Good luck :)

Disclaimer: I've only been on accutane for about a month, so my side effects are still somewhat mild.

But even with mild side effects you'll need to stock up on some lip balm (I use burt's bees during the day and aquaphor in the morning).

And aquaphor really is as good as people say it is. I put it all over my face at night (you need to wash it off in the morning) and it makes a big difference. Because I started putting moisturizer from the very beginning, I didn't notice dryness until about three weeks in. I started putting aquaphor and haven't noticed anything since, except for yesterday when I forgot to put it my face started peeling and my lips looked awful (I still had normal moisturizer on).

That being said, also pick up some moisturizer for daytime use. Again, I forgot to put this once and I looked pretty scary :P

You also need to drink a lot of water, and try to take accutane with fatty foods, since it has high lipophilicity (bonds to fat very well). I usually take it with a glass of whole milk if my dinner doesn't have much fat.

HellO! I started taking Accutane in November and LOVE it!! I have had acne for 7 years, and as soon as I started takin it the zits were coming less often and I noticed how I didnt have to wash my hair everyday becasue there was no grease!! My lips are very dry though... so constantly put it on. Also, you may need visine, I noticed that some days I wake up and can barely open my eyes they aare so dry!
Accutane has really been a blessing for me. Before I started it, my face hurt soooo bad! Even to wash it!! It wasnt fun at all! Now, I only have 2 lil pimples on my face and before these came it had been at least a month since I had one! :D Be Gentle with your face.. I use a cleanser from equate thats like a sensitve skin cleanser... kinda milky. Cetaphil, I broke out a few years back when I used it, but if it works for you.. then go for it!! If you have any questions, I would be happy to help!! Good Luck on your Adventure with Accutane, I hope it works wonders for you!

ok words of advice...lets see.

stock up on cetephil mosturizer and face wash...its the gentless stuff you can use. have lip balm EVERYWHERE! and i mean everywhere! my lips were the big thing when i was on accutane. put it in your car, your pants, your purse/pocket, next to your bed, etc...i remember forgetting it one day and i was miserable.

hang in there...i am not going to lie, it sucks....but dont' stop!

also DON'T PICK!! i picked at my face and now i am dealing with having to have laser because of all the scarring. so don't pick!

good luck.

[QUOTE=Frazzydee;3494467]and try to take accutane with fatty foods, since it has high lipophilicity (bonds to fat very well). I usually take it with a glass of whole milk if my dinner doesn't have much fat.

Right. Other options I like are adding some butter to your meal or drinking a tablespoon of olive oil with your meal (which is healthy for you anyway). Or put the olive oil on some bread, etc. Pretend you're in Italy.

I'm a female in my early 40's and started on 40mg/day of Accutane two weeks ago, 3-17-08. This is the second time I've been on the drug; the first time was ten years ago. [My face & body were clear for 10 years after finishing the first treatment, but the acne returned around 6 months ago.] Anyways, so far I've experienced almost no side effects, just some slight lip chapping and a little bit of flaky skin around the nose. Assuming my tolerance continues, my dermatologist will up my dosage next month, which means I may start to exhibit some of the typical side effects, but I hope not.

Note that at this point in my first round of treatment I had already started to have side effects.

I attribute my minimal reaction (thus far) to the following things:

1. I take Osteo Bi-Flex, purchased at Costco but available all over, which contains Glucosamine (1,500mg) & Chondroitin (1,250mg), and which I think helps prevent or lessen joint pain.
2. I take Omega 3-6-9 pills and put Flax Seed on my food, which I believe is helping to keep my skin supple and is really good for cholesterol lowering.
3. I take Probiotics, which I think work well at minimizing intestinal distress, among other things. One (expensive) brand I like is Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics 12 Plus.
4. As it happens, prior to starting Accutane I did extensive research on the chemicals used in beauty products and found out how bad most of them are, and that the main reason companies use them is because they're CHEAP, regardless of their human toxicity. Now when I read labels, I find that products purchased at grocery stores, drug stores, department stores, discount stores, including all major brands, contain these bad ingredients (e.g. sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, PEG compounds). So to find beauty products that don't contain these chemicals, you need to shop at Whole Foods or other health food type stores. Here is one brand of shampoo and conditioner that I really like: Max Green Alchemy (MGA). I'm also purchasing all the body & facial cleansers that I use at Whole Foods too (and no I don't work for them). As well, Dr. Bronner's Castile Liquid Soap is a really gentle product for you and your entire family.
5. A friend who is an Arbonne consultant has given me the BEST lip stuff to use - Arbonne lip saver sunscreen spf 30. It works better than anything else I've tried and is even better than Aquaphor, imo.
6. During the day I wear sunscreen and at night I put oil on my face, neck, chest, hands, & feet. My favorite brands of oil are Arbonne and Dr.Hauschka, and I think olive or neem oil work well too.
7. And don't forget to drink lots and lots of WATER.

Everyone is different but hopefully some of my ideas may be beneficial to you. GOOD LUCK!! :)

* Benefits of Flax Seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.
** Probiotics are live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria." Probiotics are available to consumers mainly in the form of dietary supplements and foods.

Check out this website to see if your products are safe or not, and to find out the list of ingredients: [url]www.cosmeticdatabase.com[/url]