So it's day 45 on accutane and I'm still waking up with cystic below-the-skin acne, as well as smaller, sometimes painful whiteheads. I'm so bad with picking at them too, I just think they look so gross! My skin is worse now than it ever was before accutane. I read that the less severe your acne is, the less severe your IB will be - clearly this is not always the case! I'm experiencing almost 0 side effects minus kinda dry lips. Is my dosage high enough? Is this normal/what can I do to fix this?
I am on day 48, so just about where you are. My skin has been at a standstill the last few weeks, with no major progress. I had a rough initial breakout the first few weeks, but now it's just back to a few new zits each morning and evening. I'm on 70mg per day. I'd say just relax and know that pretty soon everything will start to go away. We probably won't care how we looked now when we have clear skin within the next couple months! Hang in there
I can't believe it's almost been 2 months on accutane already!
I'm pledging to myself to not pick at my face for a few days (at least, hopefully I'll just stop completely) but I work on Saturday and I really hate having to cover up all the bumps and scabs and redness. Hoping my skin will start getting smoother soon, I literally feel like a reptile or something. I hate going to work when it's this bad because my job involves greeting people and talking all the time and it's hard not to think about my acne all the time and what other people must think of it. Hopefully if I stop touching it the redness will go down at least.
Also, can moisturizer make you break out? I never moisturized before accutane and I'm afraid its making my skin gross. OK BYE
Okay yeah so that didn't last long.. I keep waking up with huge painful ones still... on my cheeks and jawline. The whole lower half of my face is just in so much pain. I really think my dosage must be too low... I'm barely experiencing side effects other than slightly * dry lips. Like I barely even have to use my aquaphor. I feel like this is wrong, idk what to do, someone help please 
I'm on about 0.5mg/kg right now. It's almost been 7 weeks now, no improvement. Still awful.
Being on a low dosage too, I only moisturize the dry spots on my face. Honestly, people are always preaching about moisturizing on accutane but I mean, if your skin isn't dry, then I'd say don't. Only use it if you need to. My skins been doing fine without moisturizer, and even prior to accutane I never used one.
On 12/9/2017 at 1:19 AM, Accutane123456 said:Being on a low dosage too, I only moisturize the dry spots on my face. Honestly, people are always preaching about moisturizing on accutane but I mean, if your skin isn't dry, then I'd say don't. Only use it if you need to. My skins been doing fine without moisturizer, and even prior to accutane I never used one.
omg yes thank you. I literally never used moisturizer before accutane and i always feel like it makes my skin worse when i do. what about polysporin/neosporin? I've heard good and bad reviews
DAY 54??? Maybe 53 I'm not sure... But yeah, still breaking out. Like basically 0 improvement. I've got bumped to 40mg on Saturday though, so hopefully that starts to make a difference sooner rather than later. Surprising that my skin wasn't awful to begin with (just extremely persistent, I tried EVERYTHING) but now it's just EXPLODING. The lower half of my face has been destroyed and STILL breaks out every day, on my cheeks and jaw line and such. So bizzare. Hoping it calms down soon and I can start to work on healing up this stupid scarring. I'm so bad with picking at my pimples. Especially when my face has never been this bad, every time I see a new one forming I just want to get rid of it!!!! Ok, goodbye for now, I'll probably check in again next week or so after a bit more time on the 40mg!
M20, 40mg, started with mild persistent acne. And my IB is(WAS) hell. Worst skin ever, tho I didn't started with "bad" face...
2 weeks in and it all started. It's now day 80 and it's finally clearing. Second month was very bad, I know how you feel, I felt the same. I also thought I'll see results after being 2 months in, but it's happening now, at day 80, so just hold on a little bit and it will get better I promise!
This is necessary for clear skin, just focus on the days when you'll have perfect skin! Wait 20-30 days and you'll walk into new year with better skin!
