Hello , I am just a new user to this awesome website.
I saw your photos and i can see you had really bad acne but the best thing i saw was you were always smiling and thats the spirit , don't loose it ever . I dont know how you are right now , I hope you are doing great.
I wanted to say that acne is caused due to internal body factors more in comparison to physical factors. Usually caused due to heat increse in body , eating disorders like intake of more junk food , oily foods etc. So instead treating it from outside i mean to say applying some sort of creams on acne which don't usually works well , try to solve it internally , maintain a balanced healthy diet , exercise is must and drink lots of water. And go for medicines which cure you internally and also go for bloodpurification medicines and tonics they actually helps.
I belong to India , i can give you one more advise don't know it is in beautiful Romania or not - Ayurvedic Medicines they actually cure marks.
Hey Sonrisa. Thank you for sharing your journey with us all (saw your headshots in the beginning btw, and acne or not you are freaking gorgeous!). Anyways, your skin is looking better, but you're still getting cysts? I get this kind of acne too---
I've also done accutane on 20mgs but it came back after i quit the course early so i've had to start it again.
Anyways, my doctor once told me that even if you're on a low dose course you just have to stay on it longer to get the same effect of a full dose course, so is that what your doctor is doing? Or is it just your weight that keeps you at 20mgs? I read somewhere in here that you weigh around 46kgs? Unless you're like 5'2 and under that's actually underweight (if we go by BMI). The only reason i point it out is because i'm usually underweight or close to it (i am a girl btw) but i can tell you from experience that being underweight can make your acne SO MUCH worse! The more underweight you are the more chance it's causing hormonal problems. Plus, being underweight also means that none of this stuff that people (and even your doctor sometimes) are telling you about nutrition and how to eat etc counts for you, because being underweight means you are no longer part of the majority. Your body needs a certain amount of protein and fat to stay fully functional and if you're perpetually underweight and not getting enough of either your skin will ALWAYS be the first thing to suffer. Seriously, you can take all the vitamins in the world and it still will not make up for this because your body actually needs fat and protein to absorb and process those vitamins. It also diverts all of its energy and attention towards protecting your internal organs if you're perpetually underweight--and while that probably sounds super dramatic, you don't have to be dangerously underweight for this to happen (even normal looking people can be starving on the inside). Sometimes it's hard to tell how well you're actually eating--especially if you're constantly afraid to eat stuff for fear of acne, so consider whether your diet is too restrictive. You need good fats like olive oil, avacado, almounds and stuff like that to heal and fight infection. Don't avoid nuts unless you actually know they inflame you because nuts are REALLY good for your skin.
Eating more protein and fat might not even make you gain weight depending on what you're eating (i didn't). I found it helpful to keep a food diary at caloriecount dot com because it's got this huge database which alows you to track your nutrient intake so you can see if you're getting enough protein and fat--it even tracks vitamin a and c. It also takes into account how much you're exercising. Doing this makes a HUGE difference in my skin--it's like the difference between every frigging clogged pore becoming an inflamed cystic mess and a regular zit. I mean i'm still getting zits cause i only started accutane a week or two ago (currently in an annoyng ib phase) but they're not those really painful nodular kind that fill up with tons of pus.
Also, if you're not getting enough sun try taking some vitamin D. Vitamin D is technically a prohormone (that's a good thing) and it's also really good for your immune system. Taking some magnesium and calcium along with it also keeps your muscles and bones from feeling all achy and old (trust me, you will notice a difference when you exercise). Im not a huge fan of supplements but these are the ones that are good to take on accutane.
DAY 186 ( DAY 6 MONTH 7 )
heeeey guys! how are you?
I swallowed 371 pills until now hahahaa so 3710mg.
my face still do not look good
2 new nodeules on my neck!!!! GOD! i've never had there... i just hateeeeeeeeeeeee them
i just wanna finnish this journey and have a clear face and i want it now! please??!
lately i felt very stressed i don't know why, maybe is the school, and i ate less than usual and "usually" i don't eat verrrrrryy much hahahah. it is not good, is it?
i don't know why my journey goes so slow... my cousin started a montuh after me and i think he will finish the tratment the next month because his face is just wow! he had only a few red marks but no acne. and the same with another friend.
what don't i do well?
