#2 - Does it really work?!

Hello again!


Finally finished the first month of accutane!

Progress:   4 weeks into treatment.
Dosage:   20mg (1 capsule) everyday for 1 month.


In the last week, it's been particularly depressing. I feel like i'm spinning my wheels. Something must have happened in my system and i've been breaking out really really bad, only this week.
It seemed like the pills were working but i'm not even sure right now. Sure it's only been 4 weeks and I need to wait it out for another month or two to see proper results, but it's pissing me the [beep] off!

My face right now looks no different than the first set of photos I posted before starting accutane. Facepalm.

The left side of my chin and face feels very tender this week and i'm starting to have a lot of doubts about this. My lips are still as dry as ever.

But finally, i've been able to up my dosage. For month 2, I will be taking 40mg everyday. See how that turns out.

#1 - Dry, dry, drrrryyy!!!

Hello everyone!

Time for a fortnight update as promised.

Actually i've felt pretty miserable over the last 2 weeks because of the initial breakout I was experiencing after taking the Accutane. I didn't think this was going to work for me.

Progress:   2 weeks into treatment.
Dosage:   20mg (1 capsule) everyday for 1 month.

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What has it been like? Any changes to the appearance?

Well... firstly, my lips have never felt this dry. This isn't the kind of dry where you lick your lips and it will be ok.
When I say dry, I mean DRY! I've managed to swipe through a stick of lip balm because I keep applying it at least once every hour. It is no joke that accutane would suck out all the moisture from your face and lips. My lips feel like the desert.
I do keep myself hydrated, I drink a lot, a lot of water.

I have also started to notice my skin flaking between my eyebrows and the sides of my nose... which never really happens! My skin can be dry in the winter but never to the point where it flakes.

Mind you, I am using the 'Aveeno' moisturizer for my face and hands. It leaves skin feeling very nourished!
I have always used the 'Simple' moisturizer as part of my routine but with the accutane in my system, it just isn't working as well as Aveeno.

My cheeks are still lumpy, but not as inflamed as before. My skin feels a lot less tender to touch also. It's only been two weeks and my friend said I should start to feel a more obvious difference after 4-6 weeks.

I don't know if you guys can tell the difference, but I can't really see any improvements myself.

'BEFORE' photos of taking Accutane.

(Yeah... i'm a few days late in making this post...)


Accutane start date:   29th November.
Dosage:   20mg (1 capsule) everyday for 1 month.


Just 3 days into the treatment and I am experiencing an initial breakout. It makes me... mad and sad... but hopefully by next week, I will be on my way to feeling much better.


NOTE:   These pictures were taken on the 29th November BEFORE I took my first capsule.


You know... I never knew the acne looked so god-awful until I took these photos.

MY ACNE STORY

Hello and welcome to my blog. :)


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Acne has always been the bane of my life and a severe knock-down on my confidence. It all started back in secondary school I guess. Most teenagers get the odd cluster of acne on their face, hairline, chest and back and I certainly wasn't able to escape it either.

When I was 14, I had really bad acne - mainly on my forehead (it looked like the surface of the moon... yes that's an insult to the moon), small boils all along my hairline, between my eyebrows and chin area. 

By the time I was 19, ALL and I mean ALL of the acne on my forehead INCLUDING scars / dark shadows disappeared. 

However... just as I thought the nightmare was coming to an end...

When I was 19, out of nowhere, both my cheeks started to break out a few pimples. It spiralled out of control and since then, i've had to deal with very inflamed and broken skin tissue. 

Mind you, as soon as a few old pimples managed to heal, a new cluster broke out and it made me very depressed and I hated going outdoors. 

Before you all start naming products I could have tried or foods I could have eaten, my dear... i've tried EVERYTHING. 

Note: I am not a picky eater and I eat sensibly. I do NOT smoke or do drugs and I very, I mean very rarely drink - I'm talking about once a year, maybe not even that. 

Anyway, you can name ANY creams, gels, facewashes... i've been there, done that, had no success. 

I've spent forever watching youtube videos, trying to filter the best D.I.Y acne remedies - from natural greek yoghurt mask, honey and oatmeal mask, apple cider vinegar and whatnot. NOTHING WORKS.

Those remedies made my acne less painful for about a day before everything reverted back to hell again. 

A month ago, I read an article that zinc could help to decrease the inflammation and help rid acne. I spent hours researching forums and multiple articles to confirm the success of those who had tried it.

At first I laughed and thought it was another bogus advert in attempt to entice acne victims like myself. 

Well you know what? I gave in and bought the zinc capsules... thinking that maybe, just maybe I was deficient in zinc. 

There are several zinc supplements on the market, but I read that zinc picolinate is absorbed faster by the body, so I gave those a try. The brand I bought is called 'Now Foods'.

And NO, i'm not sponsored by whatnot company to advertise zinc.

As I write this, I have taken just over a month's worth of these zinc capsules - 100mg dosage (2 capsules) everyday. One during lunch and one during dinner.

How do I feel?

After the I had an initial breakout of extra acne on top of the old acne. I think I cried on and off for 2 days. The zinc made my entire face felt so tender. It was so inflamed even washing my face made it hurt.

After the first week, the inflammation decreased significantly and for the first time, my cheeks and chin felt a lot less lumpy. 

By the 4th week, it felt like the magic had ran out and although I wasn't back at square one, the acne wasn't making progress. I had come to a halt.

Then a friend of mine (who was also once a very bad acne sufferer) suggested I try Accutane. He mentioned he used to have acne boils the size of a 10 pence coin. His skin right now is flawless. I mean, you can't even tell he had acne in the first place.

So, here is me thinking this accutane treatment may be my one last chance to get rid of this once and for all. 

It's [insert curse word] expensive too!!

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So yes...

Wish me luck.