Sometimes patients come to us with very severe acne that consists of nodules, cysts, and pustules on the skin. Many times, this deep cystic type of acne has already left scars on the skin and is causing distress to the patient. Often, we will see patients with acne that has been treated for years with different oral antibiotics, topical creams, washes, and other in-office procedures, yet it still does not improve. Severe, painful acne can significantly affect your quality of life. Grades may suffer, social isolation may occur, and job performance may suffer. In cases of severe or unresponsive acne, a medication – Accutane ® (Isotretinoin) – may be a curative option.
Accutane is a pill form of Vitamin A that helps reduce oil production, inflammation, bacteria levels, and clogged pores. For many, treating acne in this way provides a curative option for the acne that has been plaguing them for years.
Accutane is a highly regulated medication. It can cause side effects such as headache, dry eyes and skin, nosebleeds, vision changes or mood changes. Women who are planning a pregnancy, currently pregnant, or breastfeeding cannot use Accutane. There is a high risk of harm to the baby. In many cases, Accutane also causes significant skin sensitivity. Excess sun exposure, facials, and skin waxing should be avoided while you are on the medication.
Facts You Should Know Before Using Accutane
Most patients who complete a course of Accutane with a licensed, trained dermatology provider see results within a few months and finish the total treatment course within 6-8 months. Accutane is commonly one to two pills per day. Every month that you are on this medicine you will see your dermatology provider.
If you have been suffering from painful, severe, scarring acne or have been using prescription medications for your acne that have not been working, contact us today. Accutane may be an option for you.To say adult acne is not fun is an understatement. When I went to my dermatologist for help, I was prescribed an intense medication called Accutane or Isotretinoin. I have been taking it the past 7 months and my last pill will be taken tomorrow (yay!) The end result has been amazing but I did experience a lot of ups and downs over the course of the time I have been on the medication. So today, I am sharing my experience with Accutane for adult acne in case it helps someone else who may be dealing with something similar or trying to decide if Accutane is the way to go.
Before we dive in, let me emphasize that I am NOT a medical doctor. I cannot tell you whether Accutane is right, wrong or safe for you. That is a discussion between you and your doctor/dermatologist. This post is only meant to describe the experiences that I personally had while taking Accutane for adult acne.
This Woman's Accutane Transformation Photos Went Viral — Before And After Acne Photos
I have always enjoyed relatively clear skin. A blemish here a blemish there but nothing too crazy and nothing that wasn’t gone in a few days. Fast forward to turning 35 and deciding I no longer wanted to use birth control. I had been on it for over 10 years and it was just time. I was ready to be rid of all that so I stopped using it in January of 2017. All was good for about six months. After that, I started breaking out a little more often than usual. A little annoyance but nothing major. Then things started to escalate pretty quickly.
It got progressively worse until my face and jaw line were covered in painful cystic acne. I was 35 years old! This stuff was supposed to be done with wasn’t it? I couldn’t understand what was happening and I was beyond frustrated with the state of my skin. It got to the point where I was so embarrassed and felt like I couldn’t leave the house without makeup. It was all over and angry and so visible that it started to effect my self-esteem. And before you cue the sad violin, I am well aware that my situation may not compare to someone else struggling with adult acne. This is just an account of MY personal experience and MY feelings on what I was dealing with.
I started to get a little panicked. It was just something so uncharacteristic for me and I wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it. I started by switching to more natural skin care products and getting regular facials. No change. I switched up some of my favorite beauty products just to see. Nada. I even tried just forgoing makeup for a while to see if I was only clogging my pores more by trying to cover it up. I tried coconut oil washes because I had read about it online and coconut oil cures all right? Nope. I even completed a round of Whole30 during that time. I focused on only eating wholesome clean food and got rid of all sugar and dairy and still nothing. After about a year of struggle, I met a dermatologist for an acne consult.
When To Consider Accutane/isotretinoin For Acne!
After chatting with the dermatologist and going over all the things I had previously tried, I was prescribed a topical treatment called Epi-Duo and a medication called Spiranolactone. Spiranolactone is typically used as a blood pressure medication but they found it also helped adult acne in women. I figured it was worth a shot and at this point I was pretty desperate. I was told to use both for three months and then come back for a follow-up. After 3 months I was left with no change except some flaky skin due to the drying effects of the Epi-Duo.
When I went in for my follow-up, they discussed options with me and I was prescribed Accutane. I had heard of it and knew what it was because my husband had taken it as a teenager. I knew it was a strong medication with some significant side effects. As a male, my husband's time taking Accutane was a little easier.
As a female, I had to come in to get monthly pregnancy tests in addition to the routine blood tests. If you are a woman, you are required to “Pledge” that you will use two forms of birth control while on Accutane because of the significant risk of birth defects. You also have to answer comprehension questions in the form of on online quiz about this rule every visit. Just something to be aware of if you are considering Accutane.
