60mg post 1

It's probably been 4-5 days on the 60mg dose. I take one 20mg in the morning and 2x 20mg at night. 

I moved back into college. The heat may have something to do with my dryness. During the night my lip split in the middle. It's unfortunately painful and I've tried my best to keep it really hydrated. 

No other awful symptoms. No true period break out this month and I'm certainly not complaining! 

Day 30 / 1 month

Because these posts tend to generally be the same, I will update maybe once a week.
I went back for my second blood test and consultation. I am hoping things are just fine.
Breakouts have not subsided and I am back to menstrual breakouts, which may never subside. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but we will see.
No serious changes in my skin lately. I think my body got mostly used to the 40mg dose. Lips are definitely "falling off" it's challenging for me to not want to discard the dead skin and just leave it alone. Aquaphor is also annoying because you have to apply the regular stuff with your finger and the stuff meant for your lips tastes awful - like so terrible you shouldn't put it on before you eat!
I was told I could drink "some" which is nice. Time to unwind!

Days 22,23,24&25

Forgot about posting! And taking pictures. 

I'll have to resume that so I have a good photo trail of improvement. My habits have not subsided although my magical unicorn horn is no longer with me. Definitely a huge pain to get rid of even after the dermo appointment. 

We will see how the next round goes as this comes to an end. Another blood test, etc. 

Also we will see how the few days without pills pan out. 

Lips are a hot mess. Ugh. 

Days 20 & 21

You would think the cystic pimples would become more rare at this point...nope.
3 weeks in: dry patches, weird blackhead breakout, unfortunate non-period related break out, chapped lips...Definitely unfortunate not to be able to drink alcohol. :(

Hopefully this will be worth it!

Days 18 & 19

Yesterday I went to the dermatologist I take care if some cystic pimples. What pain!

Today the swelling seems to have subsided. My nose is suffering dryness. I applied vitamin e oil this morning. It seems to have helped some. 

The break out is coming to an end but it hurts nonetheless. Also I need to find a remedy for my black heads. I've never had these before! I wonder what te Claravis is doing to my body...

Day 17

How odd! A major break out with deep set pimples. Going to the dermo today to have these taken care of ASAP!

I've been forgetting to do nightly pictures, oops!

Days 15 & 16

Definitely getting more pronounced dry patches here. Yuck.

Skin is definitely clearing up and I re-planted my habit seed. Day 2 is going well!

I need to find a way to put the Aquaphor in an application tube because putting it on with my finger every 15 minutes is getting annoying.

Also, it seems as if my pores are widening. I used to be able to exfoliate that look away but I'm worried about exfoliating too much and creating redness from irritation and dryness and not being able to heal/ create scabs. Oh no!

Looking forward to DIY aquaphor solutions!

Day 14

Two weeks in... my skin is starting to clear up but I'm not sure if I should attribute that to Claravis or simply hormone levels back in check.

I am hoping clear skin is a good basis to start from and I am not expecting any more severe break outs in the near future. Hopefully all is in check. I didn't use aquaphor before bed last night and my lips are grainy and dry for it. The dryness has not spread though, except for patches on my face but that's what moisturizer is for!

Day 13

Nothing out of the ordinary to report - redness, dry lips, etc.

Day 12

Lips are still chapped, as I assume they will be for the next 4-5 months. Humph. 

I have not noticed anything new today. Scabs are scabby. A few regular pimples. Cycle is starting over so let's see what it does with a clean slate. 

Day 11

Owie! My lips are really falling apart! 

My skin is starting to dry to the point where I need moisturizing lotion under my foundation. Kind of defeating the purpose there. Ugh. 

Also my scabs bleed at the slightest disturbance so I'm going to have to be really careful now! 

Day 10

Today I have Claravis a real chance. My legs burned quickly in the sun on the beach even with sun block 😞

I did a good job not touching any pimples today bc I didn't give myself the time to do so. I'm happy about that. 

Day 9

1. Lips are hundo p falling apart on me
2. Everything is healing differently
3. Legs are peeling a lot from shaving - I even used baby oil!
4. Even if I don't touch the acne, it's scabbing. It's really dry and I use moisturizer all the time now.
5. This is week 2... what's month 2 going to look like?!

