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My path to clear skin

 
MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 04/17/2016 1:55 am

Hi guys.. So i've decided to make a little log of what my skin is doing and what I am using. I was looking back at ALL my old posts last night and it's really interesting to create a timeline of how my skin has reacted over the past year through my derent posts. It's helped me kind of realise what has and hasnt been working. Therefore, this log will be to track and create a record on my skin for future reference.

Backstory: Severe acne breakout december 2014 over face, neck, back, chest. Went on accutane March 2015-August 2015, 20mg a day for two months, 40mg for rest. Skincare was just cetaphil face wash twice a day, no moisturiser. Skin cleared up! Was so happy!

Couple of months after my skin started getting a few tiny spots here and there, was put on Epiduo 21st October 2015 and, after checking my post history here, it cleared up my face really well. However, back and neck continued to act up and develop new spots.

Around 26th Dec I get put back on low dose accutane (20mg a day) to clear back acne for two months, then 20mg a day after.

Since then my skin has just got worse. On stopping the epiduo and resuming accutane my face has been very out of control. I assumed it was down to never really moisturising, so incorporated cetaphil moisturiser every morning and night. No real progress.I attempted epiduo again last week with cetaphil moisturiser after, but stoped the epiduo after two applications due to severe burning. I believe I put too much on.This week has been the worst, with breakouts currently on my left cheek, under my nose, my chin, my right cheek and my forehead (a place that has been clear since accutane).

i feel out of control with my skin. It's getting worse and I am at a loss.

Looking back i've realized that resuming acctane is what caused my skin to go haywire, especially on my face,so I am going to go back to the routine I used directly after accutane where my face was clear and responded well before:

AM: Cetaphil Face Wash
PM: Cetaphil Face Wash, Epiduo

I have stopped low dose accutane. I may add cetaphil moisturiser in the morning, but after using it night and day for the past week and a half I am pretty sure it contributes to my acne. Perhaps when /if the epiduo removes acne I will be able to tolerate moisturiser once a day to counteract the dryness.

My face seems to respond well to when it's dry.

However.. My skin seems more sensitive than in the past. Epiduo last week burnt a lot. Perhaps due to the low dose accutane. I applied epiduo last night OVER cetaphil moisturiser with no burning. I will apply again tonight SPARINGLY on bare skin after washing with cetaphil face wash, and likely from tomorrow start every other day to ease myself on.

I am praying my skin will respond well to this treatment, it seems like it did in the past.

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 04/28/2016 2:28 am

So... tonight will be my 13th nightly applcation of Epiduo. I've kept a log all week of my progress in a notepad.

The first few days were ok, the dryness kicking in almost instantly on the third application.

On the third night (19th) is also when a slight burning kicked in on the lower right cheek, which persisted. On the 22nd it got very intense all over my face, but I persisted. The dryness was still there.

My right cheek looks extremely bumpy and lumpy when I turn my head to the light, but in direct light it was looking /presentable/. However, the dryness and flakiness was masking a lot of the redness and acne. I was getting a lot of closed comedones on both temples and my forehead, which were previously clear. This was very upsetting. New spots were still forming.

On the 23rd I had to start incorporating cetaphil moisturiser again all over my face as it was impossible to apply the makeup I need to apply for work on the flakey and dry skin. My face was feeling very tight after washing, and both cheeks were looking very red.

On the 24th and 25th I thought I looked a bit clearer, but again my stubble and dryness was possibly hiding it. I decided to stop looking so intently in my bathroom mirror as that is a very bad light and makes my face look awful.

On the 26th I was thinking I looked a little bit clearer, again, and, unusually, the epiduo did not burn when I applied it!

However...here on the 28th, I am crying awfully and feeling so low. My skin is a bit of a disaster again today. I have closed comedones on both of my temples, and on the top of my left cheek as well as at the bottom. My left cheek and forehead were always the behaved sides, and generally clear. The right side is just as bad. Both cheeks look VERY bumpy...I can't even describe it. It's not neccesarilly acne but it's just lumpy and every pore seems clogged... Around my nose is very bumpy and a few lumps...

