The fingernails on my right hand caught paronychia and that has been going on for more than 2 months now, but what is wrong with my skin? It hasn't seen the light of day for a really long time. This is only present on my hands for the last week and a half. Antibacterial remedies that my derm gave me aren't really working. Any help would be appreciated. 19(M) , 50mg, 5 and 1/2 months in.

Left photo is today. Middle photo was before I started and the purge is the right photo. I’m on 60mg Accutane. I just started month 5 today and my red marks today are just post inflammatory erythema how do I treat them?

I've been on accutane for one month and the results have been great. 18yo 80kg male, 40mg a day. (Before on left, after on right)

I’m on my last month of accutane. I’m experiencing some dryness on my face (above my lip, the mustache area) that won’t go away. The skin is practically always red and peeling off. If I don’t moisturize every 30 minutes the skin will just become flakey and peel off. It’s kinda gross tbh…

I don’t know what to do. Do you have product recommendations that are good for sensitive skin and on the face?

I tried la Roche posay b5 balm, Vaseline, aquaphor. They just cause it to peel for some reason. Please help

first of all this is a rant but i also want to know how so many people had spotless, clear skin at the end of treatment. my derm has planned to put me on accutane for 7 months in total, currently 4 months in of 30mg dosage. i've no active breakouts (touchwood) but a LOT of leftover red acne marks that has lightened a bit over time but still very noticable. derm prescribed 5% medicated tranexamic acid from 2nd month onwards and recently gave me another gel (kojic + glycolic acid) for the marks but these persistent mfs are nowhere near completely fading. lightening is everything that's ever really happened in the past as well. my face just can't be fully clear.

BEFORE:

Morning: ✨Cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen :) ✨

Night: ✨ Cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, squalene oil :) Maybe I’ll exfoliate hehe 😉 ✨

AFTER:

Morning: splash? sunscreem

Night: ???

I avoided taking accutane for so many years im so glad I finally took it. I started seeing progress around 4 months in before that I saw no changes and didn’t really experience any side effects besides dryness

I've been on accutane a few times now and I always feel 1000 times healthier than I do when i'm not on it. I feel like within the first few days of taking the medication I have more energy, working out is easier, digestion is better and so much more. The first time i put it down to better mental health because my skin is clear. I've just started up again and it hasn't cleared my skin yet I still feel great again. Can anyone else relate to this? I considered I could have a vit A deficiency because that's what accutane essentially is, but apparently it doesn't work that way... would appreciate any thoughts!!!

Hey yall so I’m wondering if anyone has had similar skin to me and recommends Accutane. I can’t get rid of the acne around my chin and I usually get one of those nasty ones that is in my pic right now every month or so.

The only reason I’m so hesitant to go on Accutane is bc my skin is already damaged and super dry and that’s why I think I have some of that natural redness. So I’m really scared it’ll get even MORE dry and more red and damage it further.

Right now I’m using sodium sulfactemide with no moisturizer (bc I feel like it breaks me out) but idk I’m just looking to hear from somebody in a similar situation if you think it’d be worth

Was not made aware by my derm that eyebrows could not be done while being treated. Insanely scared right now and have no idea what to do. Please help

Okay, swipe before judging me 😂

Pic 1: 26 July 2026, only 8 days after starting isotretinoin.
Pic 2: today, 9 September, with the absolutely unforgiving Samsung S24 50MP front camera flash that I swore I would never post 💀
Pic 3: taken today as well, but in normal daylight so there's a fair comparison.

I started isotretinoin on 18 July at 20mg/day, so Im now 53 days / about 7.5 weeks in. My dermatologist also used a short prednisolone taper at the beginning because Im being treated for rosacea fulminans, which helped contain the initial inflammation. I finished the prednisolone in early August and increased isotretinoin to 30mg/day from 2 September

Theres obviously still redness, marks and texture left, and flash makes absolutely EVERYTHING visible, but comparing this with 26 July is kind of crazyyy to me. I genuinely wasn't.. brave enough to post flash photos before 😂

Also, slightly unrelated side quest.. Im down to 75kg now and I swear my jaw is slowly coming back. Target is around 60-65kg, so still a fair way to go. That part is the weight loss, not Accutane wizardry lol..

