Enduring Accutane @queenofdogs-blog - Tumblr Blog

Week Two Off Accutane

5/4/17

Hi friends!

Omg....I’m so exhausted.

I started my new position at work and I have been running myself ragged. I’m so tired and overwhelmed!

Good news is my skin has remained clear (thank you jesus)! My skin is still dry, but not unbearable. My lips are totally back to normal and my hair has stopped being so dry.

One thing I have noticed is my hair is shedding. I’ve read that a lot of people had hair loss during Accutane, but I never really noticed any loss. But the last couple weeks I’ve noticed a lot of shedding when I wash my hair. I can’t tell if it’s from the Accutane or the insane amount of stress I’ve been under. Maybe both?

Last week I started using MSM cream to possibly help with scarring. So far I’ve noticed no difference. I’ll keep using it since I know these things take time, plus it has vitamin A and D in it so it’s not harming my skin by any means.

Here’s my face!

Have the best day of all time.

-G.

Week One Off Accutane

4/28/17

*Casually tries to play off that I didn’t forget to post yesterday*

Hi friends!

So I have been off Accutane for one full week now and I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU.

First off, my Accutane side effects have almost completely vanished! It happened way quicker than I ever would have thought. My lips are totally back to normal and I’m not constantly thirsty and guzzling water. My skin is still dry but not nearly as bad. My hair is still a little dry, but again, not nearly as bad as it was. The skin on my hands have stopped peeling and my eyes don’t burn when it’s windy any more. Overall, I’m pleased. :)

Second, I did have a minor freakout. When I got off Accutane I still had a couple of closed comedones under my skin that just wouldn’t budge. My derm told me that they still may surface over time (like they should) or we may end up having to extract them. Well, as soon as I stopped taking my pills, they all surfaced over night. So I freaked the hell out thinking I was having a breakout literally days after I finished the process. Goods news is they all came to a head and vanished in a couple days. No other closed pores or issues in sight!

I have to drop the name of a product this week. In previous weeks I had mentioned that my lips had split and I had a hell of a time healing them. I got a lip balm from dermstore.com called Dr. Dan’s Cortibalm. I think I spent about $7.00 on two tubes? Not bad. It arrived in two days.

HOLY CRAP THIS IS THE BEST STUFF EVER.

If you are having lip issues of any kind, GO BUY IT NOW. It healed up my lips in 24 hours! WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! If I could marry this stuff, I would.

So right now all I’m doing is cleansing, moisturizing, and using sunscreen. I have picked up a jar of MSM cream, because I hear it helps produce collagen and can help scarring. I thought, if it doesn’t work, then I just have some good cream. So I’m trying that out for scarring and keeping an open mind. It doesn’t peel the skin or anything, and it’s pretty gentle. I’ll keep you updated on the process!

Here’s what I look like:

I also found out I have freckles. Who knew it was under all my acne?

-G.

My Accutane Before and After

If you are struggling with acne,

If you are on Accutane,

If you feel alone,

If you don’t want to leave your house,

Please know that you’re not alone.

If it got better for me, it will get better for you.

Follow my blog for my whole journey, or message me if you need someone to talk to.

#accutane before and after #accutane #beforeandafter #selfie

Week Twenty Five on Accutane- FINAL

4/20/17

Hi friends!

This may turn out to be a long post because...

I’M DONE WITH ACCUTANE!

I CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW HAPPY I AM RIGHT NOW.

Today is my first day without taking the medication. I went in for my monthly checkup, and was worried that my doctor was going to make me go an additional month. BUT SHE SAID NO.

I high fived her. I’m not even joking.

The fact that this long, horrible, taxing journey is finally over makes me want to break down and cry. I cannot be more happy to be done. But as much as the whole experience sucked...I’d do it again. In a heart beat.

I’ve had a few people ask me if I’m going to keep blogging. You bet your buns I am! I will be logging how my skin does AFTER Accutane and, eventually, I will be logging my scar removal process.

My dermatologist has told me to keep on with that I’m doing- gentle cleanser, moisturize, and SPF. She wants my skin to “heal up” and she doesn’t want me to do anything different for 4 months.

