My skin, end of Month 1

I have just finished my first month of 20mg Roaccutane and from today start taking 40mg!

Here's my skin after 1 month, can you see a difference?

I've not had any side effects other than dry skin! Mostly on my lips which make wearing lipstick a bit of a pain!

I went to see my dermatologist yesterday to get a repeat prescription and he said because my blood tests were fine I didn't have to have anymore!!! He said I could just buy cheap pregnancy tests and do them at the clinic to make sure I'm not pregnant but that's it!!

- Natalie

What does Roaccutane look like?

The blister pack that contains Roaccutane makes the tablets look really big:

But once you take them out of there they are quite small

They are easy to take but have a slightly "plasticky" aftertaste!

- Natalie

Cetaphil

When I went to see my Dermatologist I told him my face was really itchy and it was difficult as, because of the acne, when I scratched it bled.

He recommended products by Cetaphil; they contain no perfume or lanolin so they don't block pores, are non greasy, and are specifically designed for skin following dermatological treatment. 

http://m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Boots-Brands-A-to-Z/Cetaphil/

http://www.cetaphil.com

It helps add moisture into the skin so I'm hoping it will help combat the dryness caused by Roaccutane.

And if it's recommended by a dermatologist why not give it a try eh? The start from £8.99 so not too bad in comparison to products I have bought in the past...

I have very sensitive skin as well so I have to be careful what I put on it, so far I have had no nasty side effects or stinging sensations. I especially like the moisturising lotion for my body as my chest/back/shoulders are particularly dry!

- Natalie

My skin, month 1

Here are pictures of my skin 9 days after being prescribed 20mg of Roaccutane daily.

- Natalie

Roaccutane, again!

So after getting slightly depressed about my skin and the fact that it is as bad as ever I decided to pay another visit to my dermatologist at Pall Mall medical (61 King Street, Manchester).

For those who live in Manchester or the UK; Pall Mall is a good place to go because you don't need a referral so you don't have to go through the process of seeing your GP and waiting to get an appointment! It's especially good if, like me, you have taken Roaccutane before as you will not have to try everything else before being prescribed R and can get it relatively quickly. However it is private and therefore expensive if you are self funding.

If you have read my previous posts about R you will know that before it is prescribed you have to have a liver function and cholestrol test (as well as taking the pill for at least a month before/ having a pregnancy test if you are female).

I however did not come prepared so after agreeing to prescribe me the Dr had to send me away while I got the tests done and told me to come back in 1 month...

... 2 weeks later I returned (I'm very inpatient) with results in hand. "When is your next period?" "Not for 5 days" *silence*. 

I didn't know this but they tend to want 2 ways to prove you're not pregnant: the negative test and for you to be on your period just before you start taking R. It is important because if you do fall pregnant whilst taking it you have to have an abortion. 

Anyway, after proving my lack of pregnancy I was able to get my prescription, a one month supply of 20mg capsules with the agreement that I should quickly move up to 40mg.

I had to get 2 boxes of 10mg so I take two a day.

I have been taking them for about 9 days now and the only effect I have had so far is dry lips. It's the kind of dryness where if you open your mouth wide enough you can feel the sides split... In fact as I was typing that I scratched my mouth and made it bleed.

I'll keep you updated of any changes and will take regular pictures of my face so we can all see the (fingers crossed) changes!

If you have any questions let me know.

- Natalie