So I thought I would start an accutane log to share with people my ongoing experience, in hopes that one day my story will inspire other people in a similar situation as me. So brief summary about my horrendous ongoing battle with severe onset, cystic acne.
I started to develop severe acne when I was around the age of 18/19 - It has basically destroyed every part of my life for the past 5 years. I have tried diets, skin care regimes, cleanses - wasting a harrowing amount of money on different ''cures''. All to no avail. I know there is a underlying problem but Im just so tired and depressed with it all that I don't even have any fight in me to persevere for an answer. This is where accutane comes into the equation. I have exhausted pretty much every other possible solution other than this powerful drug. Getting prescribed it was possibly the best feeling iv'e had in a few years, just to have that hope in your mind that maybe one day you will finally have decent skin.
So quick skin update - there isn't a patch on my face that isn't covered in horrible, cystic, inflamed, red acne - that hurts to the touch, and hurts my face when I move it. It's absolute torture. So iv'e been on accutane for 2 weeks now exactly and here's my log -
Week 1 - No major side effects and no change in skin whatsoever. Skin isn't dry, lips are absolutely fine, no joint pain etc. Guess it takes a long while for the body to adapt.
Week 2 - Well. What an absolute shit storm of a week. Now, Im not sure if i'm at my initial breakout stage already, however my face has never been this bad. I got sent home from work early today because I just couldn't cope. My hair is so long and scraggly due to me having so much acne on my forehead that I need my hair to cover it up. I'm really hoping this is an accutane flare up because if it's not, then Im well and truly screwed. Other than that, no real other side effects of note. Skin has gotten far worse, no extreme dryness, some around my nose. No dry lips either as of yet which is strange. Will keep you all posted. It's so tough.
It'll be a tough ride but if you stick with it you'll be 100% clear in the end! Just remember to moisurizerize from day one, even if it feels silly to due to excess oil, because your skin will dry up dramatically and will need the moisture. Also, it's a good idea to exfoliate your lips about every other day once they begin to chap.. As well as your face. I didn't do this until my 2nd round.
Good luck man! You got this!
ps: Be ultra gentle when exfoliating your face. The tretenoin will make your face super sensitive while you're onit (even if it doesn't feel sensitive at first). It's not absolutely essential to exfoliate but I experienced better results WHILEtaking the drug the second round when I chose to gently exfoliate. I didn't exfoliate or moisturizemuch during the first round (due to lack of information and advice)and my skin turned super ashy and scaled over.. It was pretty gnarly, but still got excellent results in the end nonetheless. Just wanted to give a couple tips to hopefully make the grueling months a little easier! And yes, most people experience an initial breakout, so don't let that bring you down as it usually subsides rather quickly if considering how long your skin has been in the condition it is in... After all, years of damage cannot be reversed over night. Be patient and feel free to ask any questions you may have!
Week 3 - Same shit storm as last week however Iv'e managed to remain at work all this week so far which is good I suppose. Still getting new painful extremely large cysts, old acne is taking forever to bloody heal and most aren't even acne anymore just hard lumps. No improvements as of yet. Side effects beginning to kick in slowly however, especially the dryness. My nose especially is becoming extremely dry and flaky, and for some weird reason my forearms are too. My ears even feel dry inside when I clean them (which is odd). Hopefully will start seeing some slight improvement soon.
Just a brief update on my skincare regime and vitamins, also: Cleanser AM & PM: Eminence Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser Moituriser AM & PM - Eminence Clear Skin Probiotic Moisturiser
50mg Zinc L-Lysine - 2000mg Vitamin E 2000iu Vitamin D - 20,000iu
Not sure if maybe I need more or less vitamins/supplements and/or a different skincare regime and products. Please comment recommendations if so 