Saturday 18 February 2017

Skin 6 months after Roaccutane

I finished my 3rd course of Roaccutane in August 2016. I was happy with the results, there were still a few little spots here and there but nothing like before, the only problem was the oil. I went back to the hospital about 1.5 months after I'd finished my course for a final check up and told them how much oil my skin was producing; it wasn't my usual doctor I was seeing but an acne nurse who told me "well you've had 6 months of this, you don't want to be on it for the rest of your life so if you need to come back get your GP to re-refer you". That was that. He prescribed me a tube of Isotrex and sent me on my way.

Since then my skin has been ridiculously oily; I can feel it forming on my face and am constantly having to reapply makeup and wipe away excess oil with blotting sheets. And with the oil came the spots!

The Isotrex (see my previous post: http://survivingacne.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/isotrexin.html) has done nothing to lessen the spots; in fact, the only thing that has helped is the erythromycin cream that I purchased from the pharmacy to help with the rashes that kept appearing on my hands whilst I was taking Roaccutane.

The spots on the side of my forehead in the above picture were there for at least 2 months; every time one would go another would reappear just next to it and nothing I did would get rid of them. I'm 26 years old, all I want is nice skin; is that too much to ask??

I've sent an e-mail to my dermatologist to ask for an appointment because no, I would rather not be on it forever but it seems to be the only thing that works and I can life with dry lips and hand rashes if it will help clear up my skin! I actually asked another Dermatologist who I know if there was any limits to how many times you could be prescribed R and she said there wasn't and pointed out that despite the research that acne is linked to depression the people who take it are generally happier as they feel that their skin is getting better!

If my Dermatologist does see me and does prescribe me another round of Roaccutane this will be my fourth go; has anyone else out there been on it this many times?

- Natalie