Notifications
Clear all

Accutane Journey - Stephen

MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 02/06/2017 11:59 pm

I'm starting accurate (hopefully tomorrow, pharmacist told me my pills would be in then) and am going to do a daily log to track progress. I'm pretty sure it's a 6 month course, so there should be +- 180 updates in this thread. 

I never had super severe cystic acne but i've tried everything. Multiple creams and oral treatments, OTCs (I use BP as a spot treatment, only thing that has slightly helped), and even went all natural with essential oils and the caveman regimene but nothing has cured it. 

Once or twice a month ill get an episode of 1-2 cystic pimples, always on my chin or forehead, nowhere else. 

First photo is pre-accutane. 

Here's to a long 6 months, hopefully all clear by the end!

IMG_9174.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 02/09/2017 12:01 am

Day 2 of accutane. Nothing really new to report, small pimple on right side above my lip that came to a head and I popped. Cystic bump above eye is getting a bit smaller but appears more inflamed. Getting another large bump around the left side of my temple. Acne around mouth/chin mostly same. 

IMG_9354.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 02/09/2017 10:35 pm

DAY 3:

Woke up to a few whiteheads this morning that kinda oozed out in the shower. Had the two mini-cysts above my eyebrow and on my temple start oozing and now they're red and irritated. Two new small ones on my cheek and the others came to heads and I squeezed on them a bit. Seems like all the puss came out but now they're redder than before. A really bad habit of mine. 

No side effects so far. Hoping that this is my initial breakout and it doesn't get much worse. 

IMG_9383.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
2
(@acneprone22)

Posted : 02/10/2017 9:56 pm

What dose are you on? I just started my second month on absorica - 40mg.

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 02/10/2017 11:46 pm

I'm on a 40mg a day dose. 

DAY 4: Noticably drier skin coming out of the shower. Started to flake off. Going to have to start using moisturizer. 

Little less redness from the mini cysts. Small new pimple on lip. Lips still aren't dry yet. 

IMG_9420.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 02/11/2017 11:53 pm

DAY 5:

Noticable dryness in my nose. Had a nosebleed in the shower. Lips are starting to dry a bit, skin is drying up a bit as well. 

Red marks from the mini cysts on forehead are fading down a bit but two new actives around my lips. Still have a patch / cyst on the one side of my temple. 

Face is also more red after getting out of shower. Going to start moisturization soon. 

IMG_9421.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 02/12/2017 11:52 pm

DAY 6:

Going to be doing a weekly pictureinstead of daily. Daily results can vary too much.

Feeling the side effects kick in. Had to start using chapstick (Aquaphor) and moisturizer (cetaphil). I am ridiculously sore after going to the gym, way more so than pre accutane. Lower back hurts so bad.

Had the pimples around my mouth all come to heads today. Think it's my IB. Took a shower and most of the puss came out so now they're healing. One mini cyst on my forehead dried and peeled off so that's good.

Looking forward to week 2!

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 02/23/2017 12:20 am

2 WEEK UPDATE:

Noticing some slight improvement on my cheeks but my forehead is having quite the episode. Been getting small cystic clumps around my temples / above eyebrows and a few right below my hairline. Never had forehead acne this bad (even though it's not awful). 

I can feel a blind pimple coming on my chin and I have a few whiteheads every few days around my mouth. 

Dryness of lips / inside nose is in full effect. Also have some pretty awful back pain when I bend down and stand up. 

I think I had my IB but i'm not too sure because it's not the worst breakout I've ever had. Hoping to see the forehead clumps clear up by the end of the month. 
 

IMG_9708.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 03/03/2017 12:19 am

Day 23 (3WK 2Day) Update:

Had my IB last week. Got clusters of smaller cystic acne groups around my temples. A few others here and there, had a cluster of small blackheads kinda cluster up around the top of my cheekbone on the right side of my face and they popped and it looks much worse than it really is. 1-2 active spots on my left temple, 1 on the right side temple. 

A few other spots showed up around my mouth / chin but went away in 2-3 days. 

Hoping to have some of the spots heal up quickly. 

IMG_9947.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 03/09/2017 12:40 am

1 Month Done!

My forehead is going crazy...I've never had so much acne on my forehead before. It's awful right above the eyebrows. The pic is from two days ago and I had some more spots appear but they came to heads really fast and oozed out. 

IMG_0155.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
2
(@acneprone22)

Posted : 03/09/2017 10:10 pm

How long are your pimples lasting? I noticed mine take forever to clear up

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 03/18/2017 11:37 am

Swore I updated this :/ 

1 1/2 months in. 

20mg, twice a day. So 40mg a day. 

Im noticing the sides of my face and around my mouth are starting to look a little less textured and they're smoother. Also, the skin in between my eyebrows is incredibly soft and clear. 

Now - the bad!
Forehead has been the #1 source of breakouts throughout my treatment. I've gotten little patches of individual pimples which will cluster together and turn into larger ones which take forever to go away. 

Its not as bad as my initial breakout but by far the worst part of my face. If my forehead was clear and the rest of my face stayed the same, I probably wouldn't have had to go on accutane. 

Anyways, as far as side effects go:
Dry lips
Dry skin around mouth and forehead 
Dry shoulders and neck
Red spots on my arms, looks like some sort of excema but moisturizing takes care of it. 
Minor back pain. 

Hopefully month 2-3 will start clearing up. Hoping to go on higher dosage, I as that lower doses have a higher chance of recurring acne. 
 

IMG_0383.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 03/22/2017 9:29 am

Day 43 Update:

Had another pretty bad breakout. Forehead and around the temple / cheekbone on the right side of my face, can't really see it too well in the picture. It's actually clearing up surprisingly fast. I stopped using BP as a spot treatment and I think it's allowing my skin to heal faster. 

