I am currently on Accutane and am not sure what category I should put myself in. Obviously because of the meds, I am extremely dry, but was originally very oily and acne-prone. I feel odd going on the DRY program when I am very acne-prone and very oily, pre meds. Can anyone help? Dr. Baumann?

I am currently on Accutane and am not sure what category I should put myself in. Obviously because of the meds, I am extremely dry, but was originally very oily and acne-prone. I feel odd going on the DRY program when I am very acne-prone and very oily, pre meds. Can anyone help? Dr. Baumann?

Don't mean to butt in when you're asking Dr. B. but thought I would answer in the meantime. Accutane will make you dry, and you will never go back to oily again (so I've heard). You answer the questions based on what your skin is doing at the present time. If your skin changes seasonally, or if for whatever reason there's a change in your skin, you can take the test again and change products.

It wouldn't make sense to use products for oily skin when you're dry right now from the Accutane.

I was extremely oily before Accutane. I am now really dry. In general once Accutane dries out your oil glands - you don't go back.
And I loved and still ove the results of Accutane. Best thing I ever did for myself.

I am one of the "unfortunate" ones that Accutane didn't work for. I took it twice--once in early 20's with a second aborted attempt because I got very sick...and a second time in late 20's before my pregnancy. I think much of my acne and oiliness is hormonal because I still have cystic acne and oily skin. The accutane made me really dry and seemed to work for about 2 years each time I took it. I wish I could have been so lucky. Almost 40 and OSPW.

I also did two courses of treatment of Accutane -- nine years apart! The first when I was 36, the second when I was 45. Both times made my skin EXTREMELY dry while on it, but i returned to oily skin post-treatment, just not as oily. Today, at age 48, my skin is still slightly oily (score of 27 in summer, 25 in winter), and very sensitive (S-42), so still breaks out ocaissionally. I don't get cysts at all, or breakouts mid-cycle. The eruptions I do get are small, shallow, and clear in a day or two.
While on Accutane my Doc repeated told me to treat the dryness in any way that made me comfortable. He repaeated (like a mantra) that nothing I did topically would affect my skin as much as the Accutane was. The extreme dryness leads to flakiness, and can even lead to fissures, if left untreated, making your skin vulnerable to infection.
For now, treat the dryness. Worry about tommorrow, tommorrow.
I, too, am glad I went on Accutane. I consider it a drug of last resort, and would never recommend it to someone who has not yet exhausted every other option, but that is exactly what I had done. I went on it after 20 years on Retin-A and Tetracycline. Accutane eliminated the need for daily drugs to control my acne.
This is an uncomfortable time for you -- but, hang in there: when it is over, you'll be glad you did this for yourself.