In February, I wrote an article about the beginning stages of my experience on Accutane. I had been taking the medication for about a month at that point, so it was still pretty new to me. Now it’s April, and I’m on month four of six of the treatment. I have some updates for you on how it’s been going!!
One thing I didn’t talk about in my last article that I want to mention this time: the monthly visits to the hospital. Luckily, Colby is actually right down the street from the hospital, so the commute is not a big deal. It can definitely be inconvenient to fit in during the week, but I usually have afternoons off which gives me time to go to the hospital for blood work. When on Accutane, you have to get blood drawn every month for a variety of different lab work to make sure that your body isn’t reacting in a way that it’s not supposed to. They also test for pregnancy during this blood test, and I also have to take an at-home pregnancy test every month (which is a little embarrassing in the dorm, but it’s worth it!). But blood work means needles, and I am NOT a big fan of needles. I have to look away every time. This is definitely my least favorite thing about the treatment. It’s even worse than the acne flareup!
I also wanted to update you on how my skin is looking and feeling:
My skin is more clear than it has been in years. It happened slowly, so slowly I barely even noticed until I realized I hadn’t had a painful spot on my face in weeks. The texture I described in my last article is gone, my pores are smaller, and I haven’t even been getting whiteheads on my face. Although my skin itself is looking a lot less textured, the hyperpigmentation from my acne hasn’t really gone away, but that does take time. Part of me is a bit skeptical that it will last after the treatment is done!!
My skin is also still very dry. It continues to be flakey (similar to the men in my life lol), but definitely not to the extent that I am having to put Vaseline on my face every night. It’s very sensitive as well. I get sunburned more easily than normal and my face gets very flushed, but I’ll take dryness and the occasional sunburn over deep, painful acne any day.
I’m still two months out from finishing my treatment, but I’m already feeling way better about my skin and about myself. It’s nice to see results, even if they came slowly. I definitely recommend Accutane if you are having similar problems with your skin. It is covered by many insurance companies, which makes it not very expensive. I’ll update you for the last time next month!!