POSTED UNDER Accutane REVIEWS
Accutane Put An End To My Shame - Lexington, KY
ORIGINAL POST
Skip to the end if you want just the treatment...
IshmaelleJuly 7, 2015
WORTH IT
Skip to the end if you want just the treatment outcomes, because I'm a long-winded writer and have some history here first! ;-)
Both my parents had very active cystic acne well into their 40s. My parents divorced when I was an infant, but I remember my father STILL being so desperate that he sometimes stopped by the house to get my mother to help him "deal with" a zit, because no one else understood. I personally thought they were both insane at the time. I mean, what?!
Well, I ended up understanding when I hit my teens. I was aware of Accutane, but it was definitely not an option at that point. To my mother (a pharmacist) it was too risky to do when other treatments could be tried. She was right, of course. However, just like nothing had worked for her, nothing worked for me. Until I was 25, I tried Clinique's 3-step cleansing method, benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A, clay masks, raw egg masks, oil-absorbing makeup primers, sun lamps, various methods of exfoliation, androgen blockers, topical antibiotics, antibiotic capsules, birth control pills, pore strips, salicylic acid, comedone extractors, essential oils, mineral makeup, astringent toners, face steamers, homeopathic nonsense pills, the oil cleansing method (NO!!!!), voodoo goat transfiguration, and howling at the moon.
When I was a shy (thanks, acne) 20-year-old, I tried going to an actual dermatologist. I wasn't having a terrible breakout on my face at that moment, but I did have a cyst the size of a robin's egg on my shoulder. I asked him about my acne, told him about my family history of it, and he laughed at me and said, "What are you complaining about? You're old enough to be growing out of it soon!" Given that I had already told him that I would probably have at least 25 more years of it, I don't think he was taking me very seriously. I left there feeling awful.
For the next 5 years, I tried more ineffective witchcraft on my face. It was the oil-cleansing method that finally caused the situation to escalate. I can't believe I was dumb enough to try something like that, but I was getting desperate. At least, I thought I was getting desperate. I was about to get TRULY desperate when it backfired! I don't know how it works for some people, but it made my acne go from cystic to Krakatoa. My usual methods of taking an hour to cover my acne with makeup were no longer fooling my co-workers and I felt I couldn't lift my face to look people in the eye. My jaw especially felt painful at all times. I had to get help. "They're just going to put you on Accutane," my mother warned. I didn't care anymore.
I found another dermatologist, one who wouldn't humiliate me and kick me to the curb. (I ended up having to settle for her PA, but at least the doctor did duck in at one point when my acne was still being recalcitrant later on.) Well, when they saw me, there was no way they were going to dismiss THAT pizza-face. It was bad. They did try some more things before finally suggesting Accutane, but it was really the only thing that could be done. The original plan was to have me on it for 5 months, but my skin had other ideas. I ended up being on it for 10 months. Some of these cysts would NOT go away. I'll spare you the details.
One funny story, though: despite the fact that I was a virgin at 25 (by choice, and not an ignorant one), you still of course have to go through all the safeguards to assure you're not going to risk pregnancy upon this highly teratogenic drug. Imagine my--well, droll amusement--when the PA called and said that the initial blood test had showed that I was pregnant and she was shaken because she had believed me about my being a determined virgin, etc. After laughing a bit, I told her to double-check with the clinic, and YES, they had switched my bloodwork with someone else. The thing that does trouble me about that is...what if the woman who WAS pregnant got her "negative" results and went out and drank a ton?? Ooooh...no. Anyway, it was no trouble for me to keep from picking up a parasite while on Accutane, but I know somebody (married to an OBGYN!!!!) who did and harmed her baby, so this is NOT to be taken lightly. Be honest with your doctor and yourself! There are reasons why doctors can't trust patients like me do tell them the truth. Have you ever watched House? "Everybody lies." (Yeah, I just lied about not picking at my face as much as I did...but...but...it's hard not to!)
