accutane journey

documenting my first course of oral isotretinoin. 20mg - 11/2/14, 40mg - 26/6/14. finished 23/11/14. from melbourne, australia

[accutanetoclearskin]

Four-year anniversary post! February 18th 2014 - February 19th 2018

The photos in the left column are of me exactly four years ago, when my acne was at its worst. I had just started my first course of Accutane. It was my eighth day of taking the medication. The photos in the right column are of me ten minutes ago, unedited and in natural light.

I know that what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. I think anyone suffering from stubborn acne can relate to this. People give advice whether out of the goodness of their heart or not and it becomes exasperating hearing it day in and day out because you feel as though you have already tried everything and nothing has worked. This is why I am making this post, for people who have tried everything except Accutane and are considering trying it but are unsure or are feeling apprehensive about the potential side effects. If someone had shown me four years ago what my skin looks like today I wouldn’t have believed them. I was over it, I was done. I was miserable and I hated looking at myself in the mirror. I had suffered from bouts of severe acne for five years at this point. My acne was painful, my skin literally felt like it was crawling. I had tried every popular anti-acne product under the sun in addition to birth control and strong antibiotics. I thought I was doing something wrong. I still assumed my acne could be cured through diet and lifestyle changes. While that may have been a case to a certain degree--I have since stopped smoking and crash dieting and now live a life filled with yoga, eating well and treating myself in moderation--I now know that just like with any medical condition, treating cystic acne is something that should be left to the professionals.

I may not have known it back then, but starting Accutane was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I am so grateful that this drug has worked as well as it has. My journey wasn’t entirely roses; I still remember the lethargy, the sore joints, dry skin, dry eyes, dry lips and the depressive symptoms on top of my already existing major depression. Even now I have a predisposition to eczema that did not exist before. My knees make cracking noises at times and I can no longer run like I used to. Did I know this was a possibility going in? Yes. Was I willing to deal with the consequences, knowing that I could stop taking it at any time that I thought things were getting too much? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

[accutanetoclearskin]

What product did you use while on Accutane? (Cleanser,moisturizer,sunscreen) And did you use any products to help fade your acne scars?

for the most part i used drugstore products: cetaphil, neutrogena, garnier, aveeno, stuff like that. most of the products i'm about to mention were recommended by my derm and are still in my skincare routine to this day.• to remove makeup i used bioderma micellar water (eventually replacing that with garnier's one). i also used garnier 2 in 1 express eye makeup remover for my eyes. • my cleanser was cetaphil gentle skin cleanser. i have since replaced that with neutrogena's gentle skin cleanser but they are essentially the same. • moisturiser: for night time i used cetaphil moisturising cream (the thick one), i went through tubs of the stuff because i also used it as a body moisturiser after showering. day time i used neutrogena's oil free moisture with spf. if i was feeling particularly oily i used the one without spf at night. i also used jojoba oil and vitamin e oil on my face occasionally when my skin was drier than usual. • sun protection: la roche posay anthelios spf 50+. i still use this. it has never let me down.extra products worth mentioning: • lip balm! my lips were constantly chapped. i always made sure to have a lip balm on me, usually burt's bees or hurraw. at night i applied blistex lip medex, carmex or aquaphor.• eye drops! you will probably need these, particularly if you wear contacts. isotretinoin will dry out pretty much every sebaceous gland on your body, even the ones in your eyes. during the day i used blink intensive tears. at night i used celluvisc eye ointment.• body wash or lotion with colloidal oatmeal. i developed pretty bad dermatitis while on accutane, so one of the ways you can combat that is by using calming skin products, particularly body washes that are soap free. i used aveeno skin relief products.• cortisone cream. also helps with the itching.• eye cream. i recommend one with hyaluronic acid because it keeps your skin hydrated.• fish oil capsules! take these right before taking your accutane pills. fats allow the drug to absorb more effectively.hope that helps. ♡

[accutanetoclearskin]

Did you go to laser for acne scars ? Or nice skin only with roaccutane ?

no laser. i had pretty bad scarring, from hyperpigmentation to boxcar and icepick scars. the skin is remarkably good at healing itself but i will admit i had a little help via the occassional retinol product. also i highly recommend aha and bha skin peels, glycolic 10% every 2 weeks and paula's choice bha 2% every 2-3 days.

