Hey everyone,
I've been lurking around these forums for years now, and reading about everyone's experiences with Accutane has been really helpful for me finally making the decision to go through with it. So, I'd like to give back and keep a log of my use (probably a weekly update) that might hopefully be useful to others in the future.
A bit of a background:
- I've never had severe acne, it's mild-moderate but definitely stubborn. And my acne is on my face only.
- Dry skin
- My forehead is perfectly clear but my cheeks and chin breakout at least every other day (mostly in whiteheads)
- Tried doxycycline (I think it was for 5 months), epiduo, benzyl peroxide, differin 0.1% gel - nothing really helped.
I weigh 45 kilos so my dermatologist thought it would be best to go for the low dose (20 mg) once a day. I've got a 30 day supply now and after a month I'll do the blood check again and if all is well he said he could then give me enough for 3 more months. I currently use Cetaphil face wash and Clinique's anti- redness solutions cleanser and I think I'm just going to stick with those, and I bought Aquaphor skin balm to moisturise throughout the day. Today was my first day of taking Accutane and I'm REAAALLLYYY worried about the initial breakout phase 
But at the same time trying to be optimistic 
Week 1:
So my first week was kinda uneventful, it didn't really feel like I was on any medication (and I did make sure to take each dose after a fatty meal). I got a pimple on the edge of one of my eyebrows andon my right cheek ablind pimple (I think that's what it's called) that later turned into a whitehead... nothing new to me. The only significant change to me is I've been feeling more drowsy/sleepy and taking naps more often, so I just keep myself busy and it's fine. My scalp is also starting to itch a bit which is annoying. No headaches, joint pain, nosebleeds, or anything of that sort. My skin hasn't dried out, however since this morning (day 7) my lips started to get chapped more often - the change literally happened overnight which is interesting. Another noticeable thing is no breakouts around my chin although I got my period. Not sure if it's due to the Accutane or just a coincidence.
TBH I was hoping I'd get the initial outbreak over with sooner rather than have it creep up on me later on during the course. I guess since I'm on a low dose (20 mg/day) I'm going to have to wait a bit longer.
Will keep you posted x
Week 2:
Just popped my 14th pill last night 
My acne hasn't been improving nor worsening -- it's just, meh. I got two new whiteheads the other day but I have a strong feeling they were due to the Nutella brownies and waffles I ate the day before. Obviously I should be avoiding sugary and dairy foods but I couldn't help but cave in, oops, never again! This morning I got a small whitehead on my chin and a couple of tiny bumps on the other side of my chin. They don't show unless I look really closely in the mirror. I think it's too early to decide if they're from the Accutane or maybe just any new skincare product I'm using or something I've eaten.
During the beginning of the week my skin didn't feel significantly more dry however I did start to notice a difference the past 2-3 days. The area around my mouth has been flaking a bit and I even saw some on my right eyelid. I also got my eyebrows threaded and the lady told me to moisturise my eyebrows lol. My nose is also starting to feel really really rough! I'm so tempted to exfoliate but everyone says it's not safe to do so whilst on Accutane soo I don't know. The Aquaphor skin balm massively helps lock in moisture, but it makes my skin too shiny/greasy, so now I only put it on as a night cream. I'm also applying a thin layer of sudocrem every now and then because apparently products with zinc help calm down redness, and I have many blemishes from previous acne. My lips also keep getting drier each day - it's kind of exciting for some reason haha (I guess it satisfies me knowing the medicine is doing its job). But both my skin and lips haven't reached the point where they're unbearably dry or cracking yet. I'm also still experiencing the fatigue from last week which is a bummer since my final exams are coming up. Other than that I'm all a-okay, no horrible side effects.
That's pretty much it for week 2, no signs of an initial breakout yet.
PS: Some people say generic vs. brand isotretinoin play a role in how your body absorbs the drug. Now I don't think this makes sense since it's the same active ingredient buuut just for future reference: I'm actually on the UK version which is Roaccutane soft capsules (Roche).
On Ž15Ž/Ž05Ž/Ž2016 at 4:21 PM, dubutofu said:I have to say we have a pretty similar acne history (mine is stubborn as hell), though mine was/is also on my back. I really hope you will be done with accutane after one round and that side effects don't affect you strongly. Good luck!
Ohh yeah this has been worrying me lately because lots of people say that low dose Accutane for a long time means my chances of relapsing are higher, but I'm willing to see how it goes anyway. Thanks for your kind words!
Week 3:
Days 14-17: Skin was looking so beautiful! Everyday was a "good skin day". It was flat and looked quite matte, I didn't have any actives, the redness was minimal, and my overall complexion was much more brighter and healthier (well, for someone who has acne). My excitement must have jinxed it all because my skin then started acting up 
Oh well, it was fun while it lasted
Days 18-20: Two huge whiteheads showed up together on my right cheek, close to each other and surrounding redness so that doesn't look good and it's hard to cover with makeup. also got one smaller whitehead a little bit above my jaw which was painful at first but then dried up quickly. I got a blind pimple on both my chin and the bridge of my nose (weird location) that's starting to look more visible. My chin also has more of these little white dots I mentioned last week. I have no idea what they are and this is the first time I ever get something like this. The best description I can think of is imagine the blackheads on your nose, but white and a little bit more raised. They're very very tiny little white bumps that don't show unless I look very closely in the mirror. Does anyone know what these are? My nose also had blackheads which wasn't an issue for me before. I ended up exfoliating every other day which helped.
