Nothing feels as good as clear skin looks!
20/f/started Claravis [40mg x 2 a day] March 28th
Background ;
------------------
Growing up, I always had a few spots here and there, I was the typical kid that would have 2/3 pimples and throw a hissy fit about how terrible I looked and then feel like I was a super model the second my face cleared up...only for the cycle to repeat. The second I hit 19, things went downhill. My face broke out horrible. I was so ashamed and frustrated. It got to a point I wouldn't go to places that had florescent lighting unless I absolutely had to. I couldn't go out with pounds of make up. I tried everything I could but nothing was helping. I tried just about every over the counter face wash, organic methods, the "just water" method, slathering organic honey/tomatos over my face, birth control, allergy testing, hydrafacials. Absolutely nothing. So, I went to my dermatologist and she put me on a round of antibiotics, benzaclin in the morning, differn at night. Besides making me sick and dry, for 6 months this did /NOTHING/ for me. So in February, she decided to try Claravis with me. I went through the whole month and on March 28th, I was able to pick up my prescription (only $20 too, thanks insurance!)
It's been exactly 15 days as of today. I'm hoping to update this about once a week or maybe whenever a new side effect, if something big happens, or if something new comes up (like exciting new organic moisturiserrrrs!). Who knows?
Here's the run down on how it went though
Week 1 ;
------------------
Nothing signifigant happened, other then the occasional headache and flakey skin.
Week 2 ;
------------------
Crusty/bloody nose, Face has started to break out in a terrible way (I don't think it's the IB, it seems soon (but then again, I'm taking 80mg a day...) but....it's awful and every day is getting worse so I can only...asssume it just might be ;-;
and this brings me to Week 3. Every Saturday, I take new pictures of my face just to see what exactly is changing. 
Also, I'm interested in what make up you guys might be using to help conceal? I find that most make up dries out my skin (making it look flakier then without the make up) or just...burns my face. :/ Ideas would be so appreciated!
It's now Day 17.
Thus far, nothing
Well, that's untrue.
My nose is bleeding, a lot. But just on the inside and it leaves my nose horribly crusty and nasty through out the day ;(
I also wake up looking quite similiar to the crypt keeper with all my dry skin every which way. It also seems like the acne I do have...clears up a little faster? Like it dries out within a day or two!
I've now taken to washing my face with a gentle cleanser by Burt's Bees, followed by Palmer's Cocoa Butter + Vitamin E oil to help with fading red marks. It's been successful and keeps my face from flaking through out the day (though it does make me very oily-looking for about a half hour or so)
I also bought Physician's Formula Organic Wear moisturizer and tinted powder. It's so/so. Initially, it looks very nice but an hour two later, my face is DEATH. I know this is the make up though because if I leave it off, my face stays A+ for the most part. They does come in really cute packaging if that means anything?
I have to go get blood work done this Monday and then the monday after that will be my first month done 
Day 23!
My blood work from Monday got to my derm's office today
Everything looks a-okay :]
No new side effects
though my back hurts like no other ( i want to say this comes from my job as a waitress and carrying heavy trays but considering it hasn't hurt like this until...a couple weeks ago....)
my nose is also always crusty, disgusting but true, >;c
my face is continuing to break out, like expected and that's about it.
everyone is mentioning chapped lips but while my lips are dry (and that comes and goes), i haven't got chapped lips yet but then again...i own more then 497999 things of every kind of chapstick known to man. this could be a contributing factor
this picture makes my face look better then it actually is...and it's always the "clearer" side. ;-;
summer is going to start soon. it makes me so sad that it will be very difficult to enjoy the season. no beach for me 
Day 45!
Well, my face is clearing up...but at the same time, not really? While I'm not longer getting clusters of pimples, I am getting cysts that are there longer and hurt and flake something terrible. :[
I have a terrible habit of picking. There was a pimple on my cheek annnnd I couldn't help myself and now the mark is horrible. Let this be my lesson.
I have yet to suffer chapped lips but then again, I'm never ever without my chapstick (either "Yes to Carrots" :Melon or EOS
I've been having a LOT of GI pains as of lately, something I've never in my life endured. I don't want to say it's the medication but that's quite the coincidence.
I've also noticed that no matter how much I sleep, I'm ridiculously exhausted and I have to give myself about 45 minutes to be fully alert where as I use to be able to just jump out of bed and go. My back is also...not great. It's gotten to the point at work that when I'm cleaning a table, I have to make one of the boys take in the tray of dishes because I physically can't anymore without a lot of pain.
Over all, things have been bumpy but not unbearable. More often then not, I can deal with the GI pains and the back pain, more often then not, I'm more worried about being flakey in public, haha
What kind of moisturizer do you use?
And I'm sorry you're having such bad back pains.
Thank you I really hope so too. My derm. told me to to just stick with ibuprofen for it so that's what I've been doing. It helps but not when I work 8+ hour shifts.
Annnd in the morning, I use Cetaphil moisturizer which works pretty well for the most part except on those loooong days
and at night I just wash my face with water and then user Palmer's Vitamin E/Cocoa Butter/Jojobo oil. It's like...everything in one and I'm never flakey in the morning. My skin actually feels really nice. The only down side is it smells like chocolate (not the thing you tend to want on your face) and it's so sticky so I have to sleep with my head on a towel!
