POSTED UNDER Accutane REVIEWS
28 Year Old Female Suffering from Acne Since Age 12 - Fresno, CA
ORIGINAL POST
I'm a 28 year old female whom has had mild to...
AcraAugust 9, 2015
$20
I'm a 28 year old female whom has had mild to moderate acne since age 12. I've tried a vast array of options to combat my skin. I have spent many years trying the natural approach, such as elimination diets, herbs, vitamins, supplements, teas, exercise, lifestyle changes, etc. with little to no benefit. I've tried nearly every over the counter acne treatment that I could afford as well as prescription topicals including Epiduo, Aczone, Finacea, Retin A .8%, Onexton and finally Tretinoin cream .025%. I've even tried natural approaches to skin care such as manuka honey, apple cider vinegar, jojoba oil, etc. I've pretty much exhausted all of my options. I don't drink alcohol nor do I smoke anything. I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle, get plenty of sleep and try to keep my stress levels down (I'm a stay at home mother of a 3 year old son, so that can be difficult at times). The only thing that has ever brought me any significant amount of relief has been birth control pills, specifically Ortho tri cyclen lo, Beyaz and Safyral. I'm back on Beyaz now, but it hasn't had the same effect as the last time I took it.
After nearly 17 years (I'll be 29 this month) I have had enough of the emotional and physical toll acne has taken on me. I have cried more times over my acne than I have any other aspect in my life. It has drained me, stolen my joy and robbed me of so many different life events. While my acne isn't severe it alternates between mild and moderate and is always ever present. My problem areas are my chin and forehead. My cheeks and nose are pretty clear.
As a last resort, I decided to try Accutane or rather Absorica to try to defeat my acne once and for all. I started taking 50mg a day of Absorica last Sunday, August 2, 2015. I take 20mg in the morning and 30mg in the evening and if all goes as planned I'll stay on this dose for 6 months. So far things are going well. No real side effects just yet. Many of my clogged pores are becoming inflamed, so at the moment I have a lot coming to the surface. My pores seem to look rather large for some reason and my skin is actually a little more oily than normal. Other than that things feel the same as prior to starting the medication. No joint pain, dry skin, chapped lips, headaches, etc. The outer edges of my lips are a little itchy, but nothing severe. I'm only 8 days into my treatment, so I imagine the side effects will kick in soon. I just keep praying daily that in 6 months I'll have beautiful, clear skin :)
After nearly 17 years (I'll be 29 this month) I have had enough of the emotional and physical toll acne has taken on me. I have cried more times over my acne than I have any other aspect in my life. It has drained me, stolen my joy and robbed me of so many different life events. While my acne isn't severe it alternates between mild and moderate and is always ever present. My problem areas are my chin and forehead. My cheeks and nose are pretty clear.
As a last resort, I decided to try Accutane or rather Absorica to try to defeat my acne once and for all. I started taking 50mg a day of Absorica last Sunday, August 2, 2015. I take 20mg in the morning and 30mg in the evening and if all goes as planned I'll stay on this dose for 6 months. So far things are going well. No real side effects just yet. Many of my clogged pores are becoming inflamed, so at the moment I have a lot coming to the surface. My pores seem to look rather large for some reason and my skin is actually a little more oily than normal. Other than that things feel the same as prior to starting the medication. No joint pain, dry skin, chapped lips, headaches, etc. The outer edges of my lips are a little itchy, but nothing severe. I'm only 8 days into my treatment, so I imagine the side effects will kick in soon. I just keep praying daily that in 6 months I'll have beautiful, clear skin :)
Replies (52)
August 12, 2015
Wow your story is so similar to mines. Down to the apple cider vinegar lol..I'm just hoping for the day that I don't have to worry about acne. Push through...I'm sure this will be worth it :)
August 13, 2015
I just looked over your photos and story again and you're so right! Our stories are similar :) I'm not proud of this, but I've even tried using Vagisil on my face haha. So embarrassing, but I was desperate! The natural route of diet changes and skin care was rough for me. It definitely took a toll after a while. I don't think anyone ever truly wants to have to take Accutane because it means you have acne to begin with, but it also means the other methods weren't effective. It took a lot to get me to the point of trying Accutane. I was so freaked out by all of the horror stories lol. Hopefully you and I will have perfectly clear skin soon! I think it'll be worth it too :)
August 13, 2015
Hi, it looks like we have similar acne. I have tried just about everything possible, except accutane. I want to go on it and I am afraid of my hair falling out. Have you noticed any hair loss? My hair is already getting thinner due to my acne spreading to my scalp...