On 12/13/2017 at 9:18 PM, accutanerookie said:omg yes thank you. I literally never used moisturizer before accutane and i always feel like it makes my skin worse when i do. what about polysporin/neosporin? I've heard good and bad reviews
DAY 54??? Maybe 53 I'm not sure... But yeah, still breaking out. Like basically 0 improvement. I've got bumped to 40mg on Saturday though, so hopefully that starts to make a difference sooner rather than later. Surprising that my skin wasn't awful to begin with (just extremely persistent, I tried EVERYTHING) but now it's just EXPLODING. The lower half of my face has been destroyed and STILL breaks out every day, on my cheeks and jaw line and such. So bizzare. Hoping it calms down soon and I can start to work on healing up this stupid scarring. I'm so bad with picking at my pimples. Especially when my face has never been this bad, every time I see a new one forming I just want to get rid of it!!!! Ok, goodbye for now, I'll probably check in again next week or so after a bit more time on the 40mg!
I only put the teeniest spot of neosporin on my popped pimples because its so exposed to the air and bacteria
On 12/15/2017 at 3:23 PM, kvn88 said:M20, 40mg, started with mild persistent acne. And my IB is(WAS) hell. Worst skin ever, tho I didn't started with "bad" face...
2 weeks in and it all started. It's now day 80 and it's finally clearing. Second month was very bad, I know how you feel, I felt the same. I also thought I'll see results after being 2 months in, but it's happening now, at day 80, so just hold on a little bit and it will get better I promise!
This is necessary for clear skin, just focus on the days when you'll have perfect skin! Wait 20-30 days and you'll walk into new year with better skin!
this is reassuring, even though it sucks haha... but yeah im just finishing 2 months and my acne has been its worst ive ever had it! I can't wait until it starts to clear because my confidence is at an all time low... mine was the exact same though, it started getting worse about 2 weeks in and just kept progressing! Were there any ways you coped with the breakout or tried to reduce it's severity? looking for any tips/tricks at this point aha... I've tried polysporin and tea tree oil recently.
Hang in there!
Has your skin stopped producing oils yet? If so, I would recommend washing your face less often. Personally, washing with no oils made my skin look redder and spots take longer to heal (kind of like a plaster keeping a graze wet), and it felt unnecessary to wash as often. Also, accutane seems to work by drying out the skin and letting the acne dry/flake off, so I would recommend using as little moisturiser as possible (only enough to stop flaking or a tight feeling), to get the acne to the drying out phase asap. My derm said to avoid oily/thick moisturisers, which is the opposite of what some recommend.
Other than that, try to use minimal products and let the accutane do its work, which it should eventually!
4 hours ago, accutanerookie said:On 15. 12. 2017 at 9:23 PM, kvn88 said:M20, 40mg, started with mild persistent acne. And my IB is(WAS) hell. Worst skin ever, tho I didn't started with "bad" face...
2 weeks in and it all started. It's now day 80 and it's finally clearing. Second month was very bad, I know how you feel, I felt the same. I also thought I'll see results after being 2 months in, but it's happening now, at day 80, so just hold on a little bit and it will get better I promise!
This is necessary for clear skin, just focus on the days when you'll have perfect skin! Wait 20-30 days and you'll walk into new year with better skin!this is reassuring, even though it sucks haha... but yeah im just finishing 2 months and my acne has been its worst ive ever had it! I can't wait until it starts to clear because my confidence is at an all time low... mine was the exact same though, it started getting worse about 2 weeks in and just kept progressing! Were there any ways you coped with the breakout or tried to reduce it's severity? looking for any tips/tricks at this point aha... I've tried polysporin and tea tree oil recently.
I was in your position for real! No confidence at all, still very low, as I have some red marks and maybe 2-3 spots. I was also looking for ANY ways to reduce breakouts or hide them or whatever, however, only cure is TIME. I havent been anywhere for 2 months.. No parties, no social meetings, no gym. Now you can imagine how low my confidence was (is).
There is nothing we can do about initial breakout. It will pass. Dont pick. If you pick it can only get worse.... Try to reshedule any important metings or social events for now... This is the only thing you can do. It sucks so much. You just want to get out there and live life, and you just can't. I get you...
Time heals all wounds. Stay strong my friend. I'm also still fighting. We can do it.
edit: if you're finishing 2nd month, you can expect improvement soon. Week or two and you'll definitely see improvement! Hang in there.
