Ahh Accutane, a taboo word that always seemed to come up when discussing acne. I am sharing here with hopes that someone will be able to relate to my story, as I found real self to be a great resource before I committed to the treatment. Here is my story: I had glowing clear skin as a teen and throughout college, my acne didn’t start until I was about 22, so when I say “adult acne” I literally mean, just acne in adulthood. My acne was somewhat mild but very persistent, I also have it on my back. I decided to see a dermatologist about Accutane in April 2018, I had tried retinols, every home remedy, spironolactone, and nothing worked. I was brand new to this derm as I had just moved to the city, he was quick and efficient during my appt, he offered other options but said in the end it was up to me, and that Accutane has a high success rate, we then moved forward with the lengthy admin process required by Accutane. I waited a month for blood work, went back, got cleared for two daily 30mg pills of Claravis (generic,) then had major insurance and pharmacy issues, I couldn’t find a prescription for less than $600/month. This was a nightmare process, everyday I’d call a new place or try a new coupon. Eventually, my doctor overheard what I was going to have to pay and recommended a speciality pharmacy, and it ended up being free AND they deliver? I don’t know how this happened!! If you’re in NYC it’s called Elite Specialty Pharmacy. However, that doesn’t mean treatment is free, bloodwork and the monthly appointments cost money, even with insurance I pay about $200 each month. Now on to the results. I started Claravis 5/6/18 and as of right now I just finished my 5th week (it’s 6/10/18) so I have already had my second blood work and appt. Week 1: immediate slight dryness of the lips, I also noticed immediate clearing of my current acne. Week 2: drying in lips and nose is worse, need constant moisture on face and lips. My skin is clearing up immensely, I couldn’t believe the quick results. I’ll share my savior products I used, in photos. Week 3: getting into a routine with being dry, it’s pretty bad if you don’t consistently treat it, but as long as you stay on top of it it’s live-able. I no longer have to wear foundation, my skin is so clear, just scars. The entire texture is smooth and no longer oily, it’s sooo weird to feel your face like it’s just normal skin, it’s normally bumpy and oil. However my Back is the same, that has not cleared yet. Sun sensitivity is also in full effect, wear sunscreen everywhere!! Week 4: My latest thing is a dry scalp, it’s very flaky and dry, again, as long as you know how to deal with it it’s fine. Skin has had some breakouts but they clear up fast, and are minor. Week 5: And another new side effect, nose bleeds, lots of them,1-2 times daily for 7 days straight. These kind didn’t happen when blowing or anything..they’re like full on gushing, and completely random, it’s not like I felt a cracked nose on the inside or saw a speck of blood in a tissue. These were aggressive. I am sooo nervous about getting these at work or on the subway, they take a lot of tissues and time to stop them. Today is my first day in 7 days I am nose bleed free!! Haha I had to start a strict regime to correct them. I do a saline rinse every single night with a netty pot (google this if you don’t know what it is,) then I use extra moisturizing nasal spray as directed on the package, and I use my face steamer every few days. Hopefully this keeps my nasal package moist enough, Gross!! But it seems to be working. Oh and my cholesterol is high now, from the medication. Still no depression or mental issues. Anyways, that’s It so far, I wanted to start documenting my journey to hopefully let others know it does work (so far) and inform them of the side effects. I will continue to update as I go. Updated on 28 Jun 2018: Almost immediately after I posted my rave review from month one, my face started breaking out with large under the skin breakouts. Painful and untreatable, these are unlike anything I’ve have before. I have read about month two being horrible but it’s just sooo hard to come from an amazing month one, to this. I am feeling really reallly down on myself, i hate that i have to wear full coverage makeup again to work. I am going to stay the course and stay strong!!! Updated on 1 Jul 2019: I wanted to check in and give everyone hope to stick it out! I ended up being on accutane for 6 months (the max dose.) My doctor and I wanted to be sure we knocked it out while we were at it. I am so glad. After the Accutane my skin was beautiful and has been every since. I now rarely get breakouts, and when I do, I know what is causing them, stress, sweating, etc. It is like having a reset on skin. The texture and quality is not the skin I am used to, in a good way. I am so glad I did accutane. Updated on 16 May 2020: Wanted to pop in and say how happy I STILL am that I did this. I am just now at the 2 year mark (it is May 2020 and I started May 2018,) and everything is wonderful! I truly feel like my skin is transformed. I highly recommend and am happy to answer questions.
