hey guys, I have a bit of a problem, I apologize if this gets really long :
I have had severe cystic acne for 4 years, and my parents have never really bothered to do anything about it. after a really severe bout earlier this year, they took me to the doctor for the second time in 4 years, and obviously the doctor wanted me to go on accutane.
my parents said no to it, and refused to listen to me or the doctor, who even kept phoning my parents for a week after to make them see reason, and they took me to a new doctor who just gave antibiotics (obviously they didn't work)
im not sure what to do. my parents don't see my ruined face as a problem, they don't do anything about it wen I ask them to. I'm a minor, so I can't exactly get accutane by myself. i won't be able to get it until I actually move out of my parents house and am free to do what I want, which is unfortunately a very long time away.
ive already developed scarring, hyperpigmentation, my self esteem is non existent, I don't leave the house unless I have to go to school and my parents still don't care . more than half the damage is irreversible
I'm not looking for anybody to bash my parents , I just need advice.
Hang in there! I'm in my late 20s and have battled acne since my teens. I too have scarring and hyperpigmentation. However, it's getting better because I've gotten the regimen down and implemented some other things into it. Try Manuka honey and African black soap. Both do a great job fighting scarring and PIH. They're also natural!
Well, I guess some parents are just that way. It does not mean they do not care, or do not love you. I could go way deeper into that, feel free to message me if you want to. Some people are just the way they are. I found a part-time job while I was going to school to pay for my acne treatments when I was super young (that is with parents who were in MEDICAL FIELD),is that an option for you? I also researched and did a lot of home/natural remedies. Just hang in there, I know it is tough, I am sorry. But one day you will afford anything you want.
Thinking back to when I was in a similar situation to yours, I remember my mom was very reluctant to let me go on accutane at first because she was afraid of the side-effects. But more importantly, she was afraid of the unknown - she didn't know much about the drug and hadn't done much research beyond what the doctor had told her. Going to the doctor and learning about accutane for the first time can be a little scary for parents because the first things they are hearing about the drug are all very intimidating: It has a lot of potentially harmful side-effects, you need to get blood taken monthly, you need to avoid X, Y and Z while taking it, etc. Not to mention they usually give you a giant booklet that looks like HAZMAT manual listing all the potential horrors in detail. All that is enough to turn any parent away.
The best thing you can do is take your time to do thorough research on the drug and it's pros/cons so that you can have an in-depth discussion about it with your parents. I was finally able to get through to my mom after explaining enough times that the potential side effects of the drug were more than worth it if it meant escaping the depressed, miserable and anxious state that I was living in with my skin. I was really at rock bottom, and eventually my mom DID see that. I showed her YouTube videos and testimonials from other people who had completely transformed their skin - seeing the visuals really helped her understand the GOOD that can come from it. I also researched and learned that the majority of people taking the drug experience little more than dry skin, as was the case with me.
You just need to give your parents some time, do your research and try some of the methods above. They care about you and are probably just worried like my mom was. If it is really that important to you, I'm sure they will come around!