My name is Amy and I am 23 years old. I have been suffering from bad skin since about the age of 18, quite strange as I always had clear skin as a child.
It was only last year that I began seeking advice from my doctor to advise what to do about my disorder. After years of trying out every skin product on the shelf, spending huge amounts of money on clinique product and other such crèmes and lotions, I decided that my skin was beyond what the high street could offer me.I never realised that my skin was actually bad until I was approximately nineteen. I was working in an office and a girl there started to say things about me behind my back. Playground insults obviously, but I never realised that this was something that people took notice of.
This is when I began trying out all of the different products I could get my hands on in ‘Boots’.
The most effective treatment I found was clinique’s products, they worked for about a fortnight then it seemed as though my skin got used to them and then it was just back to normal.
Over the last year, I can’t decide whether my skin has got worse or I have got to notice it more, getting more paranoid over it.
Some days I can’t bear to look into the mirror, it upsets me so much. I only get spots on my face, only on the sides of my face too. My head and chin are totally clear. I hate leaving the house without make up on, I feel as though everyone is staring at me and thinking how bad I look.
After going through years of harming myself due to emotional problems in my life, sometimes the way I look makes me hate myself and adds to this problem. I’d hate having a new boyfriend, and having them see me without make up for the first few times.
I have been on two different kinds of antibiotics from my doctor, none of them worked.
Now I am taking Roaccutane (this is my first week) and I have noticed a change already. My skin has calmed down so much, its less red and when I put foundation on you can hardly tell that I have any spots. My mouth and lips are constantly dry, but my actual skin hasn’t been too dry - not unbearable to cope with anyway. My lips have actually swollen quite a bit! I look like I have just had a botox injection, which is quite funny!
One of the tips that I have is to use distilled witch hazel on your skin before you go to bed, it really takes the redness away and does not dry your skin out like some cleansers and toners do.
I have not been feeling as hungry as I usually do, I don’t know if this is a side effect of the treatment? I am on 60mg, I am glad I was started off on a high dosage so I can get this over with quicker!
I am just hoping to god that this works. I don’t know where it would leave me if Roacc can’t help me. I am sure this is the last course (and highest) course of treatment a dermatologist can give you?
I simply cannot wait for the day where I can think ‘oh my god, what a terrible photo of me!’- Because of a stupid face I am pulling, not thinking ‘oh dear god, look how bad my skin is!’
I am glad I found this site, I can meet other people who suffer like I do, as no one understands what its like to have this sort of problem!
WHEN ( I am going to be positive here) when my skin is clear, I am hoping my boyfriend will actually start to find me attractive, and look at me the way he looks at other women.
It would just be nice for sometime to think I am pretty.
I hope all your treatments go well, and whats with the alcohol ban!? Grr….. annoying! Mind you, four months without alcohol is time well spent to go a lifetime without horrible skin!