August 13, 2015
Hi! :) Hair loss was the biggest reason I put off Accutane for so long! I was terrified that I'd lose all of my hair and still have acne. I'm only 11 days into my course and thus far I haven't noticed any hair loss :) I too had tried so many different things and finally I just got to the point where I was miserable having acne. I'm not sure if I'll lose any hair over the next 6 months or after I finish my course. I asked my derm about hair loss and she said it is a possibility, but that she has only had one patient tell her of their hair loss and the patient continued despite it because she was so happy to finally have clear skin. My good friend lost half of her hair on Accutane and about half of that grew back. She said she'd do it again in a heartbeat though, so I think for some it's just worth the risk. I get acne in my scalp occasionally too and it hurts! Acne is just awful. I know my acne isn't severe, but it is persistent and after everything else had failed I finally decided on Accutane. I know how difficult it is to make the decision to try it. I think that if you've exhausted all of your options as far as diet, lifestyle and skin care goes I'd say definitely talk to your derm about Accutane :) Just as a side note, I never went the antibiotic route. My dermatologist knew that and still let me go on Accutane.
August 16, 2015
Hi sefforia12, I thought you may be interested in this FAQ:Â
August 16, 2015
Thank you for posting your story, am waiting to see results.
I've been on antibiotics and cream for 2 weeks, pimples got smaller but increased, my Dr. Told me i've to use them for 2months, I hope everything will be better or I will take accutane,
I see good improvements on your face, (so now am thinking of taking acctane :) )
Wish you all the best :)
I've been on antibiotics and cream for 2 weeks, pimples got smaller but increased, my Dr. Told me i've to use them for 2months, I hope everything will be better or I will take accutane,
I see good improvements on your face, (so now am thinking of taking acctane :) )
Wish you all the best :)
August 16, 2015
Awe thank you! :) I hope the antibiotics and cream work for you! I didn't try antibiotics for my acne, but I tried every topical my derm had to offer. Some helped, others made my skin worse. I wish you so much luck! Let me know how your skin is doing and if you decide to take Accutane :)
August 22, 2015
Wow, your skin (especially forehead) look a lot like mine! I've found (im 16 weeks in) that my skin will clear up for a few days and look like its clear but by the next week I will be breaking out again. Your skin will have its ups and downs which sucks but you have to just do your best and get through each day as it comes. Good luck hun, you will get there!!
August 23, 2015
Thank you so much! :) You are so right! One day my skin is looking better, the next it looks awful and by the next day it's back to looking alright again. It's so weird! At the moment I'm noticing that a lot of my scars are more noticeable. In fact, I'm seeing scars that I hadn't realized were there. My skin is so unpredictable right now. I've also noticed my pores seem to shrink and then look really big. It's definitely a rollercoaster. Thank you for the support and we'll wishes :)
UPDATED FROM Acra
9 days post
photos
AcraAugust 11, 2015
Here are a few photos from before my treatment and the first few days on Absorica. All my clogged pores are becoming inflamed. I think this is the beginning of my initial breakout.
Replies (6)
August 13, 2015
Oh my god you are SO beautiful!!!!! Your acne does look really similar to what mine used to be with all the milia. It will be gone in no time and your skin will flatten out, just you wait!!! Can't wait to continue watching your journey :)
August 13, 2015
Oh my goodness you just made my day!!! Thank you so much! :) Yes, I have a ton of milia. They are so annoying! I can't wait until it flattens out and I get to wash my face and moisturize smooth skin! That will be a glorious day haha!
August 14, 2015
you will LOVE it! It still takes me by surprise when i touch my face! Sometimes i find myself unconsciously touching my face hahaha!
