6-13-2006 It's now June of 2006 and I was taking Accutane back in July of 2000. Almost a whole 6 years! My skin is still great after all this time. I started taking it in 2000 because I was getting some deep cystic acne that could lead to scars. While I'll still get the occasional pimple if I don't wash my face, it's not the type that can lead to scars. My acne is now under control thanks to Accutane.
1-26-2004 It's been over 3 years since my skin started looking good (December 2000) and my skin is still on average a 10/10. In my humble opinion, Accutane works great!! The whole Accutane experience was totally worthwhile!! Read all about it!
9-14-2001 Well I finally did it. I went to my doctor and got Accutane. I actually had a really good experience with it. I took 60 mg of Accutane twice a day for 30 weeks. I stopped taking it in March 2001 and my skin still looks quite nice. I was scared, you know blood tests every month and possible hair loss (the doctor said he rarely saw hair loss, but since I was concerned he gave me Biotin and iron to combat any possible hair loss), vision loss and depression (those first 30 days EVERYTHING is coming out of your skin so there could be some depression about that :P) and all kinds of other symptoms, but happily I never got them. I did get dry lips and my skin was more susceptible to cuts and stuff, but it was definitely worth it!
To fight the lip dryness I recommend either bag balm or Chapstick lip Moisturizer SPF 15 conditioning lip balm, I'm still hooked on the stuff! I would also gently exfoliate my lips every morning and every night with a moist wash-cloth. The lip dryness thing actually began to work to my advantage; with all the added care, my lips were immaculately smooth (absolutely no lines) and glossy all the time. I also now have a little natural red flush to my cheeks and I blush more visibly now. I think it's nice so I'm happy; no more blush buying for me!
July 26, 2000 Accutane update: They told me that I would need the blood tests only every 6 weeks. But I haven't had that confirmed from the dr. yet. I'll see him August 2nd! DUDE! The people on the phone LIED to me! They said that I needed an appointment to get blood tests, but after I'd paid my $10 copay and saw the dr. she told me that since I had the exam slip, I didn't need an appointment! I can walk in anytime! And she refunded me my $$! That's good, but I was hungry! I called at 7 am and they said the only appointment was a 2:30 p.m. So I hadn't had anything since 8p.m. the night before!! I was SO hungry. Well, now that I know, if I have a slip I can walk in anytime. I'll never have to go through that again!
July 28, 2000 Accutane Update: I'm a little worried about the hair loss thing. I hope it doesn't happen! I also hope I don't have to repeat this treatment more than once! Some people have done it like 3 and 4 times! If it doesn't work after 2 trys, I'll go to a herbalist healer. My facialist knows one and my voice teacher knows one. Yeah the dry eyes is worrisome too since I like to wear my contacts( I see so much better in contacts than glasses! I have bad peripheral vision with glasses!). Also bad night vision is worrisome. Well, let's hope it isn't that extreme. Not all these symptoms happen to everyone, hopefully I won't have ANY!
August 6, 2000 I started Accutane Wednesday(8-1-2000)!! So far so good. I told the Dr. I was worried about hair loss and he wrote me a prescription for Iron supplements and Biotin. He said he only saw hair loss rarely with women who were extremely anemic. He wants me to take the series for 30 weeks, so that there will be less chance of me needing to have a second series. 30 weeks is a long time!! If the 30 week series doesn't work, I'm going to a herbalist! He said I shouldn't wear my contacts. I'll wear them as long as I can. I'm starting to carry wetting solution with me always so I won't get overly dry eyes. He said decreased night vision would be a problem if I were in my 40's and my eyesight were already bad or something, he didn't think it would be bad for me. He was also pushing birth control pills, but I didn't want any. You know there's like all these federal medical rules and such you have to follow to avoid pregnancy while on Accutane. The way I see it, If I have 2 things working to fix my skin( you know how your pill helps your skin), how will I know what's really working for me? Also you kinda get screwed up with your period while taking birth control especially if you ever want to go off it. I don't want birth control pills, I mean, how many things do I have to remember to take every day?? Accutane, Iron, Biotin, (Each 2 times per day) and Calcium. And add another on to that...no thanks.
August 20, 2000 Accutane Update: Day 19 My skin got pretty bad last week and for the early part of this week. I can see everything coming out. Illions of blackheads (ranging from large to tiny) were/are coming out as well as pimples (the yucky pus-filled kind! That was SO embarrassing!). The pimples seem to be fading/healing now. I can still wear my contacts (no problems there at all), but my skin is slightly flaky and my lips are definitely drier now. This is day 19, and I don't look too bad. Only two semi-bad pimples and some reddish areas that are healing. Have you ever used calamine lotion on acne? I may or may not try it. I am getting about a facial a week from Charlotte to help control the damage and remove black-heads, You would not EVEN believe how many there are!! I swear they are coming out of EVERY single pore! I hope the worst is over now! I can handle blackheads, but I don't want anymore disfiguring painful pusy pimples!! They totally cramp my flirting style.
