Hey everyone,
So I have decided to finally go on the dreaded accutane. I'm in 2nd year university, and I had trouble with acne in grade 8 and 9 but took accutane back then and my skin cleared up for a few years. In first year it started to flare up around christmas time, and got progressively worse. By this past summer, my skin was about as bad as it has ever been. This was really embarrassing for me, and it made me hermit from a lot of my friends, not by choice but by necessity. I'm sure most of you reading this can empathize with that.
I have been on Doxycycline, Clindamycin, Benzaclin, and other anti-biotics but none of those really helped. This past August, I decided to try out Retin-A (0.1% I believe) and I was on that for about 4 months. There was definitely improvement and my skin is much better than it was this summer, but I am still not clear. So, with my dermatologist's reluctant approval, I've begun my 4-6 month course of accutane.
I'm pretty excited, but at the same time, I'm incredibly nervous. Being at university with acne is really tough, it seems like every single person around me has perfect skin, without even washing their faces! That's one of the most annoying parts, I've spent so much time and money trying to fight acne, and nothing has really worked, but there are others out there who effortlessly have flawless skin! AHHHH!
Anyways, I'm about 180 pounds (male) so this dosage isn't too high, and I'm really hoping I can avoid an IB. So far, my lips are a little chapped, but nothing too crazy. I think as long as I keep applying lip balm once every hour or so it will be bearable. I also think that given by experience on Retin-A, I'll be decently well-equipped to deal with skin dryness. Retin-A makes your skin incredibly dry, as well as incredibly red, seemingly way more red than accutane makes people. I was also on benzaclin at the same time as Retin-A, so hopefully I'll be able to deal with the dryness accutane will throw at me.
As for products, instead of using a traditional moisturizer, I use squalene. It's an oil derived from sharks, and it works really well to keep your skin moisturized without looking or feeling greasy. I also break out whenever I put just about any type of cream on my skin, except for squalene, so for those of you who are like me in that regard, I highly recommend squalene. In the morning and at night I wash my face with CeraVe, which is a really gentle cleanser, one that isn't going to irritate your skin at all, and if anything it's actually pretty soothing. For lip products I cycle between Nivea Hydro Care and Kiehls Lip balm, which both seem to work pretty well if used periodically.
The toughest part for the lips would be when you wake up, as you haven't been able to apply the lip balm for 6-8 hours. So although I wouldn't necessarily recommend setting an alarm to put on lip balm, I would definitely recommend having it on your bedside table so that if/when you wake up in the middle of the night, you can apply a healthy amount. Always take advantage of the fact that nobody is going to see you in the middle of the night AKA put A LOT on because who cares if your lips look really shiny.
The last thing I'd say is I have been making a point to drink a lot of water, at least 3 Litres a day. Anything that you can do to make this process go smoother is so worth it, even if it means peeing every half hour. It really helps flush out toxins, reducing the severity of any breakouts you may experience while on accutane. It also helps with the joint pain and headaches I find. And overall, water is just really good for you, so drink as much as you humanly can while on this drug to make things go as smooth as possible.
By the way, all of this knowledge isn't from the 2 days of this round of accutane ... it comes from my previous 8 month round that I did a few years ago. Lucky for me I was part of the 30% of people who have acne come back after accutane. Anyhow, hope that post was helpful! I will be updating this journal fairly often, but more with general progress and updates, and perhaps some pictures.
I'm on my 9th day now, and I already see progress which is great. I had a little breakout, with about 5 small pimples coming in on either cheek, but they're really starting to fade now. This drug is so awesome because it targets the dryness towards active zits and gets rid of them so quickly! I've also notice that my PIH (red/brown spots left behind from old zits) are also fading quite quickly. This is awesome. I'll try to update a few times a week!
Cheers!
Day 10
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to clarify that I'm on Accutane for persistent and not severe acne. I would say that prior to my usage of Retin-A my acne was moderately severe, but after 4 months my acne is now mild-moderate, but still not gone.
