70 replies to this topic

[Oil King]

I have been reading these boards for years, mostly the oily skin section of the forums, but haven't ever posted because..well I'll explain that later.

Basically I have the oiliest skin out of anyone I've ever encountered in my whole life. I use a whole pack of clean and clear oil absorbing wipes every few days. Let me tell you, I've tried EVERYTHING to try and combat it, only to be faced with at most a 2-3 day improvement to be let down by the oil returning in full force. I'll try to list all the things I've tried over the years from the top of my head (probably forgetting a few):

- Vitamin B5 10 grams (two 3 month tries, this does reduce my oily skin WHILE I'm on it, but this isn't good enough because I can't continue to take it forever, and I know it's very dangerous.)

- Guggul (2.5% Guggulsterones) 1500 mg (reduces testosterone, Google it, didn't help to much, although stopped the occasional pimple I do have from occurring)

- jojoba oil

- egg white mask

- baking soda

- Zinc

- Vitamin E

- Fish Oil

- Cod Liver Oil (Naturally contains vitamin A)

- Saw Palmetto

- retin A

- Beta Sitosterol

- Multi-Vitamin

- Milk Of Magnesia

- Peppermint oil (topical)

- Spearmint, Green, White, and Peppermint tea (spearmint helped a bit)

- Dans Regimen (cleanser, bp, and moisturizer all from his store)

- Proactiv

- OC8

- Urine therapy (external and internal)

- Caveman diet

- Gluten free diet

- Fat free diet

- Carb free diet

- Sugar free diet

- Sebasorb

- Vitamin C

- Cetaphil Gentle cleanser

- Do nothing regimen

- Cetaphil oily skin cleanser

- all spectro cleansers

- Salysic Acid

- Dan's AHA

- Clay mask

- Clean and Clear oil absorbing sheets

- nobiletin cream by sana fela

- 5 L of water a day

- water only regimen

- No dairy diet

- No masterbation

I know there's more and as I think of them I will edit this post to add them.

Well I think it's safe to say that I've tried just about everything for my oily skin (if there is anything I haven't tried PLEASE let me know). I've just gone really off topic but back to the point:

About a week ago I went to the dermatologist for my oily skin, and recommended benzol peroxide (?) I said yeah yeah I've tried it all and basically I kept asking for accutane and she agreed that if it's what I wanted to do she would write me the prescription (after blood tests ex.). So in a week or so I will begin my 6 month accutane journey for ONLY extremely oily skin, barely any acne, I just wanted to let people know that it is possible to get prescribed accutane for oily skin.

Oh yeah and I haven't ever posted because nothing's ever worked for me .

Bye for now!

Edited by Oil King, 13 January 2010 - 06:41 AM.

[radikal]

I've been on Accutane for a couple of years mostly to deal with oily skin after my acne went into (partial) remission. Don't do it. You will reduce oil only as long as you're on the drug, whereas the long term effects of Accutane are permanent.
In my case it's cervical hyperostosis, which is quite bad (loss of neck/shoulders mobility, and excruciating pain) - and there are other - even worse - possible outcomes. Don't do it, it won't cure your oiliness.

[Oil King]

Well if you were on it for a couple of years then it probably did have some negative side effects. I have researched accutane extensively and know about the normal side effects and rare side effects. Your wrong in saying accutane will only take care of the oil while I'm on the drug, which there is a good chance of this occurring, but there is also a chance of it reducing some oil for life (even if it is by 20% it will be worth it).

[ItalianBoy]

Do it.

[bryan]

To the original poster: are you saying the nobiletin cream by sana fela didn't help you?

[Oil King]

To the original poster: are you saying the nobiletin cream by sana fela didn't help you?

Meh, I only used it for about a week and a half (which is as long as it lasted!) and there was about a 10%-15% improvement, but I'm looking for something that I don't have to apply nightly etc. (looks really stupid applying a night cream when sleeping over at a buddies house because I'm a guy). Don't take my opinion on the product negatively though, maybe it has a more prevalent effect if used for a month or something, and as I always say "the results of one person may differ from the results of another".

[radikal]

Do it.

------------
Male, 16.

Don't do it. Male, 36. What a difference 20 years make.

To the original poster: to think that there is a chance of permanent remission in chronic acne/seborrhea is to not understand how isotretinoin (Accutane) works. From your introduction you sound like a chronic case, just as I am. Any post-course remission is due to traces of isotretinoin which can remain embedded in the cell nucleus up to one year.

[toomuchaccutane]

To the original poster: are you saying the nobiletin cream by sana fela didn't help you?