August 28, 2000 Accutane update: Day 26 My skin is looking better. The blackheads are gone. My skin is pretty smooth. There are about 7 large pimples now. Happily they aren't the pus- filled yellow kind, they are the deep reddish under the skin kind. They look better than the yellow kind I think. My skin is still a little red from where the past zits were, but the color is getting more uniform. My lips and skin are still dry, but I can wear my contacts without any problems.
September 5, 2000 Accutane Update: Day 35 My skin looks pretty good. The left side of my face looks great, but the acne is making an ugly last stand on the right side of my face. It looks like 3 or 4 pimples have blended into one huge red and slightly pus-filled site. Yuck! I've also got a few tiny minor pimples, but in a bad place, around my mouth area, not cute. The color is slowly coming back to the areas where past pimple were. My cheeks seem to be reddish now. A cute look, no more blush for me. My contacts are fine. My hair seems fine. My scalp is dry. My lip dryness has gotten pretty bad. I'm down to using Bag Balm on them! Bag Balm is to soften the udders of cows, but Shania Twain uses it on her body and they sell it in every drug store. I read about that on the internet Accutane page. It works pretty well. I alternate between Bag Balm and chapstick. Blistex just doesn't cut it!
October 5, 2000 Accutane Update: Day 65 My skin is doing well. I would give it a 6.8 out of 10 right now. There are a few bumps on my right cheek and temple area. And one on my chin. After those go away and some healthy brown color comes back to the old pimple area (pale to reddish color now), I'll be happy.
October 26, 2000 Accutane Update: Day 86 My skin is like A LOT better. It's been better since Wednesday of last week (Day 75). I have only 3 tiny zits! I'm just waiting for the past zit marks to go away. I'll give it a 7.3 out of 10. YEAH!!! I do seem to be blushing more visibly these days, but that's cute so it's OK.
November 7, 2000 Accutane Update: Day 98 My skin is good, but not spectacular!! This is day 98. I expected a perfect glowing complexion for all this time and effort, oh well, they say there can be improvements after you stop taking the medication too. We'll see.
All kinds of people starting giving me lots of skin complements around December 2000. So I think that's when my skin was 10/10. So it was about 110 to 120 days before my skin was really great. I think a few more updates were created. I will post them if I find them.
I still use either Burt's Bees Orange cleanser or Tom's of Maine Natural Glycerin Refreshmint soap or Clarins' One-Step Facial Cleanser with Orange Extract (Démaquillant Tonic Express- A la Sève d’Orange) to wash my face morning and evening. When I want to exfoliate I use Clarins’ One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser with Orange Extract (Doux Nettoyant Gommant Express- A la Sève d’Orange). When I need it (more and more rarely) I use Alpha Hydrox blue Glycolic Toner. After I wash my face, to fight/prevent wrinkles, I use Fusion Beauty’s LiftFusion Micro-Injected M-Tox Transdermal Face Lift in needed areas followed by Kinerase’s C6 Peptide Intensive Treatment (I tried the Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment and it started breaking me out. If it’s pimples or wrinkles I choose wrinkles. But actually the Fusion Beauty and Kinerase keep the lines away.). I then apply HebalLogix Spot Scar and Blemish Crème all over to fight acne. It's still the best! My skin is still a little dry/flaky so to prevent flakes, I mix Clarins' Total Double Serum Multi-Régénérant (with anti-oxidants!) with my moisturizer. My day moisturizer is either Aveda's Tourmaline Charged Protecting Lotion SPF 15 (very sustainable!) or Clarins' Line Prevention Multi-Active Day Lotion SPF 15(Multi-Active Jour) or Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Moisturizer SPF 15. If it’s winter or I need something more moisturizing I use Clarins' Moisture Quenching Hydra-Balance Lotion SPF 15(Fluide Désaltérant Multi-Hydratant SPF 15). I use Retin-A micro 0.05% about 3-7 nights a week and use Fusion Beauty’s LiftFusion Micro-Injected M-Tox Transdermal Face Lift in needed areas. The other nights I use Clarins' Total Double Serum Multi-Régénérant, HerbalLogix spot creme or YonKa Creme 15. My occasional mask is usually Burt's Bees Green Goddess Mask, Clarins' Aromatic Plant Purifying Mask or the Body Shop’s Blue Corn scrub mask. I’ll also occasionally use Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Peel; it works really well. I still use Biore or Ponds cleansing towelettes after a workout, midday or when I'm too tired to wash my face before bed. This may sound like a lot of work for post-Accutane skin; everything should be perfect now, right? But nothing is perfect and this routine really works: my skin still looks great(average 9-10 out of 10), and I'm still trying to be sustainable when I can.
