Accutane: My Experience and Journey to Clear Skin
Have you tried everything under the sun to treat your acne? Considering taking Accutane? Curious about the scary side effects? Want to know if it actually gets rid of people’s acne for good? So was I—I’ve been there. Leading up to the decision to go on Accutane, I did sooo much research to better understand the side effects I could experience, what other people’s experiences were like, if it would it give me the results I wanted, etc. It’s been four years since my course of Accutane, and I wanted to share my experience to hopefully help others out there who are looking for the same information I was.
a decade long struggle with acne
I struggled with acne for over a decade. I had exhausted my treatment options from the dermatologist (I’m talking all the things: different types/strengths of retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, birth control, antibiotics topical/internal, spironolactone, chemical peels, etc.), tried all the over-the-counter regimens/routines/potions that claimed to get rid of acne, and still nothing actually cleared my skin.
Sure, with some of the treatments I would see some mild improvement in the number of breakouts, but that improvement only took me from severe acne to moderately severe acne. I still had “severe” acne. It obviously had suchhh an impact on my self-esteem/confidence, the way I was living my life (less social, didn’t want to wear makeup in an attempt to help the treatments I was using work better, and therefore didn’t want to leave the house), and made it hard for me to even look at my own reflection in the mirror. A few years after graduating from college…it hit me: this isn’t just a “hormonal time” or a “phase” or something to “wait out”, this was an issue I was going to have to battle against the rest of my life.
This led me to really considering Accutane for the first time. Up until that point, I was not very open to taking the drug. The research I had done made it seem like poison to your body and I didn’t want to suffer from any physical repercussions/side effects for the rest of my life based on a “vanity” decision. When I realized this wasn’t just a “vanity” decision, that this was impacting my mental/emotional health, I finally took the plunge to start treatment.
Note: In case you don’t know much about Accutane yet, be sure to read up on the drug and all the potential side effects.
Would I Go On Accutane Again?
Now, I’ve lived/learned since making my decision to go on Accutane. Knowing what I know today about nutrition, health and wellness, and its connection to skin problems, I am not sure I would have made the same decision. Since then, I have also learned a tremendous amount about skincare and how my lack of knowledge resulted in me treating my skin improperly. To boil it down, I attribute my decade long struggle with acne to these three things:
Misuse of the treatment/not understanding ingredients (not applying it correctly, not using the right products to complement the treatment, using too much, etc.) Head to Paula’s Choice to learn more about skincare ingredients or read about my 10 Commandments of Good Skin.
Big companies/brands creating/marketing bad products for people that suffer with acne (wrong ingredients for treating acne, formulas/ingredients that will actually make matters worse, etc.).
Dermatologists (at least in my experience with many) aren’t in the business of telling you how to take a holistic approach with skincare. They are there as a doctor to prescribe you medical-grade treatment.
These three things are a large reason that so many people struggle with acne long-term. This led me to create my Clear Skin Guide, a free resource that addresses each one of these problems in detail and what you CAN do to clear your skin. I also talk a lot about the role wellness/nutrition plays in this too (it does matter!).
Tangent over.
Now onto my Accutane experience.
my experience with accutane
I will break this into three phases, a beginning, middle, and end so to speak.
Months 1-3
I was really concerned with an initial purge/breakout. This topic came up a lot in my research. I didn’t personally experience one. I started to notice my oils drying up within the first week. It was challenging for me to keep my skincare reaaaally basic since I was so used to applying a lot of different things. I really liked the Vanicream cleanser and CeraVe PM Lotion throughout treatment (they also have a cream version that was great as well).
Now, your skin is really really delicate during treatment. Be very gentle when washing/rubbing your skin. You will obviously get dry/flaky, but it was overall manageable in my opinion. Sometimes, I would very gently wet a washcloth and swipe gently over a dry area to remove surface flakes.
You really do not want to pop/pick/touch any zits that you do get throughout treatment. Your skin is so fragile/delicate and this could more easily result in a serious scar if you do. I did notice that when I had a zit pop up, they would go away very quickly since the Accutane is shrinking your oil glands.
My dry lips were manageable, but you do have to stay on top of it preventatively. I used aquaphor pretty much exclusively and it worked well for me.
I, fortunately, didn’t experience many other side effects. No joint pain, trouble sleeping, or anything like that. I did get a lot of cuts very easily..your skin basically becomes paper-thin.
Months 2-4
This is where I started to see the biggest improvement in my skin. It was honestly like a miracle. I also noticed that hyperpigmentation from my previous breakouts prior to treatment were beginning to fade. I stuck to the same products I was using in the beginning (did a lot of research on this) and it worked well for me. You want to let the medication work its magic and not give your skin reason for further irritation.
Now, this is where my first issue really crept up. I had read a lot about IBS being a side effect during treatment or sometimes a permanent issue after treatment. I started to get reallllly constipated – tmi I know. But it was on-going and not fun. I made sure I was drinking enough water and staying hydrated and still saw no difference in my problem. The doctor said that of the longggg list of potential side effects, this wasn’t one nor had he heard this from other patients. I continued on with my course because I was seeing great results. I did wonder if this is something that would impact me long-term.
Months 5-6
I was completely clear at this point. It was like magic. I would stare at my skin in complete shock. I went to the grocery store without makeup. I felt like a normal person. Hyperpigmentation continued to fade. Putting on foundation was fun again. I started to feel like Accutane was my security blanket, and I started to fear if I was going to start breaking out again after treatment. My constipation battle definitely continued and was probably at its worst. Not fun, but over-the-counter medication helped. I was still concerned that this might be some form of IBS. Dryness and chapped lips were still manageable for me.
My dermatologist cleared me to go off of it on month six and said the treatment stays in your body for around a month after stopping – I would continue to see results and treat my skin for the next month as if I was still on Accutane.
1-3 Months After Treatment
Here’s the thing: You WILL break out again. Don’t go off the deep end and think it’s happening all over again. It’s just one or two zits. I think a lot of people assume this is a magic bullet and you will never break out again.. that’s not the case. BUT it will be 1/1000 of what you used to experience and it is brief and manageable which is what is most important. For the first time since I was like twelve, I had clear skin!
My IBS issue cleared up within these three months post-treatment (thank the Lord!) and I had no lingering issues post-treatment (verrry lucky).
One thing I do want to mention, you want to take this medication with a lot of fat content so that it can better absorb. I would suggest eating 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter with each dose. There is one brand out there where you don’t need to have it with fat, but I forget what it’s called. Unless you know you are on that one, assume you are not because the medication doesn’t absorb as well (and therefore your results or length of being clear might be compromised).
Current Day
Today, I would definitely say my skin is completely changed. The frequency/severity of breakouts I do get (time of the month, bad product trial, etc.) are minimal and manageable. I know a lot of people have to go on a second treatment; this was/is not the case for me. It is still work to maintain my clear skin – I explain this in detail in my Clear Skin Guide. But, with proper knowledge and a good AM/PM routine, you will be able to maintain your results from Accutane no problem.
My confidence is back, I actually enjoy being barefaced (even more than makeup!) and I feel like people are actually looking at ME and not my acne, and that is a feeling we all deserve to have.
I would be delighted to answer any of your lingering questions either in the comments below, or DM me on Instagram @create_genuine.
I hope you found this helpful and am wishing you all the happiness and good health you deserve.
XAshley