On 12/21/2017 at 2:17 PM, kvn88 said:I was in your position for real! No confidence at all, still very low, as I have some red marks and maybe 2-3 spots. I was also looking for ANY ways to reduce breakouts or hide them or whatever, however, only cure is TIME. I havent been anywhere for 2 months.. No parties, no social meetings, no gym. Now you can imagine how low my confidence was (is).
There is nothing we can do about initial breakout. It will pass. Dont pick. If you pick it can only get worse.... Try to reshedule any important metings or social events for now... This is the only thing you can do. It sucks so much. You just want to get out there and live life, and you just can't. I get you...
Time heals all wounds. Stay strong my friend. I'm also still fighting. We can do it.edit: if you're finishing 2nd month, you can expect improvement soon. Week or two and you'll definitely see improvement! Hang in there.
Ah man, I really hope so. But I'm totally in that position!! I do all my workouts at home, I avoid social events or gatherings, even avoiding boys asking me out because I used to be kinda pretty and I feel like my face now will just disgust people. It makes me paranoid that I'm like one of the 2% of people that doesn't react to accutane or something aha... The uncertainty gives me so much anxiety! I'm on day 63 or so now, and currently breaking out on my cheeks (which has yet to happen). But my face is definitely drying out, it'll get flakey during the day. Work is the worst though, because I can't avoid it. Just hoping it'll slowly start to get better soon. I'm going to Jamaica with my family in 2 weeks (ish) and all I want to be able to do is take pictures of myself without tearing up every time, or be able to look in a mirror one morning without hating what I see. Why is it so much worse? I thought if your acne was only mild, that the IB wasn't supposed to be as bad... Did this all happen to you as well?
On 12/21/2017 at 0:52 PM, dw75 said:Hang in there!
Has your skin stopped producing oils yet? If so, I would recommend washing your face less often. Personally, washing with no oils made my skin look redder and spots take longer to heal (kind of like a plaster keeping a graze wet), and it felt unnecessary to wash as often. Also, accutane seems to work by drying out the skin and letting the acne dry/flake off, so I would recommend using as little moisturiser as possible (only enough to stop flaking or a tight feeling), to get the acne to the drying out phase asap. My derm said to avoid oily/thick moisturisers, which is the opposite of what some recommend.
Other than that, try to use minimal products and let the accutane do its work, which it should eventually!
Thank you! I try not to moisturize too often, maybe once a day but I've also read that not moisturizing leaves your pores open to new bacteria. So my mom is convinced that I might still be breaking out because I am reluctant to moisturize... I've also heard that lack of moisturizing convinces your face to produce more oils to compensate, so it can make your breakouts worse that way too. I generally use very sensitive products on my face (just cetaphil moisturizer and cleanser) only in the morning and night. My face is definitely dry though, it flakes most days yes! How long have you been/were you on accutane?
Yeah man I started with mild acne aswell. And my IB was nothing I imagined. Horrible. I'm still recovering from it, it getting better everyday. That horrible IB I believe stopped at around day 75 or so. Now still isn't all clear but difference is like day and night.
You're starting month 3, hold on a little and you can expect changes in 2-3 weeks. Accutane will definitely work man, don't worry! It just has to push all these pimples out first. I haven't been in the gym for 2 months. And I've been going to the gym for 2.5 years straight, every day. Now imagine how bad I felt... Can't wait to start again after new year. I also don't go out with my boys. I just can't.. I've been often told how attractive I am. But with acne? Hell no, I know how bad it looks...
I hope we will beat this shit finally! Nobody deserves torture like this! Stay strong and pm me if you want to talk more! 
19 hours ago, accutanerookie said:Thank you! I try not to moisturize too often, maybe once a day but I've also read that not moisturizing leaves your pores open to new bacteria. So my mom is convinced that I might still be breaking out because I am reluctant to moisturize... I've also heard that lack of moisturizing convinces your face to produce more oils to compensate, so it can make your breakouts worse that way too. I generally use very sensitive products on my face (just cetaphil moisturizer and cleanser) only in the morning and night. My face is definitely dry though, it flakes most days yes! How long have you been/were you on accutane?
