Just Do It!!

30/y o female

BEFORE STARTING: 8-20 pimples or scabs on my face at any given time all bright red, 45 minute makeup routine

started Feb 20, 2019 - 40mg
2/24 -- extreme abdominal pains, turned out to be dehydration
2/27 - ONE WEEK - 40mg
skin redness has gone down, huge texture improvement
skin around eyes and nose is tender
bacne is *gone*

3/20- ONE MONTH - 40 mg
painful bumps around my cheeks/eyes/mouth - similar to/probably milia but very red

4/20-TWO MONTH - 60mg
skin clear for about a week at a time then (around period) v bad breakouts, good days are a 25 minute makeup routine bad days are 45 minute

5/20-THREE MONTH - 60mg
skin very sensitive, easily scabs, still breaking out around period pretty badly

6/20- FOUR MONTH - 80mg
skin *amazing* - 1-3 pimples or healing pimples on face, pigmented scars fading fast on face and entirely gone on back, some redness ("accutane glow") and tanning very easily even with spf100, 15 minute makeup routine, extremely sore joints and muscles (back and hips especially)
6/26-27 extreme abdominal pain and dehydration for two days (didn't drink enough water at work the 25th)

7/20- FIVE MONTH - 80mg
extremely sore joints and muscles, one breakout at the end of the month, old scarring incredibly reduced, skin very easily scratched/scarred all over body

8/20- SIXTH MONTH - 80mg
small breakout on chin and back (4 pimples total) around period, severe muscle soreness/joint pain (feeling like a grandma when I move), no more pigmented scarring, very reduced crater scarring, NO makeup routine other than eyes/brows when I feel like it (5 min)
8/28 - dehydration and stomach pains/nausea, mild/moderate but gotta keep up on hydration during these hot summer months!

9/20- SEVENTH MONTH - 40mg
*Starting Korean 10-step skincare for funsies; first time EVER to have a skincare routine not based around acne!
9/9 - a couple clogged pores/blackheads around chin when I started an exercise routine
Going without makeup almost every day, SO LIBERATED.
Half dose has heavily eased the side effects of joint pain, can finally move again!!

10/9- FINAL PILL

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So first off I completed almost 8 months of treatment, my final dose will be October 9th and my doctor put me on the half dose for my last month to mitigate the severe muscle and joint soreness that plagued me month 4-7. Even with that side effect, I can not recommend this medication enough. I tried every skincare product, vitamin, routine, diet, you name it. I had my hormones tested, I had allergy tests, it was honestly just genetic (my dad and my sister both suffer.) Over ten years I probably spent thousands on trying everything, trying nothing, trying chemical, trying natural, etc. So when my skin kept getting worse and worse and my 30th birthday was looming near so I finally decided to try Accutane.

At first I was afraid, we all heard horror stories of the awful side effects but the more research I did on sites like this, the more I learned that the mental side effects really only affect a small portion of people and honestly I always got depressed when I had bad skin, how can I say I don't want to take a pill that may do the thing I already do??

So I took the plunge. I paid out of pocket which was about $350 a month which included dermatologist visit + medication (not counting the insane amount I paid for bloodwork the first two months -- I think $400 each) but if you have insurance it is wayyyyy cheaper and honestly $350 a month was so fucking worth it for (potentially) a lifetime of clear skin ahead. I've spent far more on products over my life, and let me tell you Accutane was worth the splurge and then some.

I've written a summary log on my monthly experience so you know what you might expect month to month. The one thing I'd like to reiterate is DRINK SO MUCH WATER I had several days over the treatment where I had crazy abdominal cramps because my stomach couldn't digest without the amount of water I needed. I just made sure to fill my 16oz water bottle at least four times a day and have another bottle if I was more active. Oils like MCT oil, olive oil, or omega oils are also great to add to food to keep the tract lubricated, plus accutane dissolves better in fats.