It's been about 7 years since I finished treatment, and I'm still glad I did. I didn't have any acne to speak of for a long time after the treatment. What I have now is manageable with a good skin routine, and it honestly doesn't bother me enough to usually adhere to such a routine like I should! I still have oily skin, but not like I used to. And nightmare acne? No. I'm not going to be like my parents. My mother used to try to get all over my face to check my skin like a mother monkey before Accutane. Now, I can visit her and just complain about the lack of rain and the excess of Kardashians like normal people do. Thanks, Accutane! I'm more attractive and less dysfunctional now, for life! :-D
Side-effects? Heh, I got off EASY. For 6 months after treatment, I had mild posterior blepharitis. This is when the meibomian glands dotting your eyelid rim get blocked. I had to use extra-lubricating eye drops and carefully squeeze the glands with hot compresses. It cleared up. Probably should have waited until AFTER it cleared up to get LASIK. Man, those regular eyedrops they restrict you to for a while sure did burn with no natural oil in the eyes!!!
I did well, yes, but don't ignore the dangers. It doesn't just have to do with birth defects! Accutane is a SERIOUS treatment that can have SERIOUS consequences, particularly if you don't take it...well, seriously. I do not urge anyone to "just do it." In my case, however, it was the best treatment available. I've had some people try to give me crap about taking it--I guess based on their personal principles--but I did try everything else and waited only until my skin turned into what felt like aching leather over lakes of pus. If I'd done it sooner, then I wouldn't have the scarring (including the psychological, yay, high school) that I do now.
I like holding my head high and smiling at people without wincing in pain. Hooray!
Both my parents had very active cystic acne well into their 40s. My parents divorced when I was an infant, but I remember my father STILL being so desperate that he sometimes stopped by the house to get my mother to help him "deal with" a zit, because no one else understood. I personally thought they were both insane at the time. I mean, what?!
Well, I ended up understanding when I hit my teens. I was aware of Accutane, but it was definitely not an option at that point. To my mother (a pharmacist) it was too risky to do when other treatments could be tried. She was right, of course. However, just like nothing had worked for her, nothing worked for me. Until I was 25, I tried Clinique's 3-step cleansing method, benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A, clay masks, raw egg masks, oil-absorbing makeup primers, sun lamps, various methods of exfoliation, androgen blockers, topical antibiotics, antibiotic capsules, birth control pills, pore strips, salicylic acid, comedone extractors, essential oils, mineral makeup, astringent toners, face steamers, homeopathic nonsense pills, the oil cleansing method (NO!!!!), voodoo goat transfiguration, and howling at the moon.
When I was a shy (thanks, acne) 20-year-old, I tried going to an actual dermatologist. I wasn't having a terrible breakout on my face at that moment, but I did have a cyst the size of a robin's egg on my shoulder. I asked him about my acne, told him about my family history of it, and he laughed at me and said, "What are you complaining about? You're old enough to be growing out of it soon!" Given that I had already told him that I would probably have at least 25 more years of it, I don't think he was taking me very seriously. I left there feeling awful.
For the next 5 years, I tried more ineffective witchcraft on my face. It was the oil-cleansing method that finally caused the situation to escalate. I can't believe I was dumb enough to try something like that, but I was getting desperate. At least, I thought I was getting desperate. I was about to get TRULY desperate when it backfired! I don't know how it works for some people, but it made my acne go from cystic to Krakatoa. My usual methods of taking an hour to cover my acne with makeup were no longer fooling my co-workers and I felt I couldn't lift my face to look people in the eye. My jaw especially felt painful at all times. I had to get help. "They're just going to put you on Accutane," my mother warned. I didn't care anymore.
I found another dermatologist, one who wouldn't humiliate me and kick me to the curb. (I ended up having to settle for her PA, but at least the doctor did duck in at one point when my acne was still being recalcitrant later on.) Well, when they saw me, there was no way they were going to dismiss THAT pizza-face. It was bad. They did try some more things before finally suggesting Accutane, but it was really the only thing that could be done. The original plan was to have me on it for 5 months, but my skin had other ideas. I ended up being on it for 10 months. Some of these cysts would NOT go away. I'll spare you the details.
One funny story, though: despite the fact that I was a virgin at 25 (by choice, and not an ignorant one), you still of course have to go through all the safeguards to assure you're not going to risk pregnancy upon this highly teratogenic drug. Imagine my--well, droll amusement--when the PA called and said that the initial blood test had showed that I was pregnant and she was shaken because she had believed me about my being a determined virgin, etc. After laughing a bit, I told her to double-check with the clinic, and YES, they had switched my bloodwork with someone else. The thing that does trouble me about that is...what if the woman who WAS pregnant got her "negative" results and went out and drank a ton?? Ooooh...no. Anyway, it was no trouble for me to keep from picking up a parasite while on Accutane, but I know somebody (married to an OBGYN!!!!) who did and harmed her baby, so this is NOT to be taken lightly. Be honest with your doctor and yourself! There are reasons why doctors can't trust patients like me do tell them the truth. Have you ever watched House? "Everybody lies." (Yeah, I just lied about not picking at my face as much as I did...but...but...it's hard not to!)
