Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large.

Two months post Accutane

It’s been a little over two months since I ended my (first and hopefully only) round of Accutane medication. I am happy to report that my face is remains pimple free. That’s the main fear, you know? That soon as I hop off the drug, the persistent acne that so plagued me since puberty will return with a vengeance. Irrational, probably, though it’s not exactly uncommon for chronic acne sufferers to need multiple rounds of treatment.

The other fear is for the oiliness to return. One of the only good things about being on Accutane is that my face and scalp were bone dry all the time. It was so nice to touch my face and not be repulsed at the oil slick on my fingers. My hair was no longer matted down with oil the next day after shampooing. While on Accutane, I could have gone a whole week without washing my hair.

In this regard, some of the moisture has indeed come back to the face. It makes sense, because otherwise my lips would still be chapped all the time. You can’t expect to have selective dryness! That’s just not how the body works.

But I glad to say the intense oiliness seems to be a thing of the past. I hope two whole months post treatment isn’t still too early to determine. What’s the half-life of Accutane in the body anyways? (ChatGPT says about five days.) You’re apparently okay to make a baby - something you’re explicitly warned to not do while on the medication - one month after stopping.

Overall I am very happy with the results. The seven months of insular and antisocial behavior - due to needing to avoid being outside during the daytime - was worth it. Having lived with chronic acne for so long before, it’s difficult to believe that this acne-free condition will stick. I don’t think the anxiety of thinking every new odd sensation on the face is an oncoming breakout ever goes away.

So far so good, though.

Return of the oil

As I approach the end of a seven months long Accutane cycle in about a week, my lone trepidation - other than the acne returning - is my previously oily skin coming back. The consensus on Reddit is… mixed. Some say the oiliness returns with a vengeance, some say the dryness remains.

I very much hope it’s the latter for me. While I am on Accutane, it’s been so lovely to be able to touch my face without leaving any hint of residue on my fingers. The sunglasses no longer keeps sliding down the nose. My hair has stopped being matted down with grease less than a day after a shampoo wash. Secondary to the acne being gone, the drying out of my face and scalp is equally life-changing.

So it’s easy to see why I am apprehensive about stopping the medication. Let’s see if I am one of the lucky ones to have continuously dry skin. If it means keeping the constantly chapped lips that Accutane is famous for, that’s a trade I am willing to do. It’s far easier to replenish dryness than to fight greasiness.

Obviously, it’s more important for the chronic acne to be gone for good. Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for people to need a second cycle some years after their first. Fingers crossed, but I would not be surprised if I’m a part of that group. I’m basing this on the fact I refuse to stop whey protein supplementation, even though I know for sure it was flaring up my acne big time.

Give up muscle gains to have clear skin? I don’t know about that…

Two more months of dry

It is official: I have two more months of Accutane treatment remaining. A blinding light at the end a very dry tunnel. I cannot wait to stop applying lip balm every two hours, and regain the ability to comfortably go outside when it’s sunny. Trading seven long months of monk life for acne-free skin for (hopefully) the rest of life is a fantastic deal.

It was two months ago - month three of Accutane when I largely stopped getting new acne. After that momentous occasion, it’s just a matter of getting enough overall dosage. They use my body weight to calculate, and that’s how we determined there’s 60 more days of medication to go. My understanding is insufficient dosage can lead to relapsing.

I actually don’t mind the lengthy medication period. I am essentially getting pure cocaine-grade retinol, which is fantastic for skin rejuvenation. Those over-the-counter retinol creams might as well be snake oil when compared to isotretinoin. If the side-effects weren’t so severe (and they really warn you against getting/causing pregnant), and the fact you need a prescription, I’d probably take low dose Accutane for the rest of life.

But, normal life must go on. Soon as I am off the drug, I shall add running back to my exercise regiment (I run outside, obviously). My cardio endurance has definitely deteriorated during this Accutane period. I’d run out of breath doing heavy squats before my leg muscles give out. That’s not ideal: you always want the muscle being worked on to be the limiting factor.

Here’s to a swift next two months.

Month three of Accutane

You know what’s a fantastic snack? Greek yogurt mixed with granola. It satisfies not only the protein requirement that I need (I am a do-you-even-lift bro), but the sweet taste that I want. It’s like eating ice cream without all the negative consequences. These days I eat Greek yogurt with granola first thing in the morning before I have coffee. It helps take the acidic sting of drinking coffee straight black, too.

I am nearing the end of month three (of a calculated five) of Accutane treatment for my chronic acne. Just as I have read on the r/accutane subreddit, new acne has finally stopped forming by the third month. It is indeed a weird feeling to not have a single new pimple for an entire week. Much like wearing contact lenses for the first time, it’s a whole new world that I’ve not experienced in decades. It’s like I didn’t even know this was possible!