I stopped drinking for the firsg two months but then I did drink a bit throughout my treatment (I worked at a bar) but I found capping myself at three beers OR two cocktails and no more than twice a week was fine (as long as I had a full glass of water for every single drink). That being said it goes against doctor recommendation and I'm a sturdy 150 pounds so if you're a tinier person you may not wanna risk it (though fun fact, not drinking made me lose so much weight/inflammation!! why not just cut it out for a few months right?)

I also picked at my skin pretty bad before Accutane and though I wasn't able to go cold turkey on that, you definitely do not want to use your nails!! I have several scars just from doing exactly that which I will now probably need microneedling to get rid of. If you absolutely need to pick and can't get yourself to stop, use a super soft hand towel to very gently put pressure around the zit.

As for products to use, avoid anything with alcohol or fragrance or anything non PH balanced (~5.5 is ideal PH for face.) For cleansers (face or hair) don't use anything that foams or a gel, go for a cream or balm. I tried a ton of products but a small handful of cost effective products became my saviors.

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The routine that worked best for me:

+daily face
Cerave cream cleanser
Cerave Moisturizing Cream
Neutrogena SPF 100 (even when indoors, seriously)
Aquaphor on lips and inside of nose (reapply lips constantly)

+weekly face
Lush charcoal scrub "Dark Angels" exfoliant (scrub v gently!)
Korean sheet mask with hydration focus (and no alcohol!)
--- Tosowoong brand is my favorite - keep em in the fridge for extra soothing effects

+shower
Neutrogena sesame oil (skin AND hair)
DevaCurl "no poo" no-foam shampoo (once/twice a week tops!)
soapless loofah to exfoliate oiled body (once a week)
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I will update my review after a few months off Accutane, but honestly this medication has changed my life. I know it sounds shallow but it's not just about how I look, it's about being able to sleep in for an extra hour, go to a pool party, wear backless dresses, take photos without wishing to retouch them, wear makeup FOR FUN instead of function, fall asleep at a friend or partner's house ... it's a new lifestyle.

If you have tried multiple acne cures, if you are depressed or self conscious because of your skin, or if you feel constrained by acne in any other way, do yourself this favor. Start this journey. Don't wait until you're 30 like I did, just do it :)

Just wanted to give a quick update on life after Accutane!

First off, having normal lips again is pretty amazing :P I've heard a few stories about people having a breakout in the month following their last dose but I was lucky! I did get a couple small pimples near my hairline but that was more to do with getting back into the swing of shampooing regularly again. Also they healed soooo quickly, which is another thing I missed about having non-paper skin lol. I'm basically constantly surprised to see myself in the mirror with no red bumps or healing scabs -- and even the pigmented scars are completely gone. The crater scarring I have is mild but I do plan on getting micro-needling done at some point (my derm warned me I'd need to wait at least two months for my skin to fully recover from Accutane before going in for something like micro-needling.)

Again, I couldn't recommend this more to anyone who is fed up with persistent acne that won't respond to other treatments - mild, moderate, or severe. I did end up playing around with some fun Korean products but aside from adding in a mild chemical exfoliant and an occasional night creme, I've actually ended up sticking to my CeraVe moisturizing cream + sunscreen routine. If anything changes in my acne status, I'll give y'all an update but otherwise my vote is still two thumbs way up for this treatment.

I figured I would throw an update since I've seen some instances of people needing another round after a year or two but luckily I have had incredible skin since finishing my treatment -- even through 2020 and the pandemic! I get small pimples sometimes around my period (like so small they barely even pop) but zero acne, zero bacne, zero rackne and it's made a hugeeee difference in my everyday life. I don't wear skin makeup anymore aside from maybe under eye concealer sometimes, my skin tone is super even and no scarring on my back even (I had v bad bacne before!!)

I'm able to use skincare products that aren't exclusively for acne prone skin, I don't worry about stress triggering an outbreak, and I can even skip washing my face some days if I am in a rush and there are no consequences. Once again, can't recommend enough :))