On top of this, my back/arms have been breaking out in closed comedones as well...

I feel so lost and alone. I can't stop crying today...I feel like this is driving me insane. It controls my life. I'm so exhausted with it... I'm spiralling into depression again. I think about my skin from the minute I wake to the minute I go to bed... It effects whether I'm happy or sad, I live in constant anxiety and fear with it.

All I want is clear skin. I'd do anything. Eat bird shit, shave my head, run around the town naked... I'd do anything. Everyone around me has clear skin, and I don't know why God thinks I don't deserve it. What did I do to suffer so badly from this? Mentally and physically... I have no strength left.

My days are spent searching for success stories online, youtube videos of people who overcome acne with the same treatments I am on, anything that can give me a glimmer of hope that I won't always look this ugly and hideous.

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MemberMember
13
(@naimur97)

Posted : 04/28/2016 10:38 am

Hey there,don't feel down.Maybe God has something better for you in the future.Who knows,you might end up with completely clear skin for LIFE.
Funny thing is that the titles of our accutane logs are kinda similar!
Do keep us updated and if possible,with pictures.
Good Luck!

honeyhon and -John- liked
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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 04/30/2016 2:06 am

Hey .. Thanks for your post, I appreciate it. I wish you the best of luck yourself with your journey, i'll keep reading.

DAY 15

Well... Today is awful.

the past couple of days the burning has stopped entirely on application which is awesome..

but, funnily enough, today I woke up with a massive rash with red bumps on the right side of my face (the stubble area near the right ear) . I don't know what it is... Allergic reaction? I'm thinking I got too careless last night with the epiduo and possibly applied too much? At least that's what i'm hoping it is... If its an allergy I have no idea what is causing it , whereas if its epiduo its likely to go soon...

i'm so upset.. I feel sick to my stomach with this. I have new closed comedones everywhere, one new pimple right in the middle of my face in between the eyebrows...

I'm at work now and so tired.. Just because i'm so exhausted of having to force myself to work everyday.. Having to build myself up to look in the mirror everyday in pure fear of what i'll see..

i've done a course of accutane... I shouldnt get acne! My brother hasnt broken out once since his accutane course. I go to work with people who get drunk every night, take cocaine... And they have flawless skin. Maybe I should just drink myself to death.

ugh.

When I look in the mirror all I see are these...bumps and lumps... but part of me isnt sure if this is /normal/ or if my skin is 100% fucked. Part of me is trying to convince myself that it's because I shave that I have all these ...bumpy texture-thingies... and that every guy has them. They're not as noticeable in direct light.. only when I flash a torchlight on my phone at an angle or stand at an angle to the sunlight... I mean it's impossible for any guy who has to shave every other day to have perfectly smooth skin, right? It's normal to have this weird texture, right?

/rant

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MemberMember
13
(@naimur97)

Posted : 04/30/2016 8:57 am

6 hours ago, Lore91 said:

Hey .. Thanks for your post, I appreciate it. I wish you the best of luck yourself with your journey, i'll keep reading.

I'm gonna follow your log too.I'm excited to see where we end up.

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 04/30/2016 8:27 pm

DAY 16

Well....

Yesterday (the 30th) I came up in a rash on the right side of my face, which has gotten worse. It's sprung up now in a cluster of very red yellowheads...

Today (the 1s) I wake up and am itchy on the LEFT side...look in the mirror and in the exact same place is a red, itchy rash...

So I called in to work and explained the situation and said I couldn't go in... they did some calling around and realised that the wig that I wear for work (I am a performer) had been washed for the FIRST TIME on the 29th! It all made sense... clearly whatever they had washed it with has caused this. My wig has quite long side-burns, and it's those places that this rash has sprung up on both sides

Work, however...have told me to come in tomorrow as today the wig-team is going to wash it with a different shampoo, and to see how it goes...

