Hey guys, today’s post is a little different from the usual. If you’re reading this post, you probably know what Accutane is. If you don’t, I’ll give you the DL;TR. Accutane is a oral medication of high levels of vitamin A. It is designed to stop your pores from producing sebum and ultimately, cure acne (or help it A LOT). This is no medicine for the weak knee-d. Literally. It has the possibility of causing joint pain. And headaches and weight gain and moodiness and nose bleeds and depression. (Although that one isn’t as proven). If you’re asking why anyone would put themselves through those risks as well as blood tests and monthly trips to the dermatalogists to do a routine checkup and hospital administered pregnancy test (if you are female of course) exactly between 25 and 31 days apart, your acne isn’t obliterating your self esteem. In that case, read on out of pure curiosity. If you would do almost anything to get rid of your acne, read on out of desperation from trying hundreds of dollars of creams and prescription topical medication.
Process and Routine
I decided to go on Accutane my freshmen year of highschool. It’s not something I talk about a lot. It’s just awkward and embarassing. But if there is someone I can help out there, this will all be worth it, because at the end of the day, nothing can tear you down more than not being able to see your forehead because of the pimples. My dermatologist is amazing and let me go on it pretty quickly (not sure if it’s because of how bad my skin was), but it can be a little harder to get the medicine because of how intense this medicine is. Starting from there, you will have your blood drawn so they can periodically check your cholestrol levels. You will also need to go to the dermatologist monthly for routine checkups for moodiness and depression, but mostly for pregnancy tests. You CANNOT get pregnant on Accutane, it has terrible effects on the baby. In fact, you swear to two different kinds of birth control. You also have to complete a mini quiz (It’s really easy) every month on iPledge (the Accutane website) to get your pills. You also need to take your pills with meals (not sure why). You must also take them at the same time everyday to have the best effective. It’s not a one month on, one month off kind of deal. When you go to your doctor for this prescription you are prepared to go for several months.
Side Effects
This is the kicker right here. This is what people ask about, complain about, and warned about. The first thing is the DRY SKIN. SO DRY. I would wake up unable to smile because the corners of my lips were so dry. My skin would peel with dry spots no matter how much striaght vaseline I put on my face. My eyes would even get a little dry. Many people get nosebleeds because the INSIDE of their nose is too dry. However, most people can agree the thinnest skin ie. your lips, are the driest. I did not experience any other side effects but I did hear it was possible to get more moody, have more join pain (maybe due to the excess of vitamin A going through your liver. That’s my guess.), or weight gain. Personally, I did not experience any of this.
Effectiveness
I’ll keep this short and sweet. Accutane is 100% effective. Cystic acne, tiny bumps, everything is pretty much gone with Accutane. In fact, I saw significant results one month after starting which is pretty universal. This may seem like a long time but trust me, it isn’t. Especially if your acne is bad enough for you to seriously consider going through all of this.
Products
This is really important. As soon as I got out of the shower I would use the dearKlairs Supple Preparation Toner. I have used many toners since my freshmen year, but I still believe that one is incredible for dry skin. After a toner, I would go in with my Cosrx 96 Snail Mucin Essence and finish with lots and lots of cream, vaseline, and cetaphil. The face was nearly impossible to get completely normal. By normal, I mean without dry patches of flaky skin that makes you look like a molting snake. However the lips, were painful. I eventually began using Dr. Dans Cortibalm and it saved me. It was the only thing that really made my lips feel normal. It tasted TERRIBLE, like bitter chinese medicine, but it was so worth it. I used dearKlairs blue calming sunscreen then too, but I didn’t enjoy it too much. Also, one more word. HUMIDIFIER. If you want more info on any of these products, I have reviewed all of them!
Conclusion
Going on Accutane saved my skin from the terrible scarring I know I would have had. It transformed my self confidence, and I don’t regret any of it at all. My acne was the reason got so into skincare and the affordable kbeauty. Yet at the same time, I learned to accept the way my skin was before I went on Accutane. I didn’t love it, of course, but I still was confident in myself because I knew my skin wasn’t everything. I didn’t have any makeup then so I couldn’t hide it either. Even now, if I see someone with acne, I think to myself, see? This person has acne, but I still enjoy their presence. They are still gorgeous, confident, strong, intelligent, and all the great things people are, so you should never think of yourself as less because of your acne. I’m not saying you won’t, but just know that people don’t see you the same way you see yourself. They forget about what you look like as they listen to what you have to contribute to society, so don’t be afraid to take pictures (and cringe at them later for so many reasons) or go to social events. I am recommending Accutane, but while we are all struggling with our own skin problems, big or small, the bigger picture is still everything you have to offer to your friends, your community, and the world. So stay strong, because you really are beautiful. And don’t let yourself or anyone else tell you otherwise.
Thanks for reading this post! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please shoot me an email or leave a comment about your experience with acne/accutane. If you want more skincare content, please like this post and follow the email list to be notified everytime I post. Come back soon for more educational pieces 😀
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