My Experience on Accutane
My Experience on Accutane
For most of my life, the state of my skin was my biggest insecurity. I did not have the worst acne, but it was enough to make me very self conscious. It was why I somedays wore more makeup than usual. Why I didn't like wearing a swimsuit that showed so much of my back and chest. Why some days, I just didn't feel pretty.
These photos are from fall 2017, a time I would say my acne was at its worst. Though I have makeup on in both these photos, my acne is still very prevalent.
I know that skin and acne does not define someone, but that doesn't mean it can not effect someone. It was an ever ongoing struggle. Even once I older and out of high school, it still hadn't gone away. If anything, the older I got, the worst my skin became. In winter of 2017, I went to the dermatologist who prescribed me some topicals and a pill that sometimes helped those with acne. After months of that routine, there was almost no difference. When she saw this lack of progress, she suggested the medication Isotretinoin, or more commonly known as Accutane. For most people, this is a last resort sort of option, but that's where I was. While I was scared to try this drug out, as it is considered a more serious drug, I wanted to see if it worked. As a female, getting onto to Accutane can be a bit hard. One must go through pregnancy tests and blood tests every month, and it is a lot of work when it comes to scheduling blood draws and doctor appointments, especially when university started again and I was three hours away from my doctor's office. Also, it was a long six months of people asking me if I had a sunburn if I went out without makeup. I still don't understand why so many thought it okay to comment on what my skin looked like. But despite all of this, I would say it was one of the best decisions I've made. I cannot tell you to go on Accutance if you have acne, I can only tell you my experience. I had less side effects than some people, and I was lucky enough that I had no mental health side effects as some patients can.
It was a hard and long six months, between the blood draws and dry skin and rashes, but to me, it was worth every hardship.
If you are considering Accutane, or are currently on it, I hope this post of my experience might help you. I just finished taking my pills a few days ago, so I still have a lot of the healing and readjusting back to normal to do, but for now, I could not be more happy in my own skin.
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For the first few months, I took notes and photos about my experience. So for the majority of this post, I will outline my experience month by month, including pictures when I have them.
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Before
As you can see, I struggled with a lot of acne. It was not only concentrated to my face, but also significantly to my chest and back. I had problems with acne in high school and it got worse in my first years of college.
Month 1 (May):
Side Effects:
- Stomach can get upset with no food before pill (also it is important to eat to help the effectiveness of the pill)
- Increased redness
- Bumpy skin (in week one/two)
- Rosatia on cheeks
- Very red skin
- Sensitive to touch/feel
- Little change in chest and back
- Very dry, peeling
- Dryness in t zone
- Very dry lips
- Rashes on forearm (picture below)
- Dry nose, some bleeding
- Lower back pain
Progress:
Starting to see a bit clearer skin on face, much less progress in chest in back
Conclusion:
I think the first month was the hardest month. It was all new and different, making it difficult to adjust to. I started the pills the first week of May, also my birthday week, so trying to adjust to my body's reactions was really hard. The day I went out to dinner for my birthday, I really struggled doing my makeup that day because of the initial red and bumpy skin I had in that first week. I had the same problem a few days later when I went to the Reputation tour, though the bumpiness was already starting to subside. The oncoming of all the side effects at once was what made this month feel so difficult.
Month 2 (June):
Side Effects:
Progress:
Skin on the face is definitely more clear than the last month, even as redness is still high. There was still very little progress in terms of the back.
Conclusion:
- Redness in face and arms
- Rash is worse, concetrated on hands and forearms but can be calmed down with ointment
- Still clearer skin but much less progress in the chest and back
- Some spine pain, like back needs to be stretched
- Managed to avoid intense sunburn on vacation
- Peeling around lips
- Skin very irritated by sunscreen every day on face
- Still very dry lips
- Starting to use rose hip oil
Skin on the face is definitely more clear than the last month, even as redness is still high. There was still very little progress in terms of the back.
