Changes to skincare & makeup list

• Vaseline - for my lips at night as a precaution; I'm scared of getting super dry lips
• + whatever body lotion I pick up after work tonight.

Skin on day 6

• Face feels same as usual, but I noticed some dryness on/around my nose when I applied my makeup in the morning. Is it normal for the dryness to start so quickly? It hasn't even been a week yet... The two whiteheads that were on my chin have healed over pretty much now. I haven't gotten any new breakouts yet, which actually worries me, because this is my week before that time of the month. I always have pretty bad breakouts at this time of the month... What's going on?!
• The rest of my body feels really dry, so I'm going to pick up a heavy moisturizer after wok today.

Accutane side effects on day 6

• My eyes are still so very dry. My friends are noting that they are red too. I'm not sure if this is because of Accutane or I just didn't get enough sleep... Since yesterday, I have been wearing my glasses all day. I hope this helps.
• I am exhausted... like very VERY exhausted. But again, I'm not sure if this is the Accutane or I just didn't get enough sleep. I'm planning on getting at least 8 hours of sleep tonight, so I guess I'll see tomorrow.
• I am more thirsty than usual. I always have a water bottle with me anyways, so it isn't a huge deal. I'm drinking a lot more water than I usually did though. I normally drank 0.5 to 1L at school; I drank around 1 to 1.5L so far today. I know it's not my sodium intake because I haven't eaten any differently since before starting the Accutane.
• Yesterday and today, I am sometimes getting a weird tingling sensation on the tips of my fingers. I hadn't heard of this side effect before, so it got me a bit worried, but apparently it is a less common and mild side effect - nothing to worry about

I have noticed some tingling in my fingers too, and also my feet. It's weird but I don't think it is anything to be too concerned about .

I have noticed some tingling in my fingers too, and also my feet. It's weird but I don't think it is anything to be too concerned about .

Phew~ thanks for sharing that with me. It's reassuring to know that you had this funny sensation on the fingertips too haha

Changes to skincare & makeup list

• Lubriderm Advanced Moisture Therapy Lotion - for my hands and body; why'd I pick this one? It smelled nice lol
• Hera CC cream - this is a lot creamier than the other BB cream I was using. It applies a lot smoother on my dry skin.

Skin on day 7 (week 1 completed, yes!)

• Face is getting increasing dry. It doesn't feel particularly drier but my makeup isn't applying smoothly anymore. I can see my face scaling (..? Is that a word? I don't even know) when I apply my BB cream; not pretty. I'm aware that Accutane + exfoliating is bad, so I'm resisting the urge. I think I'll try giving myself a facial with argan oil tonight. It's always worked well for me when my face got too dry and irritated from the topical acne medications. Hope this helps with Accutane too
• No new breakouts to report, but my pores are super gross still. It looks like the blackheads on my nose and adjoining cheek area are having a party. I keep reminding myself that exfoliating is BAD... and this only week 1 of many weeks to come... blah
• My body is really dry. I picked up a new body lotion yesterday - it's helping but my skin still feels tight after a couple hours. The lotion bottle says "clinically shown to moisturize for 24 hours" though; so much for 24 hours lol I guess I just need to keep reapplying throughout the day.

Accutane side effects on day 7

• I got over 8 hours of sleep last night (I also got ~8 hours of sleep the day before). Now, I can confidently say that my dry, irritated eyes and severe exhaustion are due to Accutane. My eyes aren't as pink as they were yesterday or the day before - thank goodness. They still feel dry though, so I wore my glasses again. As for the exhaustion, I really hope this side effect will go away as I continue therapy. I'm so tired that I actually plan on taking a nap after posting this... Did anyone else experience exhaustion? Does it go away eventually? I haven't experienced any mood or appetite changes though, so I'm not too worried. I'm just tired of feeling tired.
• The thirst, it is real! I took a 500 mL water bottle to my 5-hour work shift yesterday. By about 2 hours in, I had finished that bottle of water. By about 3 hours in, I was so thirsty that I bought another 500 mL bottle of water, and I finished that 2nd bottle before my work shift ended. So in total, I drank about 2.5 L of water yesterday. I don't think I'm going to the washroom more frequently though, or maybe, I'm not very conscious of it lol I'm taking two 500 mL water bottles to school now - still not enough to last me the whole day, but whatever.
• My tongue feels fuzzy (as weird as that sounds). I think it might be related to the thirst and my mouth feeling dry. But yeah, for now, I have a fuzzy tongue!

