Age 24: Botox and Radiesse After Accutane! - New England, US

Age 24: Botox and Radiesse after Accutane!
After endless amounts of research, I’ve been unable to find a review specific enough to mirror my circumstances. I wish I had, so, I hope my review helps someone in the same predicament. –At the mere age of 24 I have made the decision to get both Botox and Radiesse. My appointment for the procedures is scheduled for the end of this month (February, 2013).

In my teenage years, I never had issues with acne. At age 20, I randomly formed an acne-cyst in my right cheek. It was exceedingly deep; approximately the size of a penny and it took several months to go away. When it did heal, I was left with a deep, pitted “rolling” scar. A few months passed without any acne issues and then I randomly got another acne-cyst. This time, it was on my chin, much larger than before and it took even longer to heal. Once again, I was left with another pitted scar. It was all downhill from here; every few months the same thing happened! I never had more than one cyst at a time, so I never appeared to have “bad acne”.

Finally, I saw dermatologist whom prescribed several things from adapalene gel to clindamycin pills (laser treatment was recommended too, but, I could not afford it). After two years of steady regimens, my skin had zero improvement. Nonetheless, I was hopeful so I stuck with my prescriptions for another few months until I had an acne cyst so bad it sent me to the emergency room! The cyst was on my right cheek, near the middle of my nose. One morning I woke up and the cyst had become so swollen my right cheek was level with the bridge of my nose, literally! At the emergency room they told me I had an abscess and drained it!

After the abscess healed I decided to see a different dermatologist. As a last resort, my new dermatologist put me on Accutane. Despite Accutane’s bad reputation, I had minimal side effects during my 5 month treatment! The best part, it worked! I’ve been cyst free for 6 months now!

All the years of cystic acne and harsh treatments have left my face looking weathered, furrowed and riddled with scars. Because of this, my self-esteem/confidence has plummeted. I want to put my best face forward immediately, so I am getting Botox and Radiesse! – Parallel to my decision, I’ve had several family/friends criticize my decision to get the procedures telling me I am too young for Botox or fillers! Some tell me to opt for something else like peels or laser treatments because I am too young to live with the results of a bad Botox/filler procedure. WELL, I think their criticisms are close-minded and bias. My reasoning: I am an adult who made an educated decision on both treatment and doctor. I am a full time nursing student with a part-time job, which leaves me with no down time to heal from laser/peels or go to multiple appointments. I do not have the funds to pay for the amount of laser/peels needed to “correct my face” to my ideal. I want the immediate results of Botox and Radiesse. I know they are not a permanent solution, but, they are a very real solution.

I will post pictures of my Botox and Radiesse RESULTS after my appointment! The current pictures I’ve included show my skin currently. When I smile my pitted/rolling scars fold and make me look like a 90 year old.