6 months to Accutane

It has been 6th months in Accutane. Acne has reduced lots since the 4th month, but the whole course of Accutane is 8 months. Now that my skin has completely cleared, I am very tempted to stop the course as I am planning for a baby next year. However, I am not sure what the chances of reoccurance if I stop the course prematurely.

Accutane Journey (End of Month 4)

I just finished 4 months of accutane. Feeling great and more confident. I can now go out with minimum or no makeup foundation :)

Accutane Journey (Week 4)

On 2 Aug (Day 22), it was the start of week 4th. There seemed to have some improvements. Bumps were less prominent, no new acne formed. Both lips and skin was drier but well moisturized with lip balm and moisturizer. I made sure i drink a glass of water when i wakes up and right before i sleep.

On 7 Aug (Day 27), it is almost end of 1 month. Let me show you a snapshot of the days.... apologies of the bad photography.

Roaccutane (Week 1-4) Right Cheek

Roaccutane (Week 1-4) Left Cheek

You must be wondering how I can even go out with this. I used concealer to cover but of cos the bumps cannot be covered easily. Although day 27 looks red, the bumps were smaller can easily concealed. As of today, besides some minor backaches, I do not have much other symptoms of side effects.

1 week - whiteheads surface within 2-3 days, 5x size of pimple bumps, lips dry; Side Effects: lips dry
2 weeks - whiteheads start to burst, some new pimples along the sides of the chin; Side Effects: lips dry, some minor backache

3-4 weeks - pimples and pores shrunk in size, pimple bumps reduced from 26-28 to 5-6, redness remains; Side Effects: lips dry, some minor backache

Accutane Journey (Week 3)

On 27 July 2015 (Day 16, third week), the bumps are still there. I still have about 20 pimples. Some bumps have subsided after I squeezed out the whiteheads. To be honest, it is hard not to accidentally pop the whiteheads as they are protruding. I noted some blood in the nostrils when i blow my nose. This is prob because the skin has become thinner. My lips are still fine as i put a generous layer of lipbalm. I am using Vasline's lip therapy (100% petrolatum) 

Day 17, more cystic acne formed. I wonder if it is because my mensus was coming. The skin has also become dry and flaky, making the skin harder to heal when it was pricked. As much as I would encourage you not to prick it, i understand how much u want to squeeze the pus out to reduce the bumps. I wasn't able to control myself hence i would expect a delay in recovery as the cystic acne of one spot may have spread to other parts of the skin when I pricked before it was "ripe". Darn... 

Accutane Journey (Week 2)

Day 8, the 23 active spots remain red and active. I started to have itchy scalp. I read some blog reviews that accutane makes scar easier, slows down healing process, red marks will take a few months to fade. I will try to observe the cycle of pimples with and without picking. I quote other bloggers' observations as below:

"If you don't pick-
1 day: Ahh huge whitehead of pus
2 day: Dark brown whitehead of pus
3 day: Where the *@#&*# did it go?!
--
If you do-
1 day: Ahh pop huge whitehead of pus
2 day: Ahh huge redmark of pus 

4 day: Another pimple grows elsewhere

4 month: Ahh huge redmark of pus"

In terms of emotions, I do not feel much difference other than being more anti-social. I chose to go for lunches on my own and when I am eating, I tried to motivate myself by reading other people's accutance progress through the website www.acne.org. It helped that many reviewers advised not to give up.

Accutane Journey (Week 1)

On 12 July 2015, I decided to begin my Accutane Journey. I went to Niks Maple Clinic in Jurong East and was served by Dr Handry Gumanti. Nice doctor and I felt he was sincere. I am 54kg and based on my weight, I was prescribed 30mg (20mg after breakfast + 10mg after dinner). The doctor will first warn you of the possible side effects. NO PREGNANCY ALLOWED during the course of the medication and 4 weeks after the medication, as it can cause birth defects. Side effect warnings include lips dry, skin flaky, headache, body ache, blurry vision etc. The entire course of the medication will take 8 months. Hence the earliest I can plan for pregnancy is in April 2016. The doctor will also do a blood draw and conduct a health screen to check if your liver is functioning properly and if your cholesterol is at a healthy range.

Roaccutane, bought from Niks Maple Clinic (2 boxes for $295, inclusive consultation)

On Day 3, I can feel my pores getting smaller and areas which were red started to have whiteheads surfacing. I believe the accutane has begun its effects in purging. Areas which were red probably have hidden acne below the skin which were not ripe yet to surface up. I do not feel my lips or skin are dry yet because i have been putting on lip balm and mositurizer consciously. My daily routine has also reduced significantly. I only dab a little Dalacin T (Clindamycin) on the pimple areas and apply moisturizer throughout the face.

Day 6, my face continued to purge. I have about 23 (big and small) active spots. Some large n bumpy cystic acne. Some small n protruding. I couldnt really cover with my makeup as the bumps could be seen regardless how thick I cover. I started to wonder how long will this purging process last and how many more bumps will I have. This period of time is emotionally challenging. Writing my day to day progress does help me to calm my nerves. I read some reviews on acne.org and I am glad there are many people who wrote posts to encourage others to keep going. I read that the purging period is about 1-2 weeks. I just have to hang on... 