Skin on day 9

• Face is still dry; the blackheads are still gross. BUT the good news is that the argan oil is working. My skin is less "scaly" and I still don't have any new breakouts. Hurrah!
• Body is still dry as ever. The lotion only seems to help for a couple hours before my skin feels tight again. Maybe I'll try a body oil..? I don't even know; for now, I'm just thankful that my face hasn't erupted.

Accutane side effects on day 9

• My energy seems to be slowly returning; it's either that or I'm getting used to living with zero energy. I managed to actually go out last night - I haven't had the energy to do that since I started Accutane. I also exercised this morning - another thing that I didn't have the energy to do since starting Accutane. Yay!
• I am still very very thirsty throughout the day. I'm drinking at minimum 2L - not because I am consciously trying to drink more, but I'm just thirsty all the time. I actually had a mini panic attack when I realized that I forgot my water bottle at home (our campus is so-called "green" and not allowing the sale of bottled water). Luckily, my friend had an empty tumbler that I could borrow. I think I might keep a water bottle in my locker for emergencies like yesterday lol
• ALCOHOL TOLERANCE - I knew Accutane was metabolized by the liver, but I had no idea that it would affect my alcohol tolerance so much. I went out drinking last night; I know it's not the best thing to do but I finally finished my midterms, so I had to celebrate..! Before Accutane, I used to be able to drink and drink and drink - no problem. Then last night, I took only 4 shots and I was already feeling it. I was with people that I could trust so it didn't matter too much that I got drunk too quickly. My friends thought it was hilarious that I was gone with just 4 shots though lol I think this is definitely something I should keep in mind if I decide to go out again in the future.
• I think I'm having decreased bowel movement; less elegantly stated - I'm constipated I'm not sure if it is because of Accutane or just my diet. I don't eat much throughout the day; I'm eating a full breakfast because of Accutane though. Maybe, it is the dehydration? I used a home-remedy laxative today, but I'm not really a fan of laxatives (can't imagine anyone would be). I think I'll try to adjust my diet to include more fibre and see how it goes from there.

PS. Later today, I'm going to tell my parents that I started Accutane. I don't live with them, so they have no idea. I didn't tell them that I was starting it for a few reasons: 1. They'd be against it; 2. They'd be against it; 3. I'm 22 so whatever. Hope they don't go crazy on me lol

So I told my parents about my Accutane. They totally freaked out at first, but after talking it out, they've agreed to let me make my own choices with this medication. My mom has made it her duty to make sure that I don't get any dietary vitamin A; she's sent me at least 5 different websites on what foods to avoid, how to prevent/manage Accutane side effects, the summary of the Accutane lawsuit, etc. Oh moms~ lol

Skin on day 12

• My face is still super dry, but it is super oily at the same time. It's definitely a lot oilier than when I started taking Accutane. My pores look larger than ever. It isn't just the nose and surrounding pores anymore; even the pores on my forehead are visible - they were never so noticeable before Accutane Yucky stuff... I have 2 new whiteheads on my chin. They are very small though, and most likely hormonal - I'm supposed to get my period tomorrow. Fun stuff!
• My body is very dry - I'm guessing this will be a constant plug throughout my entire therapy. It isn't improving, but it doesn't feel like it's getting worse either.

Accutane side effects on day 12

• I'm still so tired. I am getting used to the constant feeling of exhaustion, but I just can't help but take a nap at like 3PM everyday. It's so annoying. I don't think it helps that I have my period this week, so I'm already feeling awful to begin with.
• I'm not feeling the extreme thirst anymore. I'm still drinking water regularly but it isn't as much as last week.
• I'm still wearing glasses instead of contacts. My eyes are very irritated; if I wear contacts for longer than 3 hours-ish consecutively, it feels like my eyes are going to fall out = not fun.
• I previously posted that I might be getting constipated - I'm not. I'm having regular bowel movement. However, it's getting more painful to defecate because my stool is drier, harder, and lumpier There is no clinical evidence for the effectiveness of stool softeners, so I don't want to try that... but I really don't know what my next option would be. Well, this sucks.
• I have random bruises all over my right leg and both of my arms. I don't go around looking to hurt myself, so I was really surprised to see them. The bruises on my leg are especially bad - I saw purple, reddish purple, and even a slightly yellow tinge..? They were the really bad kind of bruising. And yet, I have no recollection of banging myself up like this. I wonder if it's the Accutane... or maybe, it is the omega-3 capsules I started taking... Oh wells, I'm going to speak to my dermatologist if I get more bruises. Hope it isn't something serious.

