Hi, iv just started Roaccutane 5 weeks ago, i havent noticed much of an improvement but i am getting alot of side affects like my face is flaking my lips are badly chopped(which aloe vera vaseline seems to keep under control) and i have this horrible angry rash all up my arms. When i use the likes of diprobase it really stings.Everybody says they can notice a difference when i have makeup on as my skin isnt as bumpy but the bits on my face that i notice are clearing it seems that i have quite a lot of red scaring which no one can see with the make up on but i can see with it off . Does anyone know if its okay to use bio oil on your face whilst taking Roaccutane???
Tags: week 5
Hi Stacey, I looked around the internet as I had the same question and I read that NO it is not ok to use Bio Oil as it has Vitamin A in it – the persons doctor looked it up and eerything. So that’s enough for me to not use it! I will ask my dermatologist next appointnment about too.
I am actually about to start my Roaccutane Sunday and this site has been very helpful so far… even just blurting out my story which I have never told anyone in such depth has been like therapy.
Good luck with your treatment and hope you keep in touch.
Eva
- eva on April 17, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Thanks Eva , I had been using it over the weekend and stopped it yesterday i thought it would speed up clearing the scaring , i dont think the roaccutene is clearing me up that well, today i have been taking it 5 weeks and still have as much spots as i started with if not more, my dermatologist said im only getting a 16 week course but i cant see it clearing in that time if there is only 11 weeks left. my arms are really sore with the rash im getting it feels like burning and im not due back to the hospital until the 8th of May. I dont realy know what to think i thought this would be the solution for my skin but reading other peoples clearing up and getting clearer skin in two weeks etc im begining to doubt it will work on me.
- stacey on April 17, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Don’t feel disheartened yet! My dermatologist said not to expect any improvement in the first 8 weeks – even if some people do. I have a 6 month course… maybe if you don’t see improvements soon they can extend your treatment?? Hopefully in a month you’ll start to see results, hang in there
- eva on April 17, 2012 at 11:02 pm
Hopefully, I’m 25 and I have had it from I was 16 at the time the doctor wouldn’t do much as he put it down to being a teenager then I went back to then 3 years ago and I have been on every antibiotic and cream I can think of but nothing helped it got to the stage I actually had to ask my doctor if they would refer me to the hospital which they did in October but there is an 18 month waitting list and it was getting me down so much I went private in march. Makeup covers it really well but I want to be able to not have to depend on make up , it triggered last year when I was on holiday and couldn’t wear make up with the heat how self conscious of it I actually was. I’m hoping this really does help but i can already see I’m going to be left with scaring .
- stacey on April 17, 2012 at 11:31 pm
The rash on my arms is so annoying, sore and itchy
- stacey on April 17, 2012 at 11:33 pm
Hi, I have had a really bad rash on my arms and stomach and I have been using Johnsons baby naturals moisturiser on it and E45 they are both fairly cheap and seems to stop the itching. I am on my third month of roaccutane and had really bad itching for about 6 weeks which is only just starting to get better. Keep with it, my skin was terrible for the first two months but recently it has got a lot better and I can see a huge difference. Also if you are struggling with makeup I started using garnier BB cream, its not as good as covering up red spots but it does sit better on my skin then foundation did.
good luck, and don’t let it get you down! x
- Lid on April 18, 2012 at 11:31 am
Hi stacey,
i’m on week 11/12 now, and just starting to notice an improvement in my skin, i too have lots of red scarring that is easily covered with make-up but noticable when barefaced but i have noticed that the older scarring is really fading and scarring i had before starting on roaccutane has gone.. so fingers that in time we will be left with very little redness, so try not to worry and just let the medication do its thing overtime. i have a friend who has taken roaccutane and her skin looked almost rippled prior to taking roaccutane and it is so smooth now. i also had a few deeper scars like large open pores as a result of cystic spots and im happy to say they too look smaller, cant imagine they will dissapear but hardly noticable when i wear a good primer and foundation now.
im very concious of the scarring too, but so far the texture of my skin seems to be much smoother and scarring is fading, when you come to the end of your treatment talk to your dermatoligist about treatments like micro dermabrasion which will help with your scarring.
