Hey there everyone, a quick introduction, 22 year old male living in Manchester, UK, 62 kg, 6 foot tall. Suffered with acne for around 8 years, face and body acne, getting particularly bad when I was 18/19, I would have classed it as very severe on all fronts. Over the past three years my acne has significantly improved on its own, but not quite to the same extent on my back/shoulders as my face (I'd say face is mild acne, body is moderately severe). I have 'stalked' the forums for a while building up to asking my derm for accutane, after being on 2 courses of different members of the cycline family. I read all the success stories along with the side effects and decided it was time to bite the bullet and try to take control of my acne.
I am currently on day 3 of 30mg/day roaccutane, nothing major in side effect department, skin actually seems a bit greasier than usual (but I've always been the type who needs to shower twice a day to feel cleansed of oil). Few pimples coming to surface but nothing like a major IB, which I am dreading to be frank as I'll have to resist the urge to pick (and I'm a serial whitehead popper), but it has to be endured.
Basically, as mentioned in the title, I'm going to try and keep this updated and let people know of my progress with the drug and my acne, nothing has been set, but I imagine, assuming the bump ups in dosage are allowed as I go along, I'll be on this for 5/6 months, and of course will be hoping to see improvements ASAP, though I am very aware it could be anywhere from the first month till well after my course has ended.
Look forward to discussing the highs and lows with you all (well maybe not the lows so much, but you get what I mean)
Day 4
Think the IB is coming on though fortunately it is only on my back/shoulders and not the face, noticed about 7 yellow pimples in shower I'm dying to pop but leaving for now. No particular dryness as of yet, and generally feeling good for the time being, roll on the weekend
One week down, dry skins taking a hold now, lots of flakiness in t-zone, one massive cyst in between eyes but other spots and marks are looking better. Spots on shoulder and back are drying up as well so hopefully they are on the way to improving. Anyone recommend a good body wash to use in the shower to help with the dry skin, got some cetaphil moisturiser, but could do with something for when i wash.
Day 12
Spot have improved very well on face, just some slight marks from left over acne. Back has improved marginally but I am obviously expecting it to take longer for spots to disappear. Skin is dry but being handled well by regularly applying Cetaphil moisturiser, only annoyance is lip split today from dryness so obviously need to apply vaseline more often. Bar that, everything is going well, will see how things continue.
I suppose because my acne started when I was a teenager, I assumed it would be a case of going through puberty and I'd grow out of it. From about 14-17 it was mild so it never bothered me enough to do much about it, then I turned 18 and it exploded all over my body, at that point I was on antibiotics for around 18 months which marginally improved it but nothing noticable. At around 20 my facial acne just started clearing up on its own and I thought my back would follow suit, but it never really did. I did a lot of accutane research and was a bit anxious about going on it, but now at 22, turning 23 in january, I realised my acne would probably always persist so I took the plunge and got on the accutane. It's even more annoying because neither of my parents ever suffered from acne so I obviously got some crappy recessive genes there haha.
Day 19
Dry skin is annoying, applying moisturiser all the time but it still dries out pretty quickly. Spots on face are almost non existent atm, but nose feels really tacky (can't think of any other way to describe it) because I think the blackheads are becoming raised. Body wise don't seem to be getting any more cysts and other marks are healing, so all in all going pretty well.
I felt compelled to respond to you posts regarding your journey while on Accutane. I was a test subject in the 80's when the drug came out. I was on it for maybe about 8 or 9 months. When I first started the medication I noticed within days my skin changing. I was warned about possible side effects but was told that once I stop taking the drug everything should go back to normal.
Here is a list of what I experienced:
1. Dry skin mainly my lips.
2. Back ache which I was told that I had developed bone spurs after around 4 to 6 months of treatment.
Well there it is. I tried everything to help with my dry lips and the ONLY remedy I came across was a product called LANSINOH. You can google it. Breastfeeding mothers use it on their nipples to keep the skin pliable. It is 100% pure lanolin. If you contact the company which I did they will send you samples of this product. It saved the skin on my lips while nothing else worked. I tried every lotion and hand cream and nothing moisturized the skin on my lips. I did tell my dermatologist about it and they were supposed to get in touch with company. Not sure if they did. I can tell you that when I sent the email to the company and told them I was taking Accutane, they did respond to me stating that they have sent the product to other people taking the same drug.
After stopping the drug my skin did change but for the better. No more acne! This drug was the only thing that helped. All the stuff on the store shelves should be boxed up and hidden. They are a waste of money. Benzoyl Peroxide and Salysilic Acid burns your skin. One shot with the Accutane. At that time the drug was a couple hundred dollars for a months supply. My parents were more then willing to spend the money.
After my second child in 2001 I noticed I was developing more acne again. Debilitating acne and went back to a different dermatologist. She insisted that I try anything other then the Accutane. I did a month on a cream and I was not a happy camper. I insisted I be allowed to go back on Accutane. She wrote the script and before I could fill it this time around there were other protocols in place for taking the drug.
I had to have a blood test at the start. Didn't have this in the 80's. I had to fill out a questionnaire on my mental state. Didn't have this in the 80's.
I took the drug for about 6 months then stopped because of bone spurs. My skin has been clear ever since. (again) I heard about the drug being pulled off the market because of deaths linked to the drug and depression. I was baffled as I didn't experience any mental side effects either time. I live in the USA and I am not sure if you can still get the drug her with or without persistence, but I would love to see every person (especially in their adolescents) be allowed to take the drug if they have severe acne issues. This stuff works! Acne is psychologically damning to any teenager.
Anyway, wanted to mention the LANSINOH product with 100% pure lanolin in it for your lips. I think you will agree it really works.
Good luck to you!
Hey it's been a while, I'm on day 31 I think, I missed a week as my prescription ran out, and my car broke down when i was suppose to see the derm who is only in on Fridays, hence I've only got my prescription today when it should have been last week. I've been bumped up to 60 mg now, at the moment got bout 4 red bumps on face but thats it (somewhat annoying but bearable), back is loads better but obviously a lot of marking left over. Just have to see how month 2 goes now
Hello!
Love reading this post, very informative, thanks for the updates! I'm considering going on roaccutane soon too but want to get it privately, is that what you did Goodwin? Please let me know!
Caroline
your face look 100% clear.
im sure its not as clear as in the picture but dont go on accutane without a good reason.
Hello!
Love reading this post, very informative, thanks for the updates! I'm considering going on roaccutane soon too but want to get it privately, is that what you did Goodwin? Please let me know!
Caroline
your face look 100% clear.
im sure its not as clear as in the picture but dont go on accutane without a good reason.
Hi Tpindell. That post was in July when my skin was very clear due to some antibiotics I was on and also because I plaster my face in make up 
( sadly without make up its not as clear as it looks at all, also the reason I keep my hair surrounding my face. I will do my own forum post soon and will show bare all pics too. (I tried to do a post not long ago and i dont think it worked 
)