August 14, 2015
Hahaha that's wonderful! It seems so silly, but to all of us who have suffered from acne, feeling smooth skin is a big deal!!! :)
UPDATED FROM Acra
14 days post
2 weeks into taking Absorica
AcraAugust 16, 2015
I've just hit the 2 week mark and thus far things are going well. I'm 54kg (120lbs) and I'm taking 50mg a day. I take 20mg in the morning and 30mg in the evening. My skin is drying out a little and my lips are slightly chapped. My main side effect is itchy skin. It's mainly my chest, neck and scalp. I've been able to combat it using Eucerin body lotion and Dove daily moisture products. I don't think I've seen anyone mention this, but my ear lobes are peeling. I guess it's an area that I never thought to moisturize. Inside my right nostril is dry and bleeds a little every morning. I've been putting Polysporin in it and it seems to have healed. No joint pain, hair loss, bowel issues or depression to speak of. My skin is actually looking the best it has in a very long time! I'm trying not to get excited because I know an initial breakout is still possible. I thought I had experienced mine within the first few days, but perhaps it was just my normal breakout happening faster. I'm not sure. I'm attaching some photos of both my skin and my hair. After my son was born nearly 4 years ago I lost some of my hair in the front. It just started growing back this year, so the photos illustrate what regrowth looks like in the awkward stages lol.
I have a question regarding sunscreen /sunblock. What is everyone using on their face? I tend to react terribly to sunscreen on my face. I either get a rash or a ton of clogged pores. I can use it on my body just fine, but my face hates it. Any suggestions would be great! Thank you in advance :)
I have a question regarding sunscreen /sunblock. What is everyone using on their face? I tend to react terribly to sunscreen on my face. I either get a rash or a ton of clogged pores. I can use it on my body just fine, but my face hates it. Any suggestions would be great! Thank you in advance :)
Replies (17)
August 16, 2015
Aww wow your skin is looking great :) fingers crossed it just keeps getting better and better and you don't have a flare :)
Your hair is very similar to how mine was, I still have little tufts on the side of my temples where my hairdresser has kinda said it may just be the way it's going to stay now or now I'm thinking maybe like you somewhere down the line those little bits might just grow back :) yey
For makeup at the moment I'm trying to keep it as light as possible so using a BB cream with SPF in and then the Loreal powder also with 15SPF. I usually breakout with SPF on my skin too .. Have found that over the years one of the better ones for me was Dermaquest day moisturiser with 15SPF in :)
Your hair is very similar to how mine was, I still have little tufts on the side of my temples where my hairdresser has kinda said it may just be the way it's going to stay now or now I'm thinking maybe like you somewhere down the line those little bits might just grow back :) yey
For makeup at the moment I'm trying to keep it as light as possible so using a BB cream with SPF in and then the Loreal powder also with 15SPF. I usually breakout with SPF on my skin too .. Have found that over the years one of the better ones for me was Dermaquest day moisturiser with 15SPF in :)
August 17, 2015
Thank you! :) I see some improvement too, especially my forehead!
The hair growth looks so silly lol. It looks almost like I tried to cut bangs myself. Thankfully I can just blend it into the sides of my hair. It's crazy what hormones do to hair, skin and nails. I used to have perfectly straight hair and after I had open heart surgery my hair grew out curly. It was bizarre! My mom asked if I got a perm lol. I noticed in one of your other comments that you mentioned peanuts having a lot of biotin in them. I had no idea! Maybe that's why it finally started growing back. I love peanut butter! I eat it out of the jar with a spoon lol. I had actually stopped eating peanuts for about a year while following the Paleo diet and I hated giving peanut butter up. Now I have even more reason to eat it. Next time my husband laughs about my peanut butter addiction I'll remind him that it's helping my hair grow back in lol.
Thank you for the suggestion :) I'm not sure I've ever seen that brand in the store, but I'll check Amazon if I can't find it at the store. Thank you again! It's so nice having people like you to connect with :)
The hair growth looks so silly lol. It looks almost like I tried to cut bangs myself. Thankfully I can just blend it into the sides of my hair. It's crazy what hormones do to hair, skin and nails. I used to have perfectly straight hair and after I had open heart surgery my hair grew out curly. It was bizarre! My mom asked if I got a perm lol. I noticed in one of your other comments that you mentioned peanuts having a lot of biotin in them. I had no idea! Maybe that's why it finally started growing back. I love peanut butter! I eat it out of the jar with a spoon lol. I had actually stopped eating peanuts for about a year while following the Paleo diet and I hated giving peanut butter up. Now I have even more reason to eat it. Next time my husband laughs about my peanut butter addiction I'll remind him that it's helping my hair grow back in lol.
