Reclaim Your Skin

Hey Abi, really sorry to hear that it isn’t going so well anymore - do you feel your skin is gradually returning to how it was before? Or do you think it’s just the off few every now and then?

I’m on week 10 (nearly week 11) and it seems like most people have clear skin by this stage, mine was amazingly clear a few weeks ago but now it is just as bad as it was before Roaccutane and doesn’t seem to be getting any better… Did you find this at all?

Nina, xxx

May 11th, 2008 at 3:11 pm

Hi Abi,

It sounds like they are the kind of spots everyone gets now and then and just probably seem way worse compared to the completely perfect skin roaccutane left with. I realise that any reappearance would freak you though. Sounds positive though that they do heal. This is my second course of the drug. First time was when I was 18. It worked for a few months and then went back to being bad again. I took Dianette and this seemed to even things out, although I never had completely clear skin. I came of this then had anti-Bs and then in December my skin went mental, probably down to some horrible stressful stuff that happened. I’m now 16 weeks in and have just been given another 2 months to take. It’s so odd because the side that was bad at the beginning has got loads better and is just left with scars, my chin and forehead are clear, but the side of my face that was clear before tane has gone mad with horrible red, hard lumps that just don’t seem to budge. I just don’t get it and am praying these last 2 months sort it out. I wish all the luck, as I know how hard this is. I never thought I would still be stressing about spots at 26. It seems unfair to go through it all as a teenager and then to continue you to. Chin up xxx

May 11th, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Hi Abi,
I hope what you’re experiencing is just a bit of an outbreak that non-acne suffers get from time to time. Was feeling very down yesterday worrying that this agressive treatment isn’t even going to work for good. And then worrying that I will be left with permanent “side effects” or problems to boot! Started googling and reading loads of negative reports. I know this is the worse thing to do and just left me feeling confused, stressed and worried. Will try not to do it in future, but since I’ve spent a lot of time in the flat alone recently, it’s easy to spend loads of time online confusing and scaring yourself.

Went out yesterday as I’ve been missing out on all the sun that everyone has been enjoying. I’m naturally sensitive to the sun (burn easily, get rashes, feel sick and headaches if I spend to long in the sun) so was a bit concerned about the effect of the Roaccutane. Put Eucerin factor 40 on for sensitice skin. Didn’t burn but did get a bit of a rash on my hands. It has almost gone today and wasn’t too serious anyway. Only on 10mg though, going to be increased on next week. Will have to await the effects of this.

Hope your blip is soon over.
Laura x

May 12th, 2008 at 10:18 am

Hi Abi,
Thanks for your message. I can imagine that it’s easy to freak out when you get a couple of spots after being used to clear skin after Roaccutane. Did all the other side effects subside once you finished the course? Including the dry lips? I have very dry lips anyway so was always used to slapping on the lip balm. It wasn’t a problem really a problem though - as long as I put lip balm on frequently, I would have soft lips. If I forgot it one day, I had to buy another one otherwise my lips would be a state by the end of the day! Roaccutane is making them dryer but I hope they will just return to their normal dry prone but entirely manageable state after Roaccutane.

I’m actually quite glad I was started on a low dose. I had a MASSIVE outbreak of very painful spots in week 2 so I guess that shows that even on 10mg the Roaccutane was affecting my system. I had headaches and hot flushes in week 1 but these have mainly subsided. Apart from that have had dryer skin, eyes and especially lips but nothing too terrible since it’s a low dose. I would have been quite scared of how my body would have reacted if I had been prescribed my maximum dose straight away.

Will watch out for your updates.
Laura x

May 12th, 2008 at 10:45 am

Hey Abi,

I’m sorry to hear that you are getting few menacing spots. I’ve followed your story closely so I was gutted to read this account. Dut it doesn’t nescessarily mean the acne will return so don’t worry!

There could be a number of other causes. Could it be a pre-menstrual outbreak at all? Even those with the most perfect skin get the odd spot at this time - damn those hormones!