Day 21: Small raised pimples (one on my chin, two on my cheeks, one around my lips) are forming.
I've introduced jojoba oil to my regimen this week so I'm going to stop that for now, just to see if the new breakouts are Accutane related or from the oil...
Side effects: More dry lips, they look wrinkly. And my t-zone has been flaking a LOT. To be fair I have been getting lazy lately when it comes to drinking water though, so that's gotta change.
Alright, that's all for now 
9 hours ago, dubutofu said:These little dots happened to me when I started using tea tree oil and disappeared aweek or two after I stopped. It's probably good to stop using jojoba oil for a bit since it seems to be the cause of it. :3
Thanks for letting me know! Yeah I'm going to stop using it and watch out for any changes.
Week 4:
Hey @- dobutofu you were right. After I stopped applying the Jojoba oil, those little white bumpy things on my chin reduced after one day and then went away completely the day after. Phew!
However the rest of my skin has gotten worse. The two whiteheads died off but then I immediately got another one in it's place. I also now have a whitehead the other side of my cheek that turned yellow 
And another whitehead on my other cheek and a new one on my chin. There's also a new red bump on my chin. The one on my nose bridge is getting bigger than ever. I also got a whitehead at the edge of one of my eyebrows. My skin is also flaky and my lips are getting more chapped - they're starting to feel sticky and uncomfortable.
As usual I'm never quite sure whether my skin acting up is a sign of initial breakout or other factors. I guess the next week or two will make things more clear - I'm going to resume taking just 20 mg/day for the rest of the summer.
Week 5:
I really don't know how to describe my skin anymore 
it keeps having it's ups and downs. I got two tiny pimples that dried very quickly but then three more a day later (all on the left side of my face). The big pimple above my nose somehow split in half to two pustules (I think that's what it's called) or whiteheads? I still exfoliating my nose once or twice a week with a very mild scrub and it helps control the blackheads.
Last night I came back home after not seeing my family for 6 months and no one said anything about my skin neither that it looks better nor that it looks worse so I guess that's a clear indication that the Roaccutane still didn't really kick in? Tbh my dermatologist did tell me to start on 40mg a day but I just want to keep patient. I hope I don't regret it.
And last but not least - LIPS. They're so annoying because they're constantly chapped and I can't stop biting away the dead skin.
Week 6:
Good: Chin is considerably smoother/less bumpy and I stopped getting whiteheads altogether(on chin andthe rest of my face)!
Not so good: still breaking out in other red pimples, they're small and on my cheeks, it's like everyday is a bad skin day unfortunately.These parts of my skin looks very red and angry. It's not the facial flushing some people experience while on Accutane but it's more like all the red marks I previously had look much darker... thank God for makeup
Side effects:
Yesterday, I felt some weird burning sensation on the space between my upper lip and nose that lasted for an hour or so and then went away. And at the same time I had a very very light patch of dryness on my upper left arm, it just felt itchy and there was some flaking.
My skin stopped flaking though ever since I came back home, maybe because the weather is hotter? Different water I wash my face with? No idea
Lips look so shrivelled up and when I open my mouth widely the sides hurt a bit, and when I first wake up in the morning they feel super tight like they're being pulled.
Week 7:
No breakouts this week (except for one tiny one that isn't a whitehead and quickly became a scab), I just realised I haven't had blackheads or pores for a while either. YAYY! There's still lots of redness though. Apparently Accutane thins the skin, making marks/scars more noticeable which definitely sounds like what's going on with me. Because even though the acne is clearing up, my skin itself doesn't look good, and the fact that I have a pale skin tone doesn't help either. In any case foundation application is much better because my skin is flat and smooth with no bumps
That burning thing on the space above my upper lip happened again and there was a little bit of flaking going on there this time. And I got some more itching on another location on my arm, it's not bad but the area has some white flaking and red spots kinda like a rash for 2 days. Lips continue to feel and look weird.
That's all for now!
My mom asked me "why does your face look so red" though, hahaha :'(
On Ž04Ž/Ž07Ž/Ž2016 at 6:30 PM, Boston Shore said:Kudos!! Results under 10 weeks, that's pretty amazing! Good for you.
Thank you so much! To be honest I sometimes wonder whether the improvement in my skin really is due to the Accutane or the different water from country to country I use to wash is better for my skin (I travelled at the end of week 5).
Week 9:
I did get some tiny whiteheads or pustules on my cheek but it might because I've been wearing lots of heavy makeup lately and focus on my cheeks much more than any other area. I've also been less cautious about the cheese/milk I eat.
But all in all my skin is improving compared to pre-Accutane and weeks 3-6.
Week 10:
I got maybe 2 or 3 pimples on my cheek but idk what they're called. The ones that are deep inside the skin and never really come to a head then disappear on their own. Most importantly, no whiteheads!
Weeks 11-12:
Very happy with my skin these two weeks, no pimples WHATSOEVER 
, but a couple of side effects came up now that really startled me --
My period was 14 days late this month 
and I got quite a heavy nosebleed, first one ever in my life. My lip dryness toned down but the insides of my nose are really dry ("dry nasal mucosa" is one of the common side effects) which makes my nose feel heavier and breathing through my nose uncomfortable. Also nowadays whenever I tweeze my eyebrows a little bit of blood comes out and it looks nasty.
I just can't wait until I'm done with my course and can be able to do microdermabrasion or chemical peels or dermaroller because it's annoying how even when I don't have acne there's still a lot of redness.