Thank you for the suggestion :) I'm not sure I've ever seen that brand in the store, but I'll check Amazon if I can't find it at the store. Thank you again! It's so nice having people like you to connect with :)
August 17, 2015
Aww wow that's mad that your hair grew back curly after surgery! Sounds like the peanut butter addiction is a good thing lol :) I love almond spread, was totally addicted to it last year when I was gluten free but I do love peanut butter so going to switch got myself a nice big jar and two big bags of peanuts to get me started hehe :)
Dermaquest is awesome when I was in the UK I saw a skin place and had peels every couple of weeks and in combination with dermaquest acne range I had my skin somewhat under control but it's quite pricey and the skin peels every 2 weeks were super expensive, then when I got pregnant I wasn't allowed to have them anymore and I can't get the peels in Australia! I tried peels again on the lead up to my wedding, spent over $2000 and my skin was horrible, large lumps on my chin :( thankgod for my sister who's a makeup artist lol!
So happy to have found this review site it is really nice to connect and have someone else understand what it's like :)
Dermaquest is awesome when I was in the UK I saw a skin place and had peels every couple of weeks and in combination with dermaquest acne range I had my skin somewhat under control but it's quite pricey and the skin peels every 2 weeks were super expensive, then when I got pregnant I wasn't allowed to have them anymore and I can't get the peels in Australia! I tried peels again on the lead up to my wedding, spent over $2000 and my skin was horrible, large lumps on my chin :( thankgod for my sister who's a makeup artist lol!
So happy to have found this review site it is really nice to connect and have someone else understand what it's like :)
August 17, 2015
I love almonds, but I'm allergic! It's such a bummer! I basically have to stay away from all tree nuts. I can't believe how often nuts are included in food! I mean, I get why they're included because they are tasty and so healthy, but if you're trying to avoid them it can be tough! I'm so glad you got yourself a jar of peanut butter :) It really is delicious lol.
I've never had a chemical peel done before. Was it painful? Did it help with past acne marks? I've been looking into it a little more, but I can't do anything until 6 months after finishing my course. Hopefully in that time my skin will heal and a peel will be unnecessary.
Oh my goodness! That's so expensive! $2,000?! Yikes! It's crazy the lengths we'll go for what most people take for granted. Thank goodness for your sister! I'm jealous :) I'd love to have my makeup done professionally. I didn't have a formal wedding, but maybe when we have our 10 year vow renewal I'll get my makeup done. Then again, maybe in 5 years I won't need any makeup after Accutane clears my skin. We'll see :)
Yes! I completely agree! It's nice having others who get it. I feel bad complaining to my sister, husband and best friend about my skin. I think it bores them lol. I like being able to openly discuss the trials of acne and the Accutane experience here :)
I've never had a chemical peel done before. Was it painful? Did it help with past acne marks? I've been looking into it a little more, but I can't do anything until 6 months after finishing my course. Hopefully in that time my skin will heal and a peel will be unnecessary.
Oh my goodness! That's so expensive! $2,000?! Yikes! It's crazy the lengths we'll go for what most people take for granted. Thank goodness for your sister! I'm jealous :) I'd love to have my makeup done professionally. I didn't have a formal wedding, but maybe when we have our 10 year vow renewal I'll get my makeup done. Then again, maybe in 5 years I won't need any makeup after Accutane clears my skin. We'll see :)
Yes! I completely agree! It's nice having others who get it. I feel bad complaining to my sister, husband and best friend about my skin. I think it bores them lol. I like being able to openly discuss the trials of acne and the Accutane experience here :)
August 18, 2015
Oh absolutely, I keep thinking my hubby must be so over listening to skin problems lol he was really keen for the Accutane!! Haha!
