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Hi! I am a 22 year old female who has been dealing with fairly serious acne since I was 16. I've tried ProActiv, BP, SA, Clindamycin, Retin-A, doxycycline, tetracycline, oil cleansing methods, apple cider vinegar, birth control pills, diet changes, supplements, and many more topicals. At this point, I'm desperate.
My dermatologist suggested Accutane way back when I was in high school but my mom was concerned both for money reasons and the scary side effects. I now have prescription insurance, but I still struggle with anxiety and know that the accutane can worsen that. I'm torn as to what to do. I've attached some photos from tonight of me without makeup. I've never really known what cystic acne is but I'm not sure I qualify for Accutane. Any opinions??
Have you checked your hormones recently? That might give you an indication whether these breakouts are hormonal or not. Also, try to track your breakouts to see if there is a pattern, for instance if you get new acne close to your period or mid-cycle. Accutane will not cure hormonal acne - it will just suppress it for a few months or 1-2 years, and then it will return, so it would be a shame to go through a course with so many risks and no long term improvement.
Is your acne mostly on your chin? I used to get red spots on my chin and doctors kept telling me it was hormonal. Well, guess what. I discovered I was allergic to the toothpaste and mouthwash I was using, and possibly the teeth cleaning gums I used to chew every day. I haven't had any chin breakouts since switching to a fluoride/SLS/xylitol-free toothpaste and mouthwash, and stopped chewing gum. Not sure if this will apply to you, but it's just a thought.
I think you look like a good candidate for it. I guess you can say I have anxiety too but that is because of my acne and Accutane helps that. Less acne less anxiety lol. Anyway Accutane is a great drug i my opinion. I would give it a try if you feel youve exhausted all other options which is sounds like you have.
Have you checked your hormones recently? That might give you an indication whether these breakouts are hormonal or not. Also, try to track your breakouts to see if there is a pattern, for instance if you get new acne close to your period or mid-cycle. Accutane will not cure hormonal acne - it will just suppress it for a few months or 1-2 years, and then it will return, so it would be a shame to go through a course with so many risks and no long term improvement.
Is your acne mostly on your chin? I used to get red spots on my chin and doctors kept telling me it was hormonal. Well, guess what. I discovered I was allergic to the toothpaste and mouthwash I was using, and possibly the teeth cleaning gums I used to chew every day. I haven't had any chin breakouts since switching to a fluoride/SLS/xylitol-free toothpaste and mouthwash, and stopped chewing gum. Not sure if this will apply to you, but it's just a thought.
I went on the birth control to see if it was just hormonal, but unfortunately it just comes all the time. Thanks for the advice on the toothpaste though!
I would say you are a good candidate. Not necessarily because of the severity of your acne, but because of its persistency, it sounds like you've tried everything else.
Accutane is a scary drug with terrifying side effects but if you feel like your acne bothers you enough to risk your health then I'd say go for it. I have about 1 month left of my treatment and the results are incredible. Check our my log if you need encouraging pictures 