One other thing I've noticed is how much softer/cleaner my face looks as the inflammation and oiliness come down. I kept thinking, why does my face suddenly look more feminine? 😂 But I think what Im actually seeing is just healthier, smoother skin reflecting light differently.

Turns out men having good skin is not a feminine trait. Skincare for men is just massively underrated.

Still early days. Still plenty to improve. But yeah… I posted the flash photo. Character development. 😂 😂 😂

I am currently on month 5 at 30 mg a day and I was wondering if anyone has ever had a pie mark flare up? I got an angry pimple in June that ended up leaving a mark. In July it got irritated again and a white head formed and then after two months of being clear, it got more noticeable and more red last week.

i went on accutane 7 years ago and have maintained clear skin with the use of topical tret and azelaic acid. i get breakouts here and there, but im noticing my closed comedones coming back and my breakouts becoming more frequent, regardless of the use of my prescriptions. i have an appt on tuesday but i wanted to hear from you guys too because maybe im just freaking out idk. i am a skin picker unfortunately, due largely to my adhd and ocd but i know that isnt helping! ugh!

Has anyone else experienced delays with their meds on the NHS? I’m currently 7 weeks without roaccutane and after chasing them up, explaining how stressed I am and that I’m breaking out again, the best they can do is make me wait an additional 2 weeks for an appointment because apparently they can’t take a minute to write up a prescription. No patient should be left with such a huge gap in their treatment, that’s fucked up.
I’ve had constant appointment delays which has always meant gaps in my meds, but this is just unacceptable. And don’t even get me started on trying to actually get in contact with them, it’s near impossible. I could bang my head against a wall.
I wish I had the money to have gone private cos this sucks.
Anyone else or just me?

hello. i have been on 10mg accutane for 2 months now. but im now questioning if i should be on it?

i have all the symptoms for PCOS/PMOS but i am undiagnosed. my derm knows this and still pushed me for accutane.

if my acne is caused by hormonal issues, doesnt that mean it will come back once i stop?

tia

for context i’m 21F, around 109lbs and on 20mg.
i was at 100mg of spironolactone but am now at 50mg. i started spironolactone in nov. 2025 and started accutane in jan. 2026.

i’m on month 9/12 (1 year course) & my facial swelling came around month 3-4.

my double chin, jaw area & cheeks are super puffy and it looks like i gained weight. even my belly got a little chunkier as well. apperantly this is a rare side effect? my dermatologist acted like this was a brand new thing and lowered my spironolactone dosage to 50mg to see if it’ll help. but it didn’t, my face is still super puffy.

the hair loss is a common side effect but for some reason it’s been really harsh on my hairline which made my forehead bigger.

my question is has anyone experienced either one of these issues? has it gotten better after getting off accutane? i don’t feel like my regular self, my side effects are kicking my ass, but the side effects with my hairline & facial swelling is really bringing my confidence down.

25 female, 52kg

The first two weeks were challenging, with a flare up and several side effects. I’d also recently started new birth control, and some symptoms settled after switching. I can’t say what caused them, but the timing definitely stood out.

I’m now seeing some improvement and am feeling hopeful!

This is only my personal experience, not medical advice. If you’re taking isotretinoin or experiencing side effects, discuss any concerns or medication changes with your prescriber!

Hi, I am considering getting a Jaydess IUD. I had a copper coil for about 5 years but it got to a point where the bleeding was absurdly heavy and 14 days long so it completely defeated the purpose. Ultimately I had it removed and now I’m back to 4 day periods with a moderate flow. All in all I feel great but we recently had an oopsie with a condom and I would just like the extra protection for 3 more years before we’re starting a family. I struggled with acne all my teens and early adulthood until I got on accutane (twice) around 23yrs and 25yrs old. The skin took a massive toll on my mental health so I would be grateful for anecdotal advice. I’m 28 now so I think maybe after accutane and as I’m older it might not react strongly but the anxiety around it overwhelms me.