Accutane: The Ultimate Guide On How To Use Accutane Powerful Medication To Treat Severe Acne That Has Not Responded To Other Treatments.
After all is said and done, I will have taken Accutane for 7 months. Everyone'sdosage is different based on your weight and recommended cumulative dosage. As I experienced some of the side effects, I was often asked if I wanted to go down to 1 pill a day instead of 2. Since the prescribed dosage is cumulative, that would just mean I would be on the medication even longer. So when I was experiencing those side effects, I decided to stick with the two pills a day in order to be done as soon as possible.
This one was expected as it is the number one most common side effect of Accutane. You will be DRY. All. The. Time. Your face and your body. I changed my skincare to something more moisturizing and that definitely helped with some of the dryness. I did at times feel a little itchy all over so I made sure to have lotion around to help with that. The only thing I didn't have to change up was my face wash. I was able to use my tried and true Philosophy Purity Made Simple face wash which has been one of my skin care staples for YEARS. Here are some of the other products that I did switch up to really help me combat the dryness.
Just FYI, this stuff is AMAZING! I feel that it really helped me with my skin's overall texture as well as scarring.
What To Expect With Accutane For Acne
The area I feel the most dry is my mouth/lips. And this has actually gotten even worse the last two weeks for some reason. My lips and the corners of my mouth are often dry and recently the skin there has been flaking off no matter how much moisturizer I use. I know, gross. Luckily I am almost done but it was kind of odd that I had not experienced the intensity like this up until now. To help with my lips, I keep chapstick within an arms reach of wherever I am. In my purse, in my car, at work, in my nightstand, in the bathroom, in the living room- you get the idea. There are lots of special balms on the market but really what worked best for me was Kopari Lip Glossy (linked above) and plain old regular chapstick. Nothin’ fancy.
The other side effect of using Accutane for adult acne is the overall sensitivity of your skin. I could wear SPF 70 and get a sunburn walking from my car in the parking lot to the store on really sunny days. I had to
After chatting with the dermatologist and going over all the things I had previously tried, I was prescribed a topical treatment called Epi-Duo and a medication called Spiranolactone. Spiranolactone is typically used as a blood pressure medication but they found it also helped adult acne in women. I figured it was worth a shot and at this point I was pretty desperate. I was told to use both for three months and then come back for a follow-up. After 3 months I was left with no change except some flaky skin due to the drying effects of the Epi-Duo.
When I went in for my follow-up, they discussed options with me and I was prescribed Accutane. I had heard of it and knew what it was because my husband had taken it as a teenager. I knew it was a strong medication with some significant side effects. As a male, my husband's time taking Accutane was a little easier.
As a female, I had to come in to get monthly pregnancy tests in addition to the routine blood tests. If you are a woman, you are required to “Pledge” that you will use two forms of birth control while on Accutane because of the significant risk of birth defects. You also have to answer comprehension questions in the form of on online quiz about this rule every visit. Just something to be aware of if you are considering Accutane.
Accutane: The Ultimate Guide On How To Use Accutane Powerful Medication To Treat Severe Acne That Has Not Responded To Other Treatments.
After all is said and done, I will have taken Accutane for 7 months. Everyone'sdosage is different based on your weight and recommended cumulative dosage. As I experienced some of the side effects, I was often asked if I wanted to go down to 1 pill a day instead of 2. Since the prescribed dosage is cumulative, that would just mean I would be on the medication even longer. So when I was experiencing those side effects, I decided to stick with the two pills a day in order to be done as soon as possible.
This one was expected as it is the number one most common side effect of Accutane. You will be DRY. All. The. Time. Your face and your body. I changed my skincare to something more moisturizing and that definitely helped with some of the dryness. I did at times feel a little itchy all over so I made sure to have lotion around to help with that. The only thing I didn't have to change up was my face wash. I was able to use my tried and true Philosophy Purity Made Simple face wash which has been one of my skin care staples for YEARS. Here are some of the other products that I did switch up to really help me combat the dryness.
Just FYI, this stuff is AMAZING! I feel that it really helped me with my skin's overall texture as well as scarring.
What To Expect With Accutane For Acne
The area I feel the most dry is my mouth/lips. And this has actually gotten even worse the last two weeks for some reason. My lips and the corners of my mouth are often dry and recently the skin there has been flaking off no matter how much moisturizer I use. I know, gross. Luckily I am almost done but it was kind of odd that I had not experienced the intensity like this up until now. To help with my lips, I keep chapstick within an arms reach of wherever I am. In my purse, in my car, at work, in my nightstand, in the bathroom, in the living room- you get the idea. There are lots of special balms on the market but really what worked best for me was Kopari Lip Glossy (linked above) and plain old regular chapstick. Nothin’ fancy.
The other side effect of using Accutane for adult acne is the overall sensitivity of your skin. I could wear SPF 70 and get a sunburn walking from my car in the parking lot to the store on really sunny days. I had to
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