Photo Log - post Accutane -> on Accutane

[Squash]

Have now developed eczema on the sides of my nose, under the eyes. This cannot be seen in the pics. Skin is extremely tight and dry. Lips are doing fine (surprisingly). Accutane might be hitting my system harder when I'm eating raw foods than back when I ate refined foods.

Hoping for the best.

Coconut oil works for 5 minutes, after that skin gets tight and painful again. Contemplating trying regular moisturizers, but am hesitant because of what RRM says about those...

[mario91]

I've had some repeating eczemas on face before diet, and the best thing you can do is applying a very little amount of hydrocortisone 0.1% cream (hidalone for eg.), only 1 time a day, before bed, until its gone. It worked great on me, made eczemas go away in 2-5 days.

If coconut oil doesn't work try glycerine or vaseline. Try both, they are both very cheap and give very good results. More hydrating than any moisturizer, from my experience.

Again, I'd prefer to have your mild acne than only the problems you're already having with Accutane... but that's your choice.

[Squash]

I don't know what this is but I'm dying of pain right here. I know everyone's gonna be like 'I told you Accutane would be bad for you', but I've never had this. I'm crying typing this because my face hurts so incredibly much it's not funny anymore. I can't sleep because of the throbbing pain in my skin.

I'm going to take a pic right now to show the lesions I just got from it. It are the same places I smeared A LOT A LOT of coconut oil and some moisturizer. These 2 might have had this effect I don't know. I've been taking accutane 20mg/day for 6 days as you know and there was a lot of sun the last few days in the Netherlands so that might've aggravated some.

I'm at one of the lowest points in my life right now.

Someone please help me. Please pinpoint whats going on with my skin. It hurts the most right above my upper lips/under the nose region. A tingly/stinging, throbbing, dry sensation that is constant.

HELP!!!!

[panacea]

I would go to the hospital if you have the money/insurance.
If you don't I would still go if it was too painful/serious, use your own judgement, only you can know how truly bad it is.
If not, go to the doctor, it's their medicine (accutane) maybe they have seen this reaction before.

Other than that, I would advise you to stop accutane immediately, stay away from anything that aggravates it, and practice reduced breathing 24/7, and stay elevated (walking, standing up, preferably in fresh air at night/evening) for as many hours as possible with reduced nose breathing (pause after exhaling for 5-10 seconds).

[Squash]

thankyou panacea

[panacea]

btw are the new formations soft or hard?

EDIT:

I just read that these happened where you smeared coconut oil/moisturizer

dont do this, I remember reading something about coconut oil being a dehydrator of the skin
I'll get back to you once I find it

EDIT 2:

yes since coconut oil is a surfactant, it acts like soap, and it can strip the natural oil coating off of the skin actually causing the skin to dry out. /research

[Squash]

yes yes i smeared a lot of coconut oil on it which indeed seemed to make the pain/throbbing worse. I have been in the sun a LOT the last 2 days that might also have something to do with it since im on acutane again and im more sensitive due to my diet to changes liuke that

thanks again

not gona be able to sleep tonight
fucking sucks

[panacea]

if you can't sleep, try this:

go outside and walk for 15-45 min
nose breathe only
use your diaphragm to inhale
exhale by relaxing your whole body, don't force it
inhalations and exhalations should be normal speed - not fast or too slow
after you exhale each and every time, pause for 5-12 seconds or however long you can
then inhale normally, don't gulp for air, dont breathe faster, maintain steady slow pace
you will feel hungry for air - this is good
if after 5 whole minutes you are not feeling better, you can quit

principle behind this and what this has to do with your face -
not much

it's more for pain relief and relaxation

[Squash]

Thanks I did that last night and went to bed. I fell asleep after an hour or so. So glad I did. Now, in the morning, the pain is less, but I'm trying not to make facial expression. I've noticed the patches/white stuff is also on places where I didnt smear coconut oil/moisturizer, so it can indeed be from drying accutane+lots of sun. It started forming 2 days ago as red patches (without the white stuff) growing bigger and bigger since I'd been in the sun.

The lesions were red first, but now some sort of 'fungus-like' white stuff, almost like thick sebum thats been smeared all over the red spots. It's semi-hard. I'm thinking my skin is taking matters into own hands and protecting the skin from further dehydration (by smearing this white substance over the lesions). Here, I'll try to show you in a pic:



Going to drink lots of water and not going to see a ray of sun the couple next days.

Any diagnosises?

[abicahsoul]

Go to the doctor or even better hospital and don't rely on our guesses..
But bein in the sun a lot with accutane is not a good idea, and they actually warn against it.
I don't think coconut oil is like a soap, but it is a fat that can be used for soap making, like other fats..
I have not noticed any drying out of my skin and I used coconut oil a lot for many months now.
However, if it is what your skin needs right now - I have no idea. Perhaps you need something to treat minor burns?
Go to the hospital or the doc and don't wait.
You have not been having any alcohol have you??
I guess you are aware that you can't burden your liver with alcohol while on accutane...
I guess you should also go to the doc to make sure there isn't a liver problem that gives this reaction..
Thats my thinking.
Poor youse..

[Oscar]

Seems good advice to me. Hope it'll get better soon.

[mario91]

Yeah, that's some sort of eczema/rash. Could have bacterial or fungal infection also. Don't worry, nothing that serious. I've been through worse. I've had half of the back of my feet on it, in a way deeper wound, like a crater. And right on the burn scar that covers half of the back of my feet. Yet it healed in a few days with the right prescription. Go to your doctor, he'll know what to do. Avoid sun at all cost, wear a cap, avoid all soaps and moisturizers, and avoid all oils, since your skin is now too fragile for them. Use glycerine or vaseline to hydrate and protect. The faster it heals, the better.

