This is my first post on Acne.org 
I've been struggling with acne since I was about 11. I'm now 24 and have tried every acne product under the sun. I finally decided to take the tane plunge and I'm now in my fourth week. I've been logging my experience but I wasn't sure where to post it until I found this site! Hopefully this can help someone who's just starting out. I would love feedback from tane users that are ahead of me on what to expect!
Week one: I haven't really noticed much of a difference yet. My lips are a little dry but nothing that Chapstick can't fix. I'm starting to see slightly dry patches on my face. My only complaint has nothing to do with accutane actually. My derm put me on a low dose of prednisone to help with inflammation during the initial outbreak. Per suggestion of my derm, I'm supposed to take it in the morning because it has a known (and very common) side effect of insomnia. I have the exact opposite. I take it at 9 am every morning and feel like I'm dragging ass for the remainder of the day.
Stats: severe nodular/ cystic acne on face, body acne on chest, shoulders and back, legs and arms. Approx: 170 lbs. 5'8" Absorica 40 mg. once daily
Products: facewash: Cetaphil (I'm actually using the generic brand from Walmart.. I compared the ingredients and they are exact and the generic is 1/2 the price) so far I'm pleased with this wash. It's a gentle wash that I feel breaks down oil really well. Moisturizer: face: CeraVe (I bought a large jar) I am in love with this moisturizer. It goes on smooth and doesn't leave an oily residue. My face feels soft and smooth and I feel like it's combatting the dryness really well. Body: Lubriderm daily lotion. This is a fragrance free, lightweight lotion. I love the consistency of this product. Since using it, I definitely notice a difference in my skin. It feels smooth and baby soft.
Lips: Blistex Complete Moisture during the day and before bed, I slather on just plain old Aquaphor. They both seem to be doing the job just fine. The Blistex seems to be working well at keeping the dryness at bay. When I do notice it a bit more, I apply Aquaphor and the dryness vanishes.
I haven't noticed a difference in my scalp just yet. I did a coconut oil mask at the beginning of the week and plan on doing it once weekly/bi-weekly depending on the dryness.
All in all, so far, so good. I'm excited for the coming weeks.
Week two: not much has changed since last week. My face seems a bit clearer but I'm attributing that to my cycle. I'm starting to get some flaky/dry spots on my face but it's nothing too major. My lips are slightly dry but I'm able to use my "lip lube" to combat it! My neck had one large nodular cyst a few days ago but it has since healed. New bumps are still popping up but I'm noticing that they aren't lasting as long as they did prior to me starting Absorica. My back seems to be clearing up along with my chest. I'm still so tired all of the time. I don't know what's causing the exhaustion but it's difficult seeing as I have a toddler that I have to chase around! I learned that my dermatologist will be out of the office when I'm supposed to start my second month so I'll have to stop taking it for a few days. Her nurse assured me that it won't change anything and that the medicine will stay in my system so it won't make a difference. I'm still kinda worried but oh well!
Stats: same
Products: same. I did want to add how/when I use the products. I wash my face every morning with the generic (Walmart) brand Cetaphil. As I stated in week one, the ingredients are the exact same as name brand and 1/2 the price. I've used Cetaphil before I discovered the generic and I will testify that they are the exact same thing. Tbh, the generic seems creamier than the name brand which I actually prefer. At night, I do the same except I remove my eye makeup with pre-packaged makeup remover cloths before washing my face. After washing morning and night, I dot CeraVe on my face/neck and then rub in. I do this immediately after washing my face to lock the moisture in. I apply the Lubriderm all over my body morning and night. In the morning, after showering, I apply CeraVe to my face and the rest of my body with Lubriderm. I've even been making sure to rub it on my shoulders, chest and back. I used to never apply lotion on those places for fear of breaking out but I don't want to be dry and itchy so I'm taking the chance. Before bed, I slather on either Lubriderm or Lavender Vanilla Sleep lotion from Bath and Body Works. I also use Lubriderm for my hands throughout the day. For my lips I apply Blistex Complete Moisture during the day and before bed, I apply a thick coat of Aquaphor. This system seems to be working really well for me. Even though I haven't noticed extreme dryness yet, I'm trying to stay on top of it so it doesn't get out of hand. My pet peeve is dry skin and especially dry/chapped lips! My scalp still isn't bothering me so I haven't done another mask. All I do for the mask is melt a few tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave and apply to make scalp and hair. I make sure to massage it into my scalp. I then add essential oil for an added burst of whatever I'm in the mood for! Last week I added a few drops of peppermint essential oil and it felt amazing!
All in all, this week has been good. I'm starting to see minor improvements and I'm still really excited to see results!
Week 3: I am constantly exhausted. No matter how much sleep I get, I can barely stay awake. This is problematic as I have a very rambunctious toddler. I was told that the fatigue would even out but it just seems to be getting worse. -_- I haven't been taking the prednisone everyday and because of that, I've noticed that I am having an "initial" breakout. It's not as severe as I was anticipating but it's definitely there. I stopped at my own prerogative and now I'm starting to regret it. I'm still not noticing overwhelming side effects. I have some dryness on my face and lips but it's not anything too crazy. My only complaint is the exhaustion. *yawns*
Stats: same
Products: same
I still haven't had any problems with my scalp being dry. I've noticed it's less oily which means I can go longer in between washes (yes!)
Pretty good week.. Hopefully I'll be able to keep my eyes open to write next weeks update!
**EDIT**
One thing that I will add for this week is that I had my monthly visitor. That could've been the culprit of my breakout or at least contributed to it.