@brightling hey! thank you for writing me. i don't know, i think i'm the only who cannot see any improvement. i find my face more and more horrible
yeah my derm. said that he won't raise my dose because i have 46 kg and the max. dose is 0.5 mg/kg. ok i accept it but i will not quit the tratment until i reach the cumulative dose and my face looks good.
a dermatologist said to me to not eat milk,chocolate,nuts, seed,peanuts,chips, oily things and something more... and i did not drink milk for a year and now i cannot drink anymore because my brais is something like this: if you drink milk you will have acne hahaha, horrible! and sometimes i do not know what i should eat
about the sun... it's 'winter' and it just rains and sometimes it's snowing so no sun... i really don't want more pills. maybe eating more fruits?
Photos
Left Cheek and the nodules on my neck
nose, chin, cheeks
right cheek
No your skin looks so much better. Almost no inflammation except for those painful nodules. The redness takes a long time to go away--but did i read it right that you're using the topical form of accutane as well? That's crazy! I can't imagine it's good to use harsh topicals right now when you're healing--but then again, you seem to be healing fine so your skin is obviously not like mine... The nodules on your neck might be related to hormonal issues, as acne in that area is said to be caused by hormones. Do you usually get acne there? Or are you just breaking out in completely random places? Accutane can sometimes break you out in the weirdest places; I had a couple of zits crop up on my wrist a couple weeks ago! I didn't even know arm acne was possible.
As for eating more fruits, you can't get protein from fruits and an adequate dose of vitamin d can only be gotten from the sun, but if you don't want to take any pills i don't blame you. I swear by eating more protein and fat--though i guess only if you're underweight and actually need it--because my skin has been looking the best it has in YEARS since i started eating better and i'm only just nearing the end of my first month on accutane. I guess it could be the accutane though. Lol. It probably is. But still...I remember when i was on accutane last year my skin did not look nearly as good as this and I definitely didn't see improvment this fast--in fact my skin looked awful and i remember crying every day about it, but i'd been doing that in the months before going on accutane too. I had been having breakouts very similar to yours, so i guess if it makes you feel any better this breakout you had would probably have happened even without the accutane. Anyways, just hang in there cause it looks like the bad phase is basically over.
DAY 200 (Day 20 Month 7)
so here i am:) 200 days down. and not clear yet.
this week i'm going to see the derm. again. i'lltell you what he told me.
about my face.... how you can see is soooo dry and i really don't know what to use in the evening hahha
one night i use the moisturizer and the next night again and then something for the redness but then the isotrexin gel. but then i have to use a lot of moisturizer again.
the nodule of my neck is goinggg yuhuuu and the ones of my face cannot be felt like before and i'm so happy because of this
but the redness makes my life awful hahaha
i don't know if it is from accutane or not but i forget things :\ and i cannot focus at school and i haven't problems like these before
and i'm so so bipolar haha i'm calm but then someone say something and i'm something like ^&%*^^(%&^%* i'm yelling and i get mad very quickly .
anyways i hope everything will be ok and i cannot wait to look nice again
No your skin looks so much better. Almost no inflammation except for those painful nodules. The redness takes a long time to go away--but did i read it right that you're using the topical form of accutane as well? That's crazy! I can't imagine it's good to use harsh topicals right now when you're healing--but then again, you seem to be healing fine so your skin is obviously not like mine... The nodules on your neck might be related to hormonal issues, as acne in that area is said to be caused by hormones. Do you usually get acne there? Or are you just breaking out in completely random places? Accutane can sometimes break you out in the weirdest places; I had a couple of zits crop up on my wrist a couple weeks ago! I didn't even know arm acne was possible.
