1.5 yrs post accutane  —

About two years ago I started Accutane. I was very desperate for a solution (read my first blog for more in depth details) for the cystic acne, bacne and chest acne that I had been struggling with for years.

Now it has been a year and a half since I stopped Accutane. I wanted to share my experience, results and effects
of Accutane.

First off, my course of Absorbic / Accutane was supposed to be six full months. I stopped just at five months because of the effects it was having on my kidneys. I was on a very high dose (probably too high of a dose according to my new dermatologist) and my triglyceride levels were off. I was told it should still be effective, even though I cut my course short.

About five months after stopping Accutane, I was scheduled to have a Tonsillectomy. I asked if it was too soon to have surgery and my doctors cleared me for my surgery. Usually after Accutane you have to wait a year to even get a tattoo. So I went through with surgery (I was struggling with tonsillitis and tonsil stones). Unfortunately, five days after my Tonsillectomy I did hemorrhage. They tried to chemically cauterize the hemorrhage but it didn’t work (A story for another time lol). Long-story-short I did end up having a second major surgery to cauterize the hemorrhage. I was told there was about a 2% chance of hemorrhaging with this major surgery, I’m not sure if Accutane increased these chances or not. I don’t really know if this was related to Accutane or not, Accutane can intercept healing (I would get keloids on my hands/arms from my puppy scratching me while on Accutane because my skin was thin). DISCLAIMER: In no way am I placing blame on my Dermatologists, Surgeons or Nurses. I just wanted to share my experiences with you guys.

Later on, I found that I was having a lot more gut issues (than the usual ones). I’ve struggled a lot with IBS and Vaginal infections from many of the other oral acne medications I was on in the past (Doxycycline and Spironolactone). This fall I started to investigate a lot of my symptoms and decided to see a GI doctor. After explaining a lot of my symptoms and past experiences with her, she explained to me that there’s a new discovery that Accutane can cause Crohns Disease. Another long-story-short lol, I have a procedure scheduled in the near future, in order to diagnose this disease or something else.

In no way do I want pity or to bash anyone. I just wanted to share these things with my clients or anyone that may be interested in oral acne medications.

Besides these health struggles, I have gotten breakouts again. Mainly hormonal breakouts on my chin. Which I expected because I did get off birth control after 10 years of being on it. So far the chest acne and bacne hasn’t reappeared. I do still struggle a little bit with eczema when it is cold outside (not as bad as it was on accutane though). Also, I have a girlfriend that was on accutane and it didn’t keep her acne away. She still struggles with thin skin and delayed healing topically.

Accutane isn’t a 100% cure and some people have very minimal side effects with it. As an esthetician I wanted to share my personal experience and be transparent with you guys. If I had the tools I have now; Medical grade skincare, accessibility to facial treatments, the other amazing estheticians I work with and accessibility to chemical peels, then I may have not chose to do Accutane. I’m grateful I did choose it though, so I can share my experience. I wanted to let anyone struggling with acne or their confidence, know that it doesn’t define you (so much easier said than done because I still struggle with my confidence). Trust me, I’m still learning. Don’t rush into a treatment / medication that could be potentially unhealthy or dangerous. Try to weigh your options and stay positive about yourself during the process, something I wish I would’ve done, and try not to let your insecurities (or rude assholes) impact your life. If someone is truly your friend, then they won’t call out your imperfections in a negative way and if they do then they don’t deserve you.

I hope this helps someone with their confidence, their acne positivity or their decision. Remember to treat yourself and your skin with kindness, it’s not worth doing the opposite.

-Haley

About

My Skincare and Accutane Journey

My accutane journey began in the fall of 2020. As if everything going on in the world during that time wasn’t enough, I was going on the harshest acne medication thats on the market. On Milkshake, I previously wrote about the products that helped me on accutane and that saved me from my dryness. Now I want to share my overall experience on accutane and share what it’s been like off of accutane.

