sparklypickle: Three months after the end with PHOTOS (+ a bonus photo)
November 20th, 2009Hello Dearlings!
I think this will be my last update for a while because my roaccutane and acne-related comments have become very boring, but in the best way possible!!
I used to have pretty bad comedomal acne on my cheeks, and huge amounts of redness and marks from old spots, I had cysts along my jawline and under my ears, at least one at all times and they were really painful and Inflamed. the whole of my face used to feel bumpy and I used to pick at the bumps in the hope of getting rid of the spots before they fully developed, as ewll as picking blackheads and whiteheads and unfortunately picking a cysts…(OUCHIES). I was using harsh facewash for spot-prone skin, exfoliating too much, also applying topical antibiotics and taking oral antibiotics, plastering on heavy make-up every day to try and disguise my skin and would often refuse social situations because I was so ashamed of the way I looked.
Roaccutane has changed my life. If I over sleep, I can run to work without even washing my face and not worry about how my skin will look for the rest of the day…make up is now an optional affair, and I can enjoy applying it in ways which reflect my mood or the occaission 
and I feel confident enough to go out with friends and work mates. I have only had two periods since my course ended, so that’s two 40-45 day cycles, which certainly beats the 12-16 day cycle I had pre-roacc (thanks to the minipill totally wrecking my monthly cycle….thanks a bunch, now don’t go messin with it again….stuupid hormone pills)
Here is my face now make-up free and evidently hairbrish free. (visible brown dots are moles not old spot marks, you can’t see the marks on camera any more!
and just for fun here is one with full makeup at halloween…glass of wine in hand…ah life after roaccutane rocks!….excuse the random kitchen stuff..I had been busy baking all day!
Over the last month I have had a few blocked pores….tiny bumps which try to make minature whiteheads but just fade away into nothing within a couple of days. I still religiously apply differin cream at night and the red marks are now more pale brown and I can see that it is going to take several more months for these to fade totally.
Antidepressant wise I am now down to about 6mg per day from 60, so I am nearly there…and it all feels a bit much at times. Ah well, I’m not here to exorcise my emotional demons…
I still live in fear that as soon as I stop applying differin that my skin will break out, and that the miracle which roaccutane has worked on my skin will wear off, but I will cross that bridge if or when I come to it.
Good luck to you all on your journeys and I hope that you can all emerge from the crysallis oftreatment feeling like beautiful butterflies (but with longer lives to enjoy)…
Sparks x
ps thanks for the support after my horrendous facial waxing accident…It took a week fot it to get back to normal. a week too long in my books…..apparently you arent supposed to wax while using differin either…doh!
loulou
20th Nov, 09
You look fantastic sparks!!!
atfanniemarie
20th Nov, 09
Your skin looks brilliant, as do you. I so need to get some differin I think I’d feel better about the red marks on my neck then, derm nurse said leave it 3 months before using it. You’ve done so well and it’s fantastic to hear your on such a low dose of your antidepressant, well do you.
Hope you continue to do well and let us know how you’re doing at the 6 month mark
Take Care
atFM x
gemma123
20th Nov, 09
Hi Girls, I have not heard about differin…..what is this, please oh please tell me it is something to get rid of the rede marks????? Can I use while on roac? Where do I get it from? Gem
atsparklypickle
20th Nov, 09
Thanks Loulou and FM
FM – I am struggling a bit with the final leg of coming off antidepressants but I will try and get there. I can always go back on at a low dose if I really can’t cope!
Gemma -Differin is a topical retinoid cream which will fade red marks, however you should not use it at the same time as roaccutane. be patient, and wait until your course finishes before asking your derm or GP for this cream to a) fade marks and b) ensure that the acne does not return.
Sparks xx
atfanniemarie
20th Nov, 09
Hi Sparks,
atHope it goes ok, I remember family members coming off antidepressants and it can be quite tricky can’t it. Sure u’ll be fine and like you say, you know they are always there of you need them.
Take Care
FM
x
Megan
20th Nov, 09
Hi Sparks
I’m just wondering if you had oily skin pre the roac and has your skin went back to it’s norm with regards to the oilyness. I’m 7 weeks in and my skin looks amazing but my cousin was also on roac and says when the roac stops the oil starts and your pores slowly but surely return to feeling like muk, which im sure means spots return
Take care
atMegz xxx
sparklypickle
20th Nov, 09
Hi Megan,
pre-roaccutane I had exceptionally oily skin, now it is a bit oily but not quite as bad as it was, so yes the oil does return when you stop your course BUT my skin is still smooth and clear
despite the oil. I think that it is important to maintain a gentle skincare regime so as not to overstimulate the sebaceous glands to produce yet more oil, and to moisturise lightly. Of course oily skin is more prone to spots than normal or dry skin, but you can have oily skin which is perfectly clear (Naomi Watts and Halle Berry have very oily skin but I have never seen them with a single spot) . To be honest, no-one really knows how roaccutane provides a prolongued remission of acne even after the sebaceous glands get larger again and produce more oil……I really hope that acne does not make a home on my face any time soon…that would make me very sad indeed…..
atfanniemarie
21st Nov, 09
Loving the outfit! Lol
atbeckywhite
21st Nov, 09
Thank you for posting this! You’ve made me feel much better about starting my first course x
atsparklypickle
21st Nov, 09
you are welcome Becky, any questions you have I am more than happy to answer for you. Good luck!