There was one year a while back where I would only leave the house for work and other than that I stayed in and hid! That was just before the chemical peels and they really were a god send my skin was so much better than it had been so I was def an advocate of them back then... The ones I had did really burn, they would put it on 3 times in a session and id have a fan over my face, each application I had to rate the pain/burn on a scale of 1-10 from what I remember the highest was around 7-8 that I had! It made my face go white on the day then red the following day and for about a week I'd have flaky skin. It does make your skin really sensitive to the sun and you have to do both the peel and the at home treatments to maintain it. Biggest problem I've had is that all peels I've tried since in Australia don't even come close to the effectiveness of those ones in the UK. They apply them once, they don't get very hot (I know mad but you wana feel like they are doing something!) and the skin doesn't flake after and they cost the same!! So over all I've been really disappointed with that, also coz I don't really work at the moment I don't have heaps of extra cash to throw at it! It did help with marks on my skin too though and even out my complexion, I've been thinking after Accutane as my sister will be qualified as a beauty therapist I'll prob get her to do a couple of the lighter peels just to even out but hopefully neither of us will have to :) :)
Aww it's awesome having your makeup done shes amazing! I'd have preferred no spots on my wedding day but you could honestly barely tell so she def made me feel better :) I love makeup lol!
Having a major breakout at the moment! Day 10 and I have lumps on my nose, chin and forehead and pretty sore :( we are staying in a sorting toy room lol! Thanks for your message, I do feel the same like others get bored, I've got 3 sisters all with picture perfect skin and they try but really don't understand :)
There was one year a while back where I would only leave the house for work and other than that I stayed in and hid! That was just before the chemical peels and they really were a god send my skin was so much better than it had been so I was def an advocate of them back then... The ones I had did really burn, they would put it on 3 times in a session and id have a fan over my face, each application I had to rate the pain/burn on a scale of 1-10 from what I remember the highest was around 7-8 that I had! It made my face go white on the day then red the following day and for about a week I'd have flaky skin. It does make your skin really sensitive to the sun and you have to do both the peel and the at home treatments to maintain it. Biggest problem I've had is that all peels I've tried since in Australia don't even come close to the effectiveness of those ones in the UK. They apply them once, they don't get very hot (I know mad but you wana feel like they are doing something!) and the skin doesn't flake after and they cost the same!! So over all I've been really disappointed with that, also coz I don't really work at the moment I don't have heaps of extra cash to throw at it! It did help with marks on my skin too though and even out my complexion, I've been thinking after Accutane as my sister will be qualified as a beauty therapist I'll prob get her to do a couple of the lighter peels just to even out but hopefully neither of us will have to :) :)
Aww it's awesome having your makeup done shes amazing! I'd have preferred no spots on my wedding day but you could honestly barely tell so she def made me feel better :) I love makeup lol!
Having a major breakout at the moment! Day 10 and I have lumps on my nose, chin and forehead and pretty sore :( we are staying in a sorting toy room lol! Thanks for your message, I do feel the same like others get bored, I've got 3 sisters all with picture perfect skin and they try but really don't understand :)
August 19, 2015
I love makeup too!!! I don't wear much, but I think it's so pretty! It's amazing how it can transform the way a person looks. Sometimes putting on makeup makes me sad though. Having acne has always made me feel like I have to hide and conceal my true skin. I know people can still see the bumps and scabs, but makeup is somewhat comforting and yet heart breaking at the same time. I can't wait until makeup is a choice to accentuate my features and not cover up the acne.
I totally understand! My sister and I are the only ones with skin issues while all of my brothers have perfectly clear skin. It's odd how that tends to be the case in many families.
I'm so sorry you're in the midst of an awful breakout. I am too! I have one on my forehead that is just massive. It had been a blackhead and it became inflamed over night. It is angry and painful. My chin looks pretty bad. My problem side is flaring up again. I got my hopes up and I feel a bit let down. My 29th birthday is in 4 days and I was hoping I'd be a little clear by then. Oh well. I suppose I should take it all in stride :) I hope you clear up soon!!!
Wow! The chemical peels sound intense lol. Are you from the UK or Australia? I'll have to look into peels here in the U.S. I'm not sure what would be best for my skin as I have extremely sensitive, easily irritated skin.
I totally understand! My sister and I are the only ones with skin issues while all of my brothers have perfectly clear skin. It's odd how that tends to be the case in many families.