It's been about 7 years since I finished treatment, and I'm still glad I did. I didn't have any acne to speak of for a long time after the treatment. What I have now is manageable with a good skin routine, and it honestly doesn't bother me enough to usually adhere to such a routine like I should! I still have oily skin, but not like I used to. And nightmare acne? No. I'm not going to be like my parents. My mother used to try to get all over my face to check my skin like a mother monkey before Accutane. Now, I can visit her and just complain about the lack of rain and the excess of Kardashians like normal people do. Thanks, Accutane! I'm more attractive and less dysfunctional now, for life! :-D
Side-effects? Heh, I got off EASY. For 6 months after treatment, I had mild posterior blepharitis. This is when the meibomian glands dotting your eyelid rim get blocked. I had to use extra-lubricating eye drops and carefully squeeze the glands with hot compresses. It cleared up. Probably should have waited until AFTER it cleared up to get LASIK. Man, those regular eyedrops they restrict you to for a while sure did burn with no natural oil in the eyes!!!
I did well, yes, but don't ignore the dangers. It doesn't just have to do with birth defects! Accutane is a SERIOUS treatment that can have SERIOUS consequences, particularly if you don't take it...well, seriously. I do not urge anyone to "just do it." In my case, however, it was the best treatment available. I've had some people try to give me crap about taking it--I guess based on their personal principles--but I did try everything else and waited only until my skin turned into what felt like aching leather over lakes of pus. If I'd done it sooner, then I wouldn't have the scarring (including the psychological, yay, high school) that I do now.
I like holding my head high and smiling at people without wincing in pain. Hooray!
Replies (7)
July 8, 2015
This is my story verbatim, from the retin A to the eggs to the oil cleansing (seriously why did I listen to girls with perfect skin about rubbing oil into my inflamed bacteria ridden acne?!) I'm so happy you are in an easier place now with your skin. Congrats!
July 8, 2015
You did the eggs too?? My mother learned about that when I was in high school after asking an Indian lady she met how she kept her skin so beautiful. How random! That one did help to dry out things sometimes, but it was actually a pretty harsh mask. Man, we really do go through a lot just to get by, don't we? Gah! I plead temporary insanity on the oil thing. Even my friends said not to do it. I was like, "NO. I MUST DO AS THEY SAY. IF I DO NOT BELIEVE, IT WILL NOT WORK." Ah, the foundation of so much foolishness! I might as well have used snake oil. ;-)
I glanced at your profile, and it looks like you're on Accutane now? Unless I misread things...I am SUPER-new to this site. If so, good luck! I did have the temporary side-effects of chapped lips and things while I was on it, but those disappeared so quickly afterward I forgot to even mention them. That was such a long time ago, I don't even remember how much everything cost...or maybe I don't want to. (Numbers are also just right up there with zits to me!)
I glanced at your profile, and it looks like you're on Accutane now? Unless I misread things...I am SUPER-new to this site. If so, good luck! I did have the temporary side-effects of chapped lips and things while I was on it, but those disappeared so quickly afterward I forgot to even mention them. That was such a long time ago, I don't even remember how much everything cost...or maybe I don't want to. (Numbers are also just right up there with zits to me!)
September 23, 2018
Hi! I know this review is a few years old, but maybe you will see this! :) first of all, thank you for this review - I laughed along the way and am so happy that it was successful!!
