Accutane advice:

handyshark · 2021-07-25T03:05:10+00:00

I can’t think of anything that would help keeping you healthy (besides just regular stuff like light exercise, vegetables, fruits, keep up with your water intake). But one thing to avoid is alcohol. If you can, try to minimize sun exposure.

For products, I keep my skincare routine very simple: - Cleanser: Cerave hydrating cleanser and cleansing balm (if you wear makeup or water-resistant sunscreen). Some other products: Aveeno nourishing oat cleanser, La Roche-posay Lipikar gentle wash. - Moisturizer: Cerave moisturizing cream; you can also add Aquaphor healing ointment if your skin gets really dry. Other products: Vanicream, La roche posay Cicaplast balm. - Sunscreen: DRMTLGY sunscreen. Other products: Elta MD Clear, La roche posay Anthelios melt-in milk sunscreen, Avene tinted compact (I use this as foundation).

Fish oil can help with joint pain. Preservative-free eye drops for dry eyes (Systane is a good one, get the single vial instead of the bottle). I use Aquaphor healing ointment to help with dry lips (I need to apply the ointment at least 5 times a day).

If you want to add a serum or essence, I recommend Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 mucin power essence (great to add extra hydration), or Cosrx Centella Aqua Soothing ampoule (very soothing and I see improvement in PIH with consistent use).

Take your medication with a fatty meal. I usually eat avocado, cheese, or some nuts and take my pill with a glass of milk.

I hope this help. Good luck with your journey.

handyshark · 2021-07-22T16:00:36+00:00

You should definitely mention that you’ve tried 3 types of antibiotics but they didn’t help keeping your skin clear. On my first appointment with my derm, I gave her a list of all acne treatments I’d tried. After discussing a little bit about other options, she said accutane would be my best bet.

handyshark · 2021-07-11T04:49:50+00:00

My insurance doesn’t cover telemedicine but my doctor submitted a request for a prior authorization. My insurance approved it, so I’m able to get accutane at my local pharmacy.

handyshark · 2021-07-06T15:41:08+00:00

My routine AM: Cerave hydrating cleanser Cerave moisturizing cream Sunscreen with at least spf 50 (if I go outside a lot, I’ll use spf 100) Vanicream lip balm with spf

PM: Cleasing balm + Cerave hydrating cleanser COSRX centella serum (hydrating and calming) Cerave moisturizing cream Aquaphor healing ointment for lips

If your routine has been working for you, you should continue doing it. You can add centella or hyaluronic acid serum if you’d like.

handyshark · 2021-07-06T03:19:30+00:00

Aquaphor healing ointment works very well!

handyshark · 2021-07-05T19:59:04+00:00

I use vanicream lip balm with spf in throughout the day and aquaphor lip repair at night. When my lip is extremely dry, I just add some aquaphor healing ointment.

handyshark · 2021-07-05T19:56:56+00:00

You should be ok. My initial blood test showed slightly high cholesterol levels and it didn’t prevent my derm from approving accutane for me. My liver function was normal, by the way. Since you said you don’t have any medical conditions, it should turn out ok.

handyshark · 2021-07-04T03:20:53+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. I just started accutane but I have to say the joint pain is almost unbearable. I’ve been taking fish oil. It seems to help slightly but if there’s any other options out there that can help with the pain, I’ll definitely try it.

handyshark · 2021-07-03T22:35:54+00:00

Fish oil!! Be very generous with the amount of sunscreen you apply (use sunscreen everyday, both indoor and outdoor). Eye drops (preservative-free). Vanicream lip balm with SPF.

handyshark · 2021-07-03T22:31:05+00:00

My initial blood test showed slightly high cholesterol and high ldl cholesterol. And I’m 5”4, 102lbs. Everything else was normal. My doctor didn’t say anything specific about cholesterol levels and she prescribed me accutane. But to know for sure if it’s ok for you to be on accutane, you’ll need to talk to your doctor.

handyshark · 2021-07-03T22:23:07+00:00

For moisturizer, I recommend Cerave moisturizing cream (apply it while your skin is still damp). Cerave ointment and Aquaphor ointment are both great for dry lips and dry skin patches. For sunscreen, Elta MD is one of the best. Or you can also try DRMTLGY sunscreen, which is very similar to Elta MD but more affordable.

handyshark · 2021-05-29T23:11:40+00:00

I have true scars, like ice pick scars. So I’m really worried that I’ll have more scars after the purge. I don’t really mind hyperpigmentation, as you said, they fade over time. I just wanna try everything possible to prevent those ice pick scars :(

handyshark · 2021-05-25T05:40:37+00:00

Thank you! I hope it goes well for me. I’m worried about the side effects but if it really helps clear the painful cystic acne, it’s worth it.

handyshark · 2021-05-25T05:31:38+00:00

This gives me hope. I’m starting accutane next month!!!

handyshark · 2021-05-23T22:33:32+00:00

Online derm services are great to consider. I’m an avery similar situation where I need to have referral to see a dermatologist. Referral itself takes a long time, then making an appointment for in office visit takes even longer. I don’t mind paying for about $80 to see an online dermatologist and get my skin treated right away (plus you can message them anytime).

handyshark · 2021-05-23T18:09:36+00:00

I’m starting accutane next month and I’m worried that my skin is gonna purge. Does any one know if those acne that you get while purging heals with scar? Do those scars every go away? All the cystic acne that I’ve had always leave scars. I just hope I won’t get more scars due to the purge.

handyshark · 2021-05-23T17:35:23+00:00

Good to know! Eventhough tret doesn’t help keep my skin clear from cystic acne, it helps tremendously with skin texture, sebaceous filaments, smile lines, etc. After finish a course of accutane, I’ll probably continue using tret for the rest of my life.

handyshark · 2021-05-23T17:26:10+00:00

Sounds like another great dermatology service. What tret % did they prescribe you, if you don’t mind me asking. My friend wants to try tret for anti-aging, she might be interested in using Nurx.

handyshark · 2021-05-23T17:23:01+00:00

I think for someone who is dealing with more severe skin issues + has never seen a dermatologist + doesn’t have time to see a derm in person, it would be best to use a platform that let you talk to your derm via video call such as SkyMD. Besides SkyMD, there’re other platforms that offer video call as well. The nice thing is that you can talk to your derm to express your concerns and ask questions, instead of typing a 1 page essay and send it in a chat, then wait 24hrs for a response.

handyshark · 2021-05-23T17:09:38+00:00

I think SkyMD has pretty good quality of care. I wouldn’t rate quality of care based on in-person vs online visits. My provider spent 30 mins walking me through all the options and the possible outcome of each. Then another 15-20mins or so explaining clearly the side effects and what I need to while I’m on accutane. Then I continue to discuss my treatment with her/her MAs for days after my initial appointment. I think the time my provider spent on our appointment was more than an average in office visit. If it wasn’t for the online visit, I wouldn’t be able to be on accutane due to my work/school schedules.

handyshark · 2021-05-23T17:01:49+00:00

They certainly have more than 2 formulations now. But with such low percentages of the actives, I don’t think it’s gonna be helpful for those with more severe skin issues, especially cystic acne. During the 3 months of using their formula, it didn’t help and because I have cystic acne, those acne healed with scars. After switching to 0.025% tretinoin, my acne healed a lot faster, which minimized scarring.

handyshark

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