I'm so sorry you're in the midst of an awful breakout. I am too! I have one on my forehead that is just massive. It had been a blackhead and it became inflamed over night. It is angry and painful. My chin looks pretty bad. My problem side is flaring up again. I got my hopes up and I feel a bit let down. My 29th birthday is in 4 days and I was hoping I'd be a little clear by then. Oh well. I suppose I should take it all in stride :) I hope you clear up soon!!!
Wow! The chemical peels sound intense lol. Are you from the UK or Australia? I'll have to look into peels here in the U.S. I'm not sure what would be best for my skin as I have extremely sensitive, easily irritated skin.
August 19, 2015
Happy birthday for a few days time :) keeping my fingers crossed for you that your flare up has gone down a bit in a few days.. It's amazing what a difference a few days can make :)
I also can't wait for the day makeup is a choice and not a necessity to try hide my skin!! My little one had dancing today so had to do a huge cover up job this morning just because of how bad it is at the mo!! When they say it gets worse before it gets better they really aren't wrong!! My hubby says to see it as the last big flare I'm ever going to have to deal with :) at least you know even if you have some for this birthday, you won't have another birthday you have to worry about skin :) here's to a crystal clear 30th hehe :)
It is so annoying though you think yey it's working and then break out.. I was a bit upset about mine yesterday but def going to just have to power through.. My hope is that by the 8 week point there will be a decent improvement :)
Yeah I think if you have sensitive skin those kind of peels are pretty intense, I don't find my skin to be overly sensitive even though I have acne so it did ok but still they are not the nicest experience.
I'm from the UK originally, moved out here just coming up to 4 years ago and had my little one here. It's beautiful I love it but I did def find it a little easier to manage my skin in the UK lol... And the beach lifestyle here make me soo want to be able to go makeup free!
Hope you have an awesome birthday Hun and no more little friends appear in the next couple of days :)
I also can't wait for the day makeup is a choice and not a necessity to try hide my skin!! My little one had dancing today so had to do a huge cover up job this morning just because of how bad it is at the mo!! When they say it gets worse before it gets better they really aren't wrong!! My hubby says to see it as the last big flare I'm ever going to have to deal with :) at least you know even if you have some for this birthday, you won't have another birthday you have to worry about skin :) here's to a crystal clear 30th hehe :)
It is so annoying though you think yey it's working and then break out.. I was a bit upset about mine yesterday but def going to just have to power through.. My hope is that by the 8 week point there will be a decent improvement :)
Yeah I think if you have sensitive skin those kind of peels are pretty intense, I don't find my skin to be overly sensitive even though I have acne so it did ok but still they are not the nicest experience.
I'm from the UK originally, moved out here just coming up to 4 years ago and had my little one here. It's beautiful I love it but I did def find it a little easier to manage my skin in the UK lol... And the beach lifestyle here make me soo want to be able to go makeup free!
Hope you have an awesome birthday Hun and no more little friends appear in the next couple of days :)
August 19, 2015
Aww thank you! You're so sweet! :) It really is amazing what just a few days can do on this medication.
I'm not too upset about this flare because it's my birthday on Saturday, I'm more worried about spending the entire day out in the sun at my step son's football game. Every time I have something to go to I break out! It's probably because I stress. To make matters worse. I picked and now I have a lovely scab on my chin for the world to see lol. There is no concealing it. It looks awful. Oh well. I'll just have to power through it like you are doing :) And yes! Can you imagine all the birthdays, holidays, vacations and events we will be going to in the future with clear skin?! It'll be amazing! I'm so hopeful that this is it for us. No more acne, no more concealing, no more wondering how our skin is going to be! :)
Your husband sounds so nice. It's great to have support and our husbands reminding us to be optimistic. After I showed my husband my scab, he just smiled and said, "I still think you're beautiful. It'll heal." So sweet! Gotta love our men lol.
How fun to have lived in 2 different countries! I think I'd love Australia! It looks beautiful. I totally understand about the beach. My sister lived in Hawaii for 3 years and when I went to visit it was amazing! I just hated having to wear makeup. Soon you'll be at the beach without a stitch of makeup looking as beautiful as ever :) I can't wait to go camping without makeup or having to slather on creams. Last Summer we went camping and I had to wash my face with water from a water bottle and slather on Epiduo afterwards. It was so annoying. I can't wait to be done with that lol.
