It’s been two months since I have gone on Accutane, so it’s time to write about my experiences with my second month into the treatment. In my first month I already mentioned how I felt super positive about the results I had had so far. I did not have a lot of side effects and was only dealing with hyperpigmentation at the time. It's been a month since I last wrote about the treatment and I first of have to say I still am super happy and positive with the results I am seeing while on Accutane. My skin has actually been really good since the breakout I had in the first two weeks of my first month. I get an occasional hormonal pimple but other than that I have not had any new pimples at all. And they are nowhere near as bad as they used to be. It’s has become a breath of fresh air to see myself without any new pimples on my face. As much as I did not see it as a serious problem back then, I notice how much of an impact it actually had on my life. Going on this Accutane treatment has made such a difference in my confidence now. I look different, I feel like I look healthier – despite my extremely dry and cracked lips. I was looking through some photos I had taken in December when my skin was at its worst it has ever been. Looking back it almost felt like I looked like I was addicted to drugs. I had scabs from picking my pimples, my entire face was inflamed and red and I just looked unhappy in all of those photos because it was making me feel miserable mentally and physiclly. Those pimples actually hurt and could not get comfortable when trying to fall asleep. Seeing the difference those two to three months on Accutane have had so far, have already made such a difference with my self-esteem. For once in my life I am not worried anymore that people are looking at my face because they can spot my acne. It honestly feels like, with the pimples and bumps being gone, a weight has truly lifted off my shoulders. It's only the hyperpigmentation that is left now and I am doing everything I can to make sure it disappears by making sure I put lots of SPF on every morning.

I am so happy that my skin is now clear, but two months in and I am really starting to notice a lot of dryness on my entire body. My lips are extremely dry at the moment. I think you can also see that in recent photos I have posted on both my blog and on Instagram. The most annoying thing is that I have a crack on the side of lip that keep splitting open if I talk, eat or yawn. It doesn’t really matter if I put lip balm on any more, because 10 minutes later my lips have have already used all moisture in there and my lips start cracking again. It’s why I have started to religiously use Eucerin Aquaphor. It's the only thing that is keeping my lips looking healthy and moisturised. Lots of you on Instagram recommended this product to me and I honestly don't think I could live without it now.

Besides my lips my body has also become really dry. Recently I started developing really dry skin on my hands because I wash them lots now with the Corona virus. The skin on top of my hands was really dry, red, sore and inflamed and it was really painful to put any sort of hand cream on there as it would start burning immediately. I think I might have developed a bit of eczema on there actually. What I found helped best when I had that flare up was using either 100% pure aloe vera gel or the Eucerin Aquaphor on there. I put a little bit of both in two small containers and carry them around with me everywhere I go now. Since doing that my hands have not been inflamed anymore and I have noticed they are also slowly becoming less dry again.

Another thing I have noticed is that certain parts on my legs and arms have become quite dry. I must admit that I am not religiously putting on moisturiser every morning and night, as I just can’t be bothered. But if I do decide to put a moisturiser morning and night religiously for a couple of days in a row, it already makes such an improvement. So as tempting as it is to not put body moisturiser on during times like these, I am trying to make a more conscious effort to put it on both morning and evening. Knowing myself I would probably only do it once a day, but it already makes a little bit of a difference.

Since starting my second month on Accutane I have also noticed I became sensitive to fragrance in my beauty products. I can’t use my normal body wash or deodorant anymore, as it contains too much fragrance. The fragrance has made my skin super itchy when I get out of the shower or when I put the deodorant on. It came to a point where it became quite unbearable, so instead I now use a body wash from La Roche Posay that is specifically made for dry, sensitive and itchy skin. The deodorant I use is as natural as it possibly can be. I use deodorant without fragrance and it works just fine without having to fear that I might start smelling like I have not showered in a couple of days.

Another side effect that has made me aware of how dry my skin is, is by the amount of nose bleeds I have had in this second month of the treatment. At first I think I had about three to four nosebleeds a day, especially during the night, which was annoying and disgusting to wake up to. So I have become one of those people who has tissues with them at all times in fear of having a nosebleed while I am out. This is actually disgusting, but I discovered that putting either Aquaphor or a nasal cream inside of my nose in the morning and at night before I go to sleep helps to prevent the nosebleeds from happening as there then is enough moisture inside of my nose. At first I thought the nosebleeds would stop by itself, but they have not stopped yet. I still have one now at least two to three times a week, but it's more manageable. If you have the same problem, make sure to keep the insides of your nose really moisturised from the very beginning, as I think it might not be as bad then.
While my body is basically extremely dry and it's the only thing I am complaining about, I am thankful I have not had mental health issues while I am on Accutane. I expected it to be quite bad while I was on it as I suffer from anxiety and can get quite depressed thoughts. Now that I have used the treatment for two months, I think a lot of my anxiety usually came from people seeing how bad my face really was, and now that it's not as bad anymore, I feel less anxious about it all.
The only thing I have noticed this second month into the treatment, is that I have actually felt really tired. I can go for a nap in the afternoon and still be exhausted during dinnertime. I usually get into bed not long after dinner, as I am just feeling exhausted. Some days I might fall asleep immediately, but most days I try to watch something on Netflix until about half 9, when I get myself slowly ready to fall asleep.

Overall I am still positive with my results so far. I do not regret getting on Accutane one bit. As annoying as the nosebleeds and dryness are, I know they are part of it all getting better. If I compare the nosebleeds against to how I was feeling a couple of months ago, I would definitely still go on Accutane. Before starting I was probably on my lowest point and never thought it would become better. Even though I am tired and I have nosebleeds, it's all equaled out by me feeling more confident, less anxious and not having acne. I know it’s worth it, as I am already seeing such a big improvement on both my mental health and the condition my skin is in.