Tuesday, June 15, 2004

day ninety, weeks twelve and thirteen Ok, I've been slacking off in a very major way, but really there's not much to report at ALL. My skin got LOTS better, but right now it's starting to go downhill again. Nothing a little makeup (ok, a LOT of makeup) can't handle. current medications/supplements: accutane 80mg Yasmin vitamin e current products: generic SPF 30 waterproof sunscreen Neosporin cream with pain relief Visine Original and Visine for contacts St. Ives 24-hour lotion cetaphil moisturizing lotion cetaphil face wash blistex lip balm lots of water current symptoms: irritation, anger bloody nose extreme sensitivity to sunlight and heat severly dry, chafed skin and rashes all over the place dry, irritated eyes dry lips dehydration WEEK TWELVE AND THIRTEEN REPORT: Lately I'm noticing a lot of fatigue... headaches, irritability, and sleeplessness, mostly psychological symptoms lately. In addition, I've completely lost my ability to tolerate frustration, which leads to massive temper tantrums about twice a week. That's pretty embarassing. RECOMMENDATIONS: I know I've talked about anger and frustration already, so let me reiterate... exercize really is the best outlet for all of that angsty energy. Work yourself until you're too tired to be angry. If you're not big on working out, do SOMEthing active... clean your room, walk around the block... otherwise you're likely to blow up and make an idiot of yourself. | || [9:04 AM]

Friday, June 04, 2004

day seventy-nine, week eleven Happy birthday to me!! I'm 21 now, and the best present I could hope for? No zits!! My skin is really really clear, and it looks like my little layer of purple scars is also beginning to fade noticeably. I'm faced with an interesting new reality though: my skin is really WHITE! Not pale or pasty, but a curiously luminous shade of white. Of course, the rest of my body is the same color (I'm Swedish), but it's wierd seeing my face that way. For the last 5 years, it's either been red and blotchy or caky with Ivory 101 Maximum Coverage Foundation. current medications/supplements: accutane 80mg Yasmin vitamin e current products: Neosporin cream with pain relief Visine Original and Visine for contacts St. Ives 24-hour lotion cetaphil moisturizing lotion cetaphil face wash blistex lip balm lots of water current symptoms: irritation, anger bloody nose extreme sensitivity to sunlight and heat severly dry, chafed skin and rashes all over the place dry, irritated eyes dry lips dehydration WEEK ELEVEN REPORT: Like I said, major progress. I'm off the Erythromycin, and I was going to watch and see if I was still nauseated in the mornings, but then for the past 3 days I've been eating pizza and birthday cake and restaurant food, so my stomach is upset ANYway. But for a better reason :) Something I've noticed, PMS is MUCH much worse lately, as well as the whole first-day-of-my-period mess. I was having some serious anger issues last week, and then as soon as that subsided, I got really sick and headachy for a couple of days. But now it's all better, just in time for the BIG party. RECOMMENDATIONS: I've finally found a foundation worth its weight in gold. Somehow the Mary Kay girls found me, and I'm telling you, their foundation is the best thing that ever happened to my face (next to accutane). It's very lightweight but has super-opaque coverage (and I only bought the medium coverage) without the caky look. It doesn't dry your skin out and lasts ALL DAY. You pay about $15 for a 1-oz tube (unlike $30 for Clinique or $40 for Clarins) and you only need half of what you'd use of the grocery store brands. Seriously. I love the stuff. Their Satin Lip therapy kit, on the other hand, is NOT worth the money. Blistex original is what I've narrowed it down to, it's the only thing I've used AND liked. Now I go into conniptions of panic if I ever leave the house without it. | || [8:50 AM]

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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.

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

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.

More Accutane Stuff

Fun With Accutane - Jackie's journal Accutane Information Page - the real deal, run by the FDA. The Skin Site - very comprehensive and easy to understand. Accutane Action Group - anti-accutane awareness group.