I hope your skin clears up quickly! And thank you for the birthday wishes! Here's to this year being our last year with acne!!! :)
I'm not too upset about this flare because it's my birthday on Saturday, I'm more worried about spending the entire day out in the sun at my step son's football game. Every time I have something to go to I break out! It's probably because I stress. To make matters worse. I picked and now I have a lovely scab on my chin for the world to see lol. There is no concealing it. It looks awful. Oh well. I'll just have to power through it like you are doing :) And yes! Can you imagine all the birthdays, holidays, vacations and events we will be going to in the future with clear skin?! It'll be amazing! I'm so hopeful that this is it for us. No more acne, no more concealing, no more wondering how our skin is going to be! :)
Your husband sounds so nice. It's great to have support and our husbands reminding us to be optimistic. After I showed my husband my scab, he just smiled and said, "I still think you're beautiful. It'll heal." So sweet! Gotta love our men lol.
How fun to have lived in 2 different countries! I think I'd love Australia! It looks beautiful. I totally understand about the beach. My sister lived in Hawaii for 3 years and when I went to visit it was amazing! I just hated having to wear makeup. Soon you'll be at the beach without a stitch of makeup looking as beautiful as ever :) I can't wait to go camping without makeup or having to slather on creams. Last Summer we went camping and I had to wash my face with water from a water bottle and slather on Epiduo afterwards. It was so annoying. I can't wait to be done with that lol.
I hope your skin clears up quickly! And thank you for the birthday wishes! Here's to this year being our last year with acne!!! :)
August 20, 2015
Oh no!! I made the same mistake this morning!! I also squeezed a couple, which I know I really shouldn't but I just couldn't help it! Now I've got all these horrible marks and I'm like why did i do that?? Lol!! Going to have to leave it alone though as i heard you can scar more on Accutane than you would normally? Hope that's not the case.
I totally understand what you mean about being out in the sun all day, and with this extra sensitivity to the sun we have too got to be careful not to burn aswell! I'm so glad it's winter here at the moment so the suns not too hot, but we'll be approaching summer by the time I finish so will have to be careful! I'm so English and burn in like 30seconds haha!
Aww yep for sure, our men are the best ey.. Your hubby sounds so sweet, it's the best having them there to make you feel loved no matter what.
Ooo camping and acne are not a fun combo, I think nature and acne don't love each other lol you've gotta mess about so much, can't wait for the days out door stuff requires 0 makeup :)
Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us that this will def be the ticket to clear skin :) ...and no more picking for either of us lol!! :)
I totally understand what you mean about being out in the sun all day, and with this extra sensitivity to the sun we have too got to be careful not to burn aswell! I'm so glad it's winter here at the moment so the suns not too hot, but we'll be approaching summer by the time I finish so will have to be careful! I'm so English and burn in like 30seconds haha!
Aww yep for sure, our men are the best ey.. Your hubby sounds so sweet, it's the best having them there to make you feel loved no matter what.
Ooo camping and acne are not a fun combo, I think nature and acne don't love each other lol you've gotta mess about so much, can't wait for the days out door stuff requires 0 makeup :)
Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us that this will def be the ticket to clear skin :) ...and no more picking for either of us lol!! :)
August 19, 2015
You're skin is looking amazing !! I'm using the cerave moisturizer with spf. Its not oily and it doesn't seem to be breaking me out. For your hair, try coconut oil. When I started with accutane my scalp was so dry and flaky. I started putting coconut oil on my scalp and the dryness is gone. It's also great for hair growth.
August 19, 2015
Thank you! :) I'm in the midst of another flare and I did the dumbest thing... I picked. I have this pencil eraser size scab on my face. It looks awful and was totally self inflicted. I'm kicking myself for it!
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I love coconut oil! I cook and bake with it and I love the way it smells! I'll have to try it in my hair :) Do you wash with it and rinse it out or do you use it more like a leave in conditioner? I've tried CeraVe and there is something in it that I react to. Darn! Thank you for mentioning it though.
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I love coconut oil! I cook and bake with it and I love the way it smells! I'll have to try it in my hair :) Do you wash with it and rinse it out or do you use it more like a leave in conditioner? I've tried CeraVe and there is something in it that I react to. Darn! Thank you for mentioning it though.