Skin on day 15

• My face is very dry still. My pores are still huge with little blackheads sticking out of most = gross!!! I guess this is the "purging" phase that I heard about... Ugh I really want to rip them out of my pores with nose strips or something, but I'm resisting the temptation. The whiteheads I had on my chin have healed already. No new breakouts yet! I'm still using argan oil on my face at night; it's keeping my nose from looking super scaly. I hope my skin doesn't get even more flakey
• My lips are SO DRY. Vaseline itself isn't helping me; it just coats my dry lips with a layer of oil. SO! I use my Burt's Bees lip balm first, then coat it with Vaseline to seal the moisture in. That keeps my lips soft for a good hour or so. I had an oral exam yesterday (3h long) and I panicked because I forgot to bring my lip balm with me. I am going to pick up a few extras and just put them in all of my coat pockets lol...
• My body is very dry still. I've started using a body oil after showering and before applying lotion - Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Beautifying Oil. There is no particular reason why I chose this - I just had it already at home haha. I think I might just buy a baby body oil or something like that when I'm done using this bottle. The body oil is helping TONS. My body feels moisturized for a lot longer. I hope it keeps helping!

Accutane side effects on day 15

• I'm still super tired - I'm trying to avoid naps and make do with coffee/tea instead. We'll see how this goes...
• My eyes are very irritated. I cannot wear my contacts for longer than 3 hours or my eyes get bloodshot for 2+ days (I tried, by accident...) I'm using eye drops every so often, but they're just so dry and stinging and red and MAN I WANT TO WEAR CONTACTS
• Random bruises are still present. They don't seem to be getting much better... They don't particularly hurt though, so I'm not really worried about whether they are healing quickly or not. Whatever~
• No problems with bowel movement anymore
• No excessive thirst anymore
• No other side effects as of yet

Thanks for your detailed updates! Really helps those of us who are new to Accutane understand the experience.

Thanks for your detailed updates! Really helps those of us who are new to Accutane understand the experience.

You're very welcome! I'm glad to hear that this log is helping you and others too

Skin on day 16

• I woke up with a dry and matte face this morning, which was new; it's usually oily and shiny. I guess isotretinoin is doing its job..! I'm worried that my makeup is going to look flakey today. I really hope not; I'm meeting up with old friends and I want to look my best Otherwise, I have no changes in the pore sizes, blackheads, or new breakouts. Does anyone know when the initial breakout starts usually? I'm just waiting for hell to taken over my face day in and day out. It's so nerve wracking lol
• My lips are still very dry - same with my body. I moisturized both before going to sleep last night, but obviously, that wasn't enough. I'm running out of ideas... Guess I need to suck it up and just endure the dryness..!

Accutane side effects on day 16

• Exhaustion - still experiencing this in full force. I didn't nap yesterday; instead, I went to bed at like 10PM (very very early for me). Still tired this morning when I got up at 9AM...
• Dry, irritated eyes - still very dry and irritated; I'll be wearing glasses again today.
• Bruises - still present with no visible improvements or changes in colour.
• Body aches - it has begun I woke up with an awful pain in my neck, shoulders, and upper arms. My back is feeling stiff, but I think that's just because I was lying down. I am not certain that this is the Accutane, but I didn't workout yesterday (period = get out of the gym free card imo) or do any physically challenging activities... It isn't unbearable though; I think I can make do without pain meds. Guess time will tell!

Skin on day 18

• Face = super dry; pores = large; blackheads = still protruding; makeup = not applying smoothly... I have 1 new whitehead on my chin, but it's very small and seems to be healing already.
• Lips & body = dry - especially, my lips. SO DRY!!!