Pobling Sonic Pore Cleanser by Habalan

I recently bought a new facial toy. It is Pobling Sonic Pore Cleanser. I bought it during a Beauty Fair that was held in Suntec Convention Centre. I had the urge to buy directly from the Habalan Booth as it is the only way I could ensure it is authentic. Another blog has kindly illustrated how to differentiate between the real and the fake.

This is the newer design (aka RolliB) and is priced at $25, compared to the previous generation which is priced at $20. Although the design of the holder is changed, but the micro fine brushes are the same as the previous. You can get the refill for $10. This is much cheaper than Clarisonic. One of the difference between Pobling and Clarisonic is the mechanism of cleaning. Pobling is based on sonic vibrations (10,000 per minute), which Clarisonic combines rotating with sonic frequency. I have tried Clarisonic before but I find it rather invasive as i had some minor outbreak after. Pobling is very soft on the face. Before using this, I would first use my cleansing gel/milk to remove the bulk of the make up. After which, I will add some more cleanser on the brush to clean the remaining traces of make up. In the past, I would assume I cleanse thoroughly from the first cleansing. But I can noticeably see my brush turn slight brownish after using the brush to cleanse my face the second round. I realize that my usual regime was not sufficient to remove the makeup on my face.

I will diligently use this brush and update subsequently on its effects on acne.

Assess Acne Type & Conduct Self Remedy

The first step to treating acne is to identify the type of acne and the stage it is at. It can be broadly classified to White Head and Blind .

White Heads

White Heads are blocked pores with a layer of dead skin over the opening. There is a small amount of inflammation and not advisable to squeeze when it is still forming. Apply some lemon and baking soda paste to the spot to first dry it. Drying it significantly does not make it disappear completely, but it reduces its impact and lifespan. Scrubs should not be used as it can irritate and cause micro damage. Once there is no inflammation (no redness or tenderness or ‘shiny look’) and the whitehead is more than the redness, it is nearly time. It is the right time when the whitehead looks like it's bulging out of the skin, the best way to rid of it is to pop it in the right way.

Home Remedy (Lemon + Baking soda):

1. Add lemon juice to baking soda to form a thick paste
2. Wait till paste stops sizzling (neutralisation reaction is complete) 
3. Apply paste to just pimple area and not surrounding skin 
4. After the paste dries, keep it on for at least another 30mins or overnight for actual drying effect 
5. Remove past by brushing with tissue, splash cool water 
6. Rub Aloe Vera or Vaseline to help with healing

Right way to pop: 

1. Use head to draw the blockage to the surface of skin and open pore 
2. Hold a cotton ball soaked in hot water for a minute on the tip of the white head, avoid surrounding skin 
3. Break only the very top layer of the skin (there should be no blood or pain) and pus will start to ooze out by itself 
4. Apply pressure from both sides and gently push in a rolling-up motion. The downwards pressure is created so as to force the “contents” to the top till no more pus comes out. 
5. Do not continue to squeeze till blood is produced as this leads to bruises and scarring. 
6. Cold a cold cotton ball with some pressure on area for a couple of minutes to stop any bleeding and swelling 
7. Leave it alone to heal and dap some Vaseline to aid healing.

Blinds

Blinds are pimples with no head. Inflammation is deep within the skin. The early stage blind is a red and sore lump. Best thing is to ICE it (5 mins with 10mins interval for an hour) to reduce blood flow to the area, reduce swelling and pain. Increase water and fruit food intake. Apply some Tea Tree Oil to reduce inflammation.

Home Remedy (Tea Tree oil):

1. Use 100% pure tea tree oil, e.g. Thursday Plantation
2. Apply neat and small amount, directly on the blemish (use a cotton tip) - tea tree can cause dryness, flaking, redness on normal skin 
3. Just some aloe gel or Vaseline to improve its staying power.

The later stage is forming a head (aim to draw it to a head and treat on surface). Use a hot cotton wool and hold it on top of the spot, on off for a time to draw the pimple out. Once it turns to a white head, follow the treatment as above.

Diet change

1. Cut out dairy completely for 2-3 weeks
2. Take vitamins by drinking fruits and vege smoothie 
3. Take some omega 3 (stabilize hormones), probiotics (to clear the gut) 
4. Exercise to sweat it out (clear the pores) but make sure face is clean before exercising

Acne outbreak after changing my makeup set

How many of you have experienced an acne outbreak after changing your makeup set?

Recently, I changed from Clinique to Laneige when my Clinique makeup foundation has finished. I began using Laneige's BB Cushion. Initially, I love it. With the special sponge, the application of makeup on my face was pretty easy and smooth. Little do I know that it has already began to clog my pores. A few days later, some acne spots started to develop and I thought it was because of lack of sleep or water. So I started to drink more water. I did not realize that it could be due to my makeup and I continued to use it. Then, more and more acne develops. I started to panic and used many alternatives such as tea tree oil, moisturizing face mask, salicyclic acid, etc, but not much of use. 

 

One day, I decided to switch back to my old makeup foundation and I realized there were no new acne developed. However, the current active acnes are still around and it will take time for them to subside. I am rather upset and kind of regret changing my makeup brand to Laneige as it is not suitable for sensitive skin. What a bad start to a new year...