But this isn't going to go down by tomorrow! So how on earth can I check whether the new shampoo is helping or not? I'm so upset...

Typical.. I'm going through so much already with my acne and epiduo that an allergic reaction is the LAST thing I need...

I'm so so upset... I don't know what to do. I had a major panic attack this morning when I realised I had developed a new rash on the other side that I've really burnt mself out...and it's only 10am.

I look so hideous...and to top it off, my long-distance boyfriend is arriving in japan tonight to visit me. I'm not seeing him until tuesday, so I'm praying this will all be gone by then, but knowing my luck it definately won't...especially if I'm wearing the same wig tomorrow...

I may have to give the epiduo a miss tonight just as to not cause any possible further irritation...I'm probably going to just use the cetaphil face wash and leave the skin bare...

I don't know what to do... I think I'm eventually going to have to quit my job and ruin the amazing experience of living in japan and just go back to england..

MID-DAY UPDATE: So I have a marble-sized bump on my belly. It's red and really hard... I feel sick. Today is a very, very emotional day

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/06/2016 9:03 pm

So ... I'm not so good.

My skin is covered in acne, but most of them are these skin-coloured/pinkish closed comedones. My skin is a disaster. I'm going to start the process soon of quitting my job here in japan and moving back to england. An amazing opportunity lost, but it's not worth it. I cry every day, and my support network is in the UK. My skin is now entirel back to what is was pre-accutane, and i'm crushed.

When I was on accutane i only used cetaphil face wash. I'm having to moisturise now as i'm applying makeup daily, and can't help but think that maybe that's what is causing me to break out? It's cetaphil but still ... But if I don't noisturise my skin is very dry and flakey.

i've ordered cerave moisturiser instead so I guess i'll give that a go ...

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MemberMember
568
(@leelowe1)

Posted : 05/07/2016 6:04 am

Please don't quit your job. Opportunities like this do not always come around twice. If you challenge yourself to stick it out and you actually do, you would have succeeded in mentally beating acne. If you back to England, is your acne going to mentally or physically get better once you step off the plane? Try to find a derm there and see what the other options are for you. If you have not done so already, try:

going dairy and gluten free
meditation
supplements
retinoids (which may work better post accutane)

You're not alone so keep up the good fight.

Lore91 liked
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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/07/2016 8:06 pm

Thanks Leelowe... I appreciate it.

It's so hard.. I want to stay, but the job is putting a lot of pressure on me mentally. It's a lot of makeup, shaving every day, and a lot of photos and videos so we need to look 'perfect' and for someone like me with such body issues... The anxiety is overwhelming. I cry daily... But then again, if I leave i'll still have the skin issues... 🙁 i just feel so lost.

i went to a derm here last week but they literally were pretty rubbish. They prescribed me differin, but as i'm already on that (adapelene) with the epiduo, i obviously didnt start it. Japan is very gentle and behind with medicine. They dont use benzoyl peroxide out here, and accutane is baned.

What supplements would you reccomend? I just don't know what's causing this.

DAY 23

so tonight will be my 23rd application of epiduo. I didn't apply any moisturiser this morning as it tends to just make my skin look worse, never sinks in, and gives me this oily feeling.. However I am SO flakey that i'm very embarrassed. Obviously the acne looks died down because it's covered in white flakes, but still..

It's odd. When I used this before after my first accutane course I was not dry really at all. I never used a moisturiser and my skin cleared up (i only went back on accutane as it kept flaring on my back). It seems like my skin responds best when it's dry, but this dryness is ridiculous..

One thing that I thought about was the fact that obviously moisturiser does ny remove the flakes or dead skin from your face... So does that mean that it's literally just like glueing the dead flaks to my face and causing clogged pores? I'm still so unsure about moisturising in general... I went my whole accutane course without one and was fine, but everyone says you HaVe to use one. My derm said it would break me out, and personally i'd rather be a bit dry than spotty but...

