Hi guys! My name is Quinn and I am currently a 21-year old female struggling with hormonal/prolonged acne mainly of the face, neck, and upper back. I will post a before picture later this evening.

My acne is not cystic and relatively mild in comparison with extreme cases; however it is also extremely persistent and consistent. After trying everything (literally everything) from my skin routine to my prescribed treatments, my dermatologist and I found it in my best interest to begin "accutane", in my case Claravis at 30mg. I will be taking 2 capsules once a day for 5-6 months.

I am currently on Day #2:
Spot Location:today my forehead is clear, as usual. The pores on my nose and surrounding areas are large, some contain black heads. My large spots are on my cheeks, around the sides of my mouth, and on my jawline/upper neck. I can also feel a few spots on the back sides of my shoulders.
Symptoms:My stress level is high and my sleep hours are minimal. Fortunately, there is no shift in my mood, at least that I can tell, as a result to my new meds. I am naturally upbeat so I am crossing my fingers that I do not get hit to hard with excess sadness, depression, etc.So far, no noticeable change in skin (no dryness, excessive redness, etc). I have been peeing frequently, but this could be related to my water and coffee intake, which is higher than usual today.
Environment:I am right in the middle of finals week. Currently: in my campus library.
Diet:Im a moderately healthy eater and exercise approx. 4 times a week. It is 1:18pm and I have consumed 1.5 liters of water, half of a black Starbucks iced coffee, one banana, half a bag (1/2 cup or so?) steamed brown rice, two eggs, one cup of spinach, and a large handful of almonds mixed with chia seeds. I am also about to eat a Quest bar as a snack.
Skin Routine/Makeup:I washed my face this morning with Cetaphil daily cleanser. I usually use a Cetaphil moisturizer, but anticipating related dryness, I used a Neutrogena Deep Moisturizing Day face lotion with 20spf. I am still not confident with my skin, so I put on face makeup before heading to the library. I use a Clarins spot concealer and the same brands powder foundation.

I hope this blog is helpful to anyone in my same boat!
Fight on friends,
Quinn