After doing tons of research on it, I've decided that I want to try accutane. I was hoping that accutane veterans could answer a few questions I still have.
So obviously accutane dries you out from the inside out, and I am a bit worried about this because I already have very dry/sensitive skin. If I went on accutane, would it worsen my skin's dryness and sensitivity? Or would it be about equivalent to what I deal with now?
(redness, occasional peeling, dry lips, dry eyes) I tend to use thick moisturizers all day, with jojoba oil.
I was also wondering, if it is safe to use accutane when I haven't started menstruating yet? I have read many, many, things about the birth defects that can happen if you get pregnant while on accutane, and how female users have to get blood/urine tests done to ensure they're not pregnant. Would I still have to do all of that when I haven't even gotten my period yet?
Also, I was wondering if my skin is fit for accutane. I am guessing that my skin is moderate/severe because I have these annoying under-the-skin bumps (skin colored) pretty much everywhere on my face, and there's too many to count, probably hundreds of them! But they take months to go away, so I assume they're whiteheads. I also have a few blackheads on my forehead, quite a lot on my nose. Then I have these zits (pustules) that seem to occur after one of my whiteheads finally gets inflammed. Sometimes it will turn into a little zit that goes away fairly easily, and sometimes it will progress into a nodule which is a slightly bigger pimple. Those ones don't hurt on their own, but if I touch them they feel sore. I guess I'm lucky that I don't get very many nodules, and that I don't have cystic acne...but my acne looks so gross because there's SO MANY under the skin bumps that they're noticable underneath makeup, and my skin always appears to have inflammed acne on it because it scars so bad. (Probably because I have asian skin) I get red/purple dots of all sizes all over my face once the acne has gone away. These scars also last for months.
I hate waking up each morning wondering how many new zits/pimples have formed on my face! I have tried many prescriptions which have done absolutely nothing, and after two years of acne I want a permanent cure!
Sorry I can't help with the dry skin issue.
I was sort of in your position, I have started my period but I'm not sexually active. Due to this I didn't have to take BC for this but I still had to have monthly urine pregnancy tests (which sounds crazy, yes.). They had to do this as there's some kind of law here in the UK meaning that in order to prescribe a female Accutane you mush have proof that she isn't pregnant.
I don't know what the case would be if you haven't started menstruating. I guess you'd still have to have the blood tests to check your general health and for me, peeing in a pot every month was unnecessary but not exactly difficult or time consuming.
Those red/purple marks are probably PIH. They WILL fade but it just annoyingly takes time. I used Bio Oil throughout my course of Accutane and now I have almost no PIH left so I guess it worked.
Check out my log if you want to see my before and after photos and feel free to message me if you have any questions or just want a chat! Good luck 
Hi, I have done accutane twice and I do have dry sensitive skin too. If you take care of your skin on accutane, eg- moisturize, use lip chap ect.
You skin wont be negatively affected by the drying up properties accutane does have. As for are you a candidate for accutane because of your period
thats something you and your doctor will discuss. I have very low confidence and didnt want to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror to see
how many new ones developed on my face. I get what your going through and accutane gave me my life back. Remember acne comes and goes, and your beautiful with or without it, your still the same person Hope that helped!
I have dry skin also and did a 5 month course of Accutane. I used thick moisturizers (alternated Cetaphil moisturizing cream and shea butter) and really didn't notice that my face was that much drier than normal, you just have to stay on top of the moisturizing. I did notice that my hands were a lot drier and my scalp got pretty dry and flakey in the beginning. Accutane really dried my hair out, but I naturally have pretty oily hair. Good luck to you!
Sorry I can't help with the dry skin issue.
I was sort of in your position, I have started my period but I'm not sexually active. Due to this I didn't have to take BC for this but I still had to have monthly urine pregnancy tests (which sounds crazy, yes.). They had to do this as there's some kind of law here in the UK meaning that in order to prescribe a female Accutane you mush have proof that she isn't pregnant.
I don't know what the case would be if you haven't started menstruating. I guess you'd still have to have the blood tests to check your general health and for me, peeing in a pot every month was unnecessary but not exactly difficult or time consuming.
Those red/purple marks are probably PIH. They WILL fade but it just annoyingly takes time. I used Bio Oil throughout my course of Accutane and now I have almost no PIH left so I guess it worked.
Check out my log if you want to see my before and after photos and feel free to message me if you have any questions or just want a chat! Good luck
Thank you for this. I think I am willing to go through the birth control stuff, and get the blood tests. (Needles scare me though!) I will definitely check out your log, and maybe if I start accutane I will have follow up questions for you! Thanks again!
Hi, I have done accutane twice and I do have dry sensitive skin too. If you take care of your skin on accutane, eg- moisturize, use lip chap ect.
You skin wont be negatively affected by the drying up properties accutane does have. As for are you a candidate for accutane because of your period
thats something you and your doctor will discuss. I have very low confidence and didnt want to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror to see
how many new ones developed on my face. I get what your going through and accutane gave me my life back. Remember acne comes and goes, and your beautiful with or without it, your still the same person
Hope that helped!
Few! That's good to know! I didn't know what accutane would do to people with skin that is already dry...especially because so many people complain about the dry side effects. Maybe they just aren't used to having dry skin? Thank you for your support! Reading this brightened my day a little 🙂
I have dry skin also and did a 5 month course of Accutane. I used thick moisturizers (alternated Cetaphil moisturizing cream and shea butter) and really didn't notice that my face was that much drier than normal, you just have to stay on top of the moisturizing. I did notice that my hands were a lot drier and my scalp got pretty dry and flakey in the beginning. Accutane really dried my hair out, but I naturally have pretty oily hair. Good luck to you!
I will definitely be extra diligent with moisturizing, drinking water, etc. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you all for replying to this! I plan to go to the derm. the first week in December! I will check back here and maybe ask some more questions! Hopefully my derm. has some good options for me, although I really want to try accutane! Wish me luck!