Meh, I only used it for about a week and a half (which is as long as it lasted!) and there was about a 10%-15% improvement, but I'm looking for something that I don't have to apply nightly etc. (looks really stupid applying a night cream when sleeping over at a buddies house because I'm a guy). Don't take my opinion on the product negatively though, maybe it has a more prevalent effect if used for a month or something, and as I always say "the results of one person may differ from the results of another".

Radikal has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. I used to have the oiliest skin imaginable and i took accutane for 6 months at 80mgper day and have no oil production at all anymore. And i have been off accutane for 3 years. Go for it Oil king. You will most likely love the results.

[Oil King]

To the original poster: are you saying the nobiletin cream by sana fela didn't help you?

Meh, I only used it for about a week and a half (which is as long as it lasted!) and there was about a 10%-15% improvement, but I'm looking for something that I don't have to apply nightly etc. (looks really stupid applying a night cream when sleeping over at a buddies house because I'm a guy). Don't take my opinion on the product negatively though, maybe it has a more prevalent effect if used for a month or something, and as I always say "the results of one person may differ from the results of another".

Radikal has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. I used to have the oiliest skin imaginable and i took accutane for 6 months at 80mgper day and have no oil production at all anymore. And i have been off accutane for 3 years. Go for it Oil king. You will most likely love the results.

What side effects did you experience? Are any of them noticeable today? Also, I have very large pores, did accutane affect the size of your pores in the long term?

Edited by Oil King, 14 January 2010 - 08:49 PM.

[Dwight]

I would cautiously say due to your obvisouly painful history: Do at the most one regimen. If your skin stays dry, goal achieved. But if it is not: Dont force it and take the drug for years.

One very essential treatment for your oily skin is missing in this endless list: Try to live with it!

After all it is no disease, you have no (physical) pain and you won't die sooner. Try to focus on things that are really important in life. Sebum is not.

Wish you all the best.

Edited by Dwight, 16 January 2010 - 09:52 AM.

[Oil King]

Well, it has begun.

I took my first pill yesterday. One problem though, I planned to take 10mg a day, but I knew the dermatologists wouldn't want me to go for this low of dose so she prescribed me 40mg a day and I just figured I would cut the pill into a quarter or something but its gel so I can't! But whatever I just plan to take 40mg every 3 days. What do you guys think about this? Will it have the same low dose effect of 10mg a day? I have no acne and only oily skin so I don't want to risk the unnecessary side effects of going over 10mg a day if I don't have to! Also, I accepted the high dose she prescribed me because I would rather have to much than to little (in case I want to do a maintenance dose of 10 mg a week or w.e). Anyways any input would be nice .

[X3Kell3X]

hi, i had acne and oily skin and i went on accutane. oil basically went completely away after a month or so. but. ur skin will be VERY dry. red. irritated. but no oil. however, ive been off of it for a month and a half and it almost immediatly came back. not as bad but to the point where it is uncomfortable. i used to have to us the clean and clear things like..every hour before tane. now.. a couple times a day. not bad but still

it is not a cure. some will come back for sure, but it won't be as bad. which is nice. its worth it

and just take it the way she prescribes. its monitored with all the bloodwork so they will know if ur having problems.

plus its prescribed based on ur weight. so 40mg was kinda high for me being a girl, but for guys it usually isn't.

p.s ur lucky u don't have acne with it.

*don't let people scare u with all these stories too

[toomuchaccutane]

Well, it has begun.

I took my first pill yesterday. One problem though, I planned to take 10mg a day, but I knew the dermatologists wouldn't want me to go for this low of dose so she prescribed me 40mg a day and I just figured I would cut the pill into a quarter or something but its gel so I can't! But whatever I just plan to take 40mg every 3 days. What do you guys think about this? Will it have the same low dose effect of 10mg a day? I have no acne and only oily skin so I don't want to risk the unnecessary side effects of going over 10mg a day if I don't have to! Also, I accepted the high dose she prescribed me because I would rather have to much than to little (in case I want to do a maintenance dose of 10 mg a week or w.e). Anyways any input would be nice .

Take the accutane like the dermatologist prescribed it to you. You most likely will need to take a normal doasge over a 6 month period or so to hopefully put the oil into permanent remission. I had extremely oily skin and took 40mg per day for 2 months and 80mgs per day for the next 4 months. I weighed 75 kgs at the time. This was 3 years ago and still have no oil. My pores have decreased in appearance dramatically that you would never know i had oily course skin to begin with. You need to take 150mg/kg i believe to hopefully achieve this. The people who take low doses for thre oily skin are only reducing there oily skin while they take the accutane. Afterwards the oil returns which makes the whole usage of the acutane pointless.