I received my cerave foaming face wash and moisturising lotion and cream this morning. I will try the face wash tonight and see how it goes. Hopefully the lack of sls will make a difference. I will likely try the moisturiser very sparingly tomorrow just so see how well it dries compared to cetaphil. They both have fatty acids which i'm scared is whats making my skin not like the cetaphil, but the cerave also has a lot more beneficial ingrediants like ceramides.

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/10/2016 2:56 am

Day 25

So... I've been using the CeraVe foaming face wash for the past two days... it's definately drying.

I haven't used the cerave cream all over my face yet, but I feel like I might tonight... My skin is very dry and flakey, that I need to use a moisturiser now.

However...I have broken out awfully on my face on my temples and a couple on my cheeks... as to whether this is the new face wash I don't know... I just feel like epiduo is just not working at all. I've not noticed any improvements, just flakiness and dryness, with even more acne springing up in places that I never usually break out (my temples/forehead)

My skin is so out of control I'm at a loss of what to do...

I want to start using a proper skincare routine, but moisturising scares me so much.. it just seems so counterintuative to put moisture on your face when you have acne -- and my previous derm told me to NEVER use a moisturiser as it WILL break you out...

I feel like the dryness kind of 'hides' my redness as well, as in the dead skin is kind of creating a white cover that hides what's really underneath.

I just don't know what's causing my skin to be like this.. is it because it's dry? Is a moisturiser really really neccesarry? Or was my derm right?

I'm debating whether or not to apply my cerave cream all over my face tonight after my Epiduo or not... I mean... really, the epiduo should stop me from getting any new breakouts, but it's not really working right now... As well, it seems like I'm so flakey that a moisturiser would simply trap dead skin to my face? Ugh... so many questions that I just don't know the answer too!

Either way... skin is a disaster. Red blotchy, tens of spots all over my face and irritated patches.

Sigh...

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MemberMember
23
(@alex9945)

Posted : 05/10/2016 11:26 am

8 hours ago, Lore91 said:
Day 25

So... I've been using the CeraVe foaming face wash for the past two days... it's definately drying.

I haven't used the cerave cream all over my face yet, but I feel like I might tonight... My skin is very dry and flakey, that I need to use a moisturiser now.

However...I have broken out awfully on my face on my temples and a couple on my cheeks... as to whether this is the new face wash I don't know... I just feel like epiduo is just not working at all. I've not noticed any improvements, just flakiness and dryness, with even more acne springing up in places that I never usually break out (my temples/forehead)

My skin is so out of control I'm at a loss of what to do...

I want to start using a proper skincare routine, but moisturising scares me so much.. it just seems so counterintuative to put moisture on your face when you have acne -- and my previous derm told me to NEVER use a moisturiser as it WILL break you out...

I feel like the dryness kind of 'hides' my redness as well, as in the dead skin is kind of creating a white cover that hides what's really underneath.

I just don't know what's causing my skin to be like this.. is it because it's dry? Is a moisturiser really really neccesarry? Or was my derm right?

I'm debating whether or not to apply my cerave cream all over my face tonight after my Epiduo or not... I mean... really, the epiduo should stop me from getting any new breakouts, but it's not really working right now... As well, it seems like I'm so flakey that a moisturiser would simply trap dead skin to my face? Ugh... so many questions that I just don't know the answer too!

Either way... skin is a disaster. Red blotchy, tens of spots all over my face and irritated patches.

Sigh...

I think i have been saying this to you, but Epiduo sucks. Try getting Clindoxyl instead, way more effective and you will see results within a week.

It is true that some moisturizers can clogg the pores if you pick the wrong ones. But your skin needs moisture to be in balance and if you don't apply it your skin will just produce more sebum.

Have you tried doing peelings yourself?

