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Here's the long and short of my acne history:
I started getting acne, just little guys, when I was 13. It started getting to be a problem at age 15 and I would have between 5 - 8 zits at any given time. And when you already have braces and think two-tone corduroy pants are rad, it's just a bad combo.
I was put on Diane birth control at age 16 but it was WAY too strong for me (I was about 115 lbs, 5'5") and I would seriously only get my period for like 20 hours (which would have been awesome if I didn't spend the rest of the time vomiting into a bowl).
I switched onto Alesse 28 which I never really found helpful but i stayed on it anyway.
Then at 17 went on Retin-a micro topical and apparently became a total idiot because I also went to Mexico for a week.
WELL SEE YOU LATER TOP 3 LAYERS OF SKIN. Yup, I burnt my face so badly that I literally was losing layers of skin that you just aren't supposed to lose. Buuuuut.... my acne was gone...g-g-gone? fo' reals?
Yes, fo' reals.
Now that lasted about 2 years. BEST TWO YEARS EVAH! But then like the total idiot I apparently was, I went off Alesse, thinking that it had contributed nothing, and I suffered a massive breakout. And despite going back on Alesse, I couldn't shake it.
I cut my bangs straight across so no one could see my forehead acne (excellent! Now all I had to do was grow hair everywhere else on my face!) but I had some bad cysts on my chin. It was always the forehead and chin with me. Jerks.
I used topical treatments that worked a little and then stopped, etc., and my skin did get a bit better overtime simply from being on Alesse. Really, my skin wasn't that bad at all. It would never have served as a deterrent for attracting a guy, and if you saw me with makeup, you probably wouldn't really notice unless you were a biotch.
But OH I'M NOT EFFING PERFECT (I must have thought) because I continued testing the waters with a billion products and you know what happened? They friggin ruined my skin. No offense to Dan, but his regimen made me break out not only where I usually do, but also ALL OVER MY CHEEKS. I was horrified. It reminded me of when I woke up from jaw surgery and saw myself in the mirror for the first time and couldn't stop laughing at the overinflated ape-woman looking back at me. This may have been affected by all the morphine I was on, but my point is that I looked so bad that it was almost surreal. And even after going off the regimen my skin wouldn't get better.
And that's what lead me here to Accutane. It had actually been suggested to me by my dermatologist when I was 16 and breaking out, but my overbearing mother (she means well) had bluntly said 'no' due to the potential side-effects. I should probably mention that basically everyone on my mom's side of the family has dealt with severe depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and dressing goth (well, only one went temporarily goth, but it was scary enough to note) so her fears were relatively well-founded. I myself have dealt with anxiety disorders since then, so maybe that was a smart move.
But 65 days ago I went to the walk-in clinic and got my first prescription for Accutane. I found it odd that it was so easy to obtain, maybe it's because I'm Canadian, as everyone talks about how much of a hassle is. I literally rolled off my couch, strolled down the street and told some random doctor I'd never met that I wanted to be on it. He took one look at my face and said, "It's time." What a dillhole.
He only put me on 20mg per day to start which is pretty darn low. But from what I'd read about high doses of Accutane, they weren't fun and could cause things like liver malfunction, Crohn's disease, and leprosy (I made that last one up, but I wouldn't be shocked to see it listed). Well, I broke out like a mofo and everything I had on my face multiplied like those crazy brooms in the beginning of Fantasia. I went from looking basically human (debatable) to looking like the poster-girl for Rejection Hotline.
After 2 months on 20mg I was bumped up to 40mg, by another random doctor I had never met, because clearly the first 2 months had only served as a fun experiment to worsen my situation. The problem seems to be that I can't get in to see a dermatologist until the end of February and I'm not about to just wait that out. I have a life (sort of).
So that's where I am now. I have acne all over my face after 2 months on 20 mg, and 6 days on 40 mg. Hoping for the best, but from what I've seen from other people, their acne sucked before Accutane, they had a little friendly IB near the beginning, and then started clearing up insane amounts. I, however, like to live outside the realm on what is considered 'normal' and just break out consistently until, in the year 2040, I will murder my more beautiful clone and steal her skin. Foolproof!
I'll post some pictures when I can, but only if you promise not to weep on my behalf, HMMmmmkay?
