A Guys Guide To Accutane

I decided to make this "guide" because before I started Accutane, I did some research on side effects & noticed that most of the posts were female based. I thought there should be some advice for men too.

A quick background on me: I'm 35 yrs old & have had mild/moderate acne since I was 16. I've tried everything from topicals to antibiotics with nothing ever curing me ...or even coming close. The last few years the acne changed to a mix of everything - small bumps on my forehead, daily whiteheads in the crease next to my nostrils (as well as some sporadic ones in my t-zone), and big painful cysts - a few every couple of weeks. I also had back/ chest acne come & go through the years, with it coming mostly the last year or so. Before I went on Accutane I was taking Minocyclin & would get injections for the big boys. Finally my Dr. put me on Accutane. I got the generic one called Myorisan. The first 2 months - 20mg twice a day, the 3rd month- 30mg twice a day, last 3 months - 40mg twice a day.

I'm in my last month right now.

Before going on the meds, I bought a shitload of products based on reviews & recommendations I got from this site as well as YouTube. I'm sure everyone is different, but I'll tell you what has worked for me based on all of my side effects:

Whiteheads: At about day 8 I started getting little whiteheads all over. I read horror stories about people scaring if they popped pimples while on Accutane. I decided not to pop them....that lasted about 3 days. I just couldn't walk around like that. So before I washed my face I popped those little bastards. Within a day or two they were mostly healed (seems that I healed much quicker on Accutane). This went on for about 2-3 weeks & what I guess was my initial breakout finally ended. I've only gotten one or two since month 2.

Itchy Scalp: This started after the first week. After about a week of just using conditioner & it not helping, I went out & bought Neutragena T-Gel Shampoo. It's a medicated shampoo that's made for this symptom. It smells like it too- this shit stinks... But it works awesome. I used it every other day for a week & I was back to normal. Since then I've used it here & there if I feel it getting a little itchy, & after one wash it's better. Other than that I use Dove Moisturizing Shampoo everyday.

Face Wash: I had been using Cetephil Gentle Cleanser twice a day since the beginning. When I went for my 1 month check up, my Derm noticed that my face was red, almost windburned looking. He told me to stop using cleanser or soap on my face all together. So since then I've been just using water (twice a day, immediately followed by moisturizer) .

Flushed Face & Ears: This happened within the first month. Out of nowhere my face & ears would get beet red. I bought Eucerin Redness Relief cream (has a green tint). It didn't work at all, made my face look discolored. Sorry guys- you're just gonna have to deal with this side effect. It SUCKS & has been the hardest one for me to handle. The only thing I can say is that it gradually got better, though it hasn't gone away. Hoping it stops when I'm done with the treatment.

Dry Face: Everyone gets this. What has worked best for me is Olay Complete Sensitive w/SPF 15 Moisturizer in the day, & Cerave Moisterizer Creme (in the big jar) at night. The Olay goes on pretty white because of the zink in it. Just keep very lightly rubbing it in & it does eventually blend in with your skin. I squeeze about a marble size onto my fingers, then dot around my face & neck. Then rub it in. I found this is the best way to evenly distribute it. The Creave is a lot thicker & does a better job of moisturizing, but it's a little heavy for the daytime. If any dry patches pop up in the middle of the day, I use a little of the Cerave. Both of these are scentless so you don't walk around smelling like a douche.

Dry Flakes: I got a lot of these on my upper lip & chin. The best thing to combat this for me was shaving. I used to hold off shaving until about every 3-4 days. Now I can't go more than two without getting a bunch of flakes. What I use to shave is Neutragena Sensitive Skin Shave Cream & a squirt of jojoba oil (I bought the one on acne.org- it's a huge bottle & should last you close to a year). Mix the two in your hand, then rub in beard area. After I'm done shaving, rinse w/ cold water, pat dry, and put on whatever moisturizer you're using. I rub in the dots on my forehead nose & cheeks first, then put a drop jojoba oil on 3 of my fingers & rub that into he dots on my beard & neck.

Chapped Lips: Started in the 2nd week, been dry as hell ever since. Started off using Aquaphor Lip Therapy. It was ok, really greasy, looked like lip gloss- for a guy, no good. Then I read about people using "Bag Balm". I ordered it online. It's hands down the best stuff I've used, has a strong ointment smell that you will get used to, but also looks like lip gloss. So what I finally came up with was using Burt's Bees Lip Balm (in the stick) when I'm out & about, & Bag Balm when I'm home & at night. Burt's Bees also makes flavors if you're into that, but they're a little shinier than the original. I still had peeling but this combo worked best for me.

Dry Patches (Eczema)- I got this mostly on my arms & hands. I think the sun had a lot to do with it, or at least made it worse. I would get little red itchy patches, sometimes little bumps. The best thing for this was Cortizone 10 Ointment. Reapply it a few times throughout the day & it was better in a day or two. I also found that body moisturizer helped with this too. I use Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion on my arms, hands, & back of the neck every time I get out of the shower. That really controlled it.

Bloody/Dry Nose: Got a few bloody noses in the beginning. Best thing to do is get Aquaphor Healing Ointment. A couple times a day, squeeze about 1/2 of a tictac size on your pinky. Lightly rub together with your other pinky to coat them, then stick one pinky in each nostril - one at a time & spin that bitch. Works nicely to give a good coating without being annoying to breath.

Irritated Eyes: Around the end of the second month, my eyes started getting dry & sensitive. I bought a bunch of different eye gel drops & red eye relief drops. My eyes mostly hurt when I woke up. Gel drops are ok, they kind of left a crust on my eyelashes that eventually got in my eye & irritated them more. Sometime in the 4th month I got pink eye. Got prescription drops, it went away, then two weeks later got it in my other eye. Since then I've been using Refresh Tears the second I wake up, & every three hours or so throughout the day. A couple of mornings I've woken up with my eye stuck closed (kind of like pink eye), I would use the medicated drops that I still had leftover, & it seemed to clear it up in a day. I also use sunglasses whenever I'm outside, because my eyes are much more sensitive to the sun than normal. My eyes are always bloodshot, but I rather use the Refresh Tears than something like Visine.

Sore Joints: The only time I get this is when I'm in the car for a while, or sitting in one spot for more than an hour. My hips get really sore when I first get up. After a short while they loosen up

& they're fine. Other than that no major pains. I go to the gym pretty regularly. I definitely don't feel as strong, but I still get good workouts. I also switched to egg protein powder instead of whey, because I read that whey aggravates acne in some people.

Fatigue: Definitely felt a little sluggish. Not a lot of get up & go. Just had to push through that. I started drinking more coffee, nothing crazy maybe 3-4 cups a day.

Sunblock: This is a must. I started taking Accutane the end of March. So my treatment was in full swing in the summer. On my body I used Neutrogena Beach Defense Lotion SPF 30. I liked this stuff because it didn't have that typical coconut/ pi±a colada smell, it's a little fruity, but much better I think. For my face, neck, & ears I used Neutrogena Clear Face SPF 30. It goes on white, but eventually gets absorbed. It's slightly greasy looking, but scentless.