As I said I think I had a mini IB the other day, and it has pretty much cleared up. Just did some counting and it looks like I have about 7 actives on my entire face, which I'm pretty happy with. By the way, only 2 or 3 of those are somewhat noticeable, to see the others you have to get really really close because they're super tiny. So that's pretty great, because the other day I would say I had around 20 actives, all visible and with texture. But they have gone away now and they haven't even left behind marks because they were so tiny. I absolutely love how quickly zits go away while on this drug, it's unbelievable. One second you have a bunch of tiny little zits and the next time you look in the mirror POOF they're gone!
As for the side effects, dry lips is really the only thing that I have experienced. And my Kiehl's lip balm is awesome at combatting the dryness, even though it's pretty shiny. I'd rather be shiny than cracked! I really hope that my mini IB is the worst I'll get and that I keep progressing! Even though I have actives I think my face is really starting to look pretty good, even my girlfriend says so. It feels a lot smoother, and the hyper-pigmentation I was dealing with prior to treatment (that Retin-A did nothing about) has SIGNIFICANTLY faded. I really didn't expect that to happen but I'm so happy that it has. Honestly that was what made my face look so bad, all of the red marks that weren't actually zits but they looked like acne and made my face look dirty.
As a guy suffering from self-esteem issues because of my skin, and walking around a college campus, wearing a little bit of concealer can really help. I hate the fact that I had to wear it, because of the "only girls wear makeup" thing. But quite honestly, if there's something I can do that will help me feel more confident and less ashamed of myself, I have no problem doing it. Your friends won't make fun of you for doing it either, they're human beings and even though maybe they never had to live through having acne, they likely have sympathy for you. Of course I never told anyone I use it, but if they were to find out I'm sure they would understand. Being the only person with imperfect skin is really hard especially when literally all of your friends have absolutely flawless skin.
Since starting accutane though, I haven't had to wear concealer and I hope I never have to again, it's embarrassing and emasculating but I will do what I have to to ensure that I can lead a reasonably confident existence.
I also haven't used anything to moisturize my face since beginning, the dryness is very manageable at this point, and I actually kind of want my zits to keep drying out, so I am going to refrain from using moisturizer as much as I can. I am drinking a TON of water though, upwards of 3-4 litres per day.
Best of luck to everyone!
Hi Buddyboy69!
Your story sounds very similar to mine. I'm also a 19 year old male, 180 pounds and nothing I tried (antibiotics, clindamycin) worked. I started accutane three weeks ago, but I'm only taking 20mg to start. Currently I'm in the middle of a bad breakout. My skin looks worse than ever and it's a real confidence-killer walking around campus with acne. I look forward to following your journey, and hopefully we both have clear skin for summer!
Day 15
Hey everyone!
Just over two weeks in. Had a pretty bad breakout starting on Day 11 or 12 on both sides of my chin with approximately 8 zits on either side. They came to a head pretty much instantly and they're pretty much dried out now so that's good. Aside from that, haven't really broke out, maybe a few zits here and there but nothing too abnormal. My cheeks are looking pretty clear though, with very few new or existing zits.
As for side effects, nothing too wild. I haven't been great at applying lip chap recently, and I've paid the consequences. So I'm going to try to be more diligent with lip chap. Skin dryness still is not really too bad, I have yet to use any type of moisturizer. I've been sick the past few days with the stomach flu, but I don't know if that had anything to do with the accutane.
Anyway, hopefully things start to clear up, but all in all I'm pretty happy with the accutane journey thus far.
@John19 I feel your pain! But I agree, we'll get through this and we'll come out on the other end with clear skin! Best of luck to you!
Day 20
As of right now I probably have about 10 actives on my entire face, with the majority of them being pretty small. Most of these are also the result of a breakout occurred over the period of about 2 days. This was a smaller breakout compared to what I had on day 11 or 12 which continued until about day 16 of 17. That was pretty bad, I had about 10 zits probably on either side of my chin. But luckily they went away very quickly and they didn't leave a mark or anything. These were also pretty painful zits to the touch, especially when sleeping. I think that was my initial breakout.