I want to give a HUGE thank you to so many of you that have helped me through this journey. There were many days that I felt like my only support system was this community. So many of you gave me words of advice, comfort, and support during these past few months and I honestly don’t think I would have kept going without you.

Last but not least...here I am :)

You all are amazing.

-G.

Do you have advice for getting rid of general redness? Ever since my dose was increased, it seems like my entire face gets super flushed and red really easily

The only thing i found that kind of works is sunscreen! I think some ingredient in it calms the skin? Other than that, I got nothing 😣 my face has flushed so easily for months now so I'm in the same boat 😕

re the split at the corner of your mouth - i've had them twice and they take maybe 2 wks to heal fully but they do heal (I'm on a full dose). Keep putting aquaphor on it a couple times a day and it will go away eventually. btw, your skin looks amazing!

You. Are. Amazing! And yes I'm trying to be patient but this little cut hurts so bad!

Week Twenty Four on Accutane

4/13/17

I know....I know...You’re probably thinking ‘G...you blog every Thursday...it’s Friday.’ And you’re not wrong. I’m the worst.

This past week has been crazy. I was told that I am getting a promotion (yay!) but I handle change like a fish out of water. So in the next 5 months I will be started a new position, buying a house, AND getting married.

That’s all.

Onto Accutane. My lips have really started peeling again and the little cut on the corner of my mouth has yet to heal. I’ve tried everything and it just won’t budge. I have a feeling that it’s not going to completely go away until I’m off Accutane.

If I could give one insight/word of advice from this past week it would be WEAR SUNSCREEN. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WEAR SUNSCREEN. The weather is beautiful where I live and this past weekend I was outside a lot. I covered my body and face with 45 SPF and tried to be in the shade as much as I could. I STILL GOT BURNT. Keep in mind, I was not sunbathing by any means. I walked my dogs, took my nephew to the park, etc. all while wearing and reapplying sunscreen. Still got burnt.

Now being burnt isn’t the big thing. It’s the fact that it’s taking forever to heal. I didn’t get lobster red or get first degree burns or anything, just pink on my chest and face. But...I got burnt on Sunday and today (Friday) is the first day that I don’t look red.

Yeah. Wear sunscreen.

Have you put on sunscreen today? Go do it!

-G.

Week Twenty Three on Accutane

4/6/17

Hi friends!

So I’ve been battling something that many other Accutaners will be familiar with....the dreaded lip split.

You know how when your lips get real chapped and dry, and the corners of your mouth get little, tiny slits in them that hurt and never seem to heal? THIS IS MY LIFE RIGHT NOW. The left side of my mouth, right in the corner, I got a tiny little split from being so dry. Problem is, it will not heal. I’ve done everything. I guzzle water, coat my lips in Aquaphor and Vaseline, don’t lick my lips or mess with them, and its still going strong. Awesome. I know a lot of it has to do with Accutane slowly the body’s healing process but damn this is annoying.

Other than that, there’s nothing much to report. I got a tiny little white head this past week, and of course I picked at it, so I do have a little red spot on the side of my face.

One thing I have noticed on an emotional aspect is that I’ve started to gain some confidence. Woohoo! I don’t put on nearly as much makeup as I use to. I don’t obsess over my hair, making sure it’s perfect before I leave the house. I’ve started to feel comfortable with how I look naturally. Of course, I still put on a little makeup and make sure I don’t look like a mess when I leave the house, but I’m not OBSESSING over my appearance any more. It’s an amazing feeling, and it makes all the shit that Accutane has put me through totally worth it.

Quick side note I wanted to add in- I’ve been getting a ton of messages lately and I’ve got to say YOU ALL ARE THE BEST EVER. Seriously. My heart soars with every message. I love it when people contact me with questions, product recommendations, or just need to bitch about acne/Accutane. I LOVE IT. And some of you all have thanked me for doing this blog...no, THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! I started this as a way to A) track my progress and B) stay sane. The fact that I’ve helped some people in the process literally brings tears to my eyes. You all are amazing and thank you so much for all your kind words, messages, and support. I’m so blessed to have contact with such beautiful people!

Here I am this week. Again, I know what you’re thinking, “Dang, this girl has some sweet ass morning hair.” The only thing better is my retro hello kitty tank I’m wearing. I’m basically a giant 5 year old.

