Skin dryness

Once you start taking isotretinoin (sotret, roaccutane or any other brand), you'll notice that your skin will dry. That's because one of this medicine's effects are on the sebaceous glands. In my case, as I used to have an extremely oily face (3 hours after washing, my face was already shining, haha), it took 3 or 4 days after starting the treatment to notice the sebum reduction. 4 weeks after, my skin started exfoliating and my lips cracking. It's normal to happen like this and I knew about it before deciding to go for these pills.

Anyway, I will post what my dermatologist recommended for dryness:

• first of all, a baby soap. At the moment I use Nivea Baby, it works fine.
• when washing your face, use lukewarm water (not cold, not warm).
• your lips may get on your nerves, so always have a lip balm in your pocket. I use Nivea Lip Care. Oh, and if you are a male too, get the blue one. Or if you want some colour on your lips, get something else.
• in case you feel your eyes dry: Visine - I don't feel the need, so I don't use it.
• if you want to apply a moisturizer, my dermatologist told me to use something light. For instance: Hydrance Lejere or Hydracristal fluid termal (from Uriage). - I also don't want to apply anything on my face (I've been using Brevoxyl for more than 2 years, enough with cremes), although my skin is peeling. It's not that bad, though.

As you may see, I don't use the last 2.

So, if any of you uses or recommends anything else, please post a comment.

My 2nd month's on sotret (accutane) doctor visit

As I mentioned in this post, I had to visit my doctor. The important facts:

• She prescribed the pills for the next month and said that I am doing better since my last visit (which took place 3 weeks ago). I can't argue with that, she's right :D.
• I told her about my recent breakout and she said that it is absolutely normal. It could happen without me taking Sotret, but while on treatment, it will cure faster and better. However, the point is: you shouldn't worry if you notice an erruption while taking the pills (the brand doesn't matter). It is normal.
• First, the doctor thought that I am ready to decrease the amount (40mg/day), but she decided me to continue like this for 2 more weeks and to go see her again.
• I asked her when do people usually see the effects of this treatment and she responded that it takes up to 4-6 months to see some important results. So be patient! :)
• From time to time, you are allowed to drink alcohol, but don't exaggerate. Otherwise, your liver may not feel good. The same thing for fatty food: don't exaggerate!
• Avoid sun exposure! For those like me who are on the treatment on this time of year it's kinda difficult, but it's not impossible. Wear caps/hats and avoid walking in sunny areas.

I think these are the most important things I discussed with my doctor. No side effects appeared beside the ones I already mentioned before. Feel free to ask anything and hang around. New posts will come!

The first 2 months on Sotret (accutane)

In 3 days I will have completed my 2nd month of treatment. However, the results are missing. Anyway, as many of you may know, this medication reacts differently from person to person. For some people 1 or 2 months are necessary, while for others it may even take 4 months. Moreover, I have recently had an outbreak but now it's gone. But taking into account the fact that I've been having bad acne for 3 years, why panic? I'm sure the medication will have good results.

Oh, not to forget. At the beginning I started with 30mg of Sotret daily. For 1 month, I've been taking 2 x Sotret 20mg. The next week I will see the doctor.

Regarding the Sotret side effects, I must say that it's not that bad in my case. It's true, my skin and lips are very dry and from time to time, I feel some slightly back aches (lasting a couple of seconds). But these are regular effects which you are aware of before starting taking the pills. Oh, and I haven't noticed any kind of depression.

If necessary, I will come back with more details after I will visit the doctor. Nevertheless, keep visiting this blog to find out how the treatment is going and to see my complete sotret review.

Hello everyone!

Hey everyone! First of all, I want to say that I started this blog to help all of you suffering from acne. I'm doing it because, well, I have been suffering from it for over 3 years now. After the first year I went to a doctor and I kept visiting him for more than 2 years. Beside the fact that I followed minocycline treatment 2 times (first time I got nice results, but not for a long time; the 2nd time I didn't see any result), I didn't do anything. I've just been visiting the doctor once a month to clear my face. Exactly, by squeezing the pimples. So after a time I thought that it's time to see another doctor.

Well, so this is how I started the Sotret treatment (it happened on February 20th). First, the doctor prescribed Roaccutane, but when I found out its price, I asked for Sotret, as my insurance covers only its costs. I'm in the 2nd month of treatment now, but I'll explain the details in another post. If you have a question, don't hesitate. Everyone is free to add a comment and I will try to help.

PS: Take into account that I'm not paid to write on this blog. I am doing it to keep a journal of my treatment and also to help other people planning to follow the Sotret treatment. So keep reading!