Taking Accutane for acne usually comes with a set of mixed reviews - from horror stories, to little to no side effects and clear skin for years! A large number of people end up taking Accutane, including me. Here is my experience and whether it was worth it or not for me.
What's Accutane?
Accutane (isotretinoin) is a strong prescription acne treatment that helps clear up stubborn acne. it’s basically a high-dose form of vitamin A that works by shrinking oil glands, reducing oil production, and preventing clogged pores.
It’s super effective, but it can also cause dryness and sensitivity among other side effects.
If you’re thinking about taking Accutane, talk to a dermatologist to see if it’s the right choice for your skin.
How Long I Took Accutane For
I began taking Isotretinoin (also known as Accutane/Roaccutane) for 4 months at 60mg. Taking the medication has been a tough decision for me, which was an absolute last resort for my acne but I made the leap.
On January, I began taking Accutane after having consultations and blood tests. I did my research so I already knew the good, the bad and the ugly truth heading my way. My dermatologist started off giving me a maximum dosage of 60 mg (based on my weight) and warned me that it will get worse before getting better – which it effectively did!
My Skin Background
I struggled with my skin at the age of 12, with my acne getting progressively getting worse at age 24. My deep cystic acne broke out in my body and face, convincing me to change my diet and skin care routine to keep my face clear of acne breakouts.
I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome at the age of 23, which usually plays a role in causing acne as well. I refused to take contraceptive pills to manage my hormones and tried healing myself through holistic and natural means.
Other Acne Treatments I Tried First
I set off by visiting a homeopath, leading me to cut out gluten, dairy, eggs and sugar from my diet along with taking different supplements.
I also took acupuncture and consulted different skin specialists which recommended treatments such as light therapy, chemical peels, laser, microdermabrasion, among the huge range of skin care products.
My journey to clearer skin began full of hope and positivity, but it was soon gone when none of the efforts I exerted had worked.
So by then, I decided to visit a dermatologist and decided to take Accutane after months of trying different things that didn't work.
Here's my Accutane experience and whether or not it was worth it for me.
I Had Purging 3 Weeks Into Accutane
I had terrible purging on the first 3 weeks of going on Accutane but kept going despite its horrendous effects. I would say purging was my biggest side effect that bothered me the most.
The good news is that my skin rapidly improved week by week, but it wasn’t without some noticeable side effects.
Other Side Effects
Dryness and cracked skin: While on accutane I dealt with dehydration and dry itchy skin all over my body and my eczema flared up all over my body.
What helped was that I was drinking 5 liters of water while I was on Accutane which minimized the dehydration and dry cracked skin. I had to apply moisturizer all over my whole body to keep the dry skin side effect away.
Physically fatigued: Another side effect that I felt was that I was really physically tired and fatigued easily. Normally I'm quite fit and active since I'm a personal trainer. However I noticed I really needed to rest more compared to my usual active lifestyle. The good thing is that these side effects weren't too bad and were very manageable for me.
Was Accutane worth it?
For me, it was all totally worth it. Seeing my skin improve each and every day kept me going and gave me so much hope! My acne cleared up so much and I'm very happy with the results. I decided to take Accutane because my acne had really started to have an impact on my mental health and I knew that it would be irresponsible to not address that.
After 4 months of taking accutane or isotretinoin, my dermatologist was very happy to see a tremendous improvement and took me off the meds!
Writing this, I'm currently 4 weeks post Accutane, and my skin is still continuing to improve while the side effects are subsiding. I have a lot of scarring left but I have been using the BANISH Pumpkin Enzyme Masque, Banish Serum, and Vitamin C Creme, to help combat this - and I’m noticing a difference as on my acne scarring after using these products.
Products to use after Accutane For Hyperpigmentation
Pumpkin Enzyme Masque - An exfoliating mask that won't dry out skin with AHAs and glycolic acid.
Banish Serum - Hydrating Vitamin C Serum with L-ascorbic acid and glycerin. Made with natural ingredients and stabilized with ferulic acid and vitamin c
Vitamin C Creme - Moisturizer Full of antioxidants to prevent skin damage and vitamin c to brighten.
Conclusion
Accutane can be a strong medication and is considered to be a dangerous drug in certain cases, but for me, it was worth it for clearing my acne and I could deal with the temporary side effects.
If you have plans of using this medication for acne, heed my advice: make sure you do plenty of research beforehand, ask your dermatologist loads of questions and talk to supportive people around you as they will really be a big help.
Always remember to be kind to yourself whilst on the medication and drink loads of water, and use moisturizer everyday!
Be true to yourself and your own journey. Whether you decide to take medication, or heal your skin naturally, please know that you are beautiful as you are - with or without acne!
*photos courtesy of Instagram: @emilykeel
5 comments
Caitlin
Our stories are so similar, I wish there were resources like this back in 2013. I am glad that you shared your experience for others to learn from. While I still have some fairly severe scaring, I know that Accutane prevented further mental health issues. Your skin looks incredible!
Michaela
Best decision I have ever made. I never had any organ damage or depression. In fact, I actually became significantly happier on Accutane because my confidence was higher. I couldn’t recommend more.
jojo
My son started on it a month ago..already see an improvement! Don’t let all the side effects scare you. you need to be under Dr supervision and that is very important. Yes you will get dry skin. Yes there’s a possibility you will get depressed. that is why you see your doctor.
at the 11 people that I know that are on this, not one of them has become suicidal.
I think if people read side effects on everyday medication you’d be surprised at some of it things you will read about.
it’s personal choice but it’s so so important to be under doctor care the whole time.
Char
But Accutane is known for causing permanent damage to various organs in your body after time has passed. Not to mention the high risk of suicidal thoughts—& actions. That’s why we didn’t give it to our son for the severe acne on his back when he was a teen. I hope you don’t find out the hard way.
Greg
What a turnaround. Your acne was even worse than mine. You’re such a beautiful woman, but acne can devastate your confidence, I’ve dealt with it for years. The accutane appears to have made a world of difference though. You were absolutely gorgeous before, but now you’re even more stunning. So effin cute! I’m always happy to see such a life changing transformation. Thanks for sharing your story.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.