Stay beautiful my loves.

-G.

I would just like to say your face is looking so clear! I definitely see the improvement. My doctor just double my dosage to 80 mg and i'm on month three. Your blog really gives me hope, please continue to post status pics! I'm so jealous of your skin right now. Mine is so red and blotchy lately and it randomly turns red. I just wanted to say Congratulations and it's almost over! It was worth it :-)

Your comment makes me feel like I can lift a car and throw it. You're so sweet! Thank you so much! Holy crap I feel like a million bucks now :)I went to 80 mgs on month 3 and the jump wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. I just kept telling myself that it will help me get clear faster. Hang in there! I use to hate when people say "it gets better!" But now I see they weren't lying. I'm sure you're gorgeous with or without acne anyways :)

Week Twenty Two on Accutane

3/30/17

Hi friends! My phone is being super weird as I’m trying to post so I’ll make this one quick. No new side effects really. In fact, no new news at all. At this point I'm just kind of trucking. The weather in my area has gotten warmer and gotten more moisture in the air. This is great for my skin but now I have to wash my hair regularly 😣 Since I've stopped breaking out, I feel like my scarring is standing out way more. Or maybe I'm just obsessing over it because I don't have acne to obsess over any more? Or maybe my self confidence is so use to being so low that I have to find something about myself I don't like? Will I forever be unhappy with my skin? SO MUCH TURMOIL. Here's my face. And yes, I got some sweet ass morning hair.

You have the best weekend of all time ever. -G.

So after 2 months on 30mg, my dermatologist just doubled my dose to 60mg. Is it just me or is that a really big increase in dose? I'm super worried about side effects getting worse cause of it

It's actually really common for derms to double the doze at month two or three. Mine did it at month three (40mg to 80mg). My side effects did get worse, but it was mostly just the dryness. Nothing else really. Plus, most people find that when their dose is doubled is when they notice a huge improvement in their skin :)

Week Twenty One on Accutane

3/23/17

Hi friends!

If my progress was a human, it could legally drink today.

So right now I am a big ball of emotion. I’m extremely happy, yet extremely frustrated.

Yesterday I had my 5 month checkup with my derm. She said my skin looks great (yay!) and we discussed some post-Accutane scar removal. I knew all along that I was going to need to complete 6 months, but the question in the air was whether or not I would need to do an additional month. I was on pins and needles. She looked at my face and decided that....*drum roll* ......she would decide next month.

*internal screaming*

So I could be completing my last month right now OR still have two months left.

I feel like a balloon that someone let all the air out of.

Good news is my skin is doing AMAZING. I haven’t had a single pimple in weeks. All the closed comedones under my skin have seemed to vanish, or their slowly rising to the top of my skin and then vanishing. Either way, I could not be happier.

As for side effects, I’m still very dry. Of course. I’m also very, very red. I flush really easily. This is hard because while my skin is clear, it doesn’t necessarily look clear do to the scaring and redness. But I’d much rather tackle those two things than the breakouts I was having before.

Here’s mah face:

You all are like....the best ever.

-G.

I'm on 40mg a day (soon switching to a higher dose) and I use loads of aquaphor on my lips at home and EOS lip balm when I'm out of the house as well as chug water and I've found that that works for me. My lips still peel a bit but no more than normal. I also used to get nosebleeds but I started putting aquaphor up my nose at night with a q-tip (it's a little gross) and that worked for me.

Omg yes! I’ve totally put Aquaphor up my nose before! And I’m not afraid to say it :)

Week Twenty on Accutane

3/16/17

HOLY CRAP. MY FACE.

I have no idea what kind of angel, fairy godmother, genie has descended from the sky and started to grant my wishes, but I am damn glad they did.

My face in totally clearing up. And not like “Oh, I’m getting less zits but still breaking out” like before, but actually CLEARING UP.

WHAT.

I could not be any happier. Seriously, this is a dream come true. I have been waiting for this for YEARS.

Now I’m not getting a head of myself. I have my next doctors appointment on Wednesday, and she will tell me then if I need to do one more month or two. God I hope I only have to do one more. I’m dry as the Sahara. My lips have started to dry up again, I’m constantly thirsty, I get dry patches on my arms...it never ends.