[Squash]

Yeah, that's some sort of eczema/rash. Could have bacterial or fungal infection also. Don't worry, nothing that serious. I've been through worse. I've had half of the back of my feet on it, in a way deeper wound, like a crater. And right on the burn scar that covers half of the back of my feet. Yet it healed in a few days with the right prescription. Go to your doctor, he'll know what to do. Avoid sun at all cost, wear a cap, avoid all soaps and moisturizers, and avoid all oils, since your skin is now too fragile for them. Use glycerine or vaseline to hydrate and protect. The faster it heals, the better.

It's weekend right now and I can't go to the doctor. And even if he does prescribe some sort of cream, I would be afraid to put it on after what happened when I put on coconut oil and moisturizer: they made my skin burn 3x as much. I put nothing on it right now.

Avoiding the sun is extremely hard. I'm in college so I'll have to travel to school, which is mostly 1-2 hours toward, 1-2 hours back. That's 2-4 hours spent in the sun (next few days are extremely sunny in the Netherlands). Because the sun is so low in the sky in October, hats won't help one bit.

How in the hell am I going to pull this off... This is so unfair... I've never had this reaction; I'm trying so hard to get better skin but I now belong to the country's 0.005% worst skin... So incredibly infuriating...

[mario91]

It's weekend right now and I can't go to the doctor. And even if he does prescribe some sort of cream, I would be afraid to put it on after what happened when I put on coconut oil and moisturizer: they made my skin burn 3x as much. I put nothing on it right now.

Don't you have urgencies, like in a hospital or a health center?
That's because you have put way too much coconut oil. You shouldn't put any at all now. However, you can put a sufficient amount of glycerine or vaseline, for these are simpler, purified substances. My whole face is a burn scar and all oils make my face sting and itch. Glycerin and vaselin don't do it at all.
Go to a doctor as fast as you can, and put the cream he prescribes you, but in very little amounts. It won't make you burn. If you don't apply any topical medicine, your rash will continue to expand. I've been there, too.

Avoiding the sun is extremely hard. I'm in college so I'll have to travel to school, which is mostly 1-2 hours toward, 1-2 hours back. That's 2-4 hours spent in the sun (next few days are extremely sunny in the Netherlands). Because the sun is so low in the sky in October, hats won't help one bit.

Well, as you know, my whole face is a burn scar and I always wear a cap/hat the whole year. I really can't get any sun, specially in my forehead and nose. It also protects me from wind and cold. I live in Portugal, so the sun must also be low here, and still my cap gives me decent protection. You should try it at least.

How in the hell am I going to pull this off... This is so unfair... I've never had this reaction; I'm trying so hard to get better skin but I now belong to the country's 0.005% worst skin... So incredibly infuriating...

Yeah, I kinda understand. I got very depressed when I first had eczema, too. But now I realize I overreacted, and you are overreacting too. It's completely curable. Just gotta give it time, and apply the medicine. It should heal in a matter of days.
And don't be so pitiful on yourself. It's not worth it.
You are not you acne. You are not your eczema. You are not your skin. You are the all singing, all dancing crap of the world.
In my words now - you are who you are.
Remember that!

[Squash]

First of all, thanks Mario, for such an elaborative reply.

Don't you have urgencies, like in a hospital or a health center?
That's because you have put way too much coconut oil. You shouldn't put any at all now. However, you can put a sufficient amount of glycerine or vaseline, for these are simpler, purified substances. My whole face is a burn scar and all oils make my face sting and itch. Glycerin and vaselin don't do it at all.
Go to a doctor as fast as you can, and put the cream he prescribes you, but in very little amounts. It won't make you burn. If you don't apply any topical medicine, your rash will continue to expand. I've been there, too.

I'm not putting anything on my face right now. Thought behind this was the fact that I'm suspecting that sun exposure to be the biggest factor causing this reaction. If I remove it, you'd think it'd get better. I'll look into the hospital thing, but I'd have to travel there adding sun exposure.... Also I discussed this with my mom and she thinks the hospital is only for emergencies and my condition is not an emergency...

Well, as you know, my whole face is a burn scar and I always wear a cap/hat the whole year. I really can't get any sun, specially in my forehead and nose. It also protects me from wind and cold. I live in Portugal, so the sun must also be low here, and still my cap gives me decent protection. You should try it at least.

Not as low as in the Netherlands, but yes. I might try but I seriously don't think it'll make much of a difference...

Yeah, I kinda understand. I got very depressed when I first had eczema, too. But now I realize I overreacted, and you are overreacting too. It's completely curable. Just gotta give it time, and apply the medicine. It should heal in a matter of days.
And don't be so pitiful on yourself. It's not worth it.
You are not you acne. You are not your eczema. You are not your skin. You are the all singing, all dancing crap of the world.
In my words now - you are who you are.
Remember that!

We ought not to underestimate eczema. Every case is different, everyone is different. It would be like saying you gotta give acne time, apply the medicine and it should heal in a matter of days.
I agree but it's just so unfortunate. I can't talk, eat or laugh. I can't even brush my teeth. I'm sipping big time on juice to get in the calories as it's all I can do.. Making the slightest expression sends my face into hours of ongoing excruciating, pulsing, throbbing pain at the affected site...

Hoping for the best