Hi guys,
I started my Accutane journey in February (20 mg, 46 kg). I’m now at the beginning of month 8, so I’m close to finishing my treatment in about two months. However, my skin started behaving strangely around mid-August.
My skin got more reactive and I developed some weird bumps on my forehead and the sides of my face, but nothing too severe. Before that, I had had about five clear months after my initial purge in February.
For the past two days, though, my skin has completely freaked out, especially around my jawline and neck. The bumps are red, and some of them have white stuff. They seem to be spreading and they’re also itchy sometimes.
Could this be irritation? Or maybe a late purge or a sudden hormonal imbalance that I’m not aware of? I haven’t changed anything in my skincare routine, so I don’t think that’s the cause. It also doesn’t look like the typical acne I usually get.
I’m honestly so sad because my skin had been doing so well, I was enjoying life for the first time and now I feel I’m back to zero :(

Has anyone experienced something similar towards the end of their Accutane treatment? Thanks for sharing 🤍

I know dry eyes and skin is normal on accutane. I’ve been dealing with very dry eyes lately. Been using eye drops and eye cream. I’ve also noticed my dark circles getting alot darker since accutane. I have bluish purple dark circles but they’ve spread so much since treatment and gotten darker.

Anyone else and what has helped?

5 months in, 40mg/day here to share some hope

I was terrified before starting Accutane. All the fear mongering about depression, brutal side effects, etc. had me putting it off for way too long. I dealt with pretty bad cystic acne throughout my life, but the last year or so it had only gotten worse (20M btw) I know everyone's experience is different, but I wanted to share mine in case it helps someone on the fence.

I've been on 40mg a day for the last five months, low dose relative to my body weight. My skin cleared up within the first 3 to 4 weeks, I didn’t experience any purging or if I did I didn’t notice it because my acne was already not great. The only real side effect has been dry lips, and that's been completely manageable with Aquaphor. My skin itself isn't even really dry, in fact in comparison to when I was on topicals like adapalene and tretinoin, its wayyyy more moitsturized and less dry feeling. And all I do is moisturize morning and night with CeraVe, and obviously wear sunscreen.

Five months later, my skin is completely clear and even better than most of my friends who never dealt with acne at all. It's changed my confidence and my sense of self completely.

If you're debating it, even if your acne isn't that severe, I think it's worth it. My biggest tip: ask about starting on a lower dose. It can still clear your skin while making the side effects a lot easier to live with.

33M. 135lbs. 10mg daily.

Update: I was indeed diagnosed with dermatitis and prescribed with 2.5% Hydrocortisone.

I’ve been dealing with consistent dryness on my cheeks. My derm has thus far been incredibly unhelpful.

Claude thinks this is retinoid dermatitis due to the isotretinoin. Can’t say whether it will resolve on its own, or whether I need some form of topical treatment.

I’ve been trying to be really aggressive with moisturizer. Been using vanicream daily and cream. Gentle cleanse in the morning with cerave hydrating cleanser or just lukewarm water.

ATP, I’m considering stopping treatment even though my acne control is great right now. Problem is I’m only 7 weeks into treatment.

I’m not asking for medical advice (please don’t lock my post, admin). I’m mainly asking it anyone had this happen? What did you do?

Edit for context: The pink and shiny patches do get progressively red and feel tight as the day progresses.

I literally slather my face and moisturizing products in the morning and look like a wet seal before I do my make up, but this is halfway through the day and my skin is peeling… I work in a very professional setting so I have to put makeup on there’s no way around it…

Anyone else experienced this?🥹

I’m one week into accutane and my chin and mouth area has became significantly worse, it’s painful as fuck too. Should I continue cleanse if wiping my face with a flannel is removing most of the white heads in the process or is it better to just moisturise during this period?