Will be starting Accutane this week! Follow me on my journey as I update this thread every week (or at least try to)
My current skin situation: Super PERSISTENT acne. Clogged pores on my forehead, eyebrows, temples, both cheeks, basically everywhere but my chin. Sometimes on jawline. A lot of blackheads. I'm pale and therefore my skin is very prone to hyper pigmentation scars from acne. Sensitive skin and very acne prone. Extremely extremely oily skin (genetics). I use be covered in cystic acne two years ago, but since then I stopped using all acne treatments (bp, salicylic acid) and so far I just get the occasional cysts. Definitely not as severe as before and so far I'm dealing with pustule acne.
Current skincare routine:
AM: Cerave foaming cleanser
Cerave AM moisturizer with spf
PM: Clinique take the day off cleansing balm to remove my make up with a warm clean facial cloth
Cerave foaming cleanser with clarisonic
no moisturizer because my skin tends to do significantly better without it
And that's it so far! Because my skin is so oily now I'm definitely going to switch up my skincare routine once my skin dries up from the Accutane. My derm discussed with me that my treatment will most likely be 20 mgs the first month and 40 mgs for five months.
I really hope this will help some of you planning on taking Accutane, because I know before I made the big decision, I did as much research as I could. I read every thread and forum possible that related to my acne story.. I've had acne on and off for about half my life and I'm 21. My skin is the type of skin where I would find a skincare regime that works wonders but overtime, it will get used to the products and not work anymore. I've tried antibiotics, topicals like differin, bp, salicylic acid, birth control, tea tree oil, grapeseed oil, rosehip seed oil, acv,aloe vera, you name it. I tried to go vegan for awhileand that didn't change anything.I knowI'm ready for Accutane, even though my acne isn't severe, I'm just tired of finding a solution and having clear skin, but having a relapse every time..
Day 3
I haven't had any crazy side effects except being super thirsty!! I've been drinking 2 liters of water the past two days. As for my acne goes, nothing new to update. Skin is still breaking out the same as pre-accutane. I'm still oily. Haven't experienced dry lips yet or dry scalp. I worked out today and lifted. I'm hoping I won't have any unbearable body aches because I do still plan on continuing to work out throughout these next few months on accutane.
Also currently loving the aquanil cleanser so far! I'm starting to believe I'm allergic to something in cerave cleansers.. because my acne was never this severe until I started to use the cerave renewing SA cleanser and foaming facial cleanser in the summer. I have hundreds of colorless bumps all over my face since then 
I also tried the hydrating cleanser and that just burned my face terribly.
Day 8
Not much side effects still other than being very thirsty. Lips are occasionally dry but bearable. My body was quite sore after that workout from my last post, but it was also endurable. My skin and hair is still oily. I've been breaking more around my mouth and chin area which is unusual because I used to rarely get any pimples there. My left cheek and forehead improved a little bit. It's not as bumpy. My right cheek remains to be pretty bad. My eyebrows and eyelids have a few whiteheads. (i know, its weird to have acne around this area but I guess that just goes to show how oily I can be and how I'm highly prone to clogged pores)
So I'm not sure if this is my initial breakout starting because I'm breaking out around my chin which is different.. So I started on the prednisone just incase. 20mg in the morning for five days and then 10mg for four days. Its my second day taking it today and I have noticed a few monstrous zits going down already! We'll see how it goes! Also lately I've been wearing very little make up which is new because I used to pack on my L'oreal infallible pro matte or marc jacobs remarkable thinking it'll cover my acne 
well no. Just covers redness. Nothing will cover texture. EMBRACE YOUR PIZZA FACE
UPDATE: I came out of the shower and noticed a lot of dry patches around my acne.
I just started on 10 mg today. I think we have less of a chance of a huge IB since our dosages are low. I have acne in the same area and I think it is hormonal so I have tried to stay clear of sugar 100 percent, it was the main cause behind my oily skin and avoid carbs, dairy and gluten as well. A high protein diet and lots of veggies is the diet I'm going to be sticking to on accutane so I also hope that helps with avoiding a major ib! I have noticed less acne from eating this way although it hasn't been a long enough time and I'm so frustrated and upset I decided to go on accutane and also cure my hormonal imbalance with diet. Good to hear you haven't had any bad side effects though :). I hope you get clear skin!
42 minutes ago, Valerie22 said:I just started on 10 mg today. I think we have less of a chance of a huge IB since our dosages are low. I have acne in the same area and I think it is hormonal so I have tried to stay clear of sugar 100 percent, it was the main cause behind my oily skin and avoid carbs, dairy and gluten as well. A high protein diet and lots of veggies is the diet I'm going to be sticking to on accutane so I also hope that helps with avoiding a major ib! I have noticed less acne from eating this way although it hasn't been a long enough time and I'm so frustrated and upset I decided to go on accutane and also cure my hormonal imbalance with diet. Good to hear you haven't had any bad side effects though :). I hope you get clear skin!