I have a question about the Blepharitis you developed if you don’t mind - did you have any issues with it recurring? I understand it lasted 6 months after your course and cleared up on its own. Do you still have to do any treatment for it? I stopped Accutane early (after 3.5 months) due to my eyes - I was diagnosed with posterior Blepharitis as well and it freaked me out! I have only been off the drug for a month now, and my eyes have not yet improved. But after reading your review, I have some hope that it just may take some time! :) any insight or tips would be amazing!!! :)
I have a question about the Blepharitis you developed if you don’t mind - did you have any issues with it recurring? I understand it lasted 6 months after your course and cleared up on its own. Do you still have to do any treatment for it? I stopped Accutane early (after 3.5 months) due to my eyes - I was diagnosed with posterior Blepharitis as well and it freaked me out! I have only been off the drug for a month now, and my eyes have not yet improved. But after reading your review, I have some hope that it just may take some time! :) any insight or tips would be amazing!!! :)
Congratulations on concurring your persistent acne, I am so glad Accutane worked for you. I absolutely LOVED reading your review -- and I hope that nobody skips past the first part, because it really puts dealing with aggressive acne into perspective and you are so funny that it's a joy to read!! I couldn't believe your pregnancy test came back positive - what a shock that must have been!! I have a couple of questions, what exactly is oil pulling? What does your daily skin routine consist of now?
Our community members especially love seeing photos, do you have any to share with us?
Not sure if you already know this, but we have an entire community dedicated to LASIK .so definitely check it out and share your experience there as well.
I found the pregnancy test mix-up mostly funny...I wasn't ashamed about never having being sexually active at my age, so it was quickly an open joke among my friends and family. I think the first thing I did when the PA called and told me that I was "pregnant" was call my mother and announce to her that she was going to be Jesus' grandmother. She was like, "WHAT?" Priceless! That poor PA, though...she really did think I had duped her at first! I had to reassure her that I hadn't been lying and that there must've been a mix-up. It really makes you worry about those labs, doesn't it? Their mistakes can't always be that dramatic! :-O
I haven't checked in on the oil cleansing method in years, but from what I've seen, it's still alive and well. From what I remember, the theory is that if you remove oil from your face, your skin will try to produce MORE oil to balance that out, and the natural sebum will clog your pores. Therefore, in oil cleansing, you incorporate applying oils that aren't supposed to clog to your face that will dissolve extant blackheads and trick your skin into quiescence. My routine involved steaming. It seemed to work for a short while. Some people swear by it. However, some people sleep like a baby on Ambien. 1/4 of a pill makes me trip balls!
My daily skin routine *if* I am lazy like I have been for the past two weeks and all I do is wash my face results in closed comedones and some redness only I notice. ;-) It's a darned luxury to be lazy and enjoy "settling" for imperfection like that...only people who have had to waste hours on their skin every day in the past can appreciate it, y'know? However, when I am successfully being an adult with maturity and standards, I can improve my skin dramatically using multiple steps a day. I use mainly Paula's Choice products. I discovered those just last year and they are FANTASTIC. I was shocked at how well they work and are worth it. I urge anyone to go to the website and give their samples a whirl. In the summer, morning and night, I use their Earth Sourced cleansing gel followed by the Earth Sourced toner. I have been skipping around on various BHA (salicylic acid) treatments of theirs, but they all help. Weird how none of the things I tried before did! Likewise, my sensitive skin tolerates their benzoyl peroxide creams much, much better than any I have tried before. I do have to watch carefully that I don't use them too many days in a row or my skin throws a rashy hissy fit, but this is the stuff that helps with those persistent closed comedones I get still. I also have a tube of Retin-A Micro that I use sparingly, because that stuff's expensive. I don't really use moisturizer much during the summer, because oil still...happens. Like death and taxes. Winter's different since the Accutane, but everything's much more manageable. I still use Paula's Choice products for that accursed season (I don't like cold weather), but a slightly different suite.
As for photos, I don't think I ever allowed myself to be photographed without makeup on when my acne was bad. Even when I did have makeup on, I lightly Photoshopped zits and shine away before sharing pictures for general purposes, haha. Lord knows where any "good" examples of my pre-Accutane skin are now. (I did recently find a picture of my mother from the 1960s where it looks like she has a Rudolph nose sprouting from her forehead, but I don't think that helps anyone out!)
I did find myself wondering if there was a LASIK community, so thanks for answering that! My next stop will probably be to get some info on addressing these hollow under-eyes and tear troughs I inherited. If I can deal with those, I can probably be pretty happy with most everything else!
I will have to check out Paula's Choice products and the Earth Sourced sounds great too - thanks! RealSelf is loaded with information, and if you can't find what you're looking for feel free to ask the experts by posting your own question. As for hollow under eyes, here is some information you may find helpful:
What is the Best Procedure to Fix Hollow Eyes?