23 weeks, just over 5 months. I've been off for 4 days now, hoping I stay relatively clear! Do what you feel's best and I'm sure you'll be fine!
Day 64: I'm experiencing a few more side effects now ... the backs of my hands are becoming increasingly dry. I'm hoping this means it will start to show improvements on my face soon! Are there any indicators that tell me if I'll start seeing results? Anyone noticed anything in particular? Thanks!
When my side effects started to increase (the dryness) I had to moisturize couple times a day and it was the only thing that helped me. As for the results, mine started to show 4 months after I started taking the med and before that I was going nuts! Patience is the key when using roaccutane.
On 24. 12. 2017 at 6:28 PM, accutanerookie said:Day 64: I'm experiencing a few more side effects now ... the backs of my hands are becoming increasingly dry. I'm hoping this means it will start to show improvements on my face soon! Are there any indicators that tell me if I'll start seeing results? Anyone noticed anything in particular? Thanks!
No expectations - no disappointment. I was in your mindset few weeks ago and when any pimple showed up again I was depressed. Think of accutane progress like this:
So even if you think you're not progressing and getting results, your progress line is always going up. Good luck
Day 68: Christmas eve and Christmas Day were awesome! My face was healing, I had no new active zits and the redness had gone down significantly. The next day (Dec. 26) was pretty good too, it was the first day in like 2 months that I'd been able to go to work without feeling AS self conscious the whole time. I work in retail, so I see my face in the mirrors every time I'm near the fitting rooms which is always a downer. But that day, it wasn't so bad! Then the 27th I woke up with 3 large painful ones, under the skin, right in the places I thought might be healing... So that sucked. I picked at them before work because they're easier to cover up that way (when they're not mountains on my face). I know I shouldn't pick, but the days that I work are the worst for my confidence and the painful ones make it so much harder to go 6 hours in public without feeling like I can't even look at people. Anyways, they're healing today and the rest of my face isn't too bad. No more painful ones this morning. I used hydrocortisone cream for the backs of my hands and that seemed to have helped. Everything is flaking and getting so dry! That's all for now, adios amigos.
so.. it's day 88 now. for a while now I've been pretty good.. my IB really started to clear up over the past 2 weeks or so. my skin has been feeling really smooth lately and not really any crazy breakouts. still worried about scarring, but hopefully I can find some tips and tricks to help with that at the end of my treatment. but basically why I'm here is because I broke out so crazy today 8 pimples on my face this afternoon and I have no idea why... I worked out at the gym recently with makeup on (which I haven't done in a long time) so maybe that could be contributing? I am still not comfortable enough to go to the gym in public without makeup on yet... I also drank for the first time since going on accutane on the weekend so I'm not sure if that would make any difference at all either. Anyways, pretty discouraging seeing as though I am almost 3 months in. I am hoping my doctor ups my dosage on monday, I am still currently on 40mg a day. havent noticed any side effects really, besides the odd day where my lips are dry (its not even all the time). ugh. k bye everyone
Day 97 boyz!!! Breakouts have gone down significantly from the atrocious IB, I still get 1 or 2 a day though. Not big, but annoying enough. My biggest concern is scarring now... I moisturize religiously and am very good with my routine but I don't know how to even start treating these scars. I would be so upset if I went through all of this to have nice perfect skin and only have it end up worse than it was originally because now my face is destroyed by scars... help?
12 hours ago, accutanerookie said:On 27. 1. 2018 at 9:02 AM, kvn88 said:Give it time. Keep doing what you are doing and then if scars stay there, you can always talk with your derm about getting them removed once you finish accutane.
How is your skin coming along now? What month/week are you into?
4 months 5 days = 18 weeks 1 day = 127 days for me
I'm pretty much not getting new spots anymore now. Just mild red marks that are still fading. But it's looking very good!
I'm over 4 months now... still getting the odd cystic spot and im really sad. red marks everywhere from scarring. so self conscious about my flaking skin throughout the day, its so hard to hide and i feel so disgusting. starting to lose hope. this whole journey has been nothing but a 4 month heartbreak. i feel like my face is destroyed now. idk what to do.