As anyone who has done accutane before, it is best to leave your skin alone. You're going to look less than your best while you're on it but given time, it will get better. If you are not prepared to wait it out and let your skin be, then accutane is not the drug for you.

Update: Day 21: tiny little whiteheads on cheeks and around mouth, might be because of chapstick, might be because it's finals week at school, might be because of accutane. Who knows. My skin right under my eyes feels like straight sandpaper because of the blackheads. The blackheads on my nose are so evident. I feel dirty ALL the time. It's gross. I'll be curious to see what my derm says.

That's very very normal ... It's literally the blackheads pushing themselves out - so it's a really good sign. Honestly, look at anyone's logs or simply search 'accutane blackheads' and you'll get all of the proof and reassurance you need. Don't use pore strips or anything - just leave them and they will come out

My derm told me not to put anything on my face once I started using accutane for spot treatment. I'm assuming bc your skin is more sensitive and because it could throw off the drug.

Update Day 30: I have a derm apt tomorrow. My blackheads on my nose are near gone and it no longer feels like sandpaper. The heads have surfaced and are a grey/brown and come right out if I give them a gentle squeeze. Body aches are present. My period was very light and very short (which scared me) but I'm going to ask if there are known impacts from accutane on menstrualcycles. I haven't been able to find any documented. I see my derm tomorrow and we will see if he bumps me up in strength

Update day 32 (start of month 2): my derm doubled my dose (60 mg/day). My lips are still SO dry so I use burt's bees stick, vaseline, and carmex, whatever is closest to me when I need it. I've been using CeraVe hydrating cleanser for normal to dry skin as a facewash. It's a green square pump bottle and it's great! It doesn't completely remove my makeup if I use it outside of the shower, so I just make sure to use a warm *and soft* wash cloth to get it all off before bed. It's got a gel-cream consistency and has not dried my skin out at all, and my skin is very sensitive. It has humectants in it so it pulls moisture to the surface of your skin. Honestly, my skin feels drier when I don't use it. I highly recommend it as a cleanser if you are looking for one while on accutane. Make up wise, I have been using Revlon true match, it has sunscreen it it (which I typically hate in makeup) but I just set it by pressing it into my skin with a beauty blender. I only notice little dry patches at the end of the day so that works too. I got my eyebrows and lips threaded today which is what I use (alternative to waxing). I read not to wax while on accutane, since I usually get threaded I figured I would give it a try. I am not red or swollen or anything so far, so threading may be the method of choice for hair removal while on accutane!My skin feels super smooth and I haven't had a cystic breakout yet. (knock on wood). I'll keep updating every 10 days (: I'll upload pictures soon.

Hey Cassie,

What is the severity of your acne before you take accutane?

Does it clears up your Blackheads and Whiteheads too?

I had relatively mild acne. A lot of comedomes on my forehead. Normal blackheads on my nose and tons of clogged pores on my chin, none of which you could see until you were like a centimeter from my face. My biggest frustration was cystic acne on my jaw and cheeks, only two or three at a time but I would squeeze and they scarred so I opted for Accutane. My blackheads in my nose came out in about 4 weeks and I haven't had many whiteheads and never did so I'm not really able to comment about those! I have read if you have many whiteheads they get a tad worse when you first start Accutane. But they go away too as Accutane is the closest thing doctors have to a cure.

3 and a half months in: My cheeks have been breaking out more than usual lately which really bothers me, and my lips are still so dry. I have been getting painful red cystic like acne on my cheeks that hurt so much they almost itch. Also, weird bumps that don't come to a head, so I don't try to pop them, but they're red and just like raised up. They're weird... My derm. said it's normal. I'm on 60 mg/ day now. CeraVe cream for dry skin has been a life saver, along with Micellar water from Garnier for makeup removal! I've been using MAC foundation and lots and lots of primer before (no preference, but I recommend Clinique or Elf.) No body aches, slight headaches.