The left side of my face is looking quite clear right now with only a few actives. My most recent breakout was on the right side of my face, but it isn't really all that bad and I think they will disappear within the next day or so.
Overall I'm feeling pretty happy right now with Accutane. Not only are zits smaller than usual, they also go away a lot quicker. I'm also quite happy with the way its gotten rid of the red marks on my face. Prior to being on accutane, it looked like i had maybe 30 actives on my face. In reality I probably had 10 or 15 and the rest were just red marks left behind from older zits. I don't have those red marks anymore really, they're fading very quickly. So basically the only spots I have on my face now are actives or zits that are drying out. I really love how any zits I get don't leave behind red marks it's almost surreal.
As for side effects, nothing new really. I've noticed my skin is a little more dry, but nothing too intense. I still haven't started moisturizing, and likely won't throughout my course unless I REALLY have to. Lips are decently dry, but I've just ordered a bunch of Aquaphor so hopefully that will work well (it has pretty excellent reviews). The inside of my nose is pretty dry but again, nothing I can't handle.
To this point, being on accutane hasn't really changed the way I live my life which is awesome, because I was afraid it would. If anything, it has actually been helpful. I won't really be drinking these next 4 months at college, so I can focus on getting real solid marks.
If anyone has any questions or comments I'd love to hear them!
I would recommend moisturizing your face morning and night after washing, even if you haven't experienced much dryness. It's still early, and it's better to prevent the overdryness before it happens, and it's just good for your skin going through this process. Cetaphil and Cerave both have good non-greasy, non-comedogenic facial moisturizers. Same for your lips and nose - it's better to prevent the side effects than wait for them to hit you and then trying to heal the damage.
Best of luck!
@John19 I may start. I've always been hesitant of using creams on my face though as even non-comedogenic creams seem to make me break out. I'm just hoping that I may be part of the lucky demographic that doesn't get too dried out on Accutane! After all, I drink large amounts of water per day, and am only on 0.5mg/kg/day which is a relatively low dosage.
Day 27
Yesterday I broke out a little bit. Not too bad though. Pretty big zit in the middle of my right cheek, and 6 or 7 really tiny ones on my left cheek. But the tiny zits more resemble a rash than actual zits so I'm not too sure what's going on there. Anyway, they'll most likely go away pretty soon.
My face has started to get a little more dry. But it's really still nothing too crazy and quite manageable. I've still only used moisturizer a handful of times. I may start to use it more though, because I might as well make the process a little more comfortable.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good moisturizer that won't make me break out and won't make my face look greasy???
Other than facial dryness, the side effects still haven't really gotten much different. The inside of my nostrils are a little drier than normal but it has been pretty cold recently here in Canada so that might be a factor.
Another question: when did people start to notice their blackheads going away? I still have some on my nose and right beside them right under my eyes. There aren't many at all, but I thought that they started pushing themselves out around week 3. Any thoughts on this?
Anyways, almost a month into my treatment and on average I'm pretty happy with the treatment thus far! Obviously there are good and bad days but I'm definitely seeing progress which is all that I can ask for. Hopefully only another 3 months of this!!!!
hey man im on absorica 40mg, day 18, haven't had no unbearable ib's but just some pimples that also come to a white head quickly on my chin and around my nose...i have one right now that came up yesterday right below nose on upper lip...it is drying out though and not seeming to grow noticeable which is good.
i use cetaphil moisturizing cream which is alot thicker than a lotion and i guess is slightly greasy but i use it at night where no one will notice shiny skin....i use Eucerin daily face moisturizer with spf 30 in the daytime which seems to be working well for me......i know that on accutane when i drive and the sun is hitting my face in the car that my skin feels it ,so i make sure i apply the eucerin right before going outside.....the eucerin face moisturizer never made me breakout....i have been using it for months before i started any treatment....before accutane i would never use any thing greasy or thick because i would be scared it would break me out so i feel you would be safe with the Eucerin face moisturizer....
