DAY 13:
Okay so i've been on isotretinoin (generic) for almost 2 weeks now. I'm still on 20mg/day and will be doing so until then end of 2 months.
I've been having a breakout on both my cheeks (possible IB), sucks, but nothing worse than i've had before.
In terms of sife effects, my lips are on the drier side but nothing crazy tbh. My face isn't that dry either, in fact still quite oily. I have noticed that my nose seems to be really dry and tingly...but could just be me devloping hayfever/cold.
All in all, nothing much has happened, but still early days.

DAY 18:
Okay i'm definately breaking out, the whole side of my right cheeck is pretty much covered in pimples it looks terrible. I just want to skip to month 6 already. I also have tiny bumps all over my face where each pore would be and when i squeeze them its like a piece of white string coming out (i know its disgusting).
Also, i had my first nose bleed last night, which my cold probably contributed too.
 

Month 2- DAY 35:
Since I last posted my cheeks have been continuously breaking out. My lips are on the drier side but nothing too bad tbh. My face is also slightly flaky, but again nothing too bad. I also had another nose bleed last week. I'm still on only 20mg a day so i guess thats why the side effects have'nt been too bad.

10 hours ago, ColdRosemary said:

Month 2- DAY 35:
Since I last posted my cheeks have been continuously breaking out. My lips are on the drier side but nothing too bad tbh. My face is also slightly flaky, but again nothing too bad. I also had another nose bleed last week. I'm still on only 20mg a day so i guess thats why the side effects have'nt been too bad.

This is around the time my face started breaking out too, although I was on a higher dose. Don't worry, it all gets better soon.

WEEK 8-
Things are the same as my last post, worst even. im almost at the end of month 2 and no improvement I'm still breaking out and it's starting to scar me. I'm still on 20mg but I'm gonna talk to my derm about increasing it at my next appointment in a few days. Ahhh finding it difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel right now. 

WEEK 12, END OF MONTH 3:
Forgot to update this, but my derm changed my dose 2 weeks ago, I am now taking 20mg and 40mg on alternate days (equivalent to 30mg a day i suppose).
Tomorrow will be the beginning of month 4 for me. My right cheek has been breaking out like crazy throughout my entire course of accutane so far, but I've literally just noticed an improvement finally, i only have a few tiny spots there now. But its only been like this for a day, and knowing my skin i don't know how long that'll last, but lets hope for the best.
I still have a lot of tiny whiteheads on my face, but i think thats slightly better. Overall, my face isn't too bad atm, I just have once noticable pimple right now- but again, i dont know how long this will last, it could be that i'm just having a good day.

Side effects:

• tbh since im on a lower dose i dont have much
• My face is only dry when i dont moisturise, and when i put on makeup its the perfect moisture, my makeup actually stays now
• I had a small nose bleed the other day, after a month since my last one
• I think i have a bit of eczema, but i usually have eczema on and off anyway

Products i'm using:

• cetaphil gentle skin cleanser
• eucerin adjuctive hydrating care
• Auqaphor soothing skin balm on my lips, and anywhere its flaky
• Rosehip oil- after i moisturise in the morning, and in the evening straight onto my face

Hey Rosemary, at what point did you start noticing the oiliness start to fade? I'm starting accutane today at the same dose for a month. Also, were you on any medications prior to accutane?

Thanks a lot and best of luck with your course!

On 13/09/2016 at 0:28 AM, Tretinoin said:

Hey Rosemary, at what point did you start noticing the oiliness start to fade? I'm starting accutane today at the same dose for a month. Also, were you on any medications prior to accutane?

Thanks a lot and best of luck with your course! 

Hey, erm i would say within 3/4 weeks, then for some odd reason by face started to get a tad oily again but nothing bad, i dont know maybe my body was getting used to the drug. I am currently on 40mg a day now and my skin is drier and im actually missing my oil skin lool.
I was only using benzoyl peroxide just before i started accutane, but i've used a few different antibiotics in the past.
Good luck with your course too

WEEK 15:
I am now on 40mg a day. I can say that the 20mg/40mg dose definately made a difference, my skin is pretty much clear apart from a few spots on my right cheek still. I still have some whiteheads, and the texture of my skin isn't that great, but in terms of active spots, they're at a minimum but I'm hoping 40mg will completely clear my skin.
My skin is also getting drier, so im on the search for a new moisturiser.

