Yesterday I had my 3 month follow up with my dermatologist after coming off of Accutane. I was on Accutane from September of last year until June of this year at roughly 40mg daily dose. It cured my cystic acne and no, it didn’t leave me permanently damaged and suffering with kidney and liver issues I’ll spend the rest of my life battling with… it didn’t sterilize me and it definitely was not a cause for regret.
My skin has never looked or felt better and any scarring I have left over is an afterthought these days. I catch myself having to remember how lucky I am not to spend so much money on makeup and skincare products that weren’t helping anything and a 10 step skincare routine that exhausted me but didn’t protect me from acne. (I’d wake up in the morning with two or three new boils without fail)
I wish I’d committed to Accutane sooner but I don’t have regrets. If I’d committed sooner I might not have started a YouTube channel in May to talk about low dose Accutane and the difference it’s made in my life, why it’s beneficial if you’re struggling, etc etc. I’ve helped people from those videos and it’s made the entire process even more worth it.
Because no… Accutane wasn’t easy but it was not more difficult than waking up every morning and hating my skin… feeling like I couldn’t go to the gym without a full face on or to the grocery store. I was constantly stared at and it was only after I healed my skin that we all now wear masks anyway and more than half of my face is covered (sigh).
My dermatologist would echo this to me and say that the effects of Accutane were always minuscule compared to the agony of having boils and cysts covering your face. I know it’s all in your head and you shouldn’t let acne bring you down but when it’s severe and even when it’s not it’s debilitating. Life is hard enough without it – we already find invisible reasons to hate ourselves. I still put myself out there but I look at photos from a few years ago and I was miserable and you could see it.
Looking back, the biggest difficulty while on Accutane was the joint and muscle pain. I was exhausted more often than not and my eyes were constantly dryer than my lips (which were flaky and painful, but it was manageable with a lip balm recommended by my dermatologist). I’d still do it all over again because no longer am I concerned about my appearance in a negative way – in fact I spend very little time on my appearance anymore in the best possible way. I sleep in, exercise more, and take every opportunity with no second thought. If I have a bad day it doesn’t end with a Cystic Cherry on top.
I can’t recommend Accutane (at a low dose) enough. Don’t let media, actors or individuals who have had a bad experience chase you away from something that should be a first resort… not a last resort. Look at the medical facts that support a low dose of Accutane and how it has exactly the same results as a high dose without so many negative, painful side effects. Do your research and talk to your doctor, and reach out with questions that you have! Let me experience be an example of why you should.
BlueMJ 