Hi All,
Well that’s it guys! Exactly 170 days and 458 pills later I have now completed my course of roaccutane. I’ve just taken the last pills!
The results: my skin is acne-free and has been for (at least) the last 6 weeks of the treatment. No spots…AT ALL! 
My acne was never severe….I didn’t have large nodular, cystic acne all over my face. In fact spending half an hour with the concealer and foundation in the morning covered it up to the point where it might not even be noticed. But what I lacked in severity I made up in persistency. I had acne for 7 years from the age of 14. Also, I was constantly greasy and shiny and had to run to the loos to use oil-blotting sheets throughout the day – it was really embarrassing! So when I hit 21 earlier this year, tired from trying everything and carrying a shattered self-esteem, I decided to book an appointment with a dermatologist privately.
Broadly speaking, the first couple of months were spent waiting for something to happen, the next few months were spent trying to endure some pretty awful and intense side-effects and by the end I couldn’t wait for the treatment to finish! Especially with summer kicking in…the treatment’s definitely harder to endure in the heat.
You all know a fair bit about roaccutane so I won’t bore you with the obvious drying side-effects I experienced – dryness, nosebleeds, freakish-rash-on-hands etc. But to sum up the greatest annoyances for me personally were:
- Peeling lips – not so much dry lips because that was a constant battle but when the lip skin actually peeled off (at work!) and left the lips sore underneath.
- Being contact lens intolerant for the duration of the treatment and some eye infections.
- Constantly sweaty brow line and nose! Ewww! Strange I know…seems like a pretty rare side-effect but it was a nightmare for me.
I have scars/red marks and they’re quite noticeable so I’m not at a stage where I can go outside with no foundation on. This is a bit of a downer but knowing that, unlike the acne, the scars will fade in good time is reassuring enough for me.
The Roaccutane experience is truly life-changing. This website has definitely helped me throughout the treatment and thanks to all those who keep this community going. I love the fact that everyone on here knows and understands each other. We all go through roughly the same journey…apprehension about the side-effects, frustration at the progress and those damn breakouts. Throw in spending a load of hard-earned cash on moisturising products and you have the full Roaccutane Experience!
I also think you become wiser about the products advertised out there – you think to yourself ‘Damn, if this is what I have to go through to get rid of this acne then what was I doing buying Oxy Spot or something like that!’.
So to all those deliberating whether to go on roaccutane: Do It! You won’t regret it.
To all those currently on roaccutane: There’s no underestimating how difficult and demanding the treatment. It will (undoubtedly) leave you downright p*ssed off at times but fundamentally it comes down to one thing. The final results will be (and are) worth every single minute. So keep it up and all the best!
I hope my posting can give you some hope. I only took 1 sick day off work throughout the whole treatment so all-in-all it was tolerable even though it take its toll on your body. Now, I just hope the acne won’t return cos I’ve binned the oil-blotting sheets! :-s