[nos86]

I weigh pounds 150 pounds which is 68.0388 kg.

I was put on 80 mgs a day for 6 months straight. And two weeks after I finished Accutane, my skin was oily again.

[bryan]

This was 3 years ago and still have no oil. My pores have decreased in appearance dramatically that you would never know i had oily course skin to begin with. You need to take 150mg/kg i believe to hopefully achieve this.

I weigh about 100 kg. Are you saying I'd have to take 15,000 milligrams of Accutane to achieve that?

[Miata]

just so you know, i'm not in the US.

and GPs here do prescribe accutane for oilyness. but it's very low dose. like 10mg 3 times a week, regardless of your weight.

[radikal]

...
What side effects did you experience? Are any of them noticeable today? Also, I have very large pores, did accutane affect the size of your pores in the long term?

I've done the initial "standard" course (1mg/kg/day) plus SIX more courses, with lesser dosages varying around (0.2-0.6mg/kg/day), over a period of some six years, with a break of about 18 months. I was diagnosed with irreversible side effects in 2008, quite a bit later after stopping the drug in 2005; up to that time I was very much pro-isotretinoin (Accutane or generics), and thought I had properly assessed the risk vs. potential benefits.

Here I am exactly one decade later after first taking the drug and four years after I stopped taking it. My body acne is in permanent remission (I accept that isotretinoin has played a large part in that). My facial acne is in partial remission, but such extended use induced chronic folliculitis (happens in about 40% of cases of long term use). Facial oil is as high as ever. I have irreversible skeletal modifications called hyperostosis, which led to loss of 90% of neck and upper body mobility. I've been in excruciating pain for a couple of years until most neck vertebrae calcified and became one solid mass of bone. Thankfully the pain has subsided now.

I should mention that the last three courses were mainly to control my facial oil. One of the few poor choices I've made in my life to date.

[Oil King]

...
What side effects did you experience? Are any of them noticeable today? Also, I have very large pores, did accutane affect the size of your pores in the long term?

I've done the initial "standard" course (1mg/kg/day) plus SIX more courses, with lesser dosages varying around (0.2-0.6mg/kg/day), over a period of some six years, with a break of about 18 months. I was diagnosed with irreversible side effects in 2008, quite a bit later after stopping the drug in 2005; up to that time I was very much pro-isotretinoin (Accutane or generics), and thought I had properly assessed the risk vs. potential benefits.

Here I am exactly one decade later after first taking the drug and four years after I stopped taking it. My body acne is in permanent remission (I accept that isotretinoin has played a large part in that). My facial acne is in partial remission, but such extended use induced chronic folliculitis (happens in about 40% of cases of long term use). Facial oil is as high as ever. I have irreversible skeletal modifications called hyperostosis, which led to loss of 90% of neck and upper body mobility. I've been in excruciating pain for a couple of years until most neck vertebrae calcified and became one solid mass of bone. Thankfully the pain has subsided now.

I should mention that the last three courses were mainly to control my facial oil. One of the few poor choices I've made in my life to date.

I would never consider taking SEVEN courses, one course max and if that didn't work I would accept it. I don't think your case is comparable to anyway to what I am doing because of the extreme and long term use of accutane you went though, I'm not suprised you encountered that many side effects.

[toomuchaccutane]

This was 3 years ago and still have no oil. My pores have decreased in appearance dramatically that you would never know i had oily course skin to begin with. You need to take 150mg/kg i believe to hopefully achieve this.

I weigh about 100 kg. Are you saying I'd have to take 15,000 milligrams of Accutane to achieve that?

Yes, it's very possible that you would need to take 150mg/kg (which would be as you already said, 100mgs/day for 5 months) to see a substantial reduction in oil post-accutane. Whether the oil returns after you finish your course obviously varies from person to person. But the low doses they give for oily skin only is helpful while you are on the accutane.

[bryan]

This was 3 years ago and still have no oil. My pores have decreased in appearance dramatically that you would never know i had oily course skin to begin with. You need to take 150mg/kg i believe to hopefully achieve this.

I weigh about 100 kg. Are you saying I'd have to take 15,000 milligrams of Accutane to achieve that?

Yes, it's very possible that you would need to take 150mg/kg (which would be as you already said, 100mgs/day for 5 months) to see a substantial reduction in oil post-accutane.

Oh, you're talking about taking a TOTAL of 15,000 mg over a time period of 5 months! I assumed you were talking about a daily dose of Accutane, and had gotten it off by about two or three orders of magnitude!