August 20, 2015
I use coconut oil as a hair treatment. So once a week I take coconut oil, an egg, and honey and make a hair mask. I wash my hair then take a tiny amount of coconut oil and put it on my scalp. Make sure it's only a little bit because you don't want your hair to be oily. That hair mask works wonders. As for my makeup I'm using revlon color stay foundation, which is working nicely since I'm not very oily anymore. And to give my very dry lips some color I'm using maybellines baby lips in the color "pink shock ." I think picking is inevitable. I've been doing the same thing just because it's what I'm used to and the white head looks gross lol..now that it's calming down I'm beginning to relax.
August 21, 2015
Awesome! Thank you so much for the advice! I'll definitely try that out! My scalp hasn't been too itchy the last few days, but I'm still going try it :)
I love Revlon! I'm so fair that sometimes I have a really hard time finding foundation that isn't too pink or too orange. The Maybelline Fit Me foundation in 110 is a perfect match, but it's not enough coverage. Your lips look so pretty! I love bright lips. I'm too nervous to wear bright makeup colors though. I don't think I can pull it off, but you look great with pretty bright lips :)
I think picking is just an unfortunate part of acne. Everyone I know with acne does it even though it's a terrible habit and a very difficult one to break. I think my picking days have to come to an end. I still have a scab on my face 5 days later. My skin is kind of taking longer to heal. Have you noticed that too? I totally know what you mean about the pustules looking gross. My sister actually said to me the other day, "I don't know how you haven't picked that one" (it was a big one on my forehead) and I told her I was trying to be disciplined. Yeah, that lasted about a day lol. No more picking for me though. If I feel I need to pick, I'll just go paint my nails or something haha.
I love Revlon! I'm so fair that sometimes I have a really hard time finding foundation that isn't too pink or too orange. The Maybelline Fit Me foundation in 110 is a perfect match, but it's not enough coverage. Your lips look so pretty! I love bright lips. I'm too nervous to wear bright makeup colors though. I don't think I can pull it off, but you look great with pretty bright lips :)
I think picking is just an unfortunate part of acne. Everyone I know with acne does it even though it's a terrible habit and a very difficult one to break. I think my picking days have to come to an end. I still have a scab on my face 5 days later. My skin is kind of taking longer to heal. Have you noticed that too? I totally know what you mean about the pustules looking gross. My sister actually said to me the other day, "I don't know how you haven't picked that one" (it was a big one on my forehead) and I told her I was trying to be disciplined. Yeah, that lasted about a day lol. No more picking for me though. If I feel I need to pick, I'll just go paint my nails or something haha.
August 21, 2015
Thank you, you're sweet. Go ahead and play with bright makeup. It's all about how you feel. There were days that my acne was so bad and I felt so unattractive, so I wore red lipstick to make myself feel better.
Yes, I'm finding that it's taking longer for the big, painful ones to heal. Nothing comes to the surface so I haven't had the urge to pick at them. Like you, I'm also trying to keep my hands off my face to avoid further scarring. I'm going to my second appointment on Monday, so we'll see if the derm increases the dosage.
Yes, I'm finding that it's taking longer for the big, painful ones to heal. Nothing comes to the surface so I haven't had the urge to pick at them. Like you, I'm also trying to keep my hands off my face to avoid further scarring. I'm going to my second appointment on Monday, so we'll see if the derm increases the dosage.
August 22, 2015
When my skin is a total mess I try to draw attention away from my complexion and towards my eyes since it's the one feature I really like to play up. It does make me feel better too. I can't wait until we're both completely clear :) As much as I love makeup, it'll be so nice to go out bare face. I can't wait for it to free up some of my time in the morning lol. When I was using retinoids, I'd have to wash my face at night, wait half an hour to apply the cream, wait a little while after that and then finally put on moisturizer. I'd end up going straight to bed after I was finished because it would make my face itch terribly. It felt like such a daunting process. It's nice just cleansing my skin and moisturizing while on Accutane. It really cuts down on my skin maintenance schedule lol.
I wish you the best on Monday! Please let me know how it goes! :)
I wish you the best on Monday! Please let me know how it goes! :)
I am on my week 6 (40 mg), I mainly suffer from eye dryness almost daily and face redness occasionally.
It's good to hear that you have just a few side effects. How is your skin looking?