But my big comment of the week has got to be about the amount of time it has taken Accutane to work. When I first started this process I immediately got online and read countless Accutane success stories. In many of the stories people had their skin clear up in one or two months. Some times it even cleared up in a few weeks.

Lucky bitches...

This is the first week in this whole process that I feel like I can say my skin is ‘clear.’ And even then, I have a lot of redness and scaring left behind.

So if you are on Accutane and you feel as though it is taking FOREVER to clear up your skin...look at me. Twenty weeks in. TWENTY.

But I don’t regret it. Not at all. I would do it again in a heart beat. Because the first time, in a long, long, LONG time...I’m starting to feel beautiful again.

Here is my face. Like I said, I have a lot of redness and scaring, but I have ZERO active pimples. And I know what you’re thinking- “Where can I get some sweet ass hair clips like those?!” .....and that’s my little secret.

You light up my life.

-G.

Week Nineteen on Accutane

3/9/17

Hi friends!

I hope you all have had a fabulous week. My life has gotten pretty crazy and I am a giant ball of anxiety. There’s a lot of changes coming up for me and I have no idea how to handle it. My fiance and I have started house hunting which is a way bigger project than I ever thought it could be. I may *possibly* be changing careers soon, which is terrifying. I’m getting married in about six months. And to top things off, my mother has not been in great health the past six months. So I have an un-skin related question for you guys:

How/what do you do to de-stress?

Any hoot, on to Accutane. My skin has stopped breaking out, and I currently only have one small active pimple. ONLY ONE TINY ON. HOLY CRAP. I’m no longer getting giant, deep, painful zits. All the closed comedones under my skin are slowly surfacing, and they come to a tiny little white head and then disappear. Yay :)

I’ve also gotten better about drinking water and, what would ya know, my lips have gotten a lot better too. This just shows me how important it is to CHUG water all day every day. It definitely helps you skin and lips, and is generally good for you as well.

I’m still very red, and my skin flushes at the drop of a hat. I haven’t found any products to avoid it. It’s gotten bad enough that some people asked if I’m feeling okay, or if I’m having an allergic reaction. To be honest, I’d much rather put up with facial/neck/chest flushing than horrible breakouts.And when people ask about it they are doing it out of concern, not ‘damn your skin looks like shit’.

One thing I’ve got to rant about for a minute is the packaging that Accutane comes in. IT IS HARDER TO GET INTO THAN THE PENTAGON. Seriously. I’ve gotten multiple different generic brands of Accutane (Zenatane, Myorisan, Claravis, etc) and they all are HORRIBLE. Two days ago I accidentally busted a pill trying to get it out of the package.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that they want to make it child-proof. I also understand that they want to splatter the imagine of a pregnant woman with the ‘NO!’ circle around her to remind me to not get knocked up. All that is fine. But jesus christ. I shouldn’t need a chainsaw to get the pill out.

Here’s my face. All the red spots you see are scaring. :)

You’re adorable.

-G.

Tbh u give me hope for my skin, I'm only on my second month of accutane but I'm so impatient for it to work lol

You're so sweet I can hardly stand it! Yes the first couple months are the worst. But if it can work for me it can work for anyone!

I just finished week 4 on 60mg of accutane and I want to die. My skin is 10x worse than it was when I started and looking back at week 1 I WISH my skin looked like that now. I'm so discouraged every time I look in the mirror my face is disgusting. I'm just frustrated because people said there /might/ be an initial breakout but my skin looks SO much worse than when I started, and it's been one month! I just wish I never started accutane bc all it's done is dry my skin/lips and make my acne worse

I totally know how you're feeling. From what I've seen/heard, a majority of people go through an initial breakout. And it sucks. There's no getting around it. It seriously sucks. My skin looked worse than when I started until a few weeks ago. But trust me, it does get better.Look at my pictures. I didn't start to clear up until I approached my 4 month mark. I know that may seem like a million years away, especially when you're breaking out so bad, but trust me it's not. One thing I did to help was set a countdown timer on my phone. I put in my potential end date of Accutane to help gain some perspective on time that's passed and how much time I have left. Right now it's at 46 days and every time I see it I'm like HOLY SHIT! Maybe try that? And stay strong my friend. You can do this!

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