4 replies to this topic

[Davey Boy]

At the beginning of this year I took Accutane to try and clear my acne. It is mild but persistent, and after 8 years of the regiment I was beginning to dread never being clear of acne (I am almost 30 now).

I only took Accutane for 10 days, as I started to have some depression and memory issues, and I got scared what it was doing to me. Whilst on the drug, I was also taking Finasteride (Propecia) for hairloss, although I quit that 1 month after Accutane. I had taken Propecia for a total of 7 months at 1 mg per day.

A few days after quitting Propecia, my skin started getting oily, and I was sure it was worse than before Accutane. It is now 8 months since I quit Accutane, and I am still finding that my face gets very oily.

Typically, just an hour or so after washing in the morning, my nose begins to get oily. So much so that if I run a finger over it, I can feel it and see the shine. By the evening, my whole face has a layer of oil over it, and my forehead (near the hairline) and my T-zone are particularly bad. It looks terrible, and it bothers me a great deal.

I am worried that one of these drugs has done some permanent. I have read that Propecia can cause permanent hormone imbalances, and so now I am very concerned that this is what has happened. I also wonder if Accutane somehow triggered my face to produce my oil. My skin actually seems to be dryer after being washed now, so I wonder if this oil is my skin overcompensating. I even wonder whether taking these 2 drugs together caused something to happen.

Any suggestions, I would be very grateful. At the moment I can't think of much except to go on Accutane again. I can't carry on with skin this oily, it is too unpleasant.

Edited by Davey Boy, 24 November 2010 - 07:34 AM.

[c'est la vigne]

Moved to the Oily Skin Issues board, as this has nothing to do with the Acne.org Regimen.

[nos86]

Oily skin is a tough one. Accutane can help some report a great reduction on of oil on accutane. The oil may return post treatment while others say it normalizes their oily skin.

[jsmithson]

I have been on accutane. I found it to be very effective in controlling oil production while taking it. However in my case my oil production came back 1 year after my treatment finished. It isn't any worse than it was before - it's just the same.

I don't know anything about Propecia so I can't comment.

I did read a scientific study somewhere about a link between BP use an an increase in oil production. Are you also using BP?

At the beginning of this year I took Accutane to try and clear my acne. It is mild but persistent, and after 8 years of the regiment I was beginning to dread never being clear of acne (I am almost 30 now).

I only took Accutane for 10 days, as I started to have some depression and memory issues, and I got scared what it was doing to me. Whilst on the drug, I was also taking Finasteride (Propecia) for hairloss, although I quit that 1 month after Accutane. I had taken Propecia for a total of 7 months at 1 mg per day.

A few days after quitting Propecia, my skin started getting oily, and I was sure it was worse than before Accutane. It is now 8 months since I quit Accutane, and I am still finding that my face gets very oily.

Typically, just an hour or so after washing in the morning, my nose begins to get oily. So much so that if I run a finger over it, I can feel it and see the shine. By the evening, my whole face has a layer of oil over it, and my forehead (near the hairline) and my T-zone are particularly bad. It looks terrible, and it bothers me a great deal.

I am worried that one of these drugs has done some permanent. I have read that Propecia can cause permanent hormone imbalances, and so now I am very concerned that this is what has happened. I also wonder if Accutane somehow triggered my face to produce my oil. My skin actually seems to be dryer after being washed now, so I wonder if this oil is my skin overcompensating. I even wonder whether taking these 2 drugs together caused something to happen.

Any suggestions, I would be very grateful. At the moment I can't think of much except to go on Accutane again. I can't carry on with skin this oily, it is too unpleasant.

[bryan]

There always are a lot of comments about the possibility of using finasteride to reduce oily skin, but it's not going to work. Finasteride inhibits the type 2 form of 5a-reductase, but it's the other kind (type 1) which is in sebaceous glands. Finasteride has actually been tested in a serious medical journal study, and found to have no effect on sebum production.