Accutane side effects on day 18

• Exhaustion - still awful but I haven't napped in a the past few days! It's improving I guess.
• Dry, irritated eyes - still awful! I've accepted the fact that I can't wear contacts anymore lol yay glasses!
• Bruises - still present with no visible improvements or changes in colour. It's taking a long time to go away. I'm definitely going to bring it up when I see my dermatologist in 2 more weeks.
• Body aches - it hasn't been as bad as the 16th day. I think perhaps, it wasn't Accutane-associated body ache.
• RASH - this one is a new one. I have developed an eczema rash the back of my right hand. I noticed it this morning when I was washing the dishes; it burned when I got lukewarm water on it... The good thing is that it doesn't itch or anything like that. I applied hydrocortisone 0.5% cream. Hopefully, the rash will go away soon

Wow, your detailed updates are amazing. It sounds like you are very self-aware (and I mean body-self, not personality self). That is a good thing.

Next time you go to the derm it seems like you need a recommendation, or a prescription even, for a good moisturizer. Something you can use on your face, under your makeup. He might even be able to recommend a cleanser that will help with the blackhead issue.

Also, as to the rash on your hands, most of the time that is because your skin is super dry. Use lotion a few times a day on your hands, and it will heal up. I dealt with the hand rash A LOT during the winter, when it was so cold and dry. My hands are sensitive anyway, add accutane and cold and they become miserable.

The exhaustion does get better (though it is 6:30, and I'm barely awake). In fact, I am going through a round of mild insomnia.

Best of luck on your journey!

Wow, your detailed updates are amazing. It sounds like you are very self-aware (and I mean body-self, not personality self). That is a good thing.

Next time you go to the derm it seems like you need a recommendation, or a prescription even, for a good moisturizer. Something you can use on your face, under your makeup. He might even be able to recommend a cleanser that will help with the blackhead issue.

Also, as to the rash on your hands, most of the time that is because your skin is super dry. Use lotion a few times a day on your hands, and it will heal up. I dealt with the hand rash A LOT during the winter, when it was so cold and dry. My hands are sensitive anyway, add accutane and cold and they become miserable.

The exhaustion does get better (though it is 6:30, and I'm barely awake). In fact, I am going through a round of mild insomnia.

Best of luck on your journey!

Thank you for your advice and encouragement! Haha yes, I'm trying to be self-aware of any bodily changes. I'm a soon-to-be healthcare provider, so hopefully, I'll be able to offer some personal advice of my own when I practice in the future by tracking my progress closely I will speak to my dermatologist about my super dry skin and icky blackheads for sure; I do hope I can find something to help these symptoms.

Changes to skincare & makeup list

• Liposic Ophthalmic Gel - this is a hydrating eye ointment (yes ointment..!) that my ophthalmologist suggested for my super dry eyes. I have used the product for 2 nights now and it has definitely helped! It doesn't need a prescription though, so if anyone else is looking for a good "overnight" moisturizer for the eyes, I would recommend this one.
• Vichy Bare Skin Feel Lotion SPF 60 - this is a sunscreen for the face and body. It feels very light - still slightly oily, but I'm not very concerned about that anymore. I have been using it on my hands, neck, and face for the past 2 days now. It peels slightly (white peels) when I apply my BB cream after the sunscreen, so I've started mixing the 2 products together and applying in 1 layer. That's been better - no peeling

Skin on day 22

• My face is dry but surprisingly not that flakey. Because my skin is dry, my makeup looks a bit thicker than how I would like it to be. I can't complain though, because my face doesn't look super shiny and oily at the end of the day. YAY!!! I realized this today when I forgot to apply my Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray this morning. I forgot to add that to my first list of products, but I had to use the spray in the morning to prevent my makeup from melting off of my oily face (the spray is awesome by the way). I was panicked because I knew my makeup was going to be a mess at the end of the day... but wow, I was wrong! My skin was perfectly matte at the end of the day; no eyeliner smudges, no mascara smudges, just plain no smudging..! I'm so excited Oh, but the bad news - my blackheads are still bulging out of the pores I also had one pore that was clogged (swollen and slightly painful to touch), but it seems to be healing now.
• Lips and body are still very very dry. I was applying my lip balm every 20 minutes or something crazy like that; one of my friends asked me if I was hungry (she joked that I was eating my lip balm lol). It's pretty bad in that sense, but it's bearable.