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24
(@bellacat)

Posted : 05/10/2016 10:24 pm

I totally understand. i've been on 2 1/2 courses of accutane in 4years. the last course one has made things worse at this point. i know my acne is hormonal, I'm a young female so maybe that differs from you, i messed around with spiro and it ruined my face. right now I'm struggling with closed comadones that become inflamed easily and turn in bad pimples. i use aloe - lily of the desert on my face when it needs to heal of calm down,that helps a lot. i would recommend it. it's one of the only things I'm sure doesn't cause me to break out more. for flakey skin i use a gentle aha or gentle washcloth then moisturize. I know how depressing and hopeless this can feel. there are people out there that care and that can relate - myself included.

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/11/2016 11:50 pm

Unfortunately I am out of the country and have no access to my derm, or most prescriptions. I have no access to Clindoxyl I'm afraid 🙁 But I'm glad it worked for you, and I'll keep it in mind for next year.

Hey Bellacat, I'm sorry to hear that your struggles with acne are continuing. 🙁 It's a shame that accutane and spiro haven't worked for you, as they seem to be the cure for the majority. I'm also sturggling with a lot of these closed comedones that just never seem to go.

Oh Ihave used this lily of the desert before, and actually found that it dried very fast and very matte. Maybe that's something to consider ordering actually... thank you for your support!

DAY 27

Tonight is my 27th consecutive application of Epiduo.

Yesterday I felt very down... I had a bunch of closed comedones around my nose and my right temple that just weren't budging. I woke up today and was relieved to see that around my nose had seemed to go down a touch, but my right temple is still just as bad.

I've been patch testing the cerave moisturising cream on my forehead for a few days now with no adverse reaction, so today after my shower applied a very very little amount over my whole face by applying it to my hands and then patting it over.

It's actually dried very matte, and doesn't make me look very shiny. My redness seems a bit lessened today, but that could be down to staying in yesterday and not being exposed to sunlight/wind/other factors.

I do, however, have a lot of redness and splotchiness on my right cheek... In daylight I can see some bumps, but they're not spots nor comedones... it's almost like they're rolling scars that I never had before? I can't really explain it... I'm thinking that maybe it's always been there and I've just never noticed due to the dryness/flaky skin covering it up. It's weird... but I'm trying to ignore it.

My cheeks look very bumpy in general... but again, like above, it's not neccesarilly acne, as it is just my face looks... congested? As if I have all this crap under my skin, or rolling scars? It's... odd...

So I've been using the Foaming Face wash from CeraVe for five days, and just introduced the moisturiser. I'm going to keep using them and hopefully it will help my skin out. I so want to love moisturisers, and be convinced they won't harm my skin.

My current routine is :

AM: Wash with water in the shower, CeraVe moisturising cream
PM: CeraVe Foaming Face Wash, Epiduo, CeraVe moisturising cream

I want to find a face wash and moisturiser that work great so I can finally move on in my skincare. It's starting to get very hot here in japan, so I'd love to start patch testing sunscreens soon . Fingers crossed!

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/18/2016 12:54 am

DAY 33

Tonight will be my 33rd application in a row of Epiduo.

I have to say that I definately prefer the CeraVe cream to the cetaphil...it absorbs a hundred times faster and doesn't leave me feeling greasy.

I'm still so down... I just don't understand my skin. What I'm coming up in isn't neccesarilly pimples, per say. It's more like my whole skin texture is just very bumpy and uneven, with a couple closed comedones and a LOT of redness. I have a bunch of red bumps that appear. Right now Ihave a few on my right cheek... they're very red, and slightly inflamed... but I'm not sure if it's a pimple? Sigh.. it's so hard.. when I tilt my head to the light I just see how uneven and bumpy my skin tone is.

I am INCREDIBLY dry and flakey... my skin feels very tight and raw, and the epiduo is burning a lot at night again, especially after I apply the moisturiser after application.

I'm just so confused... my cheeks are so patchy and red and uneven, and I'm thinking that it's very possible that the epiduo is hindering rather than helping... it's causing my skin to just get dry and irritated..

The bunch of closed comedones I had surrounding my right temple dissappeared almost instantly after I started applying cerave cream to them...which makes me think that maybe my problems really are caused by how dry and irritated my skin is.