AVEDA.
I LOVE Aveda! Aveda is a seriously sustainable company that is making a positive difference in this world. They make sustainable use of natural resources and whenever possible use organically grown plant ingredients to reduce the amount of pesticides going into our ecosystem and ultimately our bodies. In addition they have a whole director of sustainability and are ISO 14001 certified. Their packaging is recyclable and they try to use sustainable techniques to make their products (even when they are extracting the plant essences)!
I love their Tourmaline Skincare Line, make-up line (especially lipgloss in colors cacao bean and pomegranate juice. Their lipsticks have a nice minty taste) and their Brilliant Humectant Pomade for hair. Find your nearest Aveda seller at http://www.aveda.com! http://www.aveda.com
Burt's Bees is a great company that is very environmentally sustainable and produces great products in recyclable containers. I recommend their Lemon Oil (for body or scalp, not face), Carrot body lotion (again body only. I got facial breakouts from their carrot facial creme), orange facial cleanser, citrus facial scrub, peppermint shower soap and green goddess facial mask. As you can tell I really love Burt's Bees! Check them out at www.burtsbees.com!
http://www.burtsbees.com
Juice Beauty
Juice Beauty the Organic Solution. Juice Beauty is the exhilaratingly modern approach to pure, pleasurable skincare. A completely unique and fluid skincare system based on certified organic botanicals formulated to support skin metabolism and function.
Juice Beauty products nourish the skin with vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes, and aromatherapeutic essential oils that work to stimulate circulation, purify the skin, and boost overall wellbeing. Rejuvenating as a tropical getaway, Juice Beauty is a vacation for the skin.
All their stuff smells incredibly great!!! Check them out at www.juicebeauty.com!
http://www.juicebeauty.com
Tom's of Maine is another great company that tries to work in harmony with nature. They have connections with many environmental activist organizations as well. The products are good enough for my picky skin so I have to give them a great recommendation! I love their Natural Glycerin soap in Refreshmint, their Natural Deodorant in Honeysuckle or unscented and their Natural Toothpaste with Fluoride in yummy Cinnamint! Check them out at www.tomsofmaine.com! http://www.tomsofmaine.com
What worked for my skin, sorta:
1-27-2004. I continue to try to use sustainable products when I can, but my skin likes what it likes. :P
I still use Tom's of Maine Natural Glycerin Refreshmint soap or Burt's Bees Orange cleanser to wash my face morning and evening. When I need it (more and more rarely) I use Alpha Hydrox blue Glycolic Toner. My skin has been very dry lately so during the day I use either Clarins' Total Double Serum Multi-Régénérant (with anti-oxidants!) or Aveda's Tourmaline Charged Radiance Fluid right after I wash my face. I then apply HebalLogix Spot Scar and Blemish Creme. It's the best! My day moisturizer is Aveda's Tourmaline Charged Protecting Lotion SPF 15 (very sustainable!) or Clarins' Moisture Quenching Hydra-Balance Lotion SPF 15(Fluide Désaltérant Multi-Hydratant SPF 15). I use Retin-A micro 0.05% about 1-3 nights a week. The other nights I use Clarins' Total Double Serum Multi-Régénérant, Aveda's Tourmaline Charged Radiance Fluid, HerbalLogix spot creme or YonKa Creme 15. My weekly mask is usually Burt's Bees Green Goddess Mask, Clarins'Aromatic Plant Purifying Mask or the Body Shop’s Blue Corn scrub mask. I still use Biore or Ponds cleansing towelettes after a workout, midday or when I'm too tired to wash my face before bed. This may sound like a lot of work for post-Accutane skin; everything should be perfect now, right? But nothing is perfect and this routine really works: my skin still looks great(average 9-10 out of 10), and I'm still trying to be sustainable when I can.
2-3-2003. I'm currently using more sustainable products when I can, but my skin likes what it likes.
