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Acne is costing me a fortune

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(@user21768)

Posted : 02/28/2016 10:44 am

In the past year alone I have spent 500 on a scar revision which still looks awful, and 300 on a course of accutane. If I hadn't been moved to the NHS (the free health service here in the UK), the course would have cost me 1300.

My skin tone looks awful, and I have been looking into pulsed dye laser and skin resurfacing. It looks like that will cost 1500, which is lot of money and my parents will flip.

Acne has caused so many problems. If I was put on accutane at 16 none of this would have ever happened, but the doctors wouldn't listen to me. Now I am 27 and still fighting to look normal.

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(@jensweetone)

Posted : 03/01/2016 12:32 pm

I think the majority of us can completely relate. I spent a ton on Accutane (it failed actually) Here's my take on it...even with the scars, I guarantee totally look normal. You still have a wonderful face, body, and mind. I'm assuming you still have two eyes, two legs, two arms. You are so much more than your skin.

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(@ben100604)

Posted : 03/01/2016 1:09 pm

On 28/02/2016 at 3:44 PM, moving forward said:

It looks like that will cost 1500, which is lot of money and my parents will flip.

If you're 27 then I don't think you should worry too much about what your parents are going to say. After all, it's your life and your money.

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(@shrinking_violet)

Posted : 03/01/2016 1:09 pm

Same here too. It's a nightmare :( 

doesn't help that I'm allergic to practically everything, so I can't switch and swap to suit my budget. I'm allergic to tap water. So I'm spending £15 a week on bottled mineral water to wash my face with. That gives me a slight reaction too so next option is a water distiller. That's £150. 
my moisturiser and the ONLY one my skin doesn't react to is £34 a little bottle. I buy one a week. Cleanser by the same brand is £38. I buy one of those every fortnight . then there's the Caudalie Cleansing Oil at £18 a bottle that I use a few times a week for a deep cleanse. 

And then it's the rest of the stuff that aren't external products. The probiotics. Multivitamins. Mineral water (for drinking as well). Omega oils like hemp oil. Apple cider vinegar etc etc etc. The list just goes on and on. 

Hundreds per month. I dread to think how much this has all come to over these past 5 years and all the years to come. 

Sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it... 

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(@convinceme)

Posted : 03/01/2016 9:14 pm

8 hours ago, jensweetone said:

I think the majority of us can completely relate. I spent a ton on Accutane (it failed actually) Here's my take on it...even with the scars, I guarantee totally look normal. You still have a wonderful face, body, and mind. I'm assuming you still have two eyes, two legs, two arms. You are so much more than your skin.

Hi, I'm curious how did Accutane fail you? Did it clear up only half of your skin problems or did the acne come back quickly after stopping Accutane? There are quite a lot of definitions to the term 'fail' in this aspect. I'm just curious because I've heard so much about Accutane (including the side effects) that I told my doctor I wouldn't want to put on that no matter what happens. I don't know, could the side effects and even inefficacy of Accutane be exaggerated?

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(@jensweetone)

Posted : 03/02/2016 12:42 am

3 hours ago, Convinceme said:
Hi, I'm curious how did Accutane fail you? Did it clear up only half of your skin problems or did the acne come back quickly after stopping Accutane? There are quite a lot of definitions to the term 'fail' in this aspect. I'm just curious because I've heard so much about Accutane (including the side effects) that I told my doctor I wouldn't want to put on that no matter what happens. I don't know, could the side effects and even inefficacy of Accutane be exaggerated?

Hey! Good question. My acne came back to the exact same severity it was before one year after I got off the pills. During that year, my skin was perfect, however Accutane gave me chronic dry eye and depression, so I really wish I had never done it (especially since all my acne came back) HOWEVER, that being said, I've known plenty of people who did Accutane and had zero side effects and it has lasted them a lifetime. It's really a matter of deciding whether you want to take the risk.

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(@convinceme)

Posted : 03/02/2016 1:38 am

52 minutes ago, jensweetone said:
Hey! Good question. My acne came back to the exact same severity it was before one year after I got off the pills. During that year, my skin was perfect, however Accutane gave me chronic dry eye and depression, so I really wish I had never done it (especially since all my acne came back) HOWEVER, that being said, I've known plenty of people who did Accutane and had zero side effects and it has lasted them a lifetime. It's really a matter of deciding whether you want to take the risk.

Sigh, I suppose I could live with chronic dry eye and depression as long as my face is clear. It gives me full confidence to face the world and take on my dreams. Now, I'm just a mess and I can't concentrate on what I'm doing. Objectively, I think my skin condition doesn't warrant Accutane (yet) but it's so annoying to have a cyst pop up every now and then, and to have those red, inflamed pimples all over. And did I even mention the pigmentation? Sigh. I really wish I won't decide to go on Accutane. 'Decide' being the operative word, not 'need'. Because Accutane is like the last line of defense for anyone with acne. If that fails, nothing will work for future breakouts. What do you think?