Also, what’s been your post-accutane routine at the moment? Did your dermatologist recommend any products that could keep any stubborn spots away? Any changes you could make to your cleanser or moisturiser to prevent these spots?

If things worsen i.e. you continue to have more spotty days than not - its definitely worth seeing your dermatologist. He may be able help you without putting you on a third course. If (and I stress if) you do need a third course we’ll all be hear to help you out!

Again, sorry to hear about this setback and all the best.

May 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

Hiya Rachel!

Thanks for your advice, I’ve not heard of those products before so il have a look

The last time I took Roaccutane was cos it was my sisters wedding and I was going to be a bridesmaid and I really wanted to have clearer skin for the occasion. Luckily the roacc had worked well and I didn’t have to shy away from the cameras so hopefully it will be the same for you :-).

xxxxxxxxxxxx

May 12th, 2008 at 1:40 pm

Thanks ever so much for your advice Abi. The coincidence is I bought that very sun cream even before I read your note.

Just when I managed to save myself from acne frustrations, I have ended up with another problem. On my last two days of the course I had very dry skin around my lips and I stupidly picked on the flaky skin. Now I have ended up with a dark patch around that area and don’t know how to get rid of this mark! Is there anything you can suggest that will help to undo my stupid mistake?

Also, I had a lot of blackheads on my nose but roacctane worked wonders on them! Do blackheads reappear once the course is complete or is that the end of the little creeps? I so hope it is……

Sorry to bombard you with all these questions……..Hope your skin has gone better from the last time you wrote this post. All the very best everyone.

Kashfia

May 18th, 2008 at 12:08 am

Thanks again I will difinitely give the nipple cream a try! And great to know that your skin has got better again…hope it continues that way for all of us. Keep on writing about your post-accutane progress. Take care

Kashfia

May 18th, 2008 at 6:59 pm

Hi Abi

Sorry to hear about the recent reappearance of spots - though good to hear your skins improved since you wrote your post! I can relate to the anxiety… i’m approaching 3 months since i stopped taking roaccutane (wrote a bit of an essay in my recent post : ) ) and i’m feeling… apprehensive i guess.

I’ve got the tiny bumps back i had pre-roaccutane which i can feel when i wash my face - over the top of my forehead and a couple of small patches on my cheekbones. They’re not as bad as before but it was proof enough for me that my skin was showing signs of clogging and i felt quite down about it… my dermatologist then confirmed this at my appointment last week!!! He’d said previously he might prescribe Isotrex gel depending upon how my skin looked and thats what i’m now using every evening - Roaccutane in topical form. Its only been a week and at the moment theres not been a great deal of change, though its not worse. Saying that a few days ago my skin was looking blotchy after washing in the mornings and i panicked that the gel was making matters worse!!! Have you ever used this?? Still getting some small spots appearing - a few more than i’d like but they do seem to dissappear quickly and are not the red angry types. But i’m afraid that these are the warning small ones!!

Think Kashfia mentioned blackheads… i’ve not had the really big black ones, not what the dermatologist calls blackheads anyway!, i’ve got little ones - blocked dark pores or whatever you want to call them…on my nose and forehead which were clear when i finished Roaccutane and have gradually reappeared. Not as numerous or as dark.. just assume theres not much i can do about it… that i’m bound to get some given my skin is at the oily end of the spectrum!!

Wish that a few spots didn’t make me panic but this has really taken a bite out of my confidence which has taken long time to build up.

I know what you mean, i’ve lost count of the times i’ve said it isn’t fair…. somebody was talking about their skin to me last week - about how they pretty much never had spots… i didn’t really appreciate that much!

Crikey i’ve rambled on a bit! I do hope your skin is continuing to improve and its just reacting to your body readjusting re your cycle! Xx

May 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 am

Hi Abi!