Glad we're on this journey together & hope it works out for you too! Keep me posted! I eat very clean.. my diet really only consists of veggies and fruits. I also never touch dairy because I'm already lactose intolerant and limit my carbs as much as possible. Sucks that it hasn't made much of a difference on my skin I'm almost certain my skin issues are just genetic, because my dad had acne as well.
Sorry to hear that! I know how frustrating it is. Although some fruits like bananas can be high glycemic, the only fruit I eat is berries and only occasionally and protein is supposed to be good for balancing hormones so I try to eat basically 3 servings of veggies, one protein (chicken, salmon, or sardines (gross I know), and sometimes a carb like a little bit of sweet potato or some pumpkin seeds. I just took my second pill this morning but when I woke up my eyes were dry I'm not sure if it is from the accutane since its happened the last couple of weeks too. I also got a headache last night like literally a hour after taking my first pill. I didn't wake up with any new breakouts though, it has only been one day lol but im like preparing myself incase it happens! My mom had it too but in her 20's and not in her teens and I just turned 18 so im glad to be doing the accutane now as I've had mild acne since 12 and I'm 18 now its like mild to moderate. I also don't really get cysts, I think dairy caused the ocassional one when I did so I stay away from it completely. I also realized the last couple of days I had been eating eggs and my skin looked horrendous so I think I'm intolerant to them as well sadly. You may still be allergic to something your eating although I know its so hard to find out what it is! Keep me updated as well 
I hope the low dosage is as effective if not more effective for us.
38 minutes ago, Valerie22 said:Sorry to hear that! I know how frustrating it is. Although some fruits like bananas can be high glycemic, the only fruit I eat is berries and only occasionally and protein is supposed to be good for balancing hormones so I try to eat basically 3 servings of veggies, one protein (chicken, salmon, or sardines (gross I know), and sometimes a carb like a little bit of sweet potato or some pumpkin seeds. I just took my second pill this morning but when I woke up my eyes were dry I'm not sure if it is from the accutane since its happened the last couple of weeks too. I also got a headache last night like literally a hour after taking my first pill. I didn't wake up with any new breakouts though, it has only been one day lol but im like preparing myself incase it happens! My mom had it too but in her 20's and not in her teens and I just turned 18 so im glad to be doing the accutane now as I've had mild acne since 12 and I'm 18 now its like mild to moderate. I also don't really get cysts, I think dairy caused the ocassional one when I did so I stay away from it completely. I also realized the last couple of days I had been eating eggs and my skin looked horrendous so I think I'm intolerant to them as well sadly. You may still be allergic to something your eating although I know its so hard to find out what it is! Keep me updated as well
well, you can get a food allergy test to find out what things youre allergic to.
Day 13
Last night my skin was very itchy. Woke up to even more whiteheads all over my face. I could probably count 20 easily. Have one cystic spot thats under the skin. My lips are very dry. My skin and scalp though are more normal than dry. The prednisone was working great until I started to take only 10mgs a day my face is so bumpy and rough that it just feels like sandpaper.
As a skin picker, it's really REALLY hard to not pop these whiteheads that are so ready to come out. Ughh I've entered the dreaded initial breakout. Just need to keep reminding myself: stay positive, it'll all go away soon enough
Day 14
I notice most of my whiteheads are drying out really fast. As some spots are healing, I'm still purging with more whiteheads all over my face. But one thing I'm excited about is that I haven't washed my hair in TWO DAYS. I used to wash my hair every single day. If I even tried to miss a day.. my hair would be so disgustingly greasy. No amount of dry shampoo could save it. My face is noticeably more red and tomato looking, but I don't mind, just means the accutane is doing its thang.
My new skincare routine:
AM: aquanil cleanser
cerave AM moisturizer with sf
PM: clinique take the day off cleansing balm only on the days I'm wearing makeup
aquanil cleanser (no clarisonic, i quit cold turkey since starting accutane)
the ordinary rosehip seed oil
Day 16
Woke up with 3 new painful cysts and new whiteheads as well. My skin is SO ITCHY. I constantly feel like there are just bugs running around my cheeks and its driving me insane. On a positive note, I never addressed this but pre-accutane I had KP all over the back of my arms. I've had it for as long as I could remember. Well now those bumps seemed to have all went away miraculously.
Day 19
The corner of my lips are starting to crack and hurt. Since I've been on accutane, I've just been using my tub of vaseline for my lips. Some nights I forget to put it on and now I'm realizing I really shouldn't skip a night. Quite painful. I believe I'm at the peak of my purging period because I can't imagine it looking worse from here. It's looking pretty bad right now. I have clusters of cysts on my temples and eyebrows, one huge marble sized one on my chin, and just so many whiteheads. Whats worse is even if I don't pop my pimples, they still leave a scar.