MONTH 6 - 40mg/day
Sorry its been ages since i posted but let me give you guys an update. So i've been taking 40mg/day for the past 3 months.
About 2 months into 40mg/day, i definately would say that it made a difference and I had clear-ish skin but there were some odd weeks where i would still be getting 1/2/3 spots, especially on my right cheek. However, my dermatogist wouldn't up my dose to 60mg due to my weight, and said that 50mg/day wouldn't make a big difference and decided to just prescribe me erythromycin on top of 40mg/day roaccutane.
Currently, 3 months into 40mg/day roacctuane (and 3 weeks of erthro)  my skin has improved since, i barely have 1 active spot and things are looking good.  Im not sure for much longer I will be taking roaccutane, maybe until i have reached my cummulative dose?
On the other hand, my scarring is horrendous - I have some really bad PIH, but thats my fault for picking at some spots, and a lot of ice-pick scars and in general the texture of skin doesn't look nice and my pores are still huge. AND my skin is pretty dry. so yh lol

Also an update of the skin products i've been using:

• cetaphil gentle skin cleanser (Holy grail)- morning and night
• the body shop vit E intense moisture cream - mostly during the day, underneath makeup
• Rosehip oil- all day everday lol jk, mixed with moisturising cream/foundation during the day and night
• Recently been trying out jojoba oil for past few days at night- will update on this
• aquaphor (also holy grail)- lips and flakesss
• the body shop vit E hydrating face mist - after makeup (& mac fix+)

Since you weigh about 53kg you will need to take around 6360 - 7950 mg over the whole course. If I am not mistaken you took 20mg for 10 weeks, and 30mg for 5 weeks and then 40mg for 12 weeks. So overall you have taken 20 * 7 * 10 + 30 * 7 * 5 + 40 * 7 * 12 = 5810mg. This could possibly be your last month. Assuming that by a month you mean 4 weeks.

I'm sure you are doing great and look amazing!

Can I ask you if you are from the UK? If yes is it okay if I pm you a question or two?

16 hours ago, AlexxelA said:

Since you weigh about 53kg you will need to take around 6360 - 7950 mg over the whole course. If I am not mistaken you took 20mg for 10 weeks, and 30mg for 5 weeks and then 40mg for 12 weeks. So overall you have taken 20 * 7 * 10 + 30 * 7 * 5 + 40 * 7 * 12 = 5810mg. This could possibly be your last month. Assuming that by a month you mean 4 weeks. 

I'm sure you are doing great and look amazing! 

Can I ask you if you are from the UK? If yes is it okay if I pm you a question or two? 

oh yeah i guess so lol, thanks for working it out for me. I mean my face is doing great in terms of active spots, its just the scarring thats a nightmare.
And yes, I am from the UK, sureee ask away

ACCUTANE-FREE.
so I took my final capsule of roaccutane 3 days ago. Let's see how my skin does in a month's time. Right now, I don't really have any active spots, just blemishes and marks which hopefully will fade eventually. I'm really happy with the results, and hopefully it stays like this.

UPDATE, 5 MONTHS POST-ROACCUTANE:
so around 4 months after finishing the course, my skin started to get quite oily again and whiteheads were coming back, with 1/2 blemishes. This may be partially due to the hot weather. But I didn't mind only having 1/2 spots. However, around month 5, after visiting New York, my skin completely broke out. I woke up with like 12 pimples, varying in size. I was so gutted. A week later and I kept breaking out, most likely due to me picking and proding the existing breakouts.
I bought some over the counter benzoyl peroxide to see if that would help, and after 3 days of using it my skin had almost cleared again, with 1/2 active spots.
I'm not sure what I'm going to now, maybe I'll continue to use benzoyl peroxide to keep the breakouts at bay, but I'll keep this updated to let you guys know.

How's your scarring now?

On 12/07/2017 at 6:12 PM, User609833 said:

How's your scarring now?

herrendous. i've been breaking out since last july on and off

BACK ON ROACCUTANE AFTER 1 YEAR:
So guys, since last summer ive been breaking out on-and-off. Some weeks my skin was clear and on the road to healing in terms of scars and PIH, at which points i decided not to go back on roaccutane, then i would have weeks where i would breakout, times where i was considering going back on it. However, its been over a year and my breakout periods have left me with moderate-severe scarring- hence, ive decided to go back on roacctuane.
My dermatologist has prescribed me an initial dose of 20mg daily for 1 week, followed by 20mg/40mg on alterating days for 1 week, then 40mg for the rest of the month. So, I will be giving you guys an update on how my progress is going.