Hey everyone, I haven't posted much lately and I just wanted to maybe get some insight on my situation. I talked to my dermatologist about going on Accutane again even though my skin just returned to its oily, acne prone state. Accutane worked great for me while I was on it and for a while afterwards. My skin is super oily all the time and literally nothing I do helps to get rid of my acne. I ama 31y/o male and have had adult acne since I was 24. I am at my wit's end. I am sick of being greasy and riddled with pimples all the time.
Should I even bother? I know my skin will just be back where it was afterwards, although the doctor told me it transforms your oil glands and for most people it works the second time, rarely ever going a third unlessyou have real problems. Accutane worked really well to clear up my oily skin and acne and I didn't have much if any side effects, although being extremely sensitive to sunlight was annoying.
A little backstory to provide some context: I don't have most of my large intestine and colon and I've also had some of my small intestine removed. I was born backwards and became very sick as a baby and they had to remove much of my large intestine. Fast forward to last year and I was in a bad car crash that lacerated my intestine and I had to have even more removed, TWICE because of complications with infections. So I've been on the mend for over a year now and I am not sure if this will be a problem for Accutane. I talked to my derm about it and basically I just have to get my blood tested before I get the green light.
So that's where I am. Not sure if anything will help anything. I just want to look nice for once in my life and not have to mop my face off every hour. Nothing has worked for me and I feel that I am somewhat of a special case, so I'm not sure if it's even worth bothering. I feel doomed to a life with a disgusting face.
Well, it sort of comes and goes in waves but I always have at least a few pimples on my face. I was counting at least 10 pimples on my face every day. When I went to the doctor I was breaking out with cysts all over my forehead. My first round of Accutane was 6 months I think? Something like that. I don't remember.
I don't think I had an "initial breakout". I thankfully didn't experience any side effects besides sunlight sensitivity and maybe slightly achy joints once in a while. The effects lasted for about half a year afterwards, or however long I was taking Accutane. Maybe it lasted longer, it was several years ago and I don't clearly remember.
Right now I have pimples and oily skin. My skin seems to have gotten excessively oily in the past few years, which is strange because I don't think it was very oily when I first contracted adult acne. i never had many pimples when I was younger so I think this is retribution. My face is so oily that it literally pools on my nose and I can see it seeping out of every single pore. It shows within an hour if I wash my face, so I basically have to wipe my face off every hour or else I will be increasingly greasy all day. Nothing I do can stop this. Literally nothing works.
I can attest the the fact that for SOME of us, two, three or four courses don't put this beast in remission. I would recommend to try other things before accutane, especially since your acne has not gone back to its pre tane state.
There are diet changes you can make, lifestyles changes, topicals and such before trying accutane. Sometimes things you've tried before accutane work better after accutane
I think if you didn't have much side effects from ur first round u should try it again.
I'm 2.5 weeks into my first course and seeing dramatic results. Before this I was terrified of accutane and all the negative experiences surrounding it and was on a strict diet plan. I must admit it worked but the moment I ate the wrong thing ONCE, I would break out consistently for 1 full year before it stopped. So if you're heading down that path you better have the self control and discipline if your skin is anything like mine.
Why bother? Its bad enough subjecting your body to it once. If it didn't work first time it will likely come back again after the course is finished. Do you really wanna put your body through that for a year or so of maybe clear skin...if that?
Maybe look into naturopath's or herbalists. Go on an anti inflammation diet. Anything other than the cancer drug...
PS accutane is derived from vitamin A. Maybe taking cod liver oil ( vitamin a source) at recommended levels and zinc would be worth a try?
Topically betonite clay or green tea or turmeric masks might help. Oil blotting sheets help as well as a thin layer of milk of magnesia to absorb the oil. Sorry you are going through this acne really sucks!
On 6/17/2016 at 0:28 PM, This is my name said:Thanks for your input. I am not sure I am ready for Accutane... I am thinking a serious diet change may be in order. I don't eat poorly and I've never thought that my diet affected my acne. But maybe if I eat healthier it will help.
i think you should give it a try! Anti inflammatory or low histasmine diet.
19 hours ago, invisiblenetrix said:I think if you didn't have much side effects from ur first round u should try it again.
I'm 2.5 weeks into my first course and seeing dramatic results. Before this I was terrified of accutane and all the negative experiences surrounding it and was on a strict diet plan. I must admit it worked but the moment I ate the wrong thing ONCE, I would break out consistently for 1 full year before it stopped. So if you're heading down that path you better have the self control and discipline if your skin is anything like mine.
8 hours ago, snarkygirl said:Why bother? Its bad enough subjecting your body to it once. If it didn't work first time it will likely come back again after the course is finished. Do you really wanna put your body through that for a year or so of maybe clear skin...if that?
Maybe look into naturopath's or herbalists. Go on an anti inflammation diet. Anything other than the cancer drug...
PS accutane is derived from vitamin A. Maybe taking cod liver oil ( vitamin a source) at recommended levels and zinc would be worth a try?
Topically betonite clay or green tea or turmeric masks might help. Oil blotting sheets help as well as a thin layer of milk of magnesia to absorb the oil. Sorry you are going through this acne really sucks!i think you should give it a try! Anti inflammatory or low histasmine diet.
Well, my dermatologist said it generally works/helps a second time around, although who really knows? Everyone is different. I'm really tired of being greasy all the time. I am thinking of going pretty strictly on a fruit and vegetable diet, but we'll see how that goes. Might try the keto diet.
I have been using the Yes to Tomatoes Charcoal Mud Mask and it seems to help, but it doesn't keep my face from getting oily. Thanks for the help, everyone! I haven't posted here in a while and it's nice to get some feedback. I am all too familiar with the acne struggle much like everyone here.