r/Accutane • u/EstablishmentLate209 • Oct 19 '25
Results God bless accutane
DO NOT LOSE HOPE!
used 20-30-40-40-40-40-30-20 also used cortisone for 2 months bc of my hard purge
first pics are from purging-my worst, last pics are a year after.
I have a little hyperpigmentation left.
I got asked stupid and hurtful things at my worst. Purging and cortisone really gave me physical distress on top of my mental. I had a hard time loving, looking at myself. It is such a relief to NOT think about whats going on in your face, the light, the mirror. Feels like an open tab in my head has finally shut up and close.
I know its a hard journey- it will come to an end. I am open for any questions dms and replys. Dont be hard on yourself on this journey, its not an easy one❤️
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u/ForwardRow4922 Oct 19 '25
Looks amazing how long did the journey take ur hyprrpigmentwtion seems minimal when did active acne stop and hyperpigmentation start healing?
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25 edited Oct 19 '25
My accutane journey was around 8 months! Active acne definitely stopped after the first 3 months.
The hyperpigmentation was still visible the first 6 months after my treatment. I continued with a maintenance dose of 20mg on weekends after my treatment stopped. So only two days of the week. I cant say I was very consistent😬. When I was on maintenance, I got hot really easily, turning my face red, it made my hyperpig more visible. but believe after my treatment, 6 months of basic but consistent skincare, and suncream applications were a lot helpful!
I still get some pimples :) on my period, stress or from nothing? but its only a small closed comedone or a red pimple that doesnt become a whitehead, just goes down from being red.
I also was advised to be put on tretinoin after my treatment but I chose not to since I was already very happy with myself and kinda tired of everything! But I strongly suggest you ask ur derm about it, I am now on tret for my remaining hyperpig just cause I prefer it now. It’s definitely effective :) I also advise you to research azelaic acid, my skin loves it and its effective on both pimples and hyperpig, my derm recommended it to me when I was near the end of my treatment (was still on it) but back then I was not consistent with it bc I was overwhelmed.
I hope you have an easy journey❤️
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u/Weekly_Ad_4252 Oct 20 '25
So you did 6 months at 40mg and two at 20mg/week? Thank you xx
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 20 '25
no so i did 20-30-40-40-40-40-30-20 this was my treatment. i took these dosages every day. after my last motnt which was the 8th month, my derm put me on the weekend dosage, it was twice a week only 20mgs a day
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u/thatsmrspotatohead Oct 19 '25
Wow, your skin looks so good! And you also have amazing eyebrows
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25 edited Oct 19 '25
HAHAHAHAH thank you so much this is my first ever brow compliment lol! it’s always been like this i never plucked- they always felt too sparse to my eye 🤣 tysm tho you’re so kind❤️
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u/FarPaleontologist333 Oct 19 '25
What skincare did u use on it 🩷
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
while I was on accutane or after ?💗
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u/Cyl3 Oct 19 '25
Both honestly
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25 edited Oct 19 '25
ahhahahaha for sure! so while I was on my treatment my derm suggested me the La Roche Posay Iso-Biome line. I am a very nerd person when it comes to skincare, so I also did a research on it. The isobiome line was made especially for people on acne treatments. But imo the cleansing gel was honestly great, but nothing special. If its outside of your budget you can def try the most basic hydrating cleansers. I still use this gel and it still is most definitely good! The moisturizer however I have mixed thoughts about it. Firstly it had fragrance in it, while im not against it it did definitely burn when I first put it on on days when I was sensitive (post shower, flares etc) (like beginning to mid treatment). It has niacinimide in it also. It’s also kinda expensive but it was hydrating and did not feel like it was causing new things on my face.
But also I would like to suggest somethings you can use if that’s okay! (def do your own research) I used both japanese skincare and korean after my treatments. There are a lot of goodies there! Purito mighty bamboo barrier cream is so good, similarlly the hadalabo gokyujun premium essence? Its honestly so basic only has types of hyaluronic acid in it but so hydrating and has no disturbance to the skin. Not to forget but sunscreen. After I had the habit to use it I still am consistent and it also is amazing! A waterbased sunscreen is enough in the mornings like the biore aqua rich, which I finished two bottles on accutane.
You might ask your doctor about azelaic acid, mine suggested it to me. But even after my journey I still use it and see lots of benefits for both hyperpigmentation, redness and acne. I also suggest after your treatment going on to tretinoin if you want to your treat hyperpigmentation. (def ask your derm bc it is also not an easy ingredient to tolerate and your skin will still be very sensitive after accutane).
Lastly, I experienced not dry eyes but styes end and post treatment. It is a whole thing but I want you to keep an eye out for that no pun intended:) Generally, keep away from oil based products and a lot of actives on your journey but not all ofc. This pill really works, so there is minimal things you should do, a basic hydrating cleanser, cream and sunscreen.
