As thankful as I am to Accutane for clearing my cystic acne, the dryness is next-level.
At 16 I stood in front of the mirror and saw cheeks filled with cystic acne and a forehead that was red from picking at it. I wasn’t as insecure with my skin as I was frustrated; despite all the products and medication I had tried, nothing changed.
I was on spironolactone to help reduce acne, but there hadn’t been any improvements after a couple of months.
I was unbelievably frustrated. I tried almost every home remedy, drank more water, ate less sugar, tried medical facials, and multiple products but nothing had helped my acne.
At my next dermatologist appointment, it was decided that I would try Accutane. I was elated to try something that I knew was going to work, but I didn’t know the process of getting put on it.
There were multiple steps I had to take:
1. Get blood work and a pregnancy test
2. Choose two forms of birth control
3. Be on birth control for a month before starting
4. Get final pregnancy test.
Once my dermatologist received the last pregnancy test, I had to register with iPledge and obtain my medication; I was all set.
I didn’t see a decrease during my first month of taking the neon orange, oval pills, but my skin purged and my lips were incredibly dry.
Skin purging is when the rate of the skin’s cellular turnover is increased, pushing out all the dead skin cells, buildup, and sebum, and is normal when beginning a new acne medication.
The second and third month showed an improvement. I had increased my dosage, the purging stopped and my cystic acne began to clear.
I still had active acne and would occasionally get new ones but when a pimple popped up, it went away almost as fast as it popped up. Dry lips still posed an issue, but with all the possible side effects, I didn’t mind that I was experiencing dryness.
Months four to eight held the most drastic change in my skin. All active acne had faded, leaving me with scars from picking at them. I didn’t mind the scars; all I was happy about was the disappearance of my painful cystic acne.
The last two months of my treatment weren’t to clear up my skin, but to solidify my clear skin.
I was happy with my skin for the first time in years. I glowed, I had smooth skin and felt more confident, and I couldn’t believe how clear my skin was.
That was until September of 2022, a year after I had ended my first round of Accutane. At first it was two pimples at a time, then it progressed to three. Clusters of my cystic acne had started to form around my jawline and cheeks, and I immediately booked an appointment to get back onto Accutane.
I’ve been on my second round for five months and the timeline is much like my first round.
As I’m in the fifth month, I can now say my skin is clear again without active acne popping up. The only side effect I have experienced again is dryness of my lips and nose, but Aquaphor and Vaseline fixes it right away.
As for the effects of Accutane, it is a miracle worker. It cleared my skin fast and in an effective way and I didn’t have to change diet or products I was using.
Thank you, Accutane, for letting me imagine a face clear from painful cystic acne.