I started to get spots at around 10 years old. By 13 I had severe acne all over my face and shoulders and chest.
From 12 I have been going to the GP and was started on creams to put on my face and body.
At 15 my parents managed to convince me that I shouldn't wear make and that will clear my skin. So, I started my year 11 make up free.
around the same time I went back to my GP and was put on different medication for my skin. They did not work, so 6/7 months later, I was put on Dianette, a contraceptive. It didn't really work either.
At 16, in July 2011 I started my first dose of Accutane. - up until feb 2012.
I had clear skin up until October 2012 when my acne came back really quickly, within few days to a week! I'm not even over exaggerating.
November 2012 - I started my second dose of accutane. - Until April 2013
I had good skin for that year, up until the autumn 2014.
September 2014, my skin flared up horribly, i am back to being depressed and its not helping me at uni this situation. I literally, made no effort to bother making new friends.
I have a dermatology appointment end of December and the only thing that has ever helped me was Accutane...
will they give it to me again?
isn't there something else that can help?
something, more, permanent
The ages i took accutane
16 - 1st
17 - 2nd
19 - may-be-3rd
I can tell you from experience that with accutane, 3rd time is NOT the charm. I have done multiple courses and my acne always came back. List all the topicals, antibiotics, etc that you have tried. Also, what is your diet like? Lifestyle?
I can relate to what you are going through as I have had acne since 16 and I am now 31. I have done multiple courses of accutane as well as almost every topical under the sun. Still looking for a solution.......
Did you make any lifestyle changes before your skin broke out recently? Did you go off birth control within the past year? It might be helpful to think about that sort of thing.
I would suggest trying to get on Accutane again, because you know it works and there's a decent chance it will be more successful this round (based on statistics). But in the meantime it would be smart to seek some deeper answers to this problem. You should get some tests done to check your hormone levels, get a saliva insulin test, food allergy tests, and make sure you are taking the right vitamins/supplements.
I wish you all the best.
I am a vegetarian... i eat a lot of fruit and veg on a daily basis and dont drink fizzy drinks, haven't since i was 13
I give into to my sweet tooth cravings once a month,
i pretty active, i go to the gym 3-4 times a week
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i moved to university i september but my skin started to explode way before that.. :/ so i am not sure
i have not been on birth control since i got off accutane the first time which was Feb 2012..
i don't really know what it is, but thanks, i may go to my gp and talk about trying to find out exactly what's causing this
So, I just got off of Accutane a couple of months ago, it's considered the only "cure" to acne, with a low relapse rate. With that being said, I have had a blemish here or there, but no major flair up. If you didn't have any major side effects outside of the normal severe dryness, I would just suggest you try it again, with perhaps a higher dosage. I was on a 50mg dose, and so far, so good. They may or may not prescribe that to you though, because it's based on weight. I would explain to them that you've tried it twice, and let them use their discretion.
Your lifestyle seems pretty healthy, and there's been no significant findings indicating that what you eat or how often you work out play any role in acne. With that being said, who knows, but it doesn't appear to be the case for you anyways. Sadly, it just seems to be genetics.