My skin has been an ongoing issue for me since 5th grade. I struggled with acne on my face, chest, neck and back. I was always bullied and self conscious about it. I don’t shrug those comments off very easily and so it stuck with me. I remember that one dermatologist even told me, “that’s just life kid”. Well, i didn’t want that way of life. Disclaimer; You should totally love yourself no matter what. For me it hit hard. I also struggle with body dysmorphia, so it wasn’t that easy for me to ignore it and just “deal” with it. I didn’t go to prom or join the swim team because of it. I was really good at swimming too. I let it hold me back way more than I should’ve. So if you are struggling with body acne and are scared to wear the open dress or join a sport, just do it. Life’s too short. Looking back, I shouldn’t of let it restrain me that much.

I tried every cream under the sun. I can’t count the amount of creams that I was prescribed. I can’t even begin to list how many Sephora trips that I made, to try anything that could help me. I looked everywhere and to anyone for advice. Benzoyl peroxide was way too harsh for my skin. Although, Salicylic acid did help to an extent, nothing long term though. I was put on birth control in 7th grade to try to calm it down. It helped a little bit with my skin, mainly just helped my heavy and long periods. Birth control didn’t provide any drastic change to my skin. Later on, I was put on minocycline, doxycycline and Spironolactone. Doxycycline only helped my skin a little bit but definitely wasn’t worth the puking or the yeast infections. Also, I definitely don’t recommend doxycycline if you have IBS. Spironolactone helped a fair amount but I didn’t want to be on a pill long term, especially a diuretic (although to this day I constantly go to the bathroom, must’ve been a long term side effect). I even tried herbal medicine, like a Neem supplement but didn’t see any changes. No special diet or natural teas helped me either. Disclaimer; Everyone is different though, so what may not have worked for me could provide completely different results for someone else.

I put off accutane for such a long time. I was very worried about the side effects. The suicidal thoughts, the nose bleeds, kidney failure, dry eyes and so on. So many intense side effects ran through my mind, It was terrifying to think about. I was at my wits end with my skin. I started to get really bad cystic acne, rather than the usual whiteheads or blackheads. My skin started scarring pretty bad at the end of high school. I knew I’d eventually go on accutane and I’d always wonder what it could’ve done for me if I chose not to.

After discussing things with my dermatologist, we put a plan in action. Since this occurred during the pandemic the process was a little slower and regardless the accutane process isn’t quick. I had to wait a whole month after submitting one pregnancy test. Then, I had to get labs done and submit another pregnancy test (accutane can cause severe birth defects, so you need two forms of birth control on accutane). The dermatologist said my course would be six months long at 90mg. Looking back, that was way too high of a dosage for my body type. It was a high dose in general but I agreed to it so I would be done with accutane by summertime. My dermatologist also said it was a more gentle form of accutane and wouldn’t cause as many stomach issues. So I put my trust in them.

The second week of taking accutane the side effects had already set in. My lips were already super dry and my skin was a little less oily. I was excited that it was already working though. Fast forward to about 1.5 months in, I started to purge. Let’s just say the purge was rough. My skin was in so much pain and looked worse than it did when I got off birth control in 2018. I couldn’t look in the mirror without crying. I almost quit taking it but I was trying to trust the process. For my two month check up, my dermatologist told me my skin was exactly where it should be and that purging meant it was working. So I stuck it out.

Around 2.5 months my skin began to clear up but I did have a lot more side effects. So many side effects. I could no longer sleep in my contacts (don’t do that anyways lol), my lips were cracked on each side and almost blistered. I even experienced vaginal dryness. I also started developing terrible eczema. I had the eczema really bad on my hands, arms and butt. I was constantly applying aquaphor (I listed all the products that helped me ALOT in my previous milkshake blog). The eczema started to develop on my ankles too, I couldn’t even shave. My teeth were even sensitive, so I had to switch to sensitive toothpaste because of the discomfort it caused. I was feeling so defeated because my skin was clear of acne but was developing other issues. That’s when I also developed the back pain.

I like to lift and on accutane I know it can be dangerous to lift or even play sports. I just couldn’t mentally stop working out. Sadly, I obsessed over working out. I also think 90mg was way too much for my body. It was not a safe combination. I also should’ve stayed more hydrated throughout my accutane journey, I never met my goal of drinking a gallon of water a day. I should’ve reached that hydration goal because my back was in so much pain. Therefore, around 5 months on accutane, I could barely breathe. I went in for my monthly check up and they immediately told me to take a weeks break off of accutane. My triglyceride levels were high and my kidneys weren’t looking good. I didn’t want to give up and not complete my course. I was so defeated but after a week and a half off, I started accutane again at 30mg. I knew I couldn’t give up after the work I had already put in on my accutane journey.

