Hi everyone,
It's taken me a while to get round to doing this log. I've been reading some other accutane logs here and feel I might benefit from my own! So here goes.
My backlog
Started having severe acne around 17/18 years old, only on the face. If I remember correctly, I was using facial washes around the time, but had no proper understanding of ingredients within them! I ignored the acne as I didn't consider it to be a medical problem, I just thought it would was an "age" thing, and it would pass. Fast forward about 6 months, following a failed course of lymecycline, my university doctor suggested I see a dermatologist, whom subsequently prescribed accutane (or roaccutane as it was known in the UK!). I can't remember the progression of the dosage, but I know I was on 50mg when I finished an approx 3-4 month course. The results were amazing, I had quite a lot of scarring but I was delighted to be acne-free! Like most other people on accutane, I only suffered from the common side effects e.g. very dry skin, initial worsening of acne etc.
Fast forward about 1 year. Spots started to come back, and my efforts to deal with them over-the-counter failed as they continued to worsen into acne breakouts again. Witch Hazel toner worked very well for about 3 weeks, then my skin became accustomed to it, and acne overpowered it. I eventually turned to acne.org's regimen, having toyed with the idea for a few months. It was amazing, a brilliant, practical solution to much psychological distress and anxiety over bad skin! I used the regiment for about 1 year, maybe more, and unfortunately came to realise that despite its numerous advantages, it wasn't a solution for me. I didn't like the idea of constantly using chemicals on my face, and couldn't see how I could determine whether my acne "phase" had passed or not whilst being on the regimen. I slowly worked myself of it (and to no suprise, my skin deteriorated).
I returned to the doctor, who prescribed me doxcycline and duac, both of which didn't work very well. At the same time, I had heard great things about simply using Dove soap, which I did have good results with initially! It prevented cystic / nodular acne (my main type), but increased white heads and then eventually larger bumps appeared. Eventually, I got an appointment with a dermatologist, who has prescribed me with a second course of accutane.
My current situation
I am currently about 6 weeks into my new course. I was initially meant to have 4 weeks of 20mg, after which I would increase to 40mg, but a hiccup in the health service has delayed my follow-up appointment, and I have decided to stretch out my supply of tablets by delaying the increase in dose. Therefore I am still at 20mg, and will increase to 40mg on Christmas day (a nice Xmas present!). I do not use any cleanser (I simply don't trust them anymore, I think they do more harm than good, particularly with my current dry skin), and simply wash my face with water in the morning whilst in the shower (not at night though). I use Clean & Clear Dual Action moisturiser with a few drops of Jojoba Oil in the morning and night. I use blistex for lips whenever needed.
At the moment, my face is not a pretty sight. I have lots of breakouts, several cysts / nodules, and extremely dry skin.
What happens now
Hopefully I haven't bored you to death with all of that! With this log I hope to keep a fairly detailed, occasionally updated journal of my journey, and would love to hear some feedback from anyone with any thoughts or questions about my case!
Also, please don't ask or expect for any photos. I really admire people that put them up on here, I don't have the guts!
Hi Leo14,
good luck!!, this is my DAY 2 on isotretinoin, 30mg twice a day dosage, we are only a day apart, lets share our experiences and logs, so we can help and cheer each other thru' this ordeal.....you can follow my status at my Isotret log....feel free to comment on my logs.... http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/323919-my-isotretinoin-claravis-log/
keep posted!!
Current status:
I forgot to mention I am also taking Zinc in the mornings (50mg), and 20mg accutane in the evenings.
I am currently still breaking out, but the spots appear to have begun remaining smaller compared to the cysts they would usually transform into. I truly hope this is the case! Cysts are incredibly painful and I am very self-conscious of them! I cannot wait to see the back of them!
I am criminal for skin picking, it's almost become an unconscious thing now. I am trying very hard to keep my hands off my face. Picking is very tempting because of the dry skin involved with accutane, and I believe because of the bacteria on your fingers (and more importantly under your fingernails!), picking can only be bad.
I have come up with an alternative technique for dealing with dry skin. In the morning and night, I use a sterilised pair of tweezers to gently take off loose, frayed, dead skin. I do not in any way break the skin using tweezers! I recommend this technique for other accutane users who tend / need to pick, as my skin has improved since I begun this!
Other than in the morning and at night, I avoid looking in the mirror at any other time! Since doing this, my self-esteem has improved, and I really recommend others do the same if they are prone to getting down about how their skin looks!
Today I doubled up to 40mg daily dose 
Really glad, it's another step forward! My skin appears to have relaxed a little in terms of breakouts, spots still form but remain smaller and less inflamed. I really hope I've turned a corner in my accutane journey! Fingers crossed!
Hi User101,
thanks a lot! I'm a bit further along in my course (about 6 weeks), I just took ages to get started with the log! I'm meant to be on a 5-6 month course, how about you?
Hi Leo14, for some reason i wasnt notified about your post, even though i am following the log, weird...i just saw your response. my treatment plan is 60mg/day for the first month, and based on the results from my first month's blood work, that might go up for the following months, the plan is to take accutane for 4-6 months depending on the dosage variation based on how my body handles the drug....
i think you are on the right track....i read about your attempt with over the counter stuff before jumping into accutane, i did the same, below is the link to my log, please read and follow, we have a very similar pre-accutane course, except for the part that this is your second time, it is the first time for me...
i read an interesting article by the aucland dermatology clinic, below is the link, here they clearly say that accutane is the only medication that has proven to work against acne, esp long term cure/remission, no other med/OTC even comes closer to working out, they also say no med will do that in the near future as well, over time, accutane is going to gain popularity and the other meds will become obsolete.
of course the side effects are a concern, but once people know that their body can handle the drug, then i think they should go for it, and not waste time with other treatments.