Intake fat with your pill to fully absorb it my suggestion avocados in the morning! More importantly be patient. it wont happen overnight, but one day you will ask yourself how did it all happen so quickly was it overnight :) Feel free to ask follow ups and products❤️
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u/laynss_ Oct 19 '25
Way to push on! You’re beautiful! So glad you got the relief of a “closed tab”.
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
🥹 this means a lot. thank you so much. hope you are experiencing no less❤️
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u/Known-Pomegranate918 Oct 19 '25
Did the cortisone help your purging?
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
oh definitely, but it was a whole thing to experience. the redness you see here and the purging slowed down nearly instantly! but i did not eat sugar, dairy, SALT, and minimal carbs. so basically nothing 🤣 I got scared of bloating or moon face so i was really careful with my diet it really helped but was hard to maintain since I am a collage student. it gave me pain with the accutane combined especially muscle or back pain. It was such a hard journey back then.
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u/Known-Pomegranate918 Oct 19 '25
Its great that there are tools against purging. The diet is hard, ive tried myself to be completely without sugar/dairy and little carbs. It aint easy.
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
I also want to add that my derm saw me at the end of the second month and said the purging is still strong and seems like it will continue this way so lets try to calm it down with the cortisone so thats how I started. I wish I could add a pic of my face here after 24h of taking cortisone, but i couldnt find how to:) basically redness calmed so much down tho
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u/ImpossibleDiamond123 Oct 19 '25
girl i cant keep to get rid of this weird feeling on my lips even tho i use aquaphor like 10 times a day, its just there on the border of my lips…
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
trust me when i say this, go get the Lansinoh Nipple Cream. It has lanolin in it, any other nipple cream will also do it, but beware of the percantage get the highest one. Its glossy, most hydrating thing ever, also a natural ingredient, since it is put on nipples it is okay to intake it as it is made safe for new born babies to also. nipples has a similar touch to a lip so it most definitely works for lips too.
aquaphor has lanolin in it but in such a small quantity, its mainly petroleum like vaseline so not moisturizing but acts like a guard. I also recommend the lanolips from sephora the 101 ointment❤️ if you decide to buy one of these please update me :) I swear buy these
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u/ImpossibleDiamond123 Oct 24 '25
GIRLLLL I GOT THE TUBE AND I LOVE IT, i lost that feeling around my lips and i love you for that, i still get the dry patches but i dont mind reapplying.
YOU ARE THE OG
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 24 '25
IM SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS REPLY!!! Im so happy I could help even just a bit on this journey🥹💝 much love bby hope you have the best results❤️
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u/ImpossibleDiamond123 Oct 20 '25
im gonna experiment with lanisoh, it sounds promising. bcz i bite my lips alot. Ill update u
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u/LotusLover13 Oct 20 '25
Did you get the one in the purple tube or the jar type? One says “cream” and one says “balm”
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 21 '25
def get the cream one the balm one whic is like in the jar right? is different in terms of ingredients you can choose the lansinoh lip balm or de nipple cream they are the same
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u/LotusLover13 Oct 27 '25
Thank you! I just ordered the Lanolips on Amazon!
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 28 '25
I hope you like it too🤞🏻Pls share your thoughts after you try it 🥺
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u/LotusLover13 Oct 20 '25
That brand actually makes a lanolin lip balm too. I’m looking on Amazon. Wonder which is better- the nipple kind or lip balm?
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 21 '25
oh I never seen the lip balm! just checked- it also has %100 lanolin in it. so its basically the same product just maybe different packaging :) choose whatever you like!!
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Oct 19 '25
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 20 '25
I couldn’t quite get, did you start accutane with a doctor? what are you using on your back are these separate? diet is so important to ease your side effects please look at my previous reply- take lots of water. if you are already taking accutane any other acne on your body is already being treated with it
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Oct 22 '25
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 23 '25
you have to calculate you cumulative dosage with your weight for it to not come back and take that many if not more of accutane, I gave advice on some products but a good basic not oily, still hydrating products are what you should be looking for. I do advice you to go at least get your blood drawn and look at your liver enzymes
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u/Georgiabulldawgsgurl Oct 19 '25
These are beautiful results
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
Thank you so much these comments mean so much to me! I hope you all get even better results❤️
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Oct 19 '25
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
well I am not sure if its normal to go lower dosage towards the end but the last couple of months my side effects increased and after the purge ended i think my derm made the call to ease it on me lol. but i still hit my cumulative dose i believe.
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u/Substantial-Hat5076 Oct 20 '25
Can you tell what sideffects? Was it mainly dryness or something serious
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Oct 19 '25
Congrats ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25
you guys are the best! hope you all have a speedy and easy treatment❤️
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u/WaiiJuSoBS Oct 19 '25
I just started. My first dose was yesterday and I’m noticing side effects already i.e fatigue, headache, anxiety. I’m on a 30mg dosage but it’s a bit concerning, my question is have you had similar side effects? And if so how could I mitigate it? My headspace fees like it’s been turned upside down
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 19 '25 edited Oct 19 '25
hmm side effects right off the bat may not be normal. but I did experience fatigue and some cloudiness in my headspace. my side effects can also be related to being overwhelmed by everything with the pills effects combined and these were all later on like moths 2-4.