[accutanetoclearskin]

i received some messages asking me how i've been these past 3 years. this is my skin now. i will post a more thorough update soon ♡

[accutanetoclearskin]

I just started taking accutane - just beginning month 2, actually. I am freaking out!!!! My face is breaking out soooo badly. My derm even said "omg, this usually only happens the first week or two but then starts clearing up" :( :( :( I'm so frustrated. Will this go away!?!?!? Your face looked sooo much better than mine at the same time that you were taking it. I just got upped to 40mg. Hopefully this works.

i wanna preface this by saying that everyone reacts to medication differently, particularly in the early stages of taking it. even though i personally was very fortunate in the sense that my skin appeared to take to the drug pretty much immediately, i did have an initial breakout. pretty much everyone does. sometimes that initial breakout takes a bit of time to subside, but don’t worry, this is very common. i have friends who have experienced this firsthand, who were in the same position as you are right now, wondering whether or not it would ever go away. it will go away, i promise. your skin will improve, just give it a little more time. <3 

[accutanetoclearskin]

you're lovely! I really admire your courage to put your photos out here :-) May I ask if you had to deal with acne scars?

thank you so much! it’s so weird to look back on my photos from time to time because i forget how far i have come over the past two years. now whenever i get a few pimples i’m able to put it in perspective and be like “chill, it’s cool, it’s nothing”. so i guess this blog has really helped me as much as it has helped others (hopefully).as for acne scars, i’m quite prone to them. i got them pretty bad on my cheeks but mostly just in the form of hyperpigmentation? so they have faded, albeit slowly. you can still see them to some extent in my pics but when i wear makeup they’re barely noticeable. i use BHA/AHAs regularly but I really have no idea if they have made a significant difference for me personally, but some people swear by them.:)

[accutanetoclearskin]

Accutane journey 

October 2015: 11 months post-accutane 

It’s almost been an entire year since I ended my first (and hopefully my last) course of oral isotretinoin, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my followers for watching my progress over the past 20 months. Thank you for liking and reblogging my posts, as well as sending kind words of support to my inbox. You’re the reason I do this. You’re the reason I have had no hesitation about posting less-than-flattering selfies for anyone to see. Because I know that at whatever stage you are currently at in your journey, we are all a part of the same community of people with a common goal.

If just one person who has never considered using this drug sees my progress, and, as a result begins to do their own research as to whether the same treatment could help their situation, then my job is done. If one person, who is tired of using numerous drugs and creams and cleansers and diets that have not worked for them like they didn’t work for me, can look at my pictures and know that there is another option that is attainable and effective that will work and continue to work as well as did the day I stopped treatment, then every pimple has been worth it. I know that not every drug works for every person, and I’m not about to say that accutane is a universal solution. But I do want to give people hope where there otherwise might not have been any.

I began this journey as the biggest skeptic, depressed and jaded and convinced that accutane would never work for me because nothing else ever did. I never thought my face would reach a point where it wasn’t experiencing pain or feeling as though it was crawling. Yet almost two years later, my skin is clear, my acne continues to be in remission and I am happier about my complexion than I have ever been in my entire life. I want this feeling of satisfaction and contentment for all of you. I want you all to reach your goals and to reach a place where acne no longer affects your self-esteem or infringes upon your ability to be happy. 

I wish for the day that we can all say “remember when I had acne?” because no one should ever have to experience such an uncomfortable and debilitating disease, physically and emotionally. Most of all, I really wish for society to evolve to the point where we aren’t bullying or judging people over perceived flaws in their appearance and pandering to corporate ideals of what it means to be beautiful. Because it’s all bullshit. Beauty exists within flaws, it’s what makes every person unique. I wish you all the best of luck in your own acne-fighting journeys. Take care. ♡

[accutanetoclearskin]

accutane journey: 10 months post-accutane (wearing makeup)

[hatelyn]

you know, people with acne do not get enough credit. I was blessed with very nice skin so I don’t know the struggle, but occasionally I’ll break out and it makes me feel soooo bad about myself and I literally get embarrassed to go out of the house because I feel gross, but you people who have acne all the time, you guys deserve a round of applause because you go through that shit every day and and I can’t even imagine how it must make you feel. but I have some mad respect for you guys. if you can deal with acne you can conquer the world. you are unstoppable and I think you’re fucking awesome and beautiful my friends 

