Monday, March 29, 2004
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day eighteen, week three
I'm kind of lucky, I had my "initial breakout" this week but I was in socal with my parents instead of at work and at school and stuff. But then again, I had major hamburger face for my spring break! BOO! More details later. In Laguna Beach it was a lot more humid than what I'm used to in Utah, I think that really helped with dry skin and everything. Here's the rundown...
current medications/supplements:
- accutane 40mg
- Augmentin
- generic Ibuprophen + generic Naproxen sodium (800mg total)
- Yasmin birth control (still hate the stuff.)
- iron
- vitamin e
- perscription-strength cortizone cream (can't remember the name)
current products:
- Visine Original and Visine for contacts (for dry, irritated eyes)
- St. Ives 24-hour lotion
- cetaphil moisturizing lotion
- cetaphil face wash (left my neutrogena in Cali)
- blistex lip balm
- lots of water
current symptoms:
- severe initial breakout!
- back pain
- red, blotchy, sensitive skin
- dry, itchy scalp
- dry, irritated eyes
- very dry hands, feet, and lips
- constant dehydration
WEEK THREE REPORT: I'd heard all about it, but now I'm living the nightmare... it's the INITIAL BREAKOUT!! (dun dun dun...) It's definitely the worst breakout I've ever had, makeup is almost futile. I look like a friggin' burn victim! But it's ok, it's to be expected. And it makes all the other symptoms seem a lot easier to deal with. My skin isn't as dry anymore, thanks to lots of lotion and lip balm. Still no depression or excessive anxiety... I did spend a lot of time in airports this week, and that always makes me anxious. But other than that, still no psychological side-effects. And no hair loss yet either. I'm considering dropping the Yasmin birth control to see what that does for my breakouts, maybe seeing a general practitioner for something different.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- stay away from Yasmin birth control! there are lots of other options out there, see a GP or an OBGYN for something that won't turn you into a hormonal psychopath or worsen your breakouts.
- for painful, inflamed acne, use the strongest cortizone cream you can find. I've also heard that Neosporin cream (not ointment!) works wonders.
- for itchy, flaky skin that breaks and bleeds, stay away from heavily scented lotion (curse you, Victoria's Secret!!)... seriously, it stings like a mofo.
- for backaches and headaches, use anti-inflammatories like ibuprophin (Advil) or naproxin sodium (Aleve). I use a combination of the two. In some cases, this can help with inflamed acne too.
- some fashion advice... if you're red and blotchy, stay away from shirts that have a lot of pink and red in them. They make you look like a lobster. Blues and greens are better. It REALLY does make a difference.
- warning: do not pick your zits! or the flaky chunks of skin that come after them... your face WILL bleed, and that's even uglier than acne is. I know some of us can't help it, but try really hard to avoid it.
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The Guinea Pig |
My name is Allisan, I'm a 21-year-old college student with very bad acne and a chip on my shoulder. I'm taking Accutane to kick the thing in the butt once and for all, and documenting the experience for the benefit of anyone else considering giving it a shot. Read on, fellow acne sufferers!!
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About Accutane |
In Laman's terms... Accutane limits the body's production a natural oil called Sebum that builds up in your pores and causes acne. Generally you spend 5 months on it, and most people see results within 2 months. It has a 75% success rate after the first round, 85% after 2 rounds - that means that the acne never, ever comes back for most people. During the course of the therapy, the most common side effects are dry flaky skin, chapped lips, dehydration, irritation while wearing contacts, and backaches. Basically it makes your body tissue really sensitive to EVERYTHING. Some people also experience moodiness and, in rare cases, severe depression. It also causes some nasty birth defects, so they make absolutely sure you can't get pregnant while you're on it.
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Products I Swear By |
- Mary Kay medium coverage foundation
- blistex original lip balm
- neosporin cream (not ointment)
- St. Ives 24-Hour body lotion
- Cetaphil moisturizer & face wash
- Generic vitamin e supplements
- Visine original eye drops
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Products I Swear *At* |
Blistex Complete Moisture lip balm - Jackie recommends it, but I disagree! It's really thin (heavy petroleum-based ointments are the best) and makes your breath smell funky.
Victoria's Secret lotion - Love the smell, but it stings like a mofo. Same goes for Bath&Body or any other heavily scented lotion, accutane makes your skin VERY sensitive to that kind of stuff.
Proactiv products - great for semi-problematic skin, but totally useless for severe acne. They *do* give your money back, so it *is* worth a try. But if you're serious about dealing with your acne, try something else.
erythromycin - if you get this, make sure they prescribe the capsules, not the tablets. This stuff is powerful, it can really upset your stomach.
Yasmin birth control - makes acne *worse*, turns you into a hormonal one-woman soap opera.
Chapstick brand lip balm - nothin but glorified ear wax. Buy the medicated stuff, folks.
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