The pandemic era of mask wearing definitely did my supremely oily skin no favors when it comes to causing breakouts. However, the amount of acne did not abate even after the pandemic was over - and constant mask wearing ceased. I think I know why: it’s milk.

As a consistent lifter of weights, I supplement with whey protein daily in order to provide the necessary fuel for muscle protein synthesis. (For those who are not familiar, whey is a strained extract from whole milk.) From what I’ve gathered, it’s not uncommon for milk to exacerbate breakouts for those who are already prone to acne. I can definitely remember (and have pictures to prove it) times when my breakouts weren’t nearly as severe. And during those times I was not supplementing with whey (or drinking milk at all).

The fear is that when this Accutane regiment stops, and I keep drinking these protein shakes, the milk is a strong enough factor to cause acne again. I guess I shall find out. Having purchased a nearly two year supply of whey because Costco had it on sale, I’m not giving up the habit anytime soon. There are non-diary protein powders out there, but those are significantly more expensive per pound compared to whey. (Whey is actually the cheapest per gram of protein of anything, meat or otherwise, you can buy.) Not in this economy!

That's my secret

I’ll be honest, it was not a great week for my mental health. And it’s not because of what happened on election night. I think if who the President of the United States is has material affect on how you feel, then it’s time to shift your perspective on life.

What wrecked my mental health this week was my ongoing cycle with the Accutane acne medication. One of the not too common side-effects of the drug is moodiness, a tendency towards quick to angry. I guess I should go buy a lottery ticket, because that uncommon side-effect found me.

In the movie Avengers, Bruce Banner replied with an iconic line when asked to get angry: “That’s my secret Cap’; I’m always angry.” That best explains how I felt this week. Good news is the short temper did not manifest itself to actual adverse action (good thing I don’t have a car commute). Though it’s equally not great that the anger is bottled up inside. I’d be watching a YouTube video, and suddenly felt the urge to throw something at the TV.

Again, it’s good that there were zero execution to those negative thoughts. I definitely do not want to spend the money to replace my LG OLED.

Exacerbating the issue are some small hiccups at work that really is no big deal when you detach from it. But in my ill-tempered condition, those tiny problems became lumbering boulders on my psyche. It can’t be helped: there’s always going to be problems at work. Being on Accutane is only temporary. It’s not like I haven’t been warned that it’s going to suck for the duration.

Better days ahead.

It's cozy season

Perhaps it’s my inability to go outside talking - I am on Accutane medication, and therefore hugely sensitive to the sun, but the autumn and winter months are truly the best. Short days, long nights, and cold weather. Since I am avoiding the outside as much as possible, the cozy feelings of this time of the year makes it less confining to be stuck indoors. Seasonal loneliness? That cannot be me!

As we head into the month of November, I am reminded that the year 2024 is almost over. Doesn’t feel like it for me, honestly. I’ve been sort of in a time lock ever since I started Accutane about two months ago. The infamous symptoms of the medication are so overwhelmingly constant that you kind of endure it until it’s over. It feels as if I cannot move forward with life until this cycle is done. I’ve not felt 100 percent since I started the medication.

I helped my aunt and uncle moved home last weekend, and it was extra tough due to being on Accutane. I was chugging water every so often because I knew that if I didn’t, I would probably collapse due to dehydration. The drug drys me out so damn much. Add on physical exertion and being outside for a time? It was a struggle for sure.

Three more months of Accutane - I can do this. The battle with acne for twenty years must end in my victory.

Chicken and Accutane

The rotisserie chicken at Costco remains one of the best food deals on the planet. Six dollars for two pounds of cooked chicken meat. Weightlifters looking to gain mass on the cheap should move next to Costco just for easy access. Have a hot dog and soda while you are at it, too.

It is somewhat bothersome that the chicken is put into a plastic bag. A piping hot roast straight out of the oven and into something entirely plastic. I’m no evangelist against polyurethane, but that cannot be completely healthy, right? I’ve stopped heating up food in the microwave with any sort of plastic container or wrapping a long time ago, and so should you.

Costco should use a paper bag alternative, or a compostable container. Raise the retail price slightly if you have to. I’d gladly pay for more for zero heated plastic.

Two months into the Accutane treatment for my chronic acne, and a new side-effect has materialized. Accutane causing intense dryness for the entire body is well-known and par for the course. I’d thought that meant my skin would become dry and cracked like on a cold winter’s day. I was wrong: my dry skin is showing up in the form of tackiness, a mild stickiness to the epidermis. Crossing my legs would cause the thighs to adhere to each other like velcro.

The skin is also fragile, too. Not just towards sun exposure, but impacts. Small abrasions that usually wouldn’t amount to anything can now wound the skin. I am definitely not going on mountainous hikes wearing shorts during this Accutane cycle.