As part of my 2014 resolution #2 I started taking Accutane on March 4th (one week after my surgery, as requested by my dermatologist) and so far my skin is looking better than it has in years. This is partially because I’ve only gotten two pimples in the last six weeks (although one of them happened to pop up right before I got my new driver’s license photo taken so that was fun), but also because I’ve been very diligent about my skin care regimen to ward off the side effects of the medication. The most common of these are dry skin and chapped lips, and I’ve definitely been experiencing both. My lips are constantly peeling so I apply balm frequently. It’s tons of fun. As far as the rest of my skin goes, I use a lot of lotion. Living in Los Angeles makes my skin pretty dry to begin with, but the Accutane has made it worse. My face gets two applications of moisturizing cream per day (one with SPF in the morning and a night cream in the evening), and the rest of my body gets a liberal layer of Vaseline Intensive Care Repairing Lotion after my shower. I started using that stuff years ago when I was working in DC and the winter weather there wreaked havoc on my poor skin. Vaseline has always been my favorite brand of lotion and the repairing variety is amazing. It’s not greasy (unlike the Eucerin lotion I tried a few weeks ago – yuck) and it absorbs overnight, making my skin feel great in the morning. But besides the run-of-the-mill dry skin I’ve been dealing with, I also have random little rashes in the weirdest places. Most notably, on the backs of my hands. My dermatologist said it was normal, though, and it’s gotten better with nightly applications of Aquaphor. Fortunately for now the side effects are manageable, and all of this will be worth it if I have clear skin at the end of the treatment. Actually, I’m already really happy with the results after only six weeks! But since Accutane is supposed to be a long term acne solution so it might be a while before I know how it works for me. The good news is that I haven’t I’ve had any of the other more worrisome side effects, like depression or headaches, so things are going well so far! Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted on my future progress (whether you care about it or not!).