Anyone else experiencing the initial breakout right now or is afraid of it coming, don't be =) remember it gets better and is all part of the process.
Day 22
These three weeks flew by pretty fast. Still continuing to wake up to new breakouts but its looking a LITTLE bit better. I'm just frustrated as to why my temples and eyebrows are breaking out so bad. Its like five cysts clustered together forming an army on each side. Trying my best not to touch my face so much because this could just be me spreading the bacteria everywhere. The blackheads on my nose and forehead are very prominent. I just hope they won't get clogged and form more cysts. I think I have enough actives on my face lol don't need anymore. The cysts I have right now throb pretty bad when I'm just sitting there and not doing anything. As for the tiny pimples, they come and go really fast.
Good luck on your journey to clear skin as well! Im on day 16, 10mg and my face looks horrible :(. I have weird cysts that are huge like I've never had before on my chin and I had a horrible white head break out a few days ago thats slowly clearing up but has left lots of redness. My lips aren't too dry and either is my face. Its just weird Im not that prone to cysts and I have so many right now :(. Glad that its at least looking a little better for you
3 hours ago, Valerie22 said:Im on day 16, 10mg and my face looks horrible :(. I have weird cysts that are huge like I've never had before on my chin and I had a horrible white head break out a few days ago thats slowly clearing up but has left lots of redness. My lips aren't too dry and either is my face. Its just weird Im not that prone to cysts and I have so many right now :(. Glad that its at least looking a little better for you
Omg i think day 13-21 was the worst... The whiteheads just kept coming, I never thought they could grow overnight so fast!! Literally before bed its just a baby bump and when I wake up its like a full grown pimple. They go away pretty fast though. But these cysts CAMP ON MY FACE. When one goes away another one grows in the same place. My temples are suffering the most. My cheeks and chin are calmer now. My skin isn't as dry either. I can go without moisturizer perfectly fine because my skin is just normal now. Hope your initial breakout goes away soon!
9 hours ago, Accutane123456 said:12 hours ago, Valerie22 said:Im on day 16, 10mg and my face looks horrible :(. I have weird cysts that are huge like I've never had before on my chin and I had a horrible white head break out a few days ago thats slowly clearing up but has left lots of redness. My lips aren't too dry and either is my face. Its just weird Im not that prone to cysts and I have so many right now :(. Glad that its at least looking a little better for you
Omg i think day 13-21 was the worst... The whiteheads just kept coming, I never thought they could grow overnight so fast!! Literally before bed its just a baby bump and when I wake up its like a full grown pimple. They go away pretty fast though. But these cysts CAMP ON MY FACE. When one goes away another one grows in the same place. My temples are suffering the most. My cheeks and chin are calmer now. My skin isn't as dry either. I can go without moisturizer perfectly fine because my skin is just normal now. Hope your initial breakout goes away soon!
Same! and their all in the same area just in the middle of my chin at the bottom..such a weird spot like right at the edge of my face. I wear make up so Its not even noticeable to others but their so painful and extremely red with no make up. And the majority of my breakout is located on the right of my face around my lower jaw. I have a few healing on my forehead where I usually don't break out and then my left side of my face is healing with no active pimples. Like just the right side of my face looks hideous lol its so weird. And I swear this cyst has been on my chin for like 5 days now which is weird because my skin although it breaks out so much, it heals extremely fast like a pimple goes away in a day if Its popped. And my skin is also not oily at all either like even in the morning and its not dry either, its like perfect. I also haven't ate sugar or dairy in a week so hopefully that helps and I'm willing to do it long term. I hope these cysts leave us alone soon!
Day 25
yesterday was the first day I didn't get any new pimples. Today, I woke up with angry cysts on my cheeks and blackheads on my forehead. On the bright side, the areas of my cheeks that ARE clear feel super soft!! I'm so excited for when these cysts decide to finally leave my face so I can finally feel my cheeks again. I honestly hate washing my face sometimes because it feels like sandpaper, not skin.
Day 28
I had my end of the first month appointment today at the derm. She saw the way my temples were reacting to accutane and decided to keep my dosage at 20mg. My face is actually pretty calm right now and feels pretty soft. But my temples just look awful.. Just giant clumps of cysts and whiteheads forming together. She extracted them lightly today and applied something to dry it out. She also prescribed me more prednisone to calm down the inflammation on my temples. I'm going to take them right away tomorrow morning because I can't stand even looking at it right now. I currently have a huge bandaid on both sides of my face.
patiently waiting for this ib to subside =(
Day 33
My skin's texture is actually so much softer than I expected. I have a few dry patches but nothing extreme. Call me crazy but I completely stopped moisturizing for a week now and my skin feels sooo smooth. As for as my IB, still going but definitely not as strong as week 2. After the extractions, my temples are looking so much better. Active areas on my face right now are above my cheeks and some on forehead.
Btw I'm still taking 10mg prednisone every morning. My derm advised me to take it for 2 weeks.