So I had to put on make up yesterday and it was so different. I had taken 2 tablets and suddenly my skin has changed? My make up wasn't setting properly, it was as if I was putting it on with a wet make-up brush and a wet powder sponge?! Did everything the same (same primer) and it was so, sheer? I don't know how to describe it. The only thing I can think of is the Cetaphil moisteriser. I originally liked it but definitely not under make up. I have a wedding to go to in a month, so that should be interesting... has this happened to anyone else?

Taking my tablet then going to bed worked really well for the 2nd tablet, was asleep when the itches started. However last night I took it and didn't go to sleep quick enough. Big mistake. I was awake till 3am itching my body and scalp in particular like there was no tomorrow. Has persisted throughout today as well. So aggravating. Has this happened to anyone else?

My skin is pretty much the same, a few more pimples have popped up though but I don't know if that's just normal or whether it's the accutane starting. Really hoping this initial breakout starts straight away so it can be not in full swing by the wedding in a month.... one can hope.

You could be having an allergic reaction to the Accutane. It's not normal to be itching all over the place. I would call your dermatologist and ask them if this is something you should be concerned about. It's not a normal side effect at all.

On my last course of accutane, i itched like crazy for a few days but this was after a week or so and eventually it went away. If you are itching and getting hives, i would do as moonlight suggested and check in with your derm.

Thank you for your responses! I know it sounds stupid but I would be devastated if I had to come off it as this is my last resort (yes I know my health is more important though).

I may just wait it out and see how I go, I have only taken 4 tablets so I don't want to jump the gun. I don't have hives and it's not a persistent itching, no 24/7 scratching like I am coming off drugs or anything. Just like an itch here, then a couple mins later an itch there fixed by a 1 or 2 second scratch. I do hope it goes away like it did for you leelowe1. Wondering if my scalp is dry so thats not helping the need to itch it. Going to go to the shops today and look for some nourishing shampoo and conditioner and a hair mask thing for when my hair no doubt gets dry. Maybe I should even try some dandruff stuff.

First day of Spring and not being able to really go in the sun makes me sad as I am a total sun bunny. Dammit.

May wait it out a little bit longer. Thanks though guys!

So today is day 7 and I feel like the next 6 or so months are going to go so slowly. I ended up buying Palmers Cocoa Butter shampoo and conditioner. They are sulfate and paraben free and are for dry itchy scalp. My scalp is feeling a little better so maybe it was just the accutane starting to stop the oil. I don't know what to say for my body though as I do moisterise, but it's not as bad. I don't really have any side effects. My mouth is a little dry at times but not at others. I'm beginning to wonder if it's even bloody working considering I take it at night before bed and not with a full meal (but with food yes). I just don't want to wasting them by them not absorbing properly... Uh I don't know. My skin has broken out a bit but not sure if thats my body being my body or the initial breakout starting. Wish I could tell either way and it would either hurry up or just wait another month as the wedding is in a month tomorrow. Was grumpy yesterday and then I cried, so maybe it is working haha

I have taken some pictures and will attach them if I can make it work.

One week down.... don't want to think how many to go

Well my skin is looking crappy and it makes me oh so happy to think it is just going to get worse. My back has been breaking out the past few days and it is beginning slightly on my neck. In a crappy mood too

Hey Elise,

I'm on my 1st week, too!

You look really good with your acne hehe, what I'm trying to say is that it's not that bad.

Oh thank you for the response! It would be great to hear from you as we are on the same timeline!

Whilst my acne isn't as bad as it could be, 12 years of this is pretty crappy. It is worse now than those photos, have a few on my neck now which sucks because I can never cover them properly!! Have you started any breakouts/had any side effects? I still don't know if this is the start of the initial breakout or just a normal breakout! arghh

It is day 12 today and my skin is looking very crappy. I had to put make up on yesterday and I decided to use a different moisteriser as cetaphil under make up wasn't working for me. It was an oil free one and I definitely felt the difference quite quickly. Skin felt dry so loaded up on cetaphil last night. I am thinking I am going through the initial breakout because I don't think i have ever had my skin break out in so many areas as quickly as it did. Hope I'm not wrong. I am meant to double the doasge in a couple of days (up to 40mg/day) and I am really unsure how that is going to go... Using a moisterising shampoo and conditioner is helping my itchy scalp and I am not sure if my body is still itchy (as I go to sleep) so I think I am going to start taking them a bit earlier and see how I go. Time is going so slowlyyyyy

no breakouts, in fact my skin is making substantial improvements in only 5 days.

It's crazy that it's only going up for me, no matter what i eat, how much i sleep, and whether i apply an acne treatment.

i guess i am one of those people who are made for it lol.

It'll take time to work but as slow as it feels now (progress and the course itself) you'll be looking back in a few months and commenting at how fast the time went, I think it's due to how we obsess over our skin and then suddenly there's not so much to obsess over and then you dont devote as much time or emotion into it with other things in life getting in the way, I'm getting lost in thought now, all the best of your course!

GetMeTheResults - good for you! I initially thought "oh I won't be getting any side effects/breakouts! This is awesome". And then it started a bit lol.

JDW- Thanks for the luck! Yeah no doubt you are right, I'm not working at the moment (finishing my masters) so I don't have a lot to occupy my mind (well, besides my masters, lol) so time is going slowly. I am sure as it gets closer to xmas time will pick up, I hope!

2nd last day of 20mg, not sure if I should double my doasge with approx 3 weeks till the wedding I'm attending. Decisions, decisions...

Well day 15 today. Actually didn't realise - what does that say about my ability to count! I feel like I have gotten more blackheads on my face, near my mouth and at the near top of my forehead. Time to double the doage, not sure if it will effect my itch (that I don't even know if I still have or not, lol) or whether my body has gotten used to it by now. Will probably still take them at night for the moment and see how the 40mg/day goes. Come on February....

