Post-Accutane Update / My experience off Isotretinoin.

My accutane experience. 

Hi guys! I done a post on my experience on Accutane, which you can read here if you haven't already and are curious. I have now been off Accutane since early April, I had a course of 5 months.

I thought it would be good to discuss how my skin is now after being off Accutane. My skin is still dry, but not as dry as it was ON accutane. All my side effects have gone, apart from I do struggle moving suddenly, my body can ache which was what was happening to me nearing the end of my journey. My skin has not went back oily, many people I know have said there skin goes back to being oily but not in my case anyway. My skin is still red at times especially after washing my skin but that doesn't bother me hugely.

I haven't broken out since month 3 of being on Accutane (from memory anyway) which is amazing. I've just finished a lot of big exams which normally woud make my skin break out but its hasn't. Not going to lie, that's amazing. However, I still have my bad days. I believe that's because of my confidence and my insecurities which are sadly caused by acne and bullying. It's important in this journey or with any journey to look at it from your persona experience, at times I would look at others on my accutane instagram and think why isn't my skin like this, but we are all different. My scarring has improved a lot but not enough for me personally to feel confident in wearing no makeup out but again, more of a confidence thing I believe. I do have a lot of scarring on my left side and do in the future want to go back to work on improving this.

What I think is most important to say is that after stopping taking accutane, My skin still improved a lot, it kept improving daily without even being on the drug. That made me feel a lot better coming off accutane, it was a comfort. My skin is still improving daily which is great. I have added new skincare into my current routine which I may do a post on in a couple of months.

This post has been a little all over the place but accutane has been one of the best things I have decided to do. I am so grateful for this journey and DO NOT take having clear skin for granted. If you're battling with acne, please keep going. If you're on accutane and think your journey is not going like others, remember this is a individual journey and EVERYONE is different.

If you have any questions or anything at all. I will be more than happy to help in anyway I can.

See you soon, Kirsty x. 

My Accutane Experience

After 5 months I have finished accutane. You can read my previous post here if you're interested. I want to start by saying that I know accutane is a very serious drug but it was my decision to take the treatment and it's not been a regret. I was very uncertain about starting accutane, I've suffered with acne for many years and if you're reading this and you suffer from acne then you'll know how physically and mentally draining it is. I had no other option but accutane.

I was on Accutane for 5 months, my side effects were

• Dry skin 
• Dry lips
• Dry nose
• Tiredness
• Occasional headaches
• Muscle pain/ache 

My side effects were bearable and manageable, I only noticed muscle pain and ache nearing the end of my treatment. The worst of my side effects have been dry lips and nose. The side effects can be scary but in my case they were not bad at all. I had a initial break out which is normal of accutane, and I was breaking out 2 and early third month into my treatment. Accutane makes your skin very sensitive and red which for a long time made me feel uncomfortable as it made my skin look a lot worse but that's normal also. 

Throughout my 5 months, it was up and downs. I noticed major changes in my skin month 3 and 4 and I can confidently say I can't remember the last time I had a spot and it's exam season for me so that is amazing. 

I'm very nervous about my journey now. My journey on Accutane is hopefully over forever. I have been on acne medication for 3 years and to be without it now, I'm shitting myself. I hope this is my time, I deserve to be happy. I deserve to look at myself without crying and accutane has helped me get there.

Please keep going if you're suffering with acne. Those who have suffered with acne will know the feeling and thought process we all go through. You will get there. I am not saying accutane is for everyone, you can choose your own course of treatment but whatever that it is I believe you'll get there no matter how hard. 

My skin now? I'm happy with for the most part. I still have some scarring that I hope to get sorted at dermatology but I can't go until 6 months time. For now, I'm just praying my acne will stay away. 

Leave any questions below and I'll answer if I can. 

The truth about acne. //Accutane

Accutane update.

If you know me you'll know bad skin is something that's always been close to me. I'm now 20 years old and looking back I think I've suffered with acne for the past 4/5 years. I can't really remember a time of me not having bad skin which I think is quite sad. My skin was very oily, dehydrated and had a lot of hyper pigmentation and scars.

There is so much more to acne than 'spots' it's a very emotionally draining thing to have to deal with. I remember wakening up and avoiding mirrors and holding my breath when catching my reflection due to trying to stop myself from crying or screaming. I am a horrible person to be around with acne and I'm so thankful to have a family who are supportive and have put up with my attitude. As I've got older I've become aware of all the emotional side effects acne has given me, paranoia is the main one, I am so paranoid. If I have no makeup on and someone looks at me, even my own mother I will think she's judging me, thinking of all these horrible things of how I look. It's a hard habits to break due to having horrible comments made me in the past from strangers. Physically? Acne is very sore, especially cystic acne. I would get huge cystic spots and one time I had a line of cystic spots coming up my cheek which were all very close together and that was the finally straw.

In 2014 my acne got very bad to the point where my face ached. I bit the bullet and went to the doctors, I got put on antibiotics and cream for the spots. I think I'd like to say how supportive my doctor was, she listened and understood the emotional side effects acne was giving me. From then all went good from there, my skin appeared good and I was starting to feel so much better in myself. Let's skip forward, mid 2015 my skin became bad again, if you've ever looked into antibiotics you'll know the major side effects it can have on your body that I wasn't willing to put up with when it wasn't helping the problem. I went back to my doctor who referred me to dermatology to see what we could do next. My dermatologist suggested, Accutane/Roaccutane and at first I freaked out, I had horror stories are this drug but it was my last option.  I decided to start the treatment knowing all the side effects it could give me. I'm currently 3 months into my treatment and I can honestly say it's the best thing I could have done, My skin is much more smoother, I can't remember the last time I had an active break out and my scar is reducing. I'm still not 100% confident on my skin and I think that'll come with time and not medication.

I really wnated to do this post for me and others who suffer with acne. I could do other post if it's needed. I'd really like to have this place so I can update on my treatment. If there any questions you would like to know I'd be  happy to answer from my own experience.