Before You Start
1. Stock up on essentials before your first dose: heavy lip balm (buy multiple — keep them everywhere), a gentle cleanser, thick moisturizer, sunscreen SPF 30+, and lubricating eye drops.
2. Take a clear "before" photo on day one. You'll want it later. Take photos from the same angle and lighting every week. Cleyra's progress photo feature makes this easy.
3. Set up a dose reminder so you never forget. Staying consistent helps you stick to the schedule your dermatologist set.
During Treatment
4. Take your dose with a fatty meal, as directed by your prescriber — food increases how much of the medication your body absorbs. Avocado, peanut butter, cheese, or a glass of whole milk all work.
5. Stay hydrated and keep up with your lip balm and moisturizer routine — dryness is one of the most common side effects.
6. Don't pick at your skin. Your skin is thinner and more fragile on isotretinoin, so picking causes worse scarring than usual. Resist the temptation.
7. Avoid waxing and laser treatments during treatment and for at least 6 months after. Your skin is too sensitive and can scar or react badly.
Managing Side Effects
8. Aquaphor is your best friend. Use it on lips, dry patches, inside your nostrils, and anywhere that feels irritated. It's cheap and it works.
9. For joint pain, gentle stretching and light exercise help more than resting. Swimming is great if available — low impact and the moisture helps your skin.
10. If your eyes are dry, switch from contacts to glasses on bad days. Preservative-free artificial tears work better than regular eye drops.
11. Use a humidifier in your bedroom, especially during winter months. Your skin will thank you every morning.
Mental Health and Motivation
12. Track your symptoms daily — even when you don't feel like it. Seeing the patterns can help you prepare for a more useful conversation at your appointments, instead of trying to remember how you felt weeks ago. Apps like Cleyra make this take less than 30 seconds.
13. Don't compare your timeline to others. Some people clear up in month 2, others take until month 5. Both are normal. Trust the process and your doctor.
14. Connect with others going through it. Online communities (Reddit's r/Accutane, for example) can be incredibly supportive when you're dealing with the purge or frustrating side effects.
15. Celebrate milestones. Halfway through your course? Cleared your first month? Took your dose every day this week? These are worth acknowledging. The journey is long, and small wins keep you going.