Howdy,
So started my low dose roaccutane journey today. I'm in the UK and have been breaking out for the last few years. Started out with a few spots on forehead and have progressed to moderate acne.
Currently getting painful cysts (a couple at a time), lots of small whiteheads, a few blackheads, clogged pores and inflamed spots here and there. My spots can pop up anywhere but worst areas are forehead/nose. Started getting a very oily t-zone about a year ago.
I've tried the usual menagerie of OTC products and prescription topicals/oral antibiotics. Nothing has been effective. BP helps but destroys the quality of my skin and recently been getting red and brown marks that linger for ages. Also acquired a bit of minimal scarring.
Recently I have trialed various lifestyle changes including supplements, diet, no masturbation/bumming, water only washing. All to no avail.
So acne has literally taken over my life and I'm trying to put an end to the this dilemma with roaccutane.
I'll log my progress weekly. Will stick at 10mg for the first 30 days and review from there. Not sure yet whether I will do a long term low dose or shorter full course. Will be getting my bloods done periodically.
Edit: so pics are pretty low res selfie shots, not really indicative of the actual state of affairs. Just added for a bit of colour really 🙂
Howdy, so not really an update. Just making a record of my current regime. I've stopped using the 5% BP. It has really taken a toll on my skin this last year.
I'm using the Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream wash to cleanse - AM/PM. I tone with ACV diluted 50/50 with water. I then apply pure aloe gel.
This is working well so far. My face does not show any signs of irritation or excessive dryness. I do have a back up moisturiser from Avene should dryness become a problem.
Other than that I wash my body once daily with a sulphur soap and apply aloe gel all over. I am also taking vitamin D3 daily, 2000 I.U. I exfoliate gently with a clean washcloth when necessary.
On a side note I have felt much less stressed about the state of my skin the last few days. I have even felt a boost in confidence.
Tom
G'day, so that's the first 7 doses of 10mg Roaccutane done and dusted. It has been a positive week over all. No notable side effects as yet. Slight nausea and a mild headache the first few days. Eyes are a little sore - seeing the optician Saturday as I am overdue a vision test. The bloods I ordered before starting Roaccutane came back normal, so no issues there.
Acne wise things are much better than a week ago. I had been experiencing a horrible breakout since discontinuing and then restarting BP. This is what prompted me to consider Roaccutane. So no BP for the last week and the old breakout has cleared significantly. Also only a couple of new spots and my skin tone is 50% better, with old marks fading fast. My nose is clearer than it has been in a year!
The aloe gel combined with the ACV has been fantastic. My skin is soft with no flakes and just the odd patch of dryness. I take care of this with the Avene moisturiser. Body acne is improving to. Again the aloe gel leaves my skin very soft.
Oil wise it is difficult to say if there has been any improvement. It is certainly not at its worst. If there is no significant improvement in the coming weeks I will increase my daily dosage to 20mg.
Well that's it for now. Will check in a week from now.
Tom
So, another week has passed. Everything is still going smoothly, maybe just a couple of bumps along the road. I have upped my dose to 20mg a day, as of Monday just gone. I thought this a safe bet as side effects have been minimal so far and I really want to hit my oil production. This has remained more or less unaffected the past 2 weeks.
It has been 2 weeks since I stopped using BP and my face has completely recovered. No more horrible flakes! Also no significant outbreak, just the odd spot popping up here and there. These clear up very quickly and don't leave a mark. It also seems like the skin coloured bumps and blackheads on my forehead are slowly coming to the surface and being pushed out.
I have stopped using the ACV and aloe gel. It was the lenghty routine of applying product to my face, day and night, that prompted my Roaccutane journey. In that spirit it seemed foolish to just switch from BP to applying something else. As it stands now I am rarely even using moisturiser. My lips are becoming noticeably dry though so I will pick up a chap stick.
Psychologically I am doing well. I eat a healthy diet without restricting. The only things l I avoid are the pure junk foods. I do an hour of moderate cardio 3 times a week at the gym. The weather was so nice here on Tues I spontaneously went to the pub and spent the day in the beer garden. I had been avoiding alcohol. But 8 or 9 pints later I found myself waking up in a pool of half digested chinese food I don't remember eating and sporting mildly painful sun burn. Suffice to say I will be more careful next time.
That's it for now.
Tom
Good lord, we can't get Isotretonoin in New Zealand unless it is from a GP or a dermatologist.
I recommend to you seeing a doctor,I took Roaccutane (as it was called then) 20 years ago and I am turning 40 this year, I can attest to the fact it worked for cystic acne.
This is a strong drug.