevents my IB like your pre-Tane treatment did. I'm scared because my father and older brother have had acne and I'm not sure if Accutane (Roacutan here in Venezuela) would work for this type of Acne, but since my brother used it and now he's clear I still have some hope. I've been on Epiduo, Benzac, Tatracyclines, erytrhomycin, Herbalife treatments (I was desperately looking for cures), and nothing has worked, just the epiduo that helped a little, but I'm still getting blemishes every other day. Now that I will hopefully start on Accutane I'm feeling optimistic and expecting the best of it. As soon as I start my treatment(If I do), I will start a Log here to help other people like you did. I have already taken "before" pictures but I will post them as soon as I start my treatment, once again, Thanks a lot, You can't imagine how helpful people like you could be.