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(@jensweetone)

Posted : 03/02/2016 2:02 pm

12 hours ago, Convinceme said:
Sigh, I suppose I could live with chronic dry eye and depression as long as my face is clear. It gives me full confidence to face the world and take on my dreams. Now, I'm just a mess and I can't concentrate on what I'm doing. Objectively, I think my skin condition doesn't warrant Accutane (yet) but it's so annoying to have a cyst pop up every now and then, and to have those red, inflamed pimples all over. And did I even mention the pigmentation? Sigh. I really wish I won't decide to go on Accutane. 'Decide' being the operative word, not 'need'. Because Accutane is like the last line of defense for anyone with acne. If that fails, nothing will work for future breakouts. What do you think?

What you're saying completely resonates with me. I wasn't one of the incredibly severe cases that "needed" accutane, but my acne was moderate and painful. I got the big cysts and my skin was so bumpy and I was so embaressed to go out. I will say that accutane worked wonders on my self esteem when my face cleared. It was so freeing to have absolutely perfect skin. I wasn't embaressed to be seen without makeup, I wasn't having to obsess constantly about what my face would look like day to day etc. Even though all of my acne is back now, I'm trying to work on the emotional side through therapy. My advice to you is to weigh the pros and the cons and accept that it might work, but you might have longterm consequences. The last thing j would mention is the studies show the MAJORITY of people who finish a course of accutane are successful for life. The numbers are in your favor no matter what you decide. If you try it and it fails, people like me will still be here to help you through it :) 

IchhasseAkne, DeLovely, Convinceme and 1 people liked
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(@convinceme)

Posted : 03/02/2016 8:31 pm

6 hours ago, jensweetone said:
What you're saying completely resonates with me. I wasn't one of the incredibly severe cases that "needed" accutane, but my acne was moderate and painful. I got the big cysts and my skin was so bumpy and I was so embaressed to go out. I will say that accutane worked wonders on my self esteem when my face cleared. It was so freeing to have absolutely perfect skin. I wasn't embaressed to be seen without makeup, I wasn't having to obsess constantly about what my face would look like day to day etc. Even though all of my acne is back now, I'm trying to work on the emotional side through therapy. My advice to you is to weigh the pros and the cons and accept that it might work, but you might have longterm consequences. The last thing j would mention is the studies show the MAJORITY of people who finish a course of accutane are successful for life. The numbers are in your favor no matter what you decide. If you try it and it fails, people like me will still be here to help you through it :) 

Wow, thanks. That's very kind of you! I guess that's what this forum is for -- mutual support. I also noticed in your signature that one of the things that failed you was 'eating healthier'. You know what? That failed me as well. I've learned to come to terms with it after reading what another person wrote on this forum. Basically the idea goes that we *think* we can control our acne by eating healthier because food is something we put into our mouth and we can shut it out easily. Sounds nice in theory but in reality, it's not true. Many people go on drastic diets cutting out necessary carbohydrates and grains only to see ZERO improvement. It not only harms their overall well-being but they are missing out on the joy of eating. I mean, unless you are a starving child in Black Africa, you shouldn't deprive yourself of food like that (especially when the link between acne and food is still dubious).

Anyway, I tried that diet thingy myself and was equally disappointed. I cut out milk (it didn't affect me all along, I had no idea why I did that; probably due to internet pressure), grains, vegetable oil in cooking, soy, tomatoes (part of the nightshade family), citrus fruits, meat (they contain hormones) and so many other foods that I was left with nothing at the end of the day. I felt weak and terrible. Stupid diet.

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(@user21768)

Posted : 03/06/2016 2:35 pm

On 01/03/2016 at 5:32 PM, jensweetone said:

I think the majority of us can completely relate. I spent a ton on Accutane (it failed actually) Here's my take on it...even with the scars, I guarantee totally look normal. You still have a wonderful face, body, and mind. I'm assuming you still have two eyes, two legs, two arms. You are so much more than your skin.

Thanks Jen, you really are a sweet one!

Well it has been 9 days since I came off isotretinoin and my skin is the best it has looked in years. I haven't had any new acne for 3 or 4 months and as a result my skin has had respite from the contant acne to red mark cycle. I still have redness and some shallow scarring, but I'm going to address that in a few months time.

Side effects - my hot flushes have dimished greatly and morning nosebleeds aren't as bad. I still have all the other side effects though, including dry lips, eyes, eczema and sweating. I would say all of these have improved a *little* bit except for my lips.

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