Rach x
- rach on April 18, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Hey, i know im trying not to worry but when you read about it not working for some people it was giving me doubts after not having much of a change in the past five weeks as this is my last resort after trying everything else in the past few years, the rash on my arms is now spreading further up my arms i had tried diprobase and it made it really sore and stingy and also aloe vera, goin to try and get some e45 my next day off work. my skin has got smoother and before it would have been really oily by 10.00 morning break in work but now its not oily at all until i take it off at nights which is really good. People would say to me that it isnt bad but once they see me with no make up on then they no why it makes me feel so low they cant beleive how well make up covers it. My hair is also staring to fall out which aparently is another side effect and im really tired during the day but cant get to sleep at nights until abot 2am which is really unusual for me as im usually in bed sleeping my 9 with the kids lol.
Im going on holiday in july and i was hoping it would be farely clear by then but have been wondering if i still have the rash which sun cream to use that isnt going to sting it as i know its very important to wear sun cream when your on the medication
x
- stacey on April 18, 2012 at 10:38 pm
When my little boy had dry skin with patches of exzema (spelling?) and my early childhood nurse suggested putting oats in the end of a cut off stocking and put it in the bath with him and let him soak for a while. It definately helped sooth it and made his skin soft and moisturised it. So I thought that’s what I will do when I run in to those problems. I like how it’s natural and if it’s ok for baby skin then Roaccutane skin should handle it. Just a suggestion…
When I went on holidays with my boyfriend – now husband – I was horrified that it was too hot and humid to wear make up and even though I had a nice time I spent the whole time utterly self concious and ugly – we’d been together 6 months before that and he had never seen me without make up much so I can relate to your holiday! I never want to feel like that again, even though I do feel like that to some extent every waking minute.
As far as scarring goes I have plenty of pitted scarring so even when my skin clears up I’m still embarrassed. I’ve been looking at this product “12.5% TCA at home skin peel” (not sure which brand yet) which I will do at least a year after treatment cos it’s very affordable and looks effective. But definately not to be done for at least a year after Roaccutane because your body takes a long time to start healing properly. Your dermatologist should be able to give you an idea of what to use straight after.
- eva on April 19, 2012 at 1:56 am
Hi,
stacey i experienced everything your having now around weeks 7-9 so thats about 3 weeks ago … eczma all up my arms, bright red stingy rash all over my hands upto my elbow .. it cleared after about 2 weeks … i used oilatum shower cream and moisturiser and put a bit of baby oil in my bath … this seemed to help me. i get a bit of a flare up of the rash if i use washing up liquid too much this is the only thing i think it can be really because everything else i use apart from shampoo, is either un-perfumed or soap free.(so see if using rubber gloves wen u wash and clean up helps)
my skin is definatley not oily, infact by lunch it feels like it is going to crack .. ive tried so many different facial moisturisers but have yet to find 1 that is giving me long lasting relief (although this has only started about 10 days ago)
im tired all the time, and look tired all the time .. my eyes look so watery and heavy that people keep asking me if i’m ok or if ive been crying … wich is great seen as im already concious of how i look !! i’m just trying to drink lts of water, eat well annd get as much sleep as possible to try and feel slightly human.
fortunatley ive not had any hair loss, but i’m having really bad joint and muscular pain, ive even been of work for over a week last week as i could hardly walk and my body was just painful to touch. i spoke to my dermatologist but she disn’t really say anything, maybe she didn’t understand HOW MUCH PAIN i was in !!
but i went to my GP and he prescribed me Diclofenac wich is an anti-inflammatory/pain killer wich has been like magic for me. ive been back to the gym this week, wich is a huge difference seen as i could not even walk from my car into work last week.
i am starting to get really fed up now with all the side effects and 2 weeks ago was ready for giving up, but my skin has really improved quickly over the last 2 weeks, wich has made me feel like the last 12 weeks have been worth and its whats’s motivating me to stay on it.
ive got at least another 10 weeks to go according to my doctor so im hoping it will fly by ..
i have been looking for sun cream myself and found on other acne support websites that many people are using Neutrogena suncare, i googled it and it looks really good they do really high spfs for body and face, they do a range for oily/acne prone skin. so have a look, i cant think that ive ever seen it in the shops over hear but you can order online.
rach xx
- rach on April 19, 2012 at 8:31 am