My log: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/323919-my-isotretinoin-claravis-logs/
auckland dermatology article: http://www.dermatology.co.nz/isotretinoin.html
accutane is certainly a drug that can put its users through emotional hell, particularly as it can make your acne worse for a month or two. But the important thing to remember is that it has been clinically proven to provide long-term remission of acne, and can improve your self confidence immensely. Also remember that your acne always appears much worse to yourself.
Whilst on accutane, the best thing to do for the first month or so is to try and avoid mirrors as much as possible, it can only bring you down.
Update (just over 2 months in now):
Still on 40mg per day, got a derm appointment this week to review me. My cheeks have certainly calmed down following the awful initial breakout, but those sections just above my eyebrows are having a tough time, lots of dry skin and small cysts.
Just to reiterate my routine:
AM
- wash hands and tweezers with antibacterial handwash
- use tweezers to carefully remove the dead skin that is fraying from my face
- splash my face several times with water in the shower
- gently and minimally pat dry afterwards with towel (same one used for my body, I previously used a face-only towel but it didn't work for me)
- Apply Clean and Clear Dual Action moisturiser with 1-2 drops of jojoba oil to my cheeks, chin, and eyebrow sections (not currently on the forehead or nose)
- gently dab excess jojoba oil off my face using towel.
PM
- gently use a baby wipe on my face (one side of the wipe for each cheek)
- apply Clean and Clear Dual Action moisturiser with 2-3 drops of jojoba oil. I don't dab excess jojoba oil away in the PM, no need really, I don't care if my face is shiny as I sleep!
Overall I am beginning to see improvements. Breakouts have reduced (but not stopped altogether), and I can begin to look at myself in the mirror again also another plus was that I just came back from holiday, and didn't burn whilst away (as I've been told accutane increases the skin's susceptability to sunburn)
Sorry, it's been a while since my last log.
Approx 4 months since starting the treatment, my acne has cleared up majorly. My skin is very even now, and despite the dryness I still encounter, its generally going very well. I have quite a lot of scarring and hyperpigmentation which is horrible, but at least I'm a few steps closer to having nice skin.
I still get the occasional cyst which is very annoying and worrying, particularly as I think my derm will pull me off the drug soon. I was on accutane once before, and was pulled off my treatment after about 4 months, and I relapsed. Therefore I'm going to fight tooth-and-nail to stay on accutane for longer this time. I need this to be a permanent solution, especially considering that so many other people haven't experienced severe acne again after their treatment.
My routine has changed a little:
AM:
no soap or facial cleanser in shower, just let water run on my face and pat dry afterwards.
I now use Olay Essentials Complete Care Moisturising Fluid (Sensitive version). It's a lot less potent than my previous moisturiser (Clean & Clear Dual Action), and has spf15. It's also non-comedogenic, and reasonably priced at around 5 or 6 in the UK! I've also stopped using jojoba oil.
PM:
no washing routine, occasionally use a baby wipe if I feel particularly inclined.
I use the same moisturiser as above. I know it's strange to use an spf moisturiser before bed, but I don't want to mess around with multiple moisturisers.
Not sure what my routine will be after accutane, will probably try and keep up the same one as this. My latest theory is that any soap or cleanser (alkali) damages your acid mantle barrier on your skin (used to fight bacteria etc), and that these products dry out the skin underneath causing your skin to overproduce sebum, leading to blockages and cysts. Therefore my moisturiser-only (helps the acidity of the mantle) routine is my current train of thought.
I'd love to have any thoughts on this?
Sorry, it's been a while since my last log.
Approx 4 months since starting the treatment, my acne has cleared up majorly. My skin is very even now, and despite the dryness I still encounter, its generally going very well. I have quite a lot of scarring and hyperpigmentation which is horrible, but at least I'm a few steps closer to having nice skin.
I still get the occasional cyst which is very annoying and worrying, particularly as I think my derm will pull me off the drug soon. I was on accutane once before, and was pulled off my treatment after about 4 months, and I relapsed. Therefore I'm going to fight tooth-and-nail to stay on accutane for longer this time. I need this to be a permanent solution, especially considering that so many other people haven't experienced severe acne again after their treatment.
My routine has changed a little:
AM:
no soap or facial cleanser in shower, just let water run on my face and pat dry afterwards.
I now use Olay Essentials Complete Care Moisturising Fluid (Sensitive version). It's a lot less potent than my previous moisturiser (Clean & Clear Dual Action), and has spf15. It's also non-comedogenic, and reasonably priced at around 5 or 6 in the UK! I've also stopped using jojoba oil.
PM:
no washing routine, occasionally use a baby wipe if I feel particularly inclined.
I use the same moisturiser as above. I know it's strange to use an spf moisturiser before bed, but I don't want to mess around with multiple moisturisers.
Not sure what my routine will be after accutane, will probably try and keep up the same one as this. My latest theory is that any soap or cleanser (alkali) damages your acid mantle barrier on your skin (used to fight bacteria etc), and that these products dry out the skin underneath causing your skin to overproduce sebum, leading to blockages and cysts. Therefore my moisturiser-only (helps the acidity of the mantle) routine is my current train of thought.
I'd love to have any thoughts on this?
I think maintaining proper ph on the skin is key to keeping skin clear and almost all soaps/cleansers strip the barrier because they are alkaline. Our skin is naturally acidic on our face so it needs to stay this way. I've had a lot of luck with using diluted apple cider vinegar (ph of 3). So maybe after accutane just use that as a toner to ward off bacteria and dead skin buildup? I also drink it twice a day.