Really hoping i start clearing up even more as i'm expecting to be put on a higher dose which will probably make me breakout again... :(

Oh well. this is the best my skin has been since starting accutane (except for week 1 because accutane hadn't kicked in yet, lol). 

IMG_0472.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 04/07/2017 11:07 pm

Two month update -

(this pic is fresh out of the shower so my skin is redder than usual in some spots). 

My forehead has drastically cleared up from the initial breakout. The sides of my face have broken out more than i've had before but it's not too bad. I only have two "cysts" on my face, one on the left side of my face and another my forehead, but they're shrinking in use and will probably be gone in a few days. I haven't had any new spots on my chin or above my lips for weeks now which is great. 

My skin feels much smoother and less textured. 

I still have dry lips but it's bearable. I apply chapstick (Aquaphor or Burts bees) a few times a day and it's fine. 

I cleanse and moisturize with Cetaphil twice a day. No spot treatment. 

I am am on 40mg daily but am expecting my derm to bump me up to 60 or 80 when I ds her in a week or so, as I've been on 40mg for the first two months. 

IMG_0927.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
23
(@tranceaddict)

Posted : 04/11/2017 3:56 pm

Looking good! In my experience, and from reading countless blogs, ~day 80 is where most people see real progress so for you to be clearing up already after only 2 months is encouraging! Stay positive, it only gets better from here, and just in time for summer :)

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 04/17/2017 4:51 pm

Day 69 Update: 

Sorry for not updating more often. I often forget about this. It was an up and down past few weeks, had some small cysts pop up near my cheekbones that finally went away, but then I have these two really, really red spots on the left side of my face which you can see. One came to a head and like the idiot I sometimes am, I popped it and now there's a layer of skin missing and it's raw and red. The other hasn't come to a head yet but I've learned my lesson and just gonna ride it out. Also have a really painful one on my left jaw. It's not a cyst and it's not big at all, just really painful. 

Still on 40MG a day. 

Really really hoping to start having some noticeable clearing! 

IMG_1398.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 04/21/2017 9:58 am

Day 73:

Feeling good about my skin for the first time in a while. I have a pretty big pimple on the left side of my face as you can definitely see in the picture. I have a few small ones that are fading away on my forehead. NO cysts! :) 

I think the clear-ish skin will be short lived though. Just had my dose increase from 40mg a day to 60mg. Usually people breakout after a dosage increase. Preparing myself for the worst :( 

Side effects are the same. Dry lips/skin, some joint pain. 

IMG_1560.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 04/24/2017 10:09 am

Mid week update, (day76)

This is a 34 day difference. Pretty crazy how much my forehead has improved. Just comparing pictures to see the difference and it's definitely some motivation to keep sticking it out. 

IMG_1579.JPG

IMG_1580.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 05/06/2017 2:24 pm

Day 88: 

Feeling pretty good. One noticable pimple on the right side of my forehead but that just came to a head and oozed away in the shower. The majority of my face has no active pimples. I have two small cysts, one on my neck (never had acne on my neck before...?) and on the lower portion of my left jaw. They aren't red or inflamed at all though which is good. I just have a lot of spots that are red / healing and scarring / hyperpigmentation at this point. Feels pretty good for being basically halfway done. 

:) hooray
 

IMG_1833.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 05/26/2017 12:21 pm

Day 108:

Looking back on this thread even a month and a half ago is crazy. So much improvement. 

I woke up with two new spots on the left side of my forehead. They're pretty small, but I'm till getting spots halfway through month 3. No more cysts/nodules since last month though. 

I still have some noticable acne on the sides of my cheekbones and temples. They're not bumps, just red irritated marks (not scarring). Hoping that subsides pretty soon. 

Im up to 80mg per day. Side effects are dry lips and skin, nothing else. 

IMG_2572.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
4
(@andrear)

Posted : 05/27/2017 1:51 pm

your skin looks good! congrats.
A. x

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 06/01/2017 10:04 am

Day 114:

Went to the beach for 4 days, pretty much in the sun the entire time. Just lathered myself in sunscreen and I was fine. The spot on the left next to my nose was previously a big pimple and popped a while ago, but I guess there was a blackhead that didn't come out and just sat under my skin for a while. It came up last night and I squeezed it out so I'm dealing with the red mark but it's whatever. No more big active acne on my face currently (a few small ones but they fade in and out daily), just dealing with a cyst in my back. It's strange, I'm clearing on my face but getting acne on places i didn't before (neck/back). 

80MG per day

Dry lips and skin, nothing else 

I apologize for the awful pic lol, morning bed head and bad lighting 

 

IMG_2827.JPG

Oh I also got my ears pierced and forgot Accutane might mess with that. Should i be fine or should I take them out and re pierce later?

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@swc-1998)

Posted : 07/11/2017 8:49 am

Month 1 (initial breakout) VS. Month 5.

I have no words. I'm not gonna lie and say my entire life revolved around Acne and I had ZERO confidence, but acne was definitely something that was on my mind everyday. I don't know when, but somewhere along the way i stopped looking at the mirror everyday the first thing in the morning, looking for new spots. Now I look for where scars are fading :) 

Face has zero active acne. Just pigmentation / scarring. Still getting 1-2 small pimples on my back / neck but am hoping it'll go away this last month. 

Cheers to being acne free *knock on wood* :)

IMG_3702.JPG

Quote
MemberMember
1
(@artemis_aurora)

Posted : 07/14/2017 5:41 am

Congrats!!! Looking great!!

Quote
MemberMember
164
(@juwalker)

Posted : 08/08/2017 4:35 pm

Amazing results. Really pleased for you!!!

Quote