I know, i thought i’d wait a bit till i updated and time has flown by, yours was the first diary i read before i started so wanted to see how you were doing! : )

Well i felt it the gel was making my spots more pronounced, and new ones seemed to be forming more quickly… i wondered if it was going to be another case of gets worse before it gets better…but seems to be settling though i think this morning i noticed a touch of flakiness on my forehead and by my mouth…?! My dermatologist did tell me that blonde and redheads have the most problems with the gel..so as i’m dark haired i ought to have better odds on not reacting but…. It says on the info sheet it normally takes 6-8 weeks for the effects to show?!?! ….more waiting!

Me too!!!, i’ve gone back to using Simple foam wash as of last week as didn’t feel that the cetaphil cleanser was getting face clean enough now my skins not dry anymore. I’m not sure for instance whether i ought to still be moisturising at night!!!! Do you?? worried that i’ve caused my pores to clog again by using the wrong things. My dermatologist said i have oily skin and to use products for that type….but!!!, i tried that when i was younger and after a few days they were just too harsh and caused dry rough patches which started on my cheeks!!! i’m using the same moisturiser as you for daytime.

I’ve not had peeling problems like that, has that been a constant since you stopped? and did you have that when you took the course before? In general my skins not really been dry, sort of normal i guess… but now i’m using this gel, it forms thin layer that dries and makes my skin feel very tight where i’ve applied it… so i think i should put bit of moisturiser on but then worry i’m being counter-productive!….. i’m sure when i asked before he told me if i felt like i needed it then to go ahead!!! hmmm!

Also i feel like my scalp has been a bit itchy again, like when i first started Roaccutane… thing is although the Elave shampoo seemed to stop that i don’t think it deals so well with my greasier hair..maybe i’ll give it another try. Have you had an itchy scalp or just the flakiness?

Xxxxxxx

May 22nd, 2008 at 7:14 pm

Hi Abi

I remember T-gel being suggested before, but i didn’t try it myself..hope it works for you. Mine is still having itchy moments… forgot to use my elave shampoo when i washed it last but better give it a try.

I’m really confused over moisturisers… i really wish i’d been more prepared when i saw my dermatologist… i tend to think of questions a day later!!, and it costs me £100 for follow ups…! I’ve been making sure I use moisturiser with SPF, but wondering if thats part of the problem, with the clogging issue… but i know i have to be careful as my skin will be more sensitive since being on Roaccutane. I was researching moisturisers for oily skin - the non-comedonic, oil free etc types and Oil of Olay seemed to do a really good one, but then i also read on another site about ingredients in products to avoid… like lanolin, and a whole list of these oils.. one of which is in the Olay one i was going to try!!!!!!! AHHHH have no idea what to believe and i’m so scared of making my skin worse. Think i’m going to phone my dermatologist tomorrow and ask him about all of this! Looking on the internet is not always a good thing - as in whats fact and fiction.

Well no i couldn’t either, you don’t moisturise and your skin goes into oil overdrive to compensate. Ok, well i haven’t seen that, but you said its a new Simple wash so i’ll have a look.

Hmmm, my skin seems to be looking more uneven in tone…have more pink marks, + the bumpy patches are still there , plus i’ve had 2 small spots on my chest over the weekend…. i’ve not had any there since about half way through my Roaccutane course!!!!!

Exactly, its does feel like that!! + sunscreen feels so heavy… i had no choice in Peru as the alititude meant the sun was very strong…but i didn’t like it as my skin felt grubby and greasy with the combination of heat and hiking.

How have things on the skin front been with you over the long weekend?

Xxxxx

May 26th, 2008 at 7:49 pm

Hi Abi and Emma

I was just browing through your posts and it seems you both are in a dilemma about getting the right moisturiser. My derm had always advised to use one that is oil-free and the one that I found soothing for my skin is the Clinique dramatically different gel. I had to use it very frequently while on roacc because the skin was unsually dry but now that I am off the medicine and my skin is gradually going back to normal I find this moisturiser gives the perfect balance - it hydrates without making skin greasy. You might want to try it out. Its a bit expensive but they do sell smaller tubes…..hope it helps

Kashfia

p.s. I know what you mean about sunscreen…..its so thick n greasy! The one I have makes my skin appear grey!!

