Accutane update: Five months down

It’s been exactly two months since I took my last “progress pics.” I should mention that I really should have taken my previous pictures in better lighting because they barely show the redness.

This is how my skin looks today:

This is my skin fresh out of the shower with some moisturizer and in much better lighting. It’s red. It’s shiny. And I know it doesn’t look great, but it is oh so smooth! Unfortunately, most of the marks you see here are scars but most of my breakouts have subsided! Washing my face and not feeling uneven skin is the best feeling ever.

I have gone from covering my face in foundation and powder to feeling comfortable enough to not wear any makeup. Most days I throw on some light BB cream or just some powder to reduce the redness but I no longer feel like I need to paint over my skin.

So many people have complimented the improvement of my skin which finally has me feeling like this whole process is worth it. I was very skeptical the first few months but just these last few weeks really proved me wrong.

Along with the insane redness, I have experienced patches of dry skin all over my shoulders and upper arms. Even some patches have popped up on the top of my wrists. It’s nothing a little Eucerin cream can’t fix! As far as the dryness of my lips, they are more chapped than ever.

The biggest perk of this whole experience has been the change in my hair. Ever since I can remember my hair has gotten oily within a day. It has always been the worst when I wake up. I wouldn’t go anywhere without washing my hair, dry shampooing it, or throwing on a hat – that’s how bad it was. But ever since I started this medication, my hair has not been greasy at all. I mean, it makes sense; the medication is drying out everything else so of course it’s drying out my scalp. It is crazy though. Never before have I been able to go two days without washing my hair… what a luxury!

I am hoping I only have two more months. I have definitely been having some pretty bad back pain, which I’ve been told is a side effect, so I’m looking forward to that going away. I’m 100% over the chapped lips affecting every second of every day. I’m also over the monthly blood work and monthly appointments. So fingers crossed that my doctor gives me an end goal next week and then can let me know what I can do about these scars…