I have struggled with acne for years. I have tried various different diets to help with my skin, skin care regimes, topical creams and medication none of which had any real effect on my acne. When I was 21 I decided to go on the pill and after 2 and a bit years of side effects decided that I did not want to mess around with my hormones any more.
By now I am 24 and experiencing some of the worst acne of my life. Naively I thought by the time I hit 24 acne would be a thing of the past, that is what I had been told repeatedly in my teens so why am I still getting monstrous painful spots.
I finally decided that I had, had enough. Leading up to Christmas I was spending hours trying to hide my acne and dealing with my face looking like a football due to the swelling the spots caused, when my dad told me something that I wish I had known sooner. I was covered on his works private health insurance until I was 25!
The following week I was at the doctors discussing my options for the millionth time, but after realising we had pretty much exhausted our options I was referred to the private clinic.
My first appointment took a while to get sorted due to insurance fun etc, but finally in February I met with the dermatologist. She immediately told me that yes my acne was all hormonal and recommended Isotretinoin/Roaccutane after some blood tests making sure I was in good health to take it. The blood tests came back and showed that my hormones apparently had a mind of their own and didn't quite like to stay where they were meant to which led to my acne and may suggest that I have PCOS (tests for this still to come).
At this point I was actually relived, for years people had told me all I needed to do was wash my face better, eat this or stop eating that, try this expensive cream, how about this weird ointment or you wear too much makeup, the list goes on and on. It was nice to finally know that really not much I could have done would have changed my skin and that I could now be given something to actually help.
Wednesday the 15th of February 2017
The first day of Roaccutane
I was initially prescribed 20mg (1 pill) a day for the first 2 weeks and then 40mg (2 pills) a day for the following 2 weeks before my next consultation with the dermatologist.
Images from the morning I first took the Roaccutane- ironically my skin is actually much better here than it was when I first went to the doctor in November.
By now I am 24 and experiencing some of the worst acne of my life. Naively I thought by the time I hit 24 acne would be a thing of the past, that is what I had been told repeatedly in my teens so why am I still getting monstrous painful spots.
I finally decided that I had, had enough. Leading up to Christmas I was spending hours trying to hide my acne and dealing with my face looking like a football due to the swelling the spots caused, when my dad told me something that I wish I had known sooner. I was covered on his works private health insurance until I was 25!
The following week I was at the doctors discussing my options for the millionth time, but after realising we had pretty much exhausted our options I was referred to the private clinic.
My first appointment took a while to get sorted due to insurance fun etc, but finally in February I met with the dermatologist. She immediately told me that yes my acne was all hormonal and recommended Isotretinoin/Roaccutane after some blood tests making sure I was in good health to take it. The blood tests came back and showed that my hormones apparently had a mind of their own and didn't quite like to stay where they were meant to which led to my acne and may suggest that I have PCOS (tests for this still to come).
At this point I was actually relived, for years people had told me all I needed to do was wash my face better, eat this or stop eating that, try this expensive cream, how about this weird ointment or you wear too much makeup, the list goes on and on. It was nice to finally know that really not much I could have done would have changed my skin and that I could now be given something to actually help.
Wednesday the 15th of February 2017
The first day of Roaccutane
I was initially prescribed 20mg (1 pill) a day for the first 2 weeks and then 40mg (2 pills) a day for the following 2 weeks before my next consultation with the dermatologist.
Images from the morning I first took the Roaccutane- ironically my skin is actually much better here than it was when I first went to the doctor in November.
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| An Image from a few weeks prior in Jan |
great idea to share your experience especially if it helps others. i think this will be very helpful to others who maybe nervous about embarking upon this treatment.
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