I finished 5.5 months out of my 6 month Accutane course. I was proud that I stuck it out and didn’t quit altogether after my scare with my kidneys. After being off of accutane, the eczema and back pain did get better. Slowly, things started to lessen. The vaginal dryness and eczema took about three weeks to go away. Once and awhile, My teeth and back do still act up. I’ve been off of accutane for about 4 months now, and I just started getting blackheads and sweat bumps again. My skin has progressively gotten more oily again. I’ve accepted my skin will never be perfect but if it stays at the point it’s at, or keeps my bacne away then I’ll be pretty happy. Now I barely wear makeup because I’ve always longed for clear skin, so why wouldn’t I show off that hard work? I went through hell, especially with accutane, that I should be proud either way. Im not sure if I recommend accutane or if I’d ever go back on it. It was very hard but I am glad I did it.

-Haley

Instagram : Restore Esthetics

My favorite products for surviving Accutane

Check out the items linked below

I thought I would share some of my staples that have helped me while on my course of Accutane.

I started Accutane in the fall of 2020, after many years of putting it off. I was always very cautious of the intense side effects that are associated with Accutane. I’ve struggled with my skin since I was about 12 years old and I’ve tried EVERYTHING! I was very defeated with everything that I had previously tried such as; oral antibiotics, prescription creams, holistic vitamins, birth control, prescription cleansers, new skincare regimens (that would sometimes clear me up for a couple months), and Spironolactone. My skin is obviously very stubborn. Accutane was basically my only other option.

I wanted to share some of my favorite and most helpful products, to survive the side effects of this medication. I hope these items help those who are also struggling on Accutane.

Xoxo,
Haley

DISCLAIMER
(These are my personal opinions and preferences. These may not work for everyone)


Petroleum Jelly - 100%

Petroleum jelly has been my best friend. I put it on my lips but also on my hands (eczema on Accutane is a b*tch). I bought so, so, so many lip balms when I first started Accutane. None of them worked as well (lots of trial n error) as 100% pure petroleum jelly. Also, I found that the brand Equate works way better than Vaseline and Aquaphor. So no need to waste $7 or $8 bucks on some fancy lip balm!

Link here

Shani Darden Moisturizer - My Everyday Go-To

This is my go-to moisturizer. Its so lightweight and has so many benefits. It isn’t a heavy duty cream but I love it. I used this before and while on Accutane. I plan to continue using it after as well. Sometimes I’ll use this as a base layer and put a layer of the Eucerin (found below) lotion on top!

Link Here

Eye Drops

Accutane can dry your eyes out. Especially If you wear contact lenses. These drops have really helped a lot and they are lense safe. They give me a little pick-me-up throughout the day!

Link Here

Grape Water Moisture Mist

This is my HOLY GRAIL. I love this stuff and it is so convenient to have on the go. I got the travel size and I keep it in my purse. It’s a nice way to keep your face moisturized and less irritated throughout the day. The ingredients are also super clean. When I’m at work I don’t like touching my face (without truly washing my hands) so this is super quick and uses zero contact. Pull that mask down, spray your face and then your set!

Link Here

Eucerin Face and Body Lotion

My dermatologist recommended this lotion and I’m so glad I invested in a big tub of it. I use this when my face is really flakey and red. Sometimes I’ll use this on my body too.

Link Here

CeraVe Cleanser

This is my favorite cleanser. I love how it foams and is super gentle. I was recommended the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, but I found it to be too oily and left a residue. So I stick with the Foaming Facial Cleanser. I use this everyday in the AM and PM.

Link Here

Body Butter

This body butter is incredible. It is a little pricey but so worth it. I use it mainly on my body, never on my face, as it is scented. It helps with texture and dryness, on top of that it smells SO amazing!I highly recommend this product in general.

Link Here
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