S x
atvfbb
22nd Nov, 09
Your skin looks FAB, it’s very reassuring to see that it is still soooo clear 3 months on. I finish next week and can’t wait, but am worried abou them returning. I am so glad it has worked so well for you. x
attadashii
23rd Nov, 09
Hi Sparks,
You mentioned something about psoriasis circumspect (?) on your knees and elbows in a previous blog… I looked this up and found Keratosis (another name for the same condition apparently. Was this just on your knees and elbows or was it anywhere else. I’m starting to worry that my acne is infact keratosis rather than acne, will ask Derm about it next week when I go back, but was this what you meant, tiny little bumps in clusters with kind of “plugs” in them in the fair follicles?
Sorry for specific question, just wondering if you can shed any light and interested that the Roacc cured it when it’s supposed to be incurable according to the websites I’ve found about it.
Thanks
Tadashii xx
atsparklypickle
23rd Nov, 09
Hi Tadashii,
yes I only had this condition on my knees and elbows, and it is starting to return now that my course has ended (as my derm said it would) . there is a clear distinction between keratosis and acne, which is that acne is due to the build up of sebum rather than keratin. and the sebum gets infected with bacteria causing pimples.
apparently ketratosis pilaris is quite common (see link) but your derm should easily be able to disinguish between this and acne. The bumps of keratosis are very hard and do not ‘go away’ they are in the same place all the time at the base of the hair follicle. It is most common on arms and legs. Roaccutane can be used to control certain types of psoriosis but it does not cure it.
http://www.helpforkp.com/
i hope that helped. If you were prescribed roaccutane in the first place, and have whiteheads and blackheads you probably have acne vulgaris. closed comedomes can also have the appearance of bumps at the base of hair follicles (where the sebum glands are) but they are not as hard, and eventually come to the surface and go away. The pattern of acne is pretty random but keratosis can be a pretty regular pattern.
let me know what your derm says.
S xx
attadashii
23rd Nov, 09
Thanks Sparks,
That’s really helpful. Having read that, I actually think I probably have both, but the KP probably isn’t that bad. The bumpy skin I have is at surface level and isn’t anything like the goosebumps I have on my knees and elbows. I think I have a touch of mild KP on my chest with acne there as well, but it isn’t so bad, and when my acne cleared up with the lymacycline previously, my chest skin wasn’t completely smooth, but it looked a damn site better than it does now.
I’ll look up acne vulgaris and compare with some of the pictures. Victoria Beckham has similar skin to me (if you’ve ever seen her without makeup) and they describe her’s as acne rather than KP. I wonder if she’s ever taken RoAccutane…. In some ways it’s comforting to know that even the rich and famous suffer with acne, but the next thought in my mind is “If she can’t get hers sorted out with all her money, what hope do I have?!”
Anyway, thank you very much, and it was very encouraging (and entertaining) to read your blog, which I pored through this morning having just discovered this site. Thanks
I will be keeping a blog too and will post at least weekly and after I see the Derm.
Tadashii xx
atsparklypickle
23rd Nov, 09
Hi again. I believe there is some skepticism over the pics of victoria beckham with apparently bad skin, they may have been photoshopped. cameron diaz does have acne-prone skin though bless her, I think that normal people get the odd pimple now and then when they are run down. I also have slightly bumpy skin around the follicles on my chest buts not so bad, at least I don’t have acne any more, I didnt even realize there was a name for the bumpy skin syndrome I had til my derm mentioned it! I had some fleeting sucess with tetracyline and lymocycline too but these things do not work long term
you should write a diary because it is really helpful for you and for others!
good luck!
S xx
atHelen K
2nd Dec, 09
hey, I have been following ur posts and have just seen ur comment about something to do with facial waxing incident. I have been having my upper lip waxed for years at the same salon and I went on Sat. Oh my god, I didn’t realise u weren’t supposed to have waxing done whilst on it!
atWhat happened with you and how long did it take for it to get back to normal?
Been so embarrasing at work!! My lip is flaky and is peeling.
sparklypickle
3rd Dec, 09
ok. so two months after stopping roaccutane I waxed my upper lip…I had very sore red raw skin for a couple of days followed by scabbing, peeling and flaking for a few days. all in all highly attractive. It was healed after about a week though for me but I only used home waxing strips not full on professional wax so I dont know if this will be a longer or shorter recovery fot you!
I strongly reccommend applying a thick layer of sudocrem at night to ease the inflamation and avoid infection..cos the last thing you need is a scabby, raw red upper lip with an infection…eewww. Igope your skinheals up soon, I know exactly how embarassing it is..I had to tell all my work colleagues because I founhd it so funny…and also I figured that beat just having people looking at me wondering what the heck happened…..
at