Day 34
Almost 5 weeks in! Broke out a little bit over the past few days, but nothing too bad. I've gotten to the point where I'm not even worried about breakouts anymore just because I know I look a lot better and because I know they go away so quickly. I also think I'm past the initial breakout phase now at 5 weeks, especially seeing as I'm not changing my dosage at all.
I am excited to stop getting new breakouts, hopefully that will happen reasonably soon. I'm already 5 weeks in and I'm really hoping to be clear by the end of the month, but we'll see what happens. It's really comforting to know that this stuff will work. Whether I'm clear at the end of this month or at the end of the 4th month, it's great to have some light at the end of the tunnel.
In terms of side effects, still nothing really new or abnormal. Skin and lips are pretty dry, but lip chap and moisturizer pretty much negate these side effects. Seeing as its winter here in Canada, pretty much everyone has dry lips and skin because it's so cold and dry outside, so nobody has even asked me why I'm dry which is awesome. Also, the blackheads on my nose have gone away completely, almost overnight.
With the exception of the zits from my recent breakout, my skin is actually starting to look clear, and the red marks are almost gone.
I ordered aquaphor a few weeks ago and it should be coming in the next few days which should help with the lip dryness.
Question: My face just started to get a little flushed in the past week and it constantly looks like I just got in from outside (not as bad though). Is there anything that can be done to fix this redness?
hey man im on absorica 40mg, day 18, haven't had no unbearable ib's but just some pimples that also come to a white head quickly on my chin and around my nose...i have one right now that came up yesterday right below nose on upper lip...it is drying out though and not seeming to grow noticeable which is good.
i use cetaphil moisturizing cream which is alot thicker than a lotion and i guess is slightly greasy but i use it at night where no one will notice shiny skin....i use Eucerin daily face moisturizer with spf 30 in the daytime which seems to be working well for me......i know that on accutane when i drive and the sun is hitting my face in the car that my skin feels it ,so i make sure i apply the eucerin right before going outside.....the eucerin face moisturizer never made me breakout....i have been using it for months before i started any treatment....before accutane i would never use any thing greasy or thick because i would be scared it would break me out so i feel you would be safe with the Eucerin face moisturizer....
Thanks a lot, Casey! I went with CerVe moisturizer and I think it's helping quite a bit. It isn't greasy either which is great!
Day 41
In the middle of a pretty bad breakout right now. It is pretty bad, not too sure what is going on because the past few weeks have been pretty good. This is different than other breakouts though, my neck is breaking out quite badly too. Hopefully this drys up pretty quickly and goes away because this sucks. Mirrors are my enemy right now.
I was able to get aquaphor though, and this stuff is really good -- it works immediately.
Side effects wise, I have started to experience that rash people get. Quite frankly, it could be what's on my neck and side of my face. It's on the top of both of my hands. Will update further, but this is now 6 weeks on Accutane, and hopefully things get back to normal pretty soon.
Day 65
Hi everyone,
Officially into my third month on accutane. Things are pretty good, the right side of my face is quite clear, but I have a few actives on the left side and on my chin as well. However, I'm optimistic they will clear up soon.
Side effects haven't really changed all that much which is fine with me. However, my nostrils have gotten increasingly sensitive to the touch, which is likely a by-product of the dryness.
When did people start noticing the drug clearing them up for good (aka the point when breakouts stopped)?
Would love to start getting some responses haha, feels like I am talking to myself.
Good luck, hopefully I will be starting accutane next week. Just wondering if you started treatment right away, or is there a short waiting period for blood work,tests,ect.
In my case there was a little bit of a wait just because your blood work has to be looked at prior to your doctor filling out the prescription. However, aside from that it was a pretty quick process. Good luck!
