Hi! I could really use some help. I am currently 17 and have struggled with moderate acne for 7 years now. I have tried every medication/treatment/cream known to man- I've been on doxycycline, used differin, various other (expensive) creams and retinoids, and am currently using birth control to try and curb my acne. I've also been tested for allergies (I have none) and adjusted my diet and excercise to try and help my acne. I've tried chemical peels and spa facial treatments as well. NOTHING works! I continue to have persistent acne for about 3 weeks each month, with generally one week of clear skin. However, even when my acne is relatively clear, my skin is extremely oily. Makeup looks terrible on my skin, and I have to blot nearly every period when I'm in school to keep my face from getting too shiny. I also tend to get nodules (about 1-3 at a time) that really hurt my skin. I have large pores and numerous scars (though mild) and I get pimples on my arms and in weird places (like my neck and legs). My mom is completely against accutane. She doesn't think my acne is severe enough to put such a harmful drug into my body (because I don't have cystic acne, also she is a pharmacist and knows a lot about drugs). However, from the research I've done, it seems like accutane might be a good choice for me. I just want clear skin that doesn't consume my life like it does now. I know I won't be getting pregnant every time soon, and I know you have to take blood tests on accutane. If anything appeared wrong, of course I'd stop the treatment. I can legally sign off on this myself when I'm 18, however, I'd like to do this before I go to college and while my mom is still around to also help monitor my health.
Do you think this treatment would be good for me? If so, how would you suggest convincing my very stubborn mom to agree to this treatment? If not, what should my biggest concerns be? I promise you, I am very concerned about my overall health and well being. I believe 6 months of a closely monitored treatment is a risk worth taking for a better self-esteem, less stress (acne contributes to a lot of my stress), and for the skin I've always wanted. Your help is appreciated!
I went on accutane when I was 17 as well, after 5-6 years of moderate acne before it became really severe (basically covered in cysts). I was on quite a high dose for 6 months, and by about the 5th month my skin was completely clear. However it only lasted 3 months and my acne came back, although not as bad as it was before.
I could recommend accutane to you because I had pretty much no side effects whilst on (just dry skin, a couple of nose bleeds etc), and those 3 months of clear skin were amazing!
You do need to keep in mind that there's a chance your acne could come back when you come off the medication though. Oh and my mum was against me going on it as well but we sat down, weighed up the pros and cons and came to the conclusion that it is worth it when she realised the effect acne was having on me 