I use Tom's of Maine Natural Glycerin Refreshmint soap or Burt's Bees Orange cleanser to wash my face morning and evening. When I need it, I still use Alpha Hydrox blue Glycolic Toner. During the day I also apply HebalLogix Spot Scar and Blemish Creme. It really gets rid of old dark spots and prevents bumps. My day moisturizer is Neutrogena Healthy skin glycolic acid lotion SPF 15 (mixed with Neutrogena intensified day moisturizer depending on the season) or HerbalLogix Moisture Balance Lotion with SPF 15. At night I'm back to using Retin-A (Actually Retin-A micro, 0.05%), however I don't need to use it every night, it's too drying. I use it about 2-4 nights a week. The other nights I use the HerbalLogix spot creme or YonKa Creme 15. My weekly mask is usually Burt's Bees Green Goddess Mask or the Body Shop’s Blue Corn scrub mask. I still use Biore or Ponds cleansing towelettes after a workout, midday or when I'm too tired to wash my face before bed. This may sound like a lot of work for post-Accutane skin; everything should be perfect now, right? But nothing is perfect and this routine really works: my skin looks great(average 9-10 out of 10), I'm being sustainable when I can and I'm not using antibiotics that can mess with my body and lead to nasty yeast infections.
9-14-2001. This whole routine is actually really working well for me now. Cetaphil Cleanser followed by Alpha Hydrox blue Glycolic Toner every morning and evening. Neutrogena Healthy skin glycolic acid lotion SPF 15 for day (mixed with Neutrogena intensified day moisturizer depending on the season). For night, I use Neutrogena light night cream. I also use Clear Logix Acne Spot Treatment as a preventative measure. My weekly mask is usually The Body Shop’s Blue Corn scrub mask, St. Ives Firming Mask or Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque. I also get a professional facial about once every four to five weeks from Charlotte. I use Biore cleansing towelettes after a workout, midday or when I'm too tired to wash my face before bed.
1999. Alpha Hydrox blue Glycolic Toner along with Retin-A (0.05%), Erythromycin (2%), Regular (Not the Acne-Prone bar!) Neutrogena bar cleanser, Buff-Puff facial scrubber, Neutrogena Healthy skin glycolic acid lotion SPF 15, Biore pore strips once a week and a facial mask twice a week (Alternating between The Body Shop’s Blue Corn scrub mask, Biore’s 60 second self heating mask and Freeman Cucumber and ginseng mask) and Ice or Visine on emergency zits and Clear Logix Acne Spot Treatment for not quite as emergency zits. In addition to all this skin care I do other stuff : I eat a carrot a day (my skin likes vitamin A), drink at least 10 glasses of good water ( Good water = filtered or bottled water. Regular tap water makes my skin worse!) a day, I get lots of circulation ( 5 days of 30 minutes or more aerobic activity each week), I change my pillow cases often, and I need to wash my hair and esp. my hair line frequently. I try not to touch my face and I try to cleanse my skin immediately following a workout.(* Biore has some good cleansing towelettes that are good after a workout or midday. Cetaphil Cleanser. Good for mid-day or post work out cleansing too.) My skin likes manual and chemical exfoliation, Vitamin A and Glycolic Acid .
All these other products and combinations didn’t cut the mustard:
1. Retin-A: doesn’t really work alone
2. Erythromycin: I think my bacteria became resistant!
3. Proactive: the Glycolic Acid Toner (6% or 8%) is good, but the cleanser and lotion seem to irritate my skin. Lucky me, I’m one of the 10% of the population for whom the product doesn’t work. I'm allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide no matter what tiny percentage it is. That's why I could never use Clearasil or Stridex or what have you. I swear, the huge red allergic rashes/hives were way worse than any pimple.
4. Alpha Hydrox. I must find out the % of their toner. If it’s 6% or 8% or above, that may work along with Retin-A, Erythromycin, Regular (Not Acne prone!) Neutrogena bar cleanser, Buff-Puff, Neutrogena Healthy skin glycolic acid lotion and Biore pore strips once a week and a facial mask twice a week (Alternating between The Body Shop’s Blue Corn scrub mask, Biore’s 60 second self heating mask and Freeman Cucumber and ginseng mask)
5. Less is more: NOT! I did try to go back to not using so many glycolic/exfoliating products, but my skin looked awful! Here’s a list of everything that didn’t work for me:
· Neutrogena cleansing bar for acne prone skin and Buff Puff, Erythromycin, Retin-A and SPF 15 moisturizer- Close, but no cigar!!
· Dove, Neutrogena witch hazel drying gel
· Retin-A, Neutrogena witch hazel drying gel, Neutrogena acne toner, and Neutrogena cleansing bar for acne prone skin and Buff-Puff
· Benzoil Peroxide in general doesn’t work for me
· Oxy 5% and 10%( gave me a rash that was worse that the zits!)