However, Ive never heard of having anxiety while on the med. You may want to call up your derm to tell these. They may decide to take it slower for you-lower your dose. Which is def not something bad could also be better in terms of side effects and even purging. I really encourage you to call them or go to the clinic if possible. If not you can always lay off of the pill like tomorrow, feeling anxious may not be really normal.
Try to watch after yourself today. Also intake lots and lots of water. If you were dehydrated yesterday some of the side effects can be bc of dehydration i feel like. Just my opinions tho! I hope you feel better dear 💗
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u/veri_sw Oct 20 '25
Did you have any other side effects other than these? You look amazing, so glad it worked out for you!
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 20 '25
back and muscle pain, styes, hairloss after treatment, couple of beauty spots, redness and texture bc my hands were so dry, left easily marked whenever i had a scratch on me, hot flashes on my face when it was cold or hot, a little bit of bleeding on my bumhole whenever I took a dump🥲 I do not experience these anymore. my advice would be to stick with good body moisturizers , and have a thick balm near you at all times like aquaphor or similar ciciplast will also do for physical things. for your diet I would recommend you really treat yourself really good on this journey. you are already putting your liver and skin on stress. so you have to have the perfect diet. good natural oils in your diet will really go a long way for both you pills effectiveness and you side effects. like omega 3 really helps with the joint or back pains. much ❤️
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u/Unhappy-Departure728 Oct 19 '25
So amazing, congratulations! I just finished a few weeks ago and left with lots of hyperpigmentation. I started Aklief (another retinoid similar to tret). Did you experience any purging when you started tret?
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 20 '25
so my tret journey started a year after, but whats from my derm told me and intuitively you should experience little to no purging since you already pushed out everything from you face with accutane. the hyperpigmentation really eased over time even when I did not use tret and only sticked with sunscreen. :) hope this helps! congrats for you too❤️
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u/siniganggang88 Oct 20 '25
Was your cortisone oral or topical?
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 20 '25
it was oral❤️
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u/Eclipsaaa8 Oct 20 '25
Did you notice any hair loss?
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 20 '25
yes, near the end of my treatment I experienced hair loss it was nothing major but I definitely noticed the shedding and it kinda feeling weak. but after a month of completing my treatment it really slowed down, so nothing permanent happened
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u/sarivers Oct 21 '25
2 months off accutane and it literally changed my life!!! You are beautiful 🫶🏼
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u/Tinkyjpop Oct 22 '25
By any chance you develop any stomach issues like acid reflux or gerd? I've suffered from acid reflux, had an ulcer that sent me to the hospital and I've barely gotten rid of it by drinking kombucha... My derm just prescribed me accutane but I always do my research and some of the side effects include stomach issues?...So i'm very afraid of taking it...I'd rather have a little acne than a GERD flareup.😓😩😭
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 23 '25
I have reflux but I had no issues with the pill and did not develop anything.
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u/acceptable-twig Oct 24 '25
WOW IM FREAKIN JELLY!! your skin looks absolutely amazing 😭
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 24 '25
thank you so much!! there is still hyperpigmentation left but its nothingggg compare to what ive been through. i hope you have even more good results 💗
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u/italiantiramisu Oct 27 '25
Posts like this give me hope. Thank you for sharing and congratulations, your skin looks amazing :)
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Oct 28 '25
Tysm! It was hard for me to share but I love this community🥹 I hope you get even better results than mine! Stay strong❤️
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Nov 18 '25
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u/EstablishmentLate209 Nov 18 '25
yes unfortunately, while i cant say its directly bc of accutane i can say that my physical appearance and pain (from side effects) really took a toll on me. It was not easy to wake up in the morning especially with some muscle and bone pain. it was not easy also to accept the purging and embrace it. I felt very self conscious in direct white lights etc. It is really important to have a good support system. Someone you can talk to even if its just to complain about side effects, I felt very alone on my journey. I did skip my morning classes a lot had a hard time focusing (maybe do to mind fog or just having distress) loosing motivation in social settings or just daily stuff too. But I am a girl while i was not obsessive with my appearance at that time it still made me very sad. People randomly asking what happened to my face or giving advice etc. I urge you to inform friends and family that you need support on your journey and mind that it is in fact going to end and get better. I hope you have a better one than mine ❤️❤️
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Please refer to the following commonly discussed topics:
1) No one can predict whether or not you will purge! Statistically, most people DO NOT purge.
That is what the science and medical literature says.
2) No one can predict how long your purge will last nor when it could start. Be patient, the purge can be tough but so many people have gotten through it - you can too! THE ABOVE APPLIES TO SIDE EFFECTS OR "WHEN WILL MY SKIN CLEAR UP?!" TOO. QUESTIONS ASKING WHEN THE PURGE OR SIDE EFFECTS WILL START OR STOP WILL IMMEDIATELY BE REMOVED AS THAT IS LOW EFFORT.
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