As for eating more fruits, you can't get protein from fruits and an adequate dose of vitamin d can only be gotten from the sun, but if you don't want to take any pills i don't blame you. I swear by eating more protein and fat--though i guess only if you're underweight and actually need it--because my skin has been looking the best it has in YEARS since i started eating better and i'm only just nearing the end of my first month on accutane. I guess it could be the accutane though. Lol. It probably is. But still...I remember when i was on accutane last year my skin did not look nearly as good as this and I definitely didn't see improvment this fast--in fact my skin looked awful and i remember crying every day about it, but i'd been doing that in the months before going on accutane too. I had been having breakouts very similar to yours, so i guess if it makes you feel any better this breakout you had would probably have happened even without the accutane. Anyways, just hang in there cause it looks like the bad phase is basically over.
Hello! How are you?
Finnaly i had time to take some photos of my skin and to upload them here.
To anyone who is starting the accutane journey now, take photos of your face/body at least one time/week. you will be amazed by the changes of your skin.
you see your face everyday in the mirror and you don't see the improvement, i know because i don't see it hahaha even if others say it's better and better.
and i was looking at my photos from the first or second month of accutane and i was O M G.( you can see them on the past entries. and you will be OMG too hahaha)
can't believe that my face looked so bad i know that at that time it's how it had to look but anyways...
my face is not perfect yet but i hope.
summer it's almost here and it's soooo so hot outside. i started to use sun protector with 50SPF and to drink a lot of water again. it reminds me of the first days with accutane i don't know why hahaha
Have a good day!
Right Cheek
"
Left Cheek
you are gorgeous! I hate that you are not seeing results though. 20mg does seem low I'm on 40 and I feel like it's too low. but maybe if you are on it longer you will see results it will just take more time. good luck! either way you are lucky even if u don't have the best skin I would love to be as pretty as you 
Day 337 ( Day 7 Month 12)
Helloo! How are you?
It's almost 1 year since i've started this journey and i don't know how i feel. I am not clear yet, but i'm thinking about giving up. I mean i have 44-45 kg and i reached my max. dose ( min is 120mg/kg and max 150/kg, isn't it?). I'm pretty sure that it's not ok to take more than my organism can lead.
The next tuesday i'll go at my derm and we'll talk about this. A few weeks ago he said to me about BC pills. I've never taken these pills. He said that maybe these will help my face. don't know what to do.. to take or not to take?
now i have mostly scars and ~3 places where i feel some nodules that do not want to get out.
the redness kills me :'(
Right Cheek
Left Cheek
Hello!! Maybe ur derm suggested bc pilla becus he most thinks its hormonal since maybe he feela the acne keepa coming back, have u kept track when mosty like around after or before ur period. I think if u starr noticing a pattern of ur breakouts around ur cycle then u may def. Figure ur acne keepa reoccuring becus its hormonal maybe thats y i wuld feel maybe accuatne hasnt been working as much cus active acne keepa appearing.
^^ sorry for many mispelling . Lol
hello there(: I just wanted to let you know your blogs really helped me. im 16 and I know how it feels to be depressed because of acne but your blogs have really helped me to be optimistic. i start acnetane today and this really helped me to see what im up against. thanks a lot hope you get clear and be positive, your really naturally beautiful and i know it will work out for you(: when ever you need to talk im here c:
DAY 410 ( DAY 46 AFTER LAST PILL)
Hello guys! 
so i finished the journey 1 month and 15 days ago, i was 1 year without a day on accutane (something happened to one pill and the other one i gave to my cousin), 20mg/day everyday so i took 7280 mg.
my min dose should have been 5520mg (120mg/kg) and my max 6900mg (150mg/kg) so i took it a few days more )
i still have scars how you can see and the redness
i went at sea at the end of august but for my face i used 50SPF and i did not get tan hahaha
people said that there is an improvement but again i'm not sure i can see it hahah.
this week i will go to see my derm. again because the last time i've gone there was at the end of june.
i'll see what he will say and if i have to take BC or not :/
photos
hey! How are you?
It's the 81th day without accutane and i don't have clear face yet:(
i went to see another dermatologist and i said to her that i was on accutane and i asked her what i'm supposed to do now hahaha. She gave me a topical cream, "Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream"
A technologically advanced restorative skin cream that helps speed the recovery process by maintaining an optimal healing environment for the skin.