Had a dermatologist appt today but I'm not sure that I trust my Dr's opinion. I'be been using atralin and aczone for 13 weeks now and I am finally noticing my acne improving. My skin is a lot smoother, I no longer break out along my jawline, nose, chin. The left side of my face also has been holding steady with no pimples. I'm still breaking out along my eyebrows and right cheek. My skin still looks worse than when I started treatment because of all the hyperpigmentation. Doctor says I shouldn't be breaking out at this stage of the game, and that my skin will not get better with topical treatments. She says I should go on Accutane or Spiro. But I'm pushing 32 and hoping to get pregnant in the near future so I'd like to avoid these types of medications. Since my skin has improved, I think it just needs a few more months of treatment.
She agreed to prescribe Finacea as it is safer to use while pregnant and says I can stop using atralin/aczone all together. But I'm finally noticing improvement in my skin and don't want to sabotage my progress in anyway. I'm playing around with different options because my skin is a bit iirritated and flakey from the atralin but my acne is getting better but maybe Finacea will be gentler and more effective. So here are my options...
1 no change- continue aczone and atralin
2 Finacea morning, atralin night
3 Finacea morn and night, discontinue aczone and atralin
4 Accutane?????
She looked at my skin for like 2 seconds and didn't really listen to my concerns. I may shop around for another dermatologist but I'm sure it will be the same story. Its sad that drs aren't willing to look at the whole picture. My acne is obviously hormonal and I have hashimotos disease so I doubt accutane would be a longterm solution for me.
Thoughts?
Thanks for your input. I've been going back and forth on what to do. The fact that my Dr said my skin isn't going to get any better unless I go on Accutane or Spiro was a little disconcerting. It took all my strength to not cry in front of her, I was that upset. And to think I was actually feeling better about my acne... but now I'm in doubt once again. My gut tells me though... with a little more focus on my health/wellness my skin will get better.
I think I'm going to stick with atralin and use Finacea every other morning until my skin adjusts. I wouldn't change things up but I really want to find a routine that I can use during pregnancy, might as well experiment now. Finacea reviews are mixed but I'm crossing my fingers it will work for me.
Hi
I would def go with your gut
If your current routine is working for you and u are happy so far with the results....stick with it another 4-6 weeks before making any major decisions?
From what I understand, you can not get pg on spiro and of course birth defects is a big issue around accutane
I am not anyway shape or form against accutane if you exhausted all other options
I myself, at 41 am ion day#17 of accutane (it wasnt an easy decsions but here I am hoping for the best!)
BUT unless my acne was horrific and i had exhausted every single possible option..I dont think i would take accutane if I havent had my kids yet.. that is just a choice i wouldnt be comfy with
Ive tried almost every topical
I had NO luck with aczone but didnt stick with it very long
finacea i had AMAZING results at first but than I has some neg side effects
I did read many reviews of people that loved it at first but, to me, it is a strong med and drying which can cause irritation
so i think every other day is a good place to start..pea size is all u need
GLLLLL
kim
Yeah I'm not ready to let go of atralin... it has done an incredible job at getting rid of my clogged pores and making my skin smoother. As I look back I started using it 14 weeks ago but there was an adjustment period so its really only been 6 weeks of using it every night. I think this is why I'm not clear yet, which is fine, just means theres still hope! I think aczone helps reduce the swelling of pimples but other than that it just makes my skin oily during the day. I'm eager to try Finacea because I've read that the combined use of retinoids and azeialic acid heals hyperpigmentation much faster than using either one alone.... and I have a lot of spots!! We'll see how it goes
Thanks for the input guys!
If you're acne is getting better, I don't see a reason to go on Accutane. It doesn't make much sense to be honest, because even with Accutane it takes about 5 months (30 weeks) for the acne to clear up. Now keep in mind, accutane can often clear up the acne for good, with a low chance of remission. If you're trying to get pregnate ASAP, then yeah, without a doubt it isn't for you. On the flip side, if you're not planning on it for the next 6 months, a typical cycle is only 6 months.
As I mentioned, if it's better, there is no reason to take it.
I figured I would provide an update on my progress. Its been about 5 months on Atralin and 6 weeks on Finacea. At around 4 months is when my skin really started to improve, I would have less than 5 active pimples at a time. Currently I am clear except for a few small cysts on my chin that have been there for weeks...they are hardly noticable though. I also have a lot of red marks on the sides of my cheeks but I am already noticing that they are fading. I'm guessing a few more months.
But yeah, it wasn't a steady progression with Atralin but at 5 months I am seeing more dramatic improvement. It was well worth the wait!
I figured I would provide an update on my progress. Its been about 5 months on Atralin and 6 weeks on Finacea. At around 4 months is when my skin really started to improve, I would have less than 5 active pimples at a time. Currently I am clear except for a few small cysts on my chin that have been there for weeks...they are hardly noticable though. I also have a lot of red marks on the sides of my cheeks but I am already noticing that they are fading. I'm guessing a few more months.
But yeah, it wasn't a steady progression with Atralin but at 5 months I am seeing more dramatic improvement. It was well worth the wait!
Atralin is good stuff isn't it? Better than the regimen imo. It's nowhere near as drying, but just as effective.
Yeah, it also got rid of my clogged pores which I've dealt with for years. Wish I could use it forever but unfortunately I'll have to wean off it as I will be trying to get pregnant later this year. My doctor and I have a plan in place which includes taking vitex 2 months prior to stopping birth control and continuing finacea while weaning off Atralin. Hopefully this works, we'll see. At least I know Atralin works for me.