[superclexa]

thanks for reminding me how gross i am every day.. round of applause for me bc i may be ugly but i can conquer the world

[worb-deactivated20160525]

this is the tone of all the anonymous messages i get

[velvetabovegroundpool-deactivat]

this is kind of like if same love was about acne

[melancholicdesire]

Acne doesn’t make you ugly. Just as any illness doesn’t make you ugly. You weren’t put here for looks. You were put here to spread kindness and happiness, starting with yourself. The concept of pretty and ugly is screwed up. It has nothing to do with your outer appearance. It has everything to do with what’s inside of you. Don’t let acne make decisions for you. Screw it. Live your life. Please. You deserve it.

[accutanetoclearskin]

accutane journey: 2015 post-accutane regimen

1. remove makeup with garnier micellar water. I chose this one because it dissolves makeup more effectively and is more gentle on the eyes than bioderma’s one.

2. cleanse with cetaphil gentle cleanser or alpha hydrox foaming face wash depending on what my skin needs. I prefer the alpha hydrox at the moment since it foams and effectively removes makeup.

3. derma-e eye cream with hyaluronic aid and pycogenol around the entire eye area. it took me ages to find a decent eye cream but this one from iherb is quite nice and absorbs well. I like to use it morning and night.

4. night: paula’s choice resist weightless body treatment – this has 2% BHA. I use this all over, even the face. it has a slight mattifying effect and is truly weightless, you barely notice you’re wearing it but what you will notice is softer skin!

5. day: neutrogena oil-free moisture. i use the sensitive skin one if I’m not leaving the house in or one with spf when I’m out and about.

[accutanetoclearskin]

before and after accutane :)

december 2013-january 2014 to december 2014-january 2015

[overusedunderloved]

I hope my skin is like hers when I’m done

[accutanetoclearskin]

I hope so too! good luck! your skin is already so much better than mine was anyway so you'll most likely be seeing v fast results. how long have you been on accutane for?

[myjourneytoclearskin-deactivate]

This shit just set me off. I saw it on instagram and apparently people think it’s funny.

Just so you know, when it comes to girls who have acne that wear foundation, we know very well that it doesn’t just magically make our acne disappear. We know damn well that you can still pick out the freaking bumps on our face. WE KNOW THIS.

WHEN WE WEAR MAKEUP WE ARE COVERING UP THE REDNESS AND DISCOLORATION AND SCARS AND DARK SPOTS AND GOING OUT WITH THE HOPE THAT WE CAN FEEL JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT OURSELVES EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW WE HAVE ACNE

SO THERE IS LITERALLY NO NEED FOR YOU TO POINT IT OUT TO US YOU JERKFACES. WE KNOW.

[accutanetoclearskin]

accutane journey: before and after

december 2013-january 2014 to december 2014-january 2015

[accutanetoclearskin]

accutane journey

february 1 2015: 2 months post-accutane

i’m so pleased with how accutane has improved the quality of my skin! i haven’t had a breakout since getting off the drug, only a few minor milia from using heavy moisturisers over the adjustment phase. my skin is slightly oily nowadays and i’m avoiding moisturiser, using paula’s choice bha instead. i also have to wash my hair every 2-3 days as i can no longer get away with it once a week. i have noticed that i often go days without wearing makeup, only resorting to it when i’m going out and want to completely cover up my scars. i never thought i’d have the confidence to not wear makeup. i can’t believe how far i’ve come in the space of a year!

post-accutane skincare regimen:

garnier micellar water to remove makeup

cetaphil gentle cleanser to cleanse

eve lom muslin cloth to gently exfoliate after showering

paula’s choice resist 2% bha treatment (in lieu of moisturiser)

sunscreen during the day

[accutanetoclearskin]

accutane journey november 23 2014: day 252

i just took my final dose. i can’t believe i’m finally at the end of this journey.

[accutanetoclearskin]

accutane journey november 10 2014: month 8, day 240 (approx) 12 days left of roaccutane