Accutane side effects on day 22

• Exhaustion - I still feel it; I'm not as energetic as I used to be. I haven't napped since the last time I updated this though, and I actually haven't drank coffee either. I can still function and complete my daily tasks (exercising, doing my chores, going to lectures, etc.) but I don't have the energy to go shopping haha. This might be a blessing in disguise because I'm totally broke
• Dry, irritated eyes - This was getting bad enough that I went to see my ophthalmologist a couple days ago. She gave me a new prescription for eyeglasses; she thinks that I should wait until at least a month after the end of my Accutane treatment to start wearing my contacts again (1 month = the approximate time for Accutane to flush out of the system). Boo..! She suggested that I use the new eye ointment and it has helped tremendously. I apply it nightly at bedtime, and when I get up, my eyes aren't as dry and stiff as they used to be! I use the ointment throughout the day too sometimes, when I'm home and I just want to feel that relief again. It feels so great... I highly recommend the ointment (it does contain a preservative, so the max recommended dosing frequency is 5 times/day).
• Bruising - The bruise on my leg finally looks like it's fading in colour! I'm honestly not sure if my bruises always took this long to heal or the Accutane is doing something to it. Whatever, it seems to be going away, so I'm happy!
• Rash on the back of my right hand - It has mostly resolved now, but you can still feel the unevenness in my skin. I've been moisturizing religiously. It hasn't itched, so I haven't had to apply the hydrocortisone cream again. Thinking back on it, I think the rash may have been precipitated because I binge drank the night before... like crazy hammered semi-amnesia binge drinking... Again, ALCOHOL + ACCUTANE SEEMS TO BE A BAD IDEA; definitely not contraindicated, but bad I've publicly quit drinking until further notice, so hopefully, I won't do something crazy like that again lol
• I haven't noticed any other side effects so far. Hip hip hurray!

This is a short and sweet update since I have classes soon! I miscalculated the dates between my appointments and will run out of my Accutane pills tomorrow while my next derm appointment is on the coming Tuesday. I'll be missing 3 days (Sat, Sun, Mon) of therapy (oops), but I called my derm and she said that 3 days should be okay... So whatever

Skin on day 29 (Almost 1 month..!!)

• My face is drier than ever before. I see flakes, everywhere! I think I'll just learn to tolerate the flaking for now.
• Blackheads are clearing. They aren't really clearing passively... I got impatient and decided to do another oil massage with my argan cleansing oil; it worked wonders. I think it was about time for the blackheads to fall out though, because they were extracted with the smallest pressure. Yesss!
• No new breakouts. My face is actually the clearest that it has been in a long time. I think I may be part of the lucky 75% that do not get IB *fingers crossed*
• My lips are very dry. I'm basically re-applying my lip balm every 10 minutes or so, but they are still flakey and dry. Fun stuff!
• My body is also very dry. The body oil + lotion combo seems to be working for me though, so I'm going to keep going.

Accutane side effects on day 29

• Exhaustion - it's improving. I'm able to exercise daily and still make it through the day without coffee.
• Dry eyes - not improving. I'm coping with my eye drop + gel, but it's getting very red very early in the day. The whites of my eyes become noticeably pink by 2-3PM. My eyes don't feel very irritated though. I'm wearing my glasses daily too, so I don't think there's much that I can do except just tolerate it.
• Bruising - gone, finally.
• Rash on the back of my right hand - healed, finally.

I had my 1st 1-month check-up with the dermatologist. She says all my lab values are stable, so I can continue the current "50 mg once daily with food" regimen. My dermatologist said that I'll be receiving just 16-weeks (or 4 months) of therapy (vs. 20-weeks that she initially thought might be necessary). She also commented that my skin looks nice today yay!

