You're very welcome! I was always so desperate for information before and during my daughter's treatment, so I completely understand. She was on Claravis for a total of nine months, five months of 20 mg per day, and four months of 30 mg per day. Her cumulative dose goal was 6120 mg and she ended up taking 6630 mg. She broke out her entire treatment, worse than before Claravis as far as the amount of acne she had, but the difference was that everything she got went away without leaving any red marks or scars. But we were so worried that it wasn't going to work. After she got off, she broke out a bit worse for a couple weeks, then her derm prescribed a wash that she uses on her face, chest, and back called Sodium Sulfacetamide 10% & Sulphur 5% Cleanser by Stratus Pharmaceuticals that has been amazing. She also uses Retin-a a couple times a week on her nose (she has had a tiny amount of blackheads return) and her back, and she rarely gets a pimple aside from a few tiny ones around her period.

To moisturize her face she used Olay Complete SPF 15 during the day, and if she needed it at night she used CeraVe PM, but she usually didn't need it. Her face never got seriously dry. For her body she used CeraVe moisturizing lotion and occasionally Cetaphil moisturizing cream if needed. If she got a really serious rashy dry patch on her body she used Aquaphore on it and it took care of it. She also washed only with Cetaphil Restoraderm body wash, which is formulated for eczema, and she rarely had dry skin issues. Her lips got dry but were always manageable using Aquaphore at night and a Burt's Bees chapstick during the day. Her eyes got dry too, and she would occasionally get a painful stye, for some reason always on her left eye. Refresh PM eye ointment at night really helped with that, and she used Systane Ultra eye drops during the day if she needed to. She was able to wear her contacts throughout her entire treatment, but she made sure to have them out when she was at home. Her hair got very dry and she started to get quite a bit of dandruff, so she used Nature's Gate tea tree calming shampoo and Dove nourishing oil care conditioner. She also used a leave-in conditioner by Dove and she never used any heat on her hair. She still ended up experiencing some hair thinning even with all the precautions she took, but it's not too severe.

As far as other side effects goes, she did experience quite a few, but nothing that she couldn't deal with (although as her mom I was really anxious during the entire treatment because some side effects were pretty disconcerting). Early on she experienced quite a bit of back pain, but that went away. She also would get just a general achiness, but she was very good about drinking a TON of water every day, which really helped. She went through a period of having some really horrible nightmares, but again, those went away. She got very tired very easily. For about the first half of her treatment, maybe a bit longer, she lost a lot of eyelashes. At one point she actually had a bald patch on her left eyelid, but they grew back really quickly. She did get some styes, like I said, and some hair loss. The side effect that bothered her the most (and scared me the most) was her brain fog. It got worse as her treatment went on. She was just a complete ditz sometimes. She still did very well in school, but she was very scatter-brained, and she'd do or say the strangest things sometimes. Thank God that side effect is gone! Actually, all of her side effects are gone, and as scary as it was, she and I are thrilled that she did the treatment because she has her life back! She's so happy with her skin, and the confidence that comes with that is incredible. It really makes a world of difference in the quality of life for someone who really struggles with skin issues.

Needless to say, I can understand your concerns about your daughter being away during her treatment. But like I said, everything my daughter experienced, she was able to deal with well. Just really stress to your daughter the great importance of really taking care of herself throughout the process. She should try to be religious about her moisturizing routines. She should also drink obscene amounts of water and try to get plenty of rest. For my daughter, most of the side effects were mere inconveniences, and she was more than happy to deal with them for the chance of not getting any more scarring. I hope all this info helps! I know how scary it all is, but with the right medical supervision and your daughter taking care of herself as best she can, she has a really good chance of everything turning out well.

I can't thank you for all the information that you have provided... I am so scared to do this, and like you, have spent countless hours (including last night) reading through all the side effects and especially those that experienced scarring! My daughter would be on the 20 mg, but right now we don't know for how long. She is to start at the end of July and I am still on the fence. I am sick as her scarring is worsening with each day, but I am now concerned that it is a result of folliculitis - as she hasn't really had an acne since finishing her sports a month ago. However, now she is scarring like crazy and there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this!!!! We will try another doctor before she starts - why not get a third opinion? If you pray, please keep us in your prayers - I am so distraught and confused as to what to do (

You're very welcome! Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I was out of town for the holiday.

I so understand your fear. There's something about being the one to make the final decision on something that could really adversely effect your child's health. If only they were in their twenties and could just decide whether or not to take it themselves! I'd still be worried, of course, but the responsibility is so huge when they're young. For me, as hard as the decision was, I felt I had no choice. Nothing else was working, and I just couldn't stand seeing her become so depressed and anxious. She started to become reclusive, and didn't even want to go to the job she loves. She constantly hid behind her hair. She had sad eyes all the time. It really turned into a quality of life issue. The anxiety was horrible, not knowing each day what she'd wake up to and worrying about how bad the scar would be from each thing that popped up. We were watching her skin get slowly destroyed. The scarring was really the worst part of it because I found very little positive information about scarring healing on its own, and how horrifying for a young girl to face possibly irreversible damage to her face. To many I know that would sound shallow, but until you walk in the shoes of someone dealing with this issue, no one has the right to minimize the impact it has on someone's life. I know it sounds dramatic, but it truly was a nightmare, and I felt like I could not afford to waste any more time, because it was escalating. She wanted to do it so badly, and I didn't want to say no and have her look back and regret my decision because I was too scared of what might happen, because the reality of what was happening right then was horrible. And, thank God, it paid off. Her life now is so blessedly normal, and she is so grateful (as am I!).

Another opinion is never a bad idea, especially if you think there's something else going on. My heart really goes out to you because I know how agonizing this is. But there is hope, and I will most definitely be praying for both you and your daughter. Please keep me posted on what you decide to do.

Hello sadformydaughter, I am really happy to hear that your daughter's indented scarring went away! It must be a huge relief and she must be soo so happy!

I have been searching acne.org for stories such as these, because I am hoping it can be my story too. I have recently developed some shallow (but numberous) indented reddish/purple marks on my cheeks, and it is devestating me and absolutely taking over my life. I have heard that the indents can go away over time, and I am hoping this happens for me. I am also actively trying to gather information on the variables that would make this more likely to happen.

I know your daughter was young (17) when this happened, but I am also relatively young (22), so I am hoping I can produce a comparable amount of collagen. I am wondering, how long did it take for your daughter's indented scars to fade? I hope I don't seem nosy, but I am wondering, what were her sleep, diet and exercise habits like? Her stress levels?

I am currently on accutane. I am on my second month, and have worked up my way to 40 mg. I hardly have any active acne left at all, maybe 3-4 tiny whiteheads. I am really hoping and praying that like your daughter, the accutane will enable the indented scarring to heal.

I know your last post was a while ago, but I am hoping to hear for you. Again, congrats for your daughter!