Conclusion:
The second month was much easier than the first, as I was adjusting to the side effects and learning to better deal with them. I was able to avoid getting any major sunburns, even when in California, which can be a very common side effect. Downside, applying that much sunscreen, my skin reacted badly to it. The red bumpiness in this above photo is what that was, and was similar to my skin in the first week. After giving my skin a break from the sunscreen though, the irritation went away. Other than that, the side effects remained similar to month one.
Month 3 (July):
Month 3 (July):
Side effects:
- Dry lips
- Very red skin, mostly in face but also in arms and legs a bit
- Still some breakouts on the face
- Still some back pain, mediate pain
- Some improvements starting on the back
Conclusion: By this point, I was definitely used to the side effects and had settled in a routine to best combat them. I had products (more on that later) to help combat the dryness and was prescribed a topical to try and help with the rashes on my hands and arms. Also to help avoid the irritation on my arms, I switched to a scentless detergent and didn't use scented lotion as often.
This is where I stopped taking as many pictures like I had before, but I will include other pictures from the month and what I do have, though I will likely have makeup on in some of them.
Month 4 (August):
Side effects:
- Still some pretty intense redness
- Facial skin starting to be very clear
- a few singular breakouts over the month
Progress:
My routine to deal with side effects was pretty set in stone at this point and I was struggling less with dealing with them. The redness was still very prominent and there was almost nothing I could do to change it. I did my best with makeup, though it still often showed through.
Conclusion:
At this point, I was very happy with the results and was not too discouraged by the side effects. It was promising to see such good results.
Month 5 (September):
Side Effects:
- With the colder weather, my skin was much drier
- As I wore more long sleeves, the skin rashes on my arms became much more irritated
- Previous side effects of dryness and redness continued
Progress:
By this time, I was really getting frustrated with all the side effects. I did everything I could to take care of my skin, and it still was hard to deal with because of the dryness. Most days I was reapplying foundation halfway throughout the day because of the peeling. Also the rashes were more painful and irritating this time, and very sensitive to anything scented or irritating on my skin.
Conclusion:
This month was harder then before, I think because I was starting to become worn out. My skin was reacting badly to the weather changed and I was tired of these side effects for so long. I tried to focus on my progress, on that my face was almost completely clear. I had the option to stop at this month, but I agreed with my doctor that my chest and back were in need of another month.
Month 6 (October):
Side Effects:
- Very similar to previous months
- Redness and dryness still
- Rashes calmed down a bit from the last month
Progress:
My skin is clear. I had no breakouts. My skin was dry and irritated, but it was clear. This was the month I saw the most progress in my back, as it finally cleared up as well.
Conclusion:
The last month was very similar to month five in side effects and my own sentiment, but now I could really see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, I could look back at old photos and really see progress that had been made and it felt like such a big difference. Even my back had cleared up, even if there is significant scarring. I could still tell that my skin was tired from it all, but it was the clearest I could ever remember seeing it.
Products Used:
Face Wash:
Moisturizer:
Facial Oil:
Lip products:
Products for the rashes:
Sunscreens:
Foundation & Primer:
These are not all the products I used, but they are the ones I would recommend the most. While they didn't completely save my skin from the side effects, they seemed to be what helped the most.
Reflection:
Being on accutane was a long six months, but it was an even longer journey with having problematic skin. Sometimes is was really head to see the upside, between the dry skin and lips ruining my makeup or how many people asked if I had a sunburn (seriously, why can't people mind their own business??) but I truly believe it was all worth it. And I would do it all over again if I had to. It is so freeing to feel so much more comfortable in your own skin. Yeah, most days I will still wear makeup but simply because I love wearing makeup. There won't be a nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me to cover my skin up. I can only share what my experience and results were on accutane but I can say that, for me, it was worth it in so many ways. I have just finished the meds, so I am still waiting for a skin to recover back to normal, or at least to the new normal, but I am so happy I did this all. I am happy in my own skin.
xoxo
Spiryt
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