I was put on accutane for quite mild acne.

I got acne maybe 2.5 years ago. I was 21 when I first began getting it. It was usually mild (easy to cover up most of the time). Sometimes I'd have a bad break out and it would be moderate for a month. It was still annoying enough for me to return back to the doctor every few months to try another prescription.

what I've been on in the last 2.5 years (in order)

- tactuopump (topical)
- minocycline (antibiotic)
- Diane-35 (birth control)
- doxycycline (antibiotic)
- topical anti-biotic (can't remember name)
- aczone (topical)
- biacna (topical)
- Spironolactone (oral hormone balancer)

I've also tried cutting things out from my diet. (Dairy, wheat, eggs)

some of these things worked a little, but never did I have clear skin. Always AT LEAST two active cysts when my skin looked it's total best. (I Averaged 6 active spots at a time with left over pigmentation from inactive spots)

So I was on Spironolactone (100mg) and Diane-35 for quite a few months and I was seeing minor minor improvements, still breaking out- acne still going up to moderate sometimes. I was seeing a skin specialist at this time.

I had had an appointment with my GP (not skin specialist) for an unrelated issue. A few days before the appointment I decided I would ask her if I could go on accutane (I didn't have an appointment with skin specialist for another month). I was very nervous she would laugh at me with my 3 cysts on my face and say no or tell me I need to talk to a derm.

I seriously practiced what I would say to her before my appointment. About how I have social anxiety from my skin and how spiro wasn't really working and I wanted a permanent fix anyways, (when you go off spiro/birth control your acne comes back). And can you please put me on accutane.

I did not even finish my speech and she interrupted me saying "well have you thought of accutane?"

"Do I qualify?"

"Yes. You're acne is not always measured by how bad it is physically but how bad it is effecting you mentally. And it sounds like it is effecting you quite a bit"

BINGO thank you.

She then went on about how the drug has a bad rep but is not as bad as people say on the Internet. She told me if it was really that dangerous they wouldn't prescribe it and I can just take it day by day. She said it's great to use for mild acne to put a halt to it and prevent scaring. She told me I will get some dryness- told me some products to buy and told me to get blood work which I could get downstairs and gave me my prescription. I went downstairs went right in for my blood work and then got my prescription in the same day I was prescribed it. With all that being said, everyone is different. My doctor also knew I'd exhausted pretty much all options.

I am only on day two so I can't report on any side effects of how its helping my skin, but I just wanted to encourage some people that it's NOT that big of a deal and that if you want to know more about it or go on it ask your doctor about it and stick up for yourself! Don't let your skin ruin interrupt your life.