Well on day 15 I took both tablets at night, probably 20-30 mins later I was really itchy. The next two days I have only taken one tablet each day as I was really put off by the double dose itch. Suppose I have to try get back into taking both tablets otherwise nothing will happen quick enough.

Skin is starting to feel dry in some areas, really sandpapery and rough in those areas. Have exfoliated a couple of times really lightly with a rice exfoliater but yeah still feeling bumpy and rough. Quite a few blind pimples on my face at the moment (about 4) so thats annoying. Skin breaking out again, woo..

After 3 weeks I think my body is finally getting used to the drug! The past 2 days I have taken the prescribed 2 tablets (one in the morning and one at night before bed) and I haven't been itchy. I am happy about that (hopefully I don't jinx myself) but not so happy about my skin... looks pretty average. Wondering if this is the start of the initial breakout or if this is related to my menstrual cycle - argh too many factors being a female

Arghhh hating my skin right now, putting make up on is a real chore as the past few days has seen my chin become very dry and peeling, obviously accentuated by make up. Laying low as much as I can before the wedding. Started using some eye drops 2 days ago and my eyes were so dry and sore and I had 2 nosebleeds today

Well it was a month yesterday since I started and my right cheek (including my jawline and up to my ear) has 6 really big red pimples on it, looks terrible. A few on the other side of my face but nothing like the right side. Back breaking out a little bit at the moment, neck and front of chest clear. My skin overall was looking pretty good but of course this explosion had to happen 5 days before the wedding, oh thank you life. Lucky i'm not in the bridal party or anything but still. No other major side effects. Hair feeling a bit dry actually and my eyes are still sore and dry. Such beautiful weather at the moment, hating not being able to really go in the sun and enjoy it!

Well the wedding went better than expected actually. I put different moisturiser on and a lot of primer and looked better than expected. For some reason since starting accutane I am no longer able to use my make up brush, just doesn't work for me. Haven't used my fingers to apply make up in years. Had two pimples pop up during the night of the wedding and a bit of my chin went a bit dry but we were staying where the wedding was held so I just popped back and fixed them up. But my jawline/both cheeks are back to being quite inflamed. I think its all the stress food I'm eating.... I need to stop making it worse for myself

My skin is horrible, I don't think its ever been this bad in my life... had a big old cry about it this morning. Seeing my derm for my first check up on Wed. Im too embarrassed to leave the house!

Oh and I have another wedding in 2 weeks on sunday, really hope it's cleared up a bit. What I would give for my "bad skin" I had at the other wedding.... hindsight hey.

My skin is horrible, I don't think its ever been this bad in my life... had a big old cry about it this morning. Seeing my derm for my first check up on Wed. Im too embarrassed to leave the house!

Oh and I have another wedding in 2 weeks on sunday, really hope it's cleared up a bit. What I would give for my "bad skin" I had at the other wedding.... hindsight hey.

Yeah I had clear skin for the first week of my accutane treatment, after which it was only worsening.

It's pretty bad now because I am constantly being bombarded with cysts and nodules or whatever they're called, that I have much more discoloration than ever AND uneven texture.

It sucks. The only thing that gets me through the day is the fact that I'll take my pills again first thing when I wake up. I swear, if I weren't on accutane I would have given up on life. I bought a bunch of products to help me get through the IB with the intent to even out my skin tone. I'm already using acne preventative topicals which I'm not supposed to use while on accutane.

I've noticed other people on this blog clear nicely by month 2-3 but I'm looking worse than ever on month 2 and it's really pissing me off.

All we can do is just buy more stuff to lessen our anxiety and try to be happy in the meantime...

I hear you.... I swear I am going to be one of those people by month 7 I still have a face full of acne... I am also using some BP cream on my spots, not all the time just of late with the really big ones. Nothing seems to have changed regarding my blackheads which is really annoying because they are so noticeable. Wonder if they will go at all. Half the time I wonder if its even working... I know change doesn't come over night but I'm at 7 weeks and I feel like I am slowly going insane

Well my skin is a lot better than those previous photos from a couple of weeks ago. I see them in my phone and cringe. Had the wedding on sunday, my skin wasn't too bad actually. The only problem is that I've been sick so I've been blowing my nose a lot and I have been having so many nose bleeds. Sunday was a grand total of 5 quite bad ones. Slowed down a bit now thankfully but that has been really frustrating. Nothing much else to report, just hope it all starts to go awayyyyyy soon. Can't believe its only been about 9 weeks... my derm reassured me accutane cures all and I really hope something starts happening soon!!!

And my skin is back to looking crap. How quickly things can change. On my last assignment so hopefully no more stress eating as it has probably hindered any progress I was making - ate so much chocolate/lollies/occasional RedBull. Stupid me.

Going away to Queensland on the 28th of this month - I cannot wait to just relax (under a beach umbrella), hopefully my skin will cooperate and get better with some salt water and relaxation.

Now to just avoid looking in the mirror...

Haven't written in a while as I finished uni and haven't turned bothered to turn on my laptop. I feel like my skin has kind of flat lined and isn't really going anywhere. End of month 3 when I leave for QLD on the 28th. I don't have major pimples at the moment but just looking a bit average, scars that don't seem to be going anywhere since my last major break out (last pics I put up). Went to the gym on Saturday for the first time in nearly a year and I swear it has made me break out! How ridiculous. Few little ones above my lips where I obviously sweated, few on my arms and chest. Pity I actually want to exercise.

Had what felt like a bit of a reaction to something on the weekend - end of my tongue felt really sore and tingly and my lips looked a bit swollen. Gone now though. I seriously just wish all my blackheads would just piss off, they make my skin look so dirty! Nothing much else to report.