Hi all,
So glad I found this website. Everything i've read has been very reassuring, but it doesn't hurt to get a little more information. Just a bit about me - i'm 25 and I've experienced mild acne for the past few years, especially after coming off of birth control. I was on birth control for 8 years and my skin was acne/blemish free during those glorious years. But this past year, my skin has gone absolutely nuts. I always joke that it's the 8 years of suppressed teenage/hormonal acne making a vengeance. Three months ago, my family doctor prescribed Tactupump, and after reading so many positive reviews about it, I was excited for it to clear up my acne. Unfortunately, It did quite the opposite. It made my skin raw and now I have cystic acne all along my left jawline and cheek and in places that I never got acne before. My doc told me to stop using Tactupump because my skin reacted badly to it, so he prescribed me 2-months of Minocycline (or antibiotics.) I'm one month into the antibiotics, and the inflammation has gone down, but the acne is still getting worse (not to mention the scarring that came with it.) He and the derm I went to see suggested I go on a course of Accutane, since I've exhausted most options -- from home remedies, to over-the-counter products, to buying a Clarisonic, to Proactiv, TactuPump, and now antibiotics. Nothing seems to be working.
I understand that you need to be on two forms of contraception when you're on Accutane so as to avoid birth defects if I get pregnant. But due to religious reasons, I am abstaining from sex until marriage, so I know for a fact that I will not be sexually active during the course of Accutane. That being said, can I choose abstinence as a form of contraception? And from your experience, does the birth control in any way help/speed up the healing process? The reason I don't want to go on birth control is because it took me a good few years to finally get my body back to normal and off birth control.
Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated. Crossing my fingers that Accutane will work for me.
Thank you,
Frances
Unfortunately, abstinence is not an acceptable form of contraception, and it's a really strict rule (at least, if you live in America, I can't speak for other countries). Your primary form must either be hormonal (excluding progesterin-only "mini" pills) or an IUD (Tubal litigation is another option, but probably not for you!). Your secondary must be a barrier method (i.e. condoms, diaphragm, sponge, cervical cap).