Hi all,

I've been reading these blogs pretty closely so I am going to document my Accutane experience with y'all in the hopes that it helps another acne sufferer.

About me:

31 years old, female, super fair and delicate skin. Had acne since 9 years old. Tried everything before my first round of accutane in my senior year of college. After 6 months on it, my skin cleared perfectly. I experienced dry skin and severely chapped lips, but no other major side effects. My skin stayed clear for about 6 months and then had to go back to the dermatologist. Tried every topical AGAIN before going back to accutane almost 9 years later. Most of the surface level acne is controlled with glycolic acid (Glytone gel wash, Nip + Fab scrub and exfoliating pads), Glytone sulfur + Resourcinol at night, and Aczone during the day, but cysts continued to pop up under stressful situations. Concurrent issues: depression/anxiety (mild, well controlled with an antidepressant and sleep aid) and a sensitive gastro system (also well controlled with probiotics, avoiding gluten, and laxatives.)

Treatment Plan:

I didn't even think my acne was bad enough for a second round of Accutane, but my gyno suggested it and my derm agreed it was appropriate. Ladies, it's a beast to get a hold of. Expect to go to the doctor once a month for several months. They will scare the crap out of you. IT'S OKAY. Be diligent about your birth control and you will be fine.

After reading these logs, I decided to ask for 20mg/2x per day. I have a sensitive system and didn't want to shock it. For the first week, I'm taking just 20 mg/day. I will increase to 40mg/day as it goes on. As my acne is not as severe as it used to be and I'm hopeful it will be a short and sweet treatment.

Tools and Products:

Dirty little secret here: I exfoliate while on accutane. I know they say "Cerave or Cetaphil only!" but that does not remove the dead skin cells for me. I'm not saying use a Clarisonic on your face - that's way too much - but a little rub with a washcloth or an acidic wash helped me the last time. Don't overdo it - your skin should not be red afterwards - but don't be afraid of it either.

As I transition, I'm using Paula's Choice Clear Wash and the calming toner at night. During the day, I'm wearing Cerave's daytime moisturizer with SPF. I am still using what's left of my Glytone Gel wash. I'll see if I need that later on.

Lips: Last time, my lips were a mess. Aquaphor helped, but didn't fix it. I've found regular old Vaseline worked pretty well and now I'm using Dr. Dan's Cortibalm preemptively. My sister was just on Accutane as well and she swears by this stuff. Get it on Amazon.

I'll continue to update as I progress. Feel free to ask me questions - I'm happy to help!