I'm very tempted to start applying the Epiduo sparingly every OTHER night, rather than every night, to see if my skin calms down or not. It's scary though incase I do break out in just more pimples from not using it every night..

In all honesty though, using it every other night as opposed to every night surely can't be that much of a difference.

Tonight I think I will skip application and see how my skin feels/looks.

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MemberMember
24
(@bellacat)

Posted : 05/18/2016 10:22 am

Are you still taking low dose accutane also? Because that contributes to dryness in a huge way

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/18/2016 7:52 pm

9 hours ago, bellacat said:

Are you still taking low dose accutane also? Because that contributes to dryness in a huge way

Hey! No, I stopped my accutane prior to this.

i'm just thinking that my skin has probably been dry for so long that the moisture barrier is compromised.. But i was always under the impression that dry skin doesn't break out? It's odd..

i skipped epiduo last night and still woke up with a very flaky face. Going to skip application again tonight, possibly for a few days, until my skin can stabalise. I'm permanantly redfaced and my skin seems so congested.

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28
(@fadedjay)

Posted : 05/19/2016 9:44 am

listen to your skin i have been on epiduo before and it can be harsh i didn't use to use moisturiser and night the first time round and it took about 6-7 weeks for my skin to adjust.

Second time round i used it with a moisturiser and took around the same amount of time for my skin to show a difference.

one thing about it i found was if i drank alcohol or got dehydrated it would make my skin so much drier due to the epiduo and my skin would flare up with clogged pores and whiteheads

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MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/20/2016 3:36 am

Thank you. I just dont feel like the epiduo is doing much.. My general skin condition is very bad, dry red and bumpy.. I feel the epiduo is hindering. It's not like I necesarilly have /acne/ as it is a bunch of closed comedones, and these red inflamed bumps. Hardly ever get whiteheads. I just dont know whats causing it.

i'm incredibly down today.. My makeup doesnt even conceal the redness, and my right cheek has come up in more dry red bumps and this massive like.. Red scratch line thing that has been here for a good couple of weeks now ... Its not acne, i have no idea what it is..

i think im going to end up leavingjapan. My job involves wearing a lot of makeup and fake prosthetics such as a fake nose which is really effecting me. I also have to shave daily which is just not helping .. Sigh.. I cried heavily this morning just looking at myself. I've developed a phobia of mirrors, i live with this constant anxiety of looking at myself. I hate myself. All i want is clear skin, it's the only thingg holding me back

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(@kimber607)

Posted : 05/20/2016 6:31 pm

Im just reading what is going on with you, and im sooooo sorry!!!!
Its devastating to go through 6+mnths of accutane and still break out!
Always scary because the biggest fear is the breakouts getting worse and winding up the same or worse than pre tane
I broke out in small spots my ENTIRE accutane course (6 mnths)...I hoped it was due to irritation and I would stop breaking out after tane..but that didnt happen
I would get 3-4 small red bumps a week and they would go away in 1-3 days
My skin texture is awful and my skin is horrible sensitive..I cant tolerate any rx to prevent breakouts or OTC meds
I begged the derm for spiro and that is when things went from bad to worse...I woke with MULTIPLE spots a day and developed a horrrrrible cysts on my chest and a smaller one on my neck when I NEVER EVER had body acne before in my life
My derm said it was coincidence but i didnt think so and after 6 weeks stopped spiro
Crappy part is I expected y skin to go back to how it was pre spiro but it hasnt...im getting more small spots than ever
My derm put me on oracea (low dose antibiotc)..its been 3 weeks and it hasnt helped at all
She also wants to try differen..but every RX has caused more irritation/burning

Im also very bummed and at a loss and my oil came back..but im dehydrated..makes no sense!

My demr is opposed to low dose tane and that was going to be my next step..but after reading your post Im afraid!!!

any chance the epiduo could be the culprit?

GL
and hang in there
kim

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214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/23/2016 11:06 pm

Hey Kimber, thanks for your post.