1-month update on skincare & facial makeup list

• Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser - Morning/night facial wash
• Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula - Exfoliator that I still use it occasionally; it doesn't irritate my skin at all.
• Clinique Moisture Surge Intense *New change* - This is the "for very dry skin" version of my previous "for all skin type" daytime moisturizer
• Clinique All About Eyes - My eye cream!
• Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask - Bedtime moisturizer
• Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil - I'm using this one on top of my bedtime moisturizer on my face and lips before sleeping. It's helping SO much.
• Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil - Makeup remover
• Burt's Bees Refreshing Lip Balm with Pink Grapefruit - For me, this works better than any other lip treatments that I've tried. I stopped applying Vaseline to my lips as I didn't find it very helpful - it left a gross film on my lips as it dried.
• Hanskin Perfect Super 3-Solution BB cream - I came back to this one after using the Hera CC cream for a while. Hanskin makes the best BB creams in my opinion.
• Lubriderm Advanced Moisture Therapy Lotion - Body moisturizer
• Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Beautifying Oil - Body oil
• Liposic Ophthalmic Gel - Bedtime eye moisturizer
• Vichy Bare Skin Feel Lotion SPF 60 - Daily sunscreen, which I apply on the hands too.

Skin on day 31 (I'm not counting the 3 missed days)

• Blackheads have cleared completely - YES!!! My pores were enlarged for a few days after the dirty stuffings came out, but the pores have shrunken down to their normal sizes. My nose finally looks clean!
• I had 3 new breakouts since my last post: 2 on my chin, 1 on my right cheek. I semi-freaked, because I thought it might be IB, but I think it was just hormonal (I'm getting my period next week). The breakouts were reddish looking for a day or so, and then died down. They are almost completely healed now and not very noticeable.
• My lips, body, and face are all dry, but I've accepted this and moved on lol

Accutane side effects on day 31

• Exhaustion - it's final exam time, which means I'm forever sleep-deprived but loaded on caffeine... Accutane-associated exhaustion is definitely not an issue for the time being lol
• Dry eyes - THIS ONE is the WORST! I'm constantly reading since I need to study - notes, textbooks, Powerpoint slides, etc. and my eyes are totally bugging me. I'm starting to think that it may have been a better idea to wait until my summer vacation began...
• Constipation - well hello there, bowel trouble I used to get a bowel movement daily, but I'm not going for 2-3 days at a time now. I've gotten myself a bottle of Senokot (active ingredient: senna = laxative) to relieve my super bloated and gassy intestines from time to time. I'm using it quite often these days - every 2 days for the last week or so. Although it was generally thought that laxative used for longer than 1 week was unsafe, there is new clinical trial data that demonstrated daily laxative use for 1-year duration was actually safe. The general recommendation is still "use for less than 1 week", but I'm otherwise young and healthy, so I'm taking my chances I actually learned this in class last week LOL yay my tuition/education is paying off!

I know what you mean about the dry eyes! My final exams are coming up soon so I am studying a lot and it is really irritating. Lots of eye drops

Final exams suck

Skin on day 38

• My face is getting drier - I didn't know this was possible. My cheeks are starting to get flakey; who knew my cheeks could do that..? :S It doesn't look awful though, so whatever.
• I have no breakouts at all, which is super duper surprising, because 1. I have my period right now and 2. it's exam season. I'm eating the worst junk all throughout the day, getting 3h/day sleep, stressed out to the max, and loaded on caffeine. This must be Accutane; thank you, Accutane <3

Accutane side effects on day 38

• Exhaustion - it's probably just sleep deprivation.
• Headache - it's probably just caffeine overload + sleep deprivation.
• Dry eyes - HELP! This one sucks It's being exacerbated my lack of sleep + overuse of the eyes. Ugh, I can't wait until my exams are over.
• Constipation - still have this, but I'm eating so much junk. I think it might be my diet.
• No mood changes or appetite changes - I was sort of worried that I might get more stressed out than usual because of the Accutane. No such effects have occurred. I'm actually hoping that Accutane could somehow magically curb my appetite so I can stop cramming junk food down my mouth to stay awake. It's like I'm trying to make up for the lost sleep with cholesterol and fats.... fml

Skin on day 40

• Face is very very dry; cheeks and nose, etc. all peeling; make up is not applying smoothly
• No breakouts at all.

