So, this post is a little different to my usual content but I hope it'll prove helpful in some way! I've decided to start a six month course of Roaccutane (commonly referred to as Accutane) in the hopes that it'll cure my acne once and for all..!
Before we begin I'd like to talk a little about my experience with acne as I've been suffering with it for some time now. I don't remember exactly when it began but I believe it was around my tenth year in secondary school when I started to notice changes in my skin, it definitely flared up by my last year and was a huge persistent problem during my year of college. Having acne during secondary school isn't uncommon so I wasn't particularly concerned about the longevity of it at the time, it definitely made me feel really self conscious though! I started to feel more insecure about it after I left secondary school, it wasn't horrendously bad during the Summer for some reason but a few months into college it really flared up and there were noticeable changes in my skin's condition and the type of acne I was suffering with - every spot that I got was a cystic nodule rather than a typical acne spot - I was sixteen at the time. ❀
I hoped that it would go away with time but I started to lose faith in that notion when I was around eighteen.
It definitely felt like it wasn't going to go away on its own! My doctor prescribed me an antibiotic named Lymecycline which I would take everyday, he also gave me a topical Acne cream named Adapalene, we hoped that it would keep my acne at bay whilst it cleared itself up... spoiler; it didn't! After two years and three courses of Lymecycline it was obvious that my acne wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Whilst taking the Lymcycline my skin was clear but the moment I stopped taking it my acne would flare up again and I'd be back to square one.
I'd avoided Accutane for years because I'd heard so much about it from other people. It always seemed like an insanely extreme drug due to all the side effects but I'm at the point now where I really just want my acne to go away and stay away! Accutane is my last option..!I finally gave in and was referred to a dermatologist to be assessed for Accutane. ❀ I'd had several blood tests prior to this to make sure that my liver hadn't suffered any damage (due to taking an antibiotic) but I had to have a fasting blood test before my appointment. A fasting blood test is just a normal blood test but you're not allowed to eat or drink anything (except for water) and you have to be really careful to make sure that it's performed on an empty stomach. We were hoping that the results would be back in time for the appointment but the situation with the NHS database being hacked and such kind of delayed that.
We agreed to try a six month course of Roaccutane and slowly increase the dosage overtime. The nurse who's going to be overseeing my case (she's super nice) reassured my concerns and mentioned that Accutane has a 97% success rating - it's a cure for acne rather than a prevention drug! I had to sign a bunch of forms before I could be prescribed Accutane which honestly was a little daunting. I'm not sexually active or anything so pregnancy really isn't a pressing issue for me, therefore I don't have to take birth control but I did have to sign a form stating that I was aware of the dangers of pregnancy on Accutane and if I were to enter a sexual relationship with someone that I'd be willing to take the necessary precautions. There are a few other things that are noteworthy such as wearing contact lenses and beauty procedures; you can't use any type of hair removal wax on your skin (and for four to six months after) and they generally recommend that you avoid wearing contact lenses because your eyes can become dry overtime.
I'm now taking Accutane daily (I had to wait a week before I could begin my course whilst the Lymcycline worked its way out of my system) and I'd really like to share my experience with you! There are a lot of horror stories online about it but I couldn't find a ton of genuine normal non exaggerated experiences and hearing so many worrying tales definitely delayed me in taking Accutane.
Hopefully I'll be able to make monthly updates on my skin's progress with you!
My first week of Roaccutane is officially over..! I've been taking it for seven days now and I've definitely noticed some changes in my skin already. There have been a few other things that I've noticed too but I can't really be sure if it is because of the medication or if it's due to the fact that I've recently been recovering from a bout of the good old-fashioned sore throat and cold so I'll leave that out of today's update!
Before starting my course with Accutane I did do a fair bit of research so I was semi-prepared for some of the changes!
With that being said the first change I've noticed really took me by surprise! My skin has gotten a lot redder! I haven't really suffered with redness in a long time with my skin, I dealt with it a couple of years ago briefly but it's never been a pressing issue. A few days after starting the medication my skin started to get really red, it's definitely redder around my nose, on my cheeks, chin and my T-zone.
Secondly, my skin is definitely starting to get dryer which was something that I was expecting. I'm also noticing a few bumps in my skin too, I was warned that I'd most likely break out during the first few weeks to the first couple of months of taking Accutane so I'm not too worried about this...!
🎀 Week Two: 25th July to 6th August (a little over two weeks) 🎀
There have been a few changes in my skin's condition! I've had a minor break out including a cystic nodule on my chin which has been really persistent and painful but I've also had a few minor spots on my face including around my nostrils and on my chin (just under my lower lip - it's quite bumpy). My skin has gotten much dryer this week particularly around my eyes, the skin just under my eyes and at the corner of my eyes is really dry, I've also noticed dryness around my mouth. It's definitely noticeable when I'm wearing make up. The redness in my skin seems to have gone down considerably since the first week but it's still redder than normal. My lips are also starting to dry out which was to be expected..!
I'm going to look into changing my skincare routine to see if it will help, I've usually used products that have helped with oily skin (because of my excess oil caused by my acne) so I definitely need to use products that are aimed towards dryer skin now!
🎀 Week Three: 25th July to 11th August 🎀
I'm now twenty three days into my course, almost to the one month mark! There's been a few changes in my skin this week, it's definitely getting dryer and dryer...! The skin underneath my eyes is much dryer than last week and it's quite difficult to mask with make up, my skin is beginning to flake in areas. My nose is also really dry, my nostrils too! Right now the most uncomfortable thing for me are my lips, they're really dry at the moment and beginning to crack. I have a small scab on the left side of my lips because of this, it was bleeding a lot earlier this week.
The last thing that I've noticed this week are my hands, they're also beginning to get really dry despite using hand cream every night especially in between my fingers. I've been using BioOil during the night to try and add back some moisture into my skin.
Also, I tried plucking for the first time since starting the course. I'm usually a wax and go type of girl since waxing gets it over and done with pretty quickly so plucking was a little uncomfortable for me (definitely still prefer waxing) ❀. The areas (my upper lip and eyebrows) that I plucked were a little dryer than usual afterwards but other than that it was absolutely fine!
I'm determined to see it through to the end!
Thank you for staying with me through this really word heavy post!
I truly appreciate it! <3 ♡
Thank you, as always, for reading! ♡♡♡
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