I saw the dermatologist again, and he had me start using cetaphil to wash with, a cetaphil moisturizer and isotretinoin cream. My face hasn't been this bad in YEARS! Every time I use the isotretinoin cream my face turns red and peels off like crazy for about 2-3 days. I keep getting more whiteheads and cysts. Does my skin have to go through this horrible and discouraging "purging" before I start seeing clear skin? Or is this just not the treatment for me? Will my skin forever peel off like this? It hurts. I don't know if the cetaphil wash and moisturizer is doing enough. Please help- I'm so depressed with my skin that I have gotten agoraphobic and can't leave the house. :'( I feel desperate enough to go back to proactiv which 'kind of' helped... anything is better than this! Please help me, what should I do? I feel like my skin is out of control and I am suffering with horrible anxiety and depression. How long will this isotretinoin cream make my skin so irratated? Should I stop the cetaphil and iso cream and go back to benzoyl peroxide or salicyclic acid again??? I need my skin to clear up ASAP because it's becoming a real problem not being able to leave my house.
I wash my face in the morning, put on the spf moisturizer and also at night before bed... wait about 30 minutes after I've washed my face and apply the cream in a small amount. :'( I use the cream about twice a week and it STILL causes severe irritation.
I'm surprised your dermatologist didn't give you a topical to use during the day. There is a lengthy purging process with the iso cream but you are on the lowest dose. Don't use cetaphil with spf in it at night. Get the cetaphil cream, it's a lot more moisturizing and soothing, use this at night over the iso cream. Also, are you still on a BCP and if so which one?