May 28th, 2008 at 8:23 pm

Hi Abi, i have just found this website and have read some of your background and some comments. Iv also suffered really quite badly from acne and have just started my 4th course of Roaccutane in an attempt to rid myself of it once and for all!

Similar to your story i was clear for some time after treatment and felt really good about things. However as they keep coming back it does get pretty disheartening to be honest. I always went to the doctor and they would always insist on a course of antibiotics or creams, which of course did not help one bit!

I am not sure if this time will be any different and clear them up or not, but i think i have to try.

Good luck with everything just so you know there are others in the same boat.

June 6th, 2008 at 3:21 pm

Hi Guys,

Well I’ve been on and off Roaccutane since 1999 now (I was 24 when I started it after having acne since I was 11 and having tried topical lotions, antibiotics and sheet bleaching Oxy 10). I started on 60mg a day and it really dried my lips up and gave me the odd joint pain. I found Blistex helped my lips and Epaderm helped my hands and wrists as I remember they went dry and sore and Vaseline only stung.

For the past few years I’ve been down to 20mg once a week and this seems to keep me spot free. However I stopped taking this mid February and now my spots have returned, mainly round my mouth and chin. Grr, so I have decided to go back on it. I have a job interview next week and can’t go looking like I am at the minute.

I have no plans to have children in the immediate future and I think the benefits far outway the negatives.

June 18th, 2008 at 6:08 pm

Hi Emma B

I used to have spots on my chest and back until I was about 16. Touch wood I haven’t had them since.

I did take full strength Roac for several months, then stopped totally and stayed clear for several months then broke out again and went back on full strength (60mg a day). Then I think my dose was reduced and I tried more breaks. I seem to be fine on 1 a week but when I quit I only have a couple of clear months.

My derm prescribes me 3 a day (but we both know I only take 1 a week) so this gets round the pregnancy testing and having to go to hospital once a month instead of the twice a year i go now.

My GP did prescribe isotrex gel which I used twice before my skin literally peeled off and raw flesh was exposed. I could feel it burning as soon as I put it on. I’m a delicate redhead you see.

What make up do you use? I always stick with Clinique, I’m using Stay True at the minute during the break out, but I usually use Super balanced. I used to use Dewy Smooth but I think Super balanced is better.

So you have lots of bumps like braille? I think that’s what Victoria Beckham gets, I think she had poly cystic ovaries.

June 19th, 2008 at 4:56 pm

Hi Abi
sorry to hear you have had to go back on tabs again what a pain my skin has been ok apart from the thew big red boil types on my hair line behind my ears luckly i havent had any on my face i hope you are not going to be on another coarse for to long ,cant belive you have to go back on them again ,well take care hun try not to feel to bad i no it easy for me to say but you no i have been there before too.
love zara xxxx

July 18th, 2008 at 7:30 am

How often do you use head and shoulders? It’s an irritant if you use it more than once a week, and can cause your scalp to peel if you use it too much (sounds weird huh), plus it can sensitive skin.
Greasy hair can be caused from washing your hair excessively, as when you wash your hair it dries it out, so the body produces some oil (i think) to protect the hair from external damage.
So if the case is, you wash your hair a lot, and with head and shoulders, then it’s very likely you can get rid of some of your problems by switching to a better shampoo, and showering less. It’s all circumstantial i know, and is always best to find a perfect balance.

Honestly if one washes their hair only every three days, or more if possible (to counter the over production of natural oil) then eventually ones body will stop producing the oil that causes the grease because there is no need. So literally in the long term the the less you wash your hair, the cleaner your hair will be.

July 20th, 2008 at 9:35 am