· Clearasil 5% and 2.5%
· Neutrogena 2.5% Benzoil peroxide cream
· Sulfur doesn’t work, also way too irritating!
· Acnomel with Sulfur
· Neither does Salayic Acid , just doesn’t help!
· Neutrogena Salayic Acid gel cleanser
· Neutrogena Salayic Acid Clear Pore
· Johnson and Johnson Salayic acid gel 10% , WAY too irritating (maybe I should have tried 5%)
· Percriptives Acne control lotion
· Black Opal Blemish wash and fade gel
· 12 glasses of water a day
· A carrot a day
· Exercise everyday and lots of hair washing...good but not enough alone
· BINDI pink cream did nothing! I don’t think I believe in Aruyvedics!
· Vitamin E- NEVER ever EVER put vitamin E oil directly on pimples in the hopes of preventing scarring! It makes them last longer with a red scar that lasts for months ( I truly mean months)!!!
· Peroxide and Isoproply rubbing alcohol
· Antibiotic ointment, Cortaid cortisone cream, and vitamin E oil
· Noxema- makes acne worse
· St Ives Apricot Scrub- helps some
· Cetaphil- moisturizing, but doesn’t help clear-up zits. Good for mid-day or post work out cleansing.
· Many many masks. I’m still using them though. They seem to help a little. The best are the Body Shop’s Blue corn Scrub mask, Biore self heating mask, Freeman’s ginsing and cucumber peel off mask, Kiehels Rare earth mask, Proactive’s mask, St Ives Alpha Hydroxy peel-off mask. Queen Helen’s Mint Julep mask, Origins out of trouble mask, St. Ives Blue mud mask. Don’t even bother to try Garden Botanika’s earth mask or Freeman’s Salayic acid peel-off mask ( I think it made things worse! That’s my skin not liking Salayic acid I guess.) From all this, I’ve concluded that my skin likes to be exfoliated, but doesn’t like Salayic acid or benzoil peroxide.
1. Clinque acne cream
2. Phisoderm
3. Edgar Morris: They were too stupid to deliver to my University address; they said they needed a street number. Well somehow Proactive figured it out! Actually they have benzoil peroxide in their products, so not getting it delivered was a blessing in disguise.
4. There’s some new dermatologist acne product, some gel, I think it’s like Retin-A or Doxicycline or something.
5. Differin gel, some dermatologist product 1999. I tried Differin under the direction of Dr.s at the Murad Clinic and it never worked for me. 7-28-2000. Guess what I JUST found out! Differin is only as effective as 0.025% Retin-A!! BUT the lowest concentration that worked for me was 0.05% Retin-A!! So that's why Differin didn't do it for my skin!!! DARN-IT!!!
6. IGIA: they have a zit zapper. I’m pretty desperate at this point!! It may work...Though I've been waiting a month and it still hasn't arrived!!! However, my credit card hasn't been charged yet either....In 1999 it arrived and it would occasionally work for the occasional pimple, but not consistently.
7. Dr. Murad: He’s my only hope now! Although I don’t think Acne is his specialty. Maybe he can refer me!...I went to Murad in 1999 and things didn't get better. I didn't actually see him, but it was his clinic. They just prescribed Differin and a lot of antibiotics that gave me yeast infections in spite of me taking a pro-biotic rebalancer.
8. Some other more cool experimental dermatologist
9. My second dermatologist! She was way awesome! She was a pretty young black woman with beautiful skin!! I believed in her! Why did we have to leave Cigna?! What she did: Buff-Puff, Neutrogena Cleansing Bar for Acne prone skin, Retin-A 0.05%( instead of 0.01%) and Erythromycin (2%), worked well for me for years. Now she should update my regimen a little!
10. A facialist hmmm Ole Peterson? I think he’s booked years in advance though ...1999...I found a great facialist, Charlotte, she's reasonably priced and good with all types of skin(if anyone needs a facialist in the L.A. area, email me and I'll be happy to forward her info to you). She does a great job, but I needed something more so I followed her advice and turned to Accutane while seeing her about once a month.
11. Teen skin vitamins and cleanser from GNC. But I don’t think so cause they are also Benzoil peroxide based!
12. Accutane and the estrogen enhanced pill: expensive but it supposedly works. This would be the absolute last attempt for me! My skin isn’t so bad that I need Accutane. I don’t have deep cystic acne or anything really bad, just frequent mild though very annoying breakouts. I'm scared of the blood tests, I hate needles! But my skin does like Vitamin A ( Ha-Ha! See the begining of this page for the wonderful Accutane results!).
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