31 replies to this topic

[electricbetty]

Day 47 (Already? How?!)

 

So I have two new spots that have cropped up over the last two days or so, pretty gutted to see them seeing as I've been clear for around 2 weeks now. One is on my left cheek (unusual to get one there) and is a very small cyst, the other was a whitehead down in the usual place by my chin. It seems to be subsiding.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm losing a fair amount of hair, both on my head and places like my eyebrows and eyelashes. My head hair is very fine and light brown, and in some places my scalp is more visible than usual. Eyelashes/brows are looking very sparse, I'm still taking a fish oil capsule every night and a Biotin/Vit E/Vit D supplement pill every day. When I had my initial breakout, I got a load of spots on my brow line which made a load of eyebrow hairs fall out once they healed, so that's pretty noticeable at the min.

 

I am getting a LOT of back pain now, I go to the gym 5-6 times per week and do cardio and some weights, but when I lie down flat my lower back is very painful.

 

Generally though, things are pretty good and I'm looking forward to the summer when we might get some proper warm weather and I will (hopefully) be all glowy and spot-free!

[electricbetty]

Day 55

 

Urgh my face looks horrific. I had to do some filming yesterday for a music video and I looked like such a geek, literally no makeup could cover the massive zits and red marks all over my face. What made it 100 x worse was that it was filmed in HD so you could literally see EVERYTHING.

 

Anyway, nearly at the end of two months, I know I've still got a way to go in terms of the medication, but I was hoping to see huge improvements by now, I'm halfway through my course.

 

Will post some photos on the 19th April because that's my official end of month date. Also because my face is too horrible to photograph right now. I was out drinking last night (sorry everyone, sorry liver) because my best friend is visiting and I won't see her again until the Autumn, my lips are papery and falling off and my throat is mega dry but I don't feel that bad really. Am getting some final blood tests in May so I will stay off the booze now.

 

Also, I have to sound like a whingey dickhead but I never realised until recently how much acne affected my self-esteem. I was talking to a friend in the bar last night about how I've only ever had one boyfriend for a couple of months (I'm nearly 23...), and whenever I'm in the situation where a guy might be interested, I push them away because I can't stand them to see my face close-up or without make-up on, and having acne makes me feel so ugly. It's society that has conditioned us to think we look hideous when we have spots, regardless of how beautiful we are underneath or how attractive our personalities are to others. Just a thought for everyone. Don't let acne win, it's not worth it.

[electricbetty]

I was going to post some photos at 2 months, but actually since I was on a low dose in my first week or so, this week is more like the half-way mark.

 

Attached are some pics of me without makeup yesterday, I had been traveling up from the South West to the North West of England all day and I was absolutely shattered!

 

 

My favourite is the pic of my nose - I have included a couple of 'before' pics to compare. I didn't appreciate how the sebum and blackheads made the overall shape of my nose so blobby, like I had some kind of alcoholism! There is a pic of my nose now, as you can see it looks a lot smaller and less inflamed than in the 'before' photo.

 

 

 

There's also a pic of my forehead, which is looking a big gross at the moment because I had a fringe cut in about a week ago, so it's getting a bit spottier than usual.

 

 

Side-effects still minimal, but I went to watch my uncle in the London Marathon last weekend and it was really sunny in London, and I stupidly didn't have enough to drink, so my lips are a mess still.

 

 

 

 

 

[soulivan7]

it looks like it's going quite well for you. I'm having to go private as well and i'll be starting Accutane on May 14th.

 

Would you say your acne was Mild/Moderate when you started and how has it progressed, did you get much of an IB? Oh yeah, how long are you on it for?  

Edited by soulivan7, 26 April 2013 - 12:22 PM.

[electricbetty]

it looks like it's going quite well for you. I'm having to go private as well and i'll be starting Accutane on May 14th.

 

Would you say your acne was Mild/Moderate when you started and how has it progressed, did you get much of an IB? Oh yeah, how long are you on it for?  

 

Hey!

 

It was probably more like moderate to severe, I used to get huge red cysts all over my cheeks, jawline and forehead, blackheads all over my nose and cheeks and lots of whiteheads too. It was a mess, frankly. But the perceived severity of acne is all relative to the individual I guess! 

 

It got worse before it got better, I was put on 60mg by my dermatologist but I eased in with 20mg then 40mg for a week. Got my first bad breakout around the 2 week mark, then it got really clear at around a month after I started treatment. Then, strangely, it got bad again (same cystic acne, whiteheads, enlarged pores etc) at around 7 weeks. It is clearing up again, but I'm starting to see bad pigmentation (red marks) and scars where old acne has been which I never noticed before.

 

My prescription was for 4 months, so I think I finish around the end of June. I may need another month but I'm not really keen for that as it'll be more expense to see the private consultant again, and another £50 for a month's supply of pills.

 

I guess my main advice to you when you start is don't worry about the side effects too much, it can drive you crazy

Edited by electricbetty, 26 April 2013 - 01:27 PM.

[electricbetty]

End of Month 3 (-2 days)

 

So I think I have turned a corner in my treatment.

