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Quick history, one month before I turned 14 in 2012 I started a 5 month course of accutane. I can't recall what dosage. When I started I had extremely severe acne, as bad as some of you have when you're on accutane. My derm pretty much gave me a prescription for accutane immediately. I wont go into detail about the course other than that it wrecked my life essentially, I spent nearly every day cooped up in my room and I would rarely go to school. After the course my face was left with not one pimple or scar, it was amazing, my back however was covered in scars but that doesn't really bother me. Around December 2013 after over a year of clear skin, I started getting mild-moderate acne, I thought it's just a breakout it'll go away in a week or so, but it didn't. If anything it got worse. I left it until Jan 10th and decided to go on accutane, I've been on it for 10 days and I need some help.
My first question is, Will I need a second course? I started this course on mild-moderate acne whilst last time I started on severe-extreme acne and my skin was clear for more than a year after the course. Wouldn't that imply that there's less stuff to bring out of my pores this time therefore prolonging the length of time I stay clear? I can't bare to go on a 3rd course of accutane. I have massive problems with self confidence when I have moderate acne, it doesn't help that in 2012 I was bullied by uneducated idiots who thought that the perfect solution to clearing acne is washing your face, smh. To summarise what's the likelihood of me having a 3rd course of accutane?
I also need help with a rather unusual pimple on my face, I developed it around the time I started getting acne in 2013, this one is slightly different though, when I started getting acne in December, the ones I developed were healing whilst new ones came through e.t.c, the usual way acne works. This one however has stuck with me the whole time, It is a dark red and hard bump, there has never been a head on it and it's always been hard. I think it's slowly decreasing in size. I'm quite sure this is a cyst I just want confirmation and help with getting rid of it, will it eventually just disappear or do I need to apply BP or something along those lines? Don't forget I am on accutane currently so that might do the trick in getting rid of it.
Last thing is, why do only certain areas of me get pimples, I only ever get acne on my jawline, upper back/neck and very rarely under my neck, this doesn't bother me I just have always wondered my certain people only get acne in certain areas, please don't comment "because of increased oil production" or anything along those lines, I want to know why there is increased oil production.
If you don't know the answer to all of these questions please try and at least answer one thanks
On 1/20/2014 at 3:07 PM, ItsStarz said:Will I need a second course? I started this course on mild-moderate acne whilst last time I started on severe-extreme acne and my skin was clear for more than a year after the course. Wouldn't that imply that there's less stuff to bring out of my pores this time therefore prolonging the length of time I stay clear? I can't bare to go on a 3rd course of accutane.
Last thing is, why do only certain areas of me get pimples, I only ever get acne on my jawline, upper back/neck and very rarely under my neck, this doesn't bother me I just have always wondered my certain people only get acne in certain areas, please don't comment "because of increased oil production" or anything along those lines, I want to know why there is increased oil production.
1. A lot of dermatologists underdose their accutane patients. This is usually done for the patient's comfort and also as a means of reducing accutane's side effects such as dryness, rashes, nosebleeds etc. Unfortunately, this means that the acne might not be totally eradicated. In my case, I went on accutane at a low dosage and my acne came back within a year (albeit not to the same severity). So this is a pretty common phenomenon.
Few of the patients with moderately persistent and severe acne require a second course. I read somewhere that approximately 1/3 of severely afflicted acne patients require a second treatment, and of those who take a second course, 1/3 of them benefit from a third course. If your skin is clearing early into your second round, that may be an indiction of not needing a third round. Nothing can be said definitively since you haven't yet completed your second round, but statistics are in your favour.
2. This explanation isn't scientifically proven or conclusive by any stretch of the imagination but there's this thing called Chinese Face Mapping. It's underlying idea is that different parts of your face correspond to specific organs and body systems. You can read more about it here [Edited link out] . All the advice given for each "acne type" is good advice in general (even if the reasoning for each categorization is questionable). It definitely ties in well to the importance of diet and a healthy lifestyle in maintaining good skin.
1. I cannot answer what your likelihood of needing a 3rd course is beyond what the above poster said, but I do know that the younger you are when you go on accutane, the more likely it is that your acne will come back (thank puberty for that).
2. It sounds exactly like how I would describe a cyst. Topicals won't really help, but accutane should clear it up. A hot compress can help if it's painful. Also a cortisone shot will reduce its size more quickly.