Accutane side effects on day 40

• Exhaustion - it's probably still just sleep deprivation.
• Headache - it's probably still just caffeine overload + sleep deprivation.
• Dry eyes - still here and still horrible.
• Constipation - still have this, but I'm eating so much junk. I think it might still be my diet.
• Random nosebleeds - yay something new and exciting to report..! I say nosebleeds because I got one last night, this afternoon, and just now (11PM) too. Rest assured, they were all unprovoked... haha it doesn't bother me too much, but it's just uncomfortable. Plus, I'm anemic so yeah, the blood loss is probably less than ideal. I look like an idiot with tissue stuffed up my nose, but oh wells!

Skin on day 46 (already!)

• My face is dry all over - skin is peeling off of my nose, cheeks, chin, everywhere My face looks flushed too; my friend thought I had been out in the sun when actually, I had been home studying for 3 days straight... Another friend noticed that my skin texture is improving though and commented that my skin was looking very smooth and clear *Both of these friends know I'm taking Accutane.
• No breakouts at all - I am SO surprised. I've been eating chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate for the last 1-2 weeks but my skin is still clear. YES!

Accutane side effects on day 46

• Exhaustion - it's probably still just sleep deprivation.
• Headache - it's probably still just caffeine overload + sleep deprivation.
• Dry eyes - still here and still horrible; I'm used to this though so it doesn't bother me as much.
• Constipation - still have this, but I'm eating so much junk. I think it might still be my diet.
• Random nosebleeds - still have this... and when I blow my nose because it feels plugged up, I see bloody mucus ew
• Another skin rash - NOOO, another one!!! It's my right side again; it involves the back of my hand AND down my forearm a bit. I noticed the itch right away, so I applied 0.5% hydrocortisone cream and then some body lotion after the HC cream dried. GO AWAY SKIN RASH

I can't wait until my final exam period ends. I'd love to sleep instead of drinking coffee/swallowing caffeine tablets...

Latest changes to skincare list

• Vaseline - I'm using this again, but this time, it's for the inside of my nostrils..! To avoid getting more random nosebleeds, I'm applying Vaseline to the inside of my nostrils with a Q-tip. I've been doing this for the past few days; it's working! When I apply too much, it interferes with my breathing and feels like I have a stuffy nose though... I may or may not pick up a moisturizing nasal spray later on this week... We'll see!
• JOHNSON'S Baby Oil with Aloe Vera & Vitamin E - I was actually looking for the "Shea & Cocoa Butter" formulation, because I have tried the body lotion before and I loved the scent. Our pharmacy didn't carry it though, so I settled for this one instead. It doesn't smell like a baby product, so I like

Skin on day 50

• My skin is still free of breakouts. Hurray~
• My face is actually not too dry - I guess I found the combination that works for me right now (I apply 2 layers of moisturizers: 1st = argan oil, 2nd = thick moisturizer).
• My body is super dry - I'm applying baby oil as soon as I get out of the shower + body lotion afterwards. My skin is still very very dry. What to do, what to do...

Accutane side effects on day 50

• The usual set is still unchanged: exhaustion, headache, dry eyes, constipation
• Nosebleeds - gone for now!
• Skin rashes - I have added the "es" and pluralized the word "rash", because I'm starting to see it on other parts of my body too It's not as bad as what I have on my right hand-to-forearm (SO BAD BTW), but on my left forearm and right lower back, I'm getting small itchy patches. Unlike last time, my rashes are all itchy - the right hand-to-forearm being VERY itchy. Guess I'll just moisturize more often and hope for the best.
• Body ache - oops, new one and not a very pleasant one For the past few weeks, I've been spending a good majority of my day sitting in front of a desk (the rest is spent sleeping on my comfy bed). There is no reason for me to be experiencing all the muscle soreness and stiffness I am currently feeling unusual shoulder and upper arm discomfort. When I say shoulder, I mean like all around the shoulders: shoulder blades, the axilas, and just above my breasts too. My upper arms feel like I got 10 vaccines shots all at once. My lower back is feeling sore too, but I had this from time to time before Accutane, so I'm not sure if I can call it a side effect. I heard staying hydrated can prevent/diminish the aches and pain; I think my overconsumption of caffeine (a natural diuretic) could have caused mild dehydration and triggered this side effect. I'm going to try to cut back on the caffeine and increase my water intake. I hope this goes away soon.