Hi guys!
Right, so I started The Regimen almost a week ago.
At the moment I use Cetaphil, Dan's BP and Dermacare moisturiser from Boots (I'm from the UK so could only afford the BP because of the shipping!).
My results so far have been mixed, though obviously I'm not far in.
I was using erythromycin pills for the last 8 weeks which have done NOTHING, so I went to the doctor who said my skin looked quite clear. I explained to him The Regimen, what I've been doing and all the research I had done on potential treatments. Basically, at the end he said he was stumped and said he would recommend me to see a dermo if I wanted (I have been waiting for a year to hear that sentence!).
Here's the question; should I go on Accutane or stick with The Regimen for a month or two? I've heard Accutane has actually cleared some people up forever?! I'd love that, obviously. The Regimen has given me decent results so far, but I mean I'd rather have to not use topicals at all, if that's what Accutane will do for me.
I'm going travelling in November so need clear skin otherwise I can't go! Sad, I know.
My acne is mild/moderate on a bad day.
I had a fairly bad skin day today, so I'm tempted to just go back and ask to go on Accutane?
Thoughts guys? Appreciated.
It's totally personal preference, but just be aware that it is highly unlikely that you will walk into the new derms office and tell him/her you want accutane and it will be a done deal. Your acne has to be bad enough and persistant enough to warrant such an extreme measure.
I have moderate/severe acne (depending on the day, it seems) and I had to try a number of things before my derm would allow me to take accutane. I personally wouldn't take accutane if I had hope that another course of action might be effective. I knew accutane was probably my last chance, so I weighed the risks and decided to go on it. It's a weighty decision because you never know how you will react, how much money it's going to cost (which, for me, turned out to be staggering), and whether or not it will be a forever cure.
It's a decision only you can make after considering the risks, the severity and persistance of your acne, and ultimately what you are comfortable with.
Oh, gotcha. Well, if you have been treated with basically everything else, then they likely will give you the option of Accutane; you're right.
Whether or not you want to cross the bridge is up to you. I think if you have even a remote hope that something else could work, then you should consider that avenue. But if you honestly don't believe anything else will work in the long term, then maybe it is time to either accept acne, or accept the possibility of the risks of Accutane.
Whichever of those options will allow you to sleep at night is the one you should probably choose.
I have been on accutane, and have tried the regimen - neither worked for me.
Diet worked for me...
I think the regimen was okay... never noticed a difference. But then again, mine was pretty severe.
I was on accutane twice - never changed acne/oily skin. When I changed my diet, everything cleared up.
Accutane side affects are serious. I think if you have tried many things, I would try accutane... but at a LOW DOSE. such as 10 or 20 mg....
If your acne is mild-moderate and only on your face, I would suggest giving the Regimen a try a while longer. BP can take awhile to work.
You didn't mention your age. If you are under 25, there's always the chance you might outgrow your acne also. It might be worth waiting it out IF your acne isn't scarring or worsening in severity.
I like how Ben Lee said a diet worked for him as it did for me as well. However, only my extreme diet of juice fasting for 34 days worked and after a year or less my acne came back. Accutane worked for me so far (5 months in). Before I started taking it I read a lot of information and decided I had to try it for myself and here is what I have observed so far. If you wake up with really greasy hair every morning, if your face is always oily, if you have not experienced any hairloss at all, if your eyes are even greasy (eyelids rather) and almost have to be flushed with water when you wake up and you do not drink alcohol in excess then the right dosage of accutane might work wonders for you as it has for me. However, if you have mild acne and you do not have any of the above conditions to start with then accutane might be simply too strong for you. Its like you wouldn't want to go on an extreme diet if your a male that ways 135 pounds since you do not have the weight to lose, but if your 250 then your body will transform for the better. hope this helps
I agree with many posters, you have to gove the regimen at least 3 months before writing it off and diet changes should be addressed as well. As for the myth that accutane CURES you for good. For a majority of people, it may put you in remission for a few months to a few years but it doesn't cure it and for many of us like myself, it came back after each course. You can still go see the derm and get your accutane but don't start taking it till you've done 3 months on the regimen.
Do you have to do monthly blood monitoring and a one month waiting period in the UK?