Day 8

My lips are really drying out now. It's funny to see. My acne is definitely healing differently and I have more scabs than I used to.

I'm trying to let things heal but it's difficult. I did a clay mask to try to help things along. I think it did even out some of my skin. I have blemishes that are taking longer to heal than others. I'm waiting for my cycle to restart so I can have a fresh slate to start with instead of period break outs.

Bruising from my first blood test has gone away, thankfully!

Photos did not turn out in series in a way I liked, I'll work on it some more.

Day 7

Well, week one has come and gone.

I have noticed that my acne is healing differently: they scab sooner and peel away with just cetaphil wash. I'm also noticing many "healed" pimples that are being absorbed back into the skin naturally.

My lips are already often chapped and stick together. I had a bloody lip this morning, but I'll try to keep them hydrated with aquaphor all day.

I hope to see this really take off when my cycle starts over.

Day 6

The menstrual breakout has paused, now it's time for healing and reducing swelling. Oh fun.

My nose has begun to peel, I'm not sure if that's similar to my legs and peeling from previous sun exposure or from actual Claravis-related dryness.

Aquaphor is keeping my lips in tact, so no worries there yet.

Sickness is also subsiding, vitamins can't hurt the status on my skin either.

Day 5

I have two nodular pimples in my t-zone. I am hoping to see them subside quicker than before.

Due to my cold, my lips have been chapped from mouth breathing.

No signs otherwise. Full on menstrual breakout now.

Day 4

The dry patch I noticed yesterday has already subsided which is nice.

I am definitely having a pre-menstrual breakout and I cannot blame Claravis for that. I do hope it aids in clearing my skin faster.

I have not ceased use of spot treatment medication such as clean and clear salicylic acid and tea tree oil.

The picture series is definitely interesting for me to look at and I hope I see some nice differences after 30 days.

The packaging is certainly annoying to rip through every morning. I may put all the pills into one container and save myself picking up little scraps of paper every afternoon when I return.

Day 3

Uh oh! I noticed a dry spot where my bra rubs against my arm pit. I'm not sure if this is irritation or the first signs of the medicine taking its toll.

I have also fallen victim to a summer cold! *sniffle* Extra water for the next couple of days.

I have not noticed any improvement to my skin, especially on my face. I have noticed many little surface pimples in my T-zone. I am also pre-menstrual so that really doesn't help the case.

I took a bunch of extra vitamins today and I've been eating about 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt a day. All this internal love should show its clear face soon!

Day 2

It's uncommonly hot in Michigan recently, as the news has been raving.
Side effects of the 90+ degree weather include:

• Increased pollen counts - sneezing at least 1000 times a day
• Thirsty as all hell
• Having to pee way too many times per day

Aside from the weather, I have not yet noticed any dryness/ itchiness outside of normal due to Claravis. I do however use Head & Shoulders for my hair but that's been routine for 6 years. 

I did not succeed on day one of my habit seed. Unfortunately, this may be my biggest set back. Day 2 may bring progress!

My arm is still pretty bruised from the blood testing.

End of the week progress pictures will begin after 7 days. We'll see if I'll gif it or something.

An Introduction, Day 1

Hi, my name is Stephanie. I'm 19, a mechanical engineering student, a part-time runner, and a picker. For the past 8 years, I have struggled with blemishes. These little spots are my absolute bane. I hate to see them on my face so I endlessly tire to remove them, which of course leads to scarring and the application of make up.

One month ago, I decided I would look into Accutane / Claravis. A million "do NOT get pregnant" labels later, I have been approved to begin. Today is day 1.

Habits:
It takes only 3 weeks to form a new habit or break an old one.

The goal: Day 1 means the start of a new chapter of clearer skin. While Claravis may be just the miracle I've needed, the blame still falls to my hands and finger nails. For the next month, I will not touch or pick. I need to let this have a chance to work.

Here I'll keep track of how things are going.

Today my habit seed is planted.