 

My face has never been more red, sore, sensitive, itchy or flaky in my whole life - but it's also never been clearer since I was about 10. 

 

LOOK AT HOW SMOOOOTH MY CHIN IS YOU GUYS.

 

 

Okay, so my lips are still a gross mess and the air-con in my office has made my skin blister and dry up on my arms worse than ever, but I'm so happy with how it's actually clearing up my acne I don't even care!

 

I am wearing some light make-up in the photo because I'm going out in an hour, but there isn't a single spot on my jawline or chin, and those were my absolute worst areas when I began the Roaccutane. I still have a few pimples on my forehead and cheeks, but hey ho.

 

Will post some more photos early next week, as I will also be going for my final (probably) blood test to check my liver function. I didn't drink in the month before my first test at the end of month 1, but there have been loads of reasons for me to celebrate since so to be honest, I have been having a couple of beers/gins here and there. My diet is largely excellent because I don't eat dairy, so I'm hopeful all is good.

[electricbetty]

End of Month 3

 

So here we are, some cheek shots of end of month 3... I am 3/4 of the way there now! Woohoo!

 

 

 

One more month to go!

[nomo]

your skin is awesome!! Thank gawd this treatment is working for you!!

 

It's working for me, just very slowly...today is day 79 and I am still getting cysts...oh well.  surely it will improve.  I'm not even half way thru.  6 months (180 days) for my total treatment.

 

anyway, very happy for you~it's gotta feel great!!

[soulivan7]

It looks like it's going very well for you I can't wait to get to the end of my 3rd month.. long way to go

[electricbetty]

Thanks - I'm only glad that my progress log may offer anyone hope that it's a fairly straight-forward process in the vast majority of cases. I know when I was about to start treatment, I scared myself sh*tless looking at all the stories where it goes wrong. People respond differently to medications, I suppose keeping a positive mind and following the guidelines (keeping hydrated, not scratching skin off face, keeping moisturised) helps a lot - the time flies by anyway!

 

I still have a month to go, plus a bit more if I have any extra pills left from when I began with a lower dose for a week or so. I will have to book another £120 follow-up consultation with my Dermatologist, and he might want to have me take another month, but I'm hoping not because I want to go on holiday this summer!!

 

The main issues I am having at this point are facial flushing, very dry, thin skin all over (I brushed my hand over a plastic bottle edge yesterday very lightly, and it started spurting blood), and enlarged pores which may or may not be scarring from previous acne, I can't really tell. Also I have inherited rosacea which has become a LOT more obvious since there are no active spots to hide it.

 

Anyway, DO NOT LOSE HOPE - this stuff WORKS. Just give it time and keep smiling

[electricbetty]

Apologies for the creepy photo, but my skin continues to improve and I am so pleased with the results I am getting so far in my course of treatment!

 

 

There are a few pink marks here and there, and some scarring on the other side of my face from where my acne was really awful:

 

 

The only annoying thing now is the dehydration, which is made worse by my hayfever. I take a lot of antihistamines (all through the year for various allergies) which are very drying. I need to drink at least 2 litres of fluids per day in order to keep on top of the lip dryness (which has been absolutely horrendous lately, but good today because I have been using Aquaphor and Nivea SOS balm religiously).

 

I have something like 5 weeks still to go! But the end is in sight

 

Edit: I realised you can't really see any of the scarring on the above photo, so here's one with flash... it's like a kind of big pore with red pigmentation.

 

 

 

Edited by electricbetty, 27 May 2013 - 12:27 PM.

[electricbetty]

Well, this is it. One week to go.

 

I'd love to tell you my skin is looking perfect. It's actually taken a turn for the worse in the past fortnight, due to a very, very heavy period (14 days of bleeding, anyone?) which I'm putting down to taking the contraceptive pill for short bursts of time - I don't agree with many brands.

 

My Roaccutane course is supposed to finish a week today, I have 8 days-worth of pills left. I'm going to see my Dermatologist on the 11th July, hopefully it will have sorted itself out by then.

 

Anyway here's a photo of my skin right now, without makeup and I've just had a shower so it's looking particularly red/shiny:

 

 

The red spot was a huge cyst, like what I used to get before Roaccutane. My lips are split on both sides and I have a patch of skin missing from under my nose, because I have had a chest infection all week and the constant blowing my nose has rubbed away some of my skin. I was kind of disappointed, but as with other users on the forums, it's not like you don't get the odd spot now and again.

 

The overall texture of my skin is poor, it is very red and dry, and very bumpy. I think it's just that last weekend was my birthday and I went out boozing for a good four days, and I'm paying for it now!

 

Good news: final lipid and liver function tests came back fine. I think if I were to give anyone starting Roaccutane any advice re: drinking alcohol, just don't be a dick about it and you'll probably be alright. I have to admit, I haven't been turning drinks away, but on a night out I will drink loads of water in-between the g&t's. You know your own body better than anyone, so if you start to feel really dizzy, you should take a break.

 

Will check in with final pictures next Sunday and then a follow-up once I've been to see my Dermatologist next month.