It's so horrible just seeing your ski deteriorate... you just live in this constant cycle of pure panic that it's just going to continue to get worse and worse until your face is desrtoyed...

I'm sorry to hear that your skin has been problematic as well... My skin texture, too, is awful. I'm very red and sensitive, and I have almost these permanent rashes that never seem to go on my cheeks.

As for the low dose tane... I'm just not sure...

I keep looking back at when my skin was the best, and that was when I was on the accutane and was just washing my face twice a day with cetaphil face wash. That was it.

It seems like the low dose tane didn't seem to really help, but coming off of it has seemed make my progress even worse. I'm just at such a loss.

I'm reconsidering just starting the low dose tane again and seeing how I fare after a couple of months... I mean... I started on 20mg a day before I left the country, and then lowered down to 20mg a week, but was only realy on that low dosage for two months... I mean.. it's almost like my skin was perhaps slowly going through that purging stage, and then I stopped it because it was getting worse.

It seems that when I tried to incorporate more 'helpful' products like moisturiser, it just made my skin worse. I'm at a loss... i'm thinking that maybe I should just restart the low dose again and give it more time, start from square one and see how it goes?

Also.. as you were breaking out during your accutane course, I assume you've ruled out product reactivity, right? Perhaps all this time you've been reacting to an ingredient in your product? I mean accutane is a miracle, yes, but if you're just constantly reapplying the same irritant to your face, your face will respond regardless? For me I just stuck to cetaphil face wash 2x a day during my course. Yes... I got incredibly dry at the beginning, but then my skin just seemed to...adjust, and I was normal.

I'm not sure if I should start 20mg a week again, and just ditch all products and go back to cetaphil 2x a day...

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MemberMember
24
(@bellacat)

Posted : 05/24/2016 6:03 pm

How long were you on the low dose initially? Just curious. Recently I took 20 mg accutane everyday for 4 months - no improvement but bad side effects such as dryness, mouth ulcers, chelitas, rashes etc. so I stopped I also think of going back on when I feel hopeless with my current routine. I've notice accutane always brings my closed comadones to the surface so they are much more visible on my face. I'm not recommending you go anyway on this just giving my experience.

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214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/25/2016 2:40 am

Hey Bella.

I was on a full course which ended August 2015, My acne then started to come back and in december I was put on 20mg a day until I moved country and from arounnnnd february 17th to april 17th I was on 20mg a WEEK. So only two months of the low dose - which now I'm realising is probably nowhere near long enough.

I came off of it as I thought my skin was maybe breaking out due to irritation from the accutane, but since coming off of it my skin has gotten continuously worse...

As for you... 20mg for that short of time is not going to be a substantial course. Maybe lower down tojust 20mg every other day instead?

I've come up in this weird...red...rash/scratch thing since I stopped my low dose accutane on my right cheek. It's very red and very noticeable. I thiiiink it's my seb derm flaring up. Previously, accutane was the ONLY thing aside from sunbeds that controlled my seb derm.

Also... since stopping the epiduo my face has gotten INCREDIBLY oily... it's weird. Before I was always just normal/dry, so this oil is very noticeable and uncomfortable. Not sure what it is..

I've decided to just continue with my low-dose accutane. It seems that conventional skincare just isn't working for my skin, and makes me feel worse. Yesterday I took my first 20mg pill and will take 40mg a week, so two pills a week. I will carry this on for as long as I see fit...hopefully it will finally clear me with minimal side effects.

So...today is DAY TWO of my low dose accutane. I'm praying to god this will help me.

I'm going back to my skincare routine when I was on accutane last time, which is just cetaphil face wash 2x a day. This is what cleared me before and I was so happy. Here's hoping it will work again...

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(@kimber607)

Posted : 05/25/2016 7:30 pm

On May 24, 2016 at 0:06 AM, Lore91 said:

Hey Kimber, thanks for your post.

It's so horrible just seeing your ski deteriorate... you just live in this constant cycle of pure panic that it's just going to continue to get worse and worse until your face is desrtoyed...

I'm sorry to hear that your skin has been problematic as well... My skin texture, too, is awful. I'm very red and sensitive, and I have almost these permanent rashes that never seem to go on my cheeks.

As for the low dose tane... I'm just not sure...

I keep looking back at when my skin was the best, and that was when I was on the accutane and was just washing my face twice a day with cetaphil face wash. That was it.

It seems like the low dose tane didn't seem to really help, but coming off of it has seemed make my progress even worse. I'm just at such a loss.

I'm reconsidering just starting the low dose tane again and seeing how I fare after a couple of months... I mean... I started on 20mg a day before I left the country, and then lowered down to 20mg a week, but was only realy on that low dosage for two months... I mean.. it's almost like my skin was perhaps slowly going through that purging stage, and then I stopped it because it was getting worse.

It seems that when I tried to incorporate more 'helpful' products like moisturiser, it just made my skin worse. I'm at a loss... i'm thinking that maybe I should just restart the low dose again and give it more time, start from square one and see how it goes?

Also.. as you were breaking out during your accutane course, I assume you've ruled out product reactivity, right? Perhaps all this time you've been reacting to an ingredient in your product? I mean accutane is a miracle, yes, but if you're just constantly reapplying the same irritant to your face, your face will respond regardless? For me I just stuck to cetaphil face wash 2x a day during my course. Yes... I got incredibly dry at the beginning, but then my skin just seemed to...adjust, and I was normal.

I'm not sure if I should start 20mg a week again, and just ditch all products and go back to cetaphil 2x a day...

I hear what u are saying
I have tracked ingrediants
Ive tried all natural products (trying to avoid anything possible acne causing...)
Ive tried complex routines and the most simple routine...
I have a few ing I avoid but other than that pre tane, on tane and post tane..I get multiple small spots a week

Good luck with the low dose....fingers crossed~
kim

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(@snarkygirl)

Posted : 05/25/2016 8:40 pm

Hey just letting you know I've checked out your posts and I really hope you feel better and see real progress lately!

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(@lore91)

Posted : 05/31/2016 11:22 pm

I'm sorry Kim... it's so frustrating to just not know what else to do! I always wish that someone would just tell me what to do... if someone said, Oh it's this exact ingredient, I'd never use it... it's this exact food, I'd never eat it...if I had to eat bird poop every day I would! I just don't know what to do :(Sigh...

Thank you so much snarky, I really appreciate it.

So today is day 9 and my THIRD accutane pill (20mg).

The past two days I had an AWFUL breakout all around my nose, my left temple and left cheek. It's died down considerably but is still very bad..I'm hoping that maybe this is some kind of IB and now I'll start to progress..

Today I noticed that under my nose had some flakes (where I flaked a lot my last time on accutane) so I'm noticing that maybe the accutane is already taking effect.

As for my skin.. well it's still awful and I still feel so so upset... I don't even know what it is. It's not neccesarilly like I'm covered in visible red/white heads... it's more that my entire texture is bumpy, red and blotchy - almost like it's terribly congested all the time. It's not even like closed comedones... it's just all bumpy and rough and horrible.. I don't know what to do, and feel like I'm goingto be stuck looking like this forever..

HOWEVER...I could kill myself. So.. I own an electric braun shaver. I got it last december (2015) and noticed that a lot of my acne went away, clearly from shaving with a blade. It was great... The braun comes with it's own cleaner so you don't have to clean it manually, you just put it in this machine and voila.

WELL...I've never owned a razor and am very newbie-ish when it comes to stuff like this... SO NO-ONE TOLD ME YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE BLADES! I hadn't replaced the blades/head/foil for 16 months! SIXTEEN! Is it possible that all of this irritation and bumpy/redness on my cheeks is caused by continuous shaving rash/irritation? I bought a new head the other day and hopefully will start noticing some considerable changes in the state of my skin. Here's hoping....

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