my face is SPOTless!! > it has been for 2 whole months now, no new spots at all. Ive actually forgot what it feels like to have acne, which i never thought id be saying. though this treatment has been difficult at time, it is defo worth it!

I thought 50mg was a low dosage, but I think its just the right amount for me. ( I started on 20mg and on the second month i moved up to 50mg for the remainder of the course).

All the side effects Ive come across the past 5 months >> nose bleeds, very dry & cracked lips, sore eyes, headaches, joint pain, dry patches around my body (no dry skin on my face. big bonus). I have in no way felt depressed, just stressed which I put down to the fact I am working towards my last Alevel exams.

Though it seems like I have suffered alot, it really isnt the case – nothing feels better than walking out of your house with a clear skin, and if its really what you want you manage to strive through any negative effect.

GOOD LUCK to everyone whos on the treatment and to those considering it (best thing ive done) .. x

I’m just wondering if anyone knows anything about the red marks? Will Roaccutane help to make these fade? Also, is there any way to tell if you’ll be left with deep ‘ice-pick’ scars before the red marks fade?

Thanks!

I’ve still not had dry skin but I do sometimes get dry eyes/lips. My skin has become smoother but is still very red, is that normal?

Just found this site, very useful thank you. I be brief about myself. Just started Roaccutane and on week 3 but developed hell of a lot of more spots and unfortunately I have a habit of picking and popping Currently on 20mg and will be seeing the Derm next week to see if there will be an increase in dosage. Will start to post updates now and then.

Thought I’d give a quick update about how I’ve fared since finishing Roaccutane – I’ve been free of it for 5-6 weeks now, according to my dermatologist, this means that it has now left my system!

When I stopped, I was at the end of my tether with it, and so happy to finish. Here’s the key things that I’ve noticed since stopping:

- I sleep less! (noticed this from the first week – getting up was less of a struggle)

- my skin is oily again, but not as bad as it was before and I don’t have spots on my face

- my hair is greasy again, or at least back to its normal pattern

- my lips are just about back to normal

Skin wise, I think I’ve had an improvement from where I was at the end of the treatment, no spots on my face, a few on my back but probably less than a few weeks ago. Hopefully this continues and my scars continue to fade, fingers crossed!

Hope your journeys are all progressing well, and if anyone is finding it a horrendous struggle like I did, just keep on! I don’t know if it will be worth it in the end, but at least I’ve given it a go.

It seems that the corners of my mouth are very dry & split (they look like coldsores) if anyoneo can reccomend creams etc?

Hope you’re well doing well! x

Hope everyone’s treatments are going well!

Danielle x

I have suffered from acne nearly all of my adult life. For the most part it has been mild but more recently I have started to get acne on my back and chest which I haven’t had before. I can’t help but feeling at 38 I shouldn’t be worrying about this so this is why I was keen to try Roaccutane. I definitely think my acne is hormonally linked. With all three of my pregnancies, my skin was clear. However, I don’t want to wait until the menopause to have clear skin.

I’m just over three and a half weeks into my Roaccutane treatment of 30mg a day and some of the side effects are driving me mad!

I’ve had dry skin on my face from about day two and dry lips from the go too. I’m using E45 and Clarins gentle day cream (free samples ;P) for my face and its still dry and peeling, especially under the nose and around my mouth. I’m constantly applying lip balm on my lips, and they too are still dry and they feel like they’re burning too.

My scalp is constantly itching and flaking and I feel like I’m going to go made with how irritating it is. I use head and shoulders, as I have done for years, and I use a moisturizing shampoo too and still the itchiness is crazy.

I have an ugly irritating dry rash on my hands and arms, I moisturize it a lot with E45 and stay away from perfumed soaps. I also have a similar rash on my thighs and the back of my calves are red and flaking in such a way that makes the skin look like snakes skin. I have never been so itchy and irritated in my life! I’ve never been so moisturized either!

I’ve also got dry eyes, been having nose bleeds, which I’ve never had in my life, ever, and I’ve just started suffering from headaches. And I’ve never had so many blackheads in my life! I didn’t know so many could be present at one time!

Well that’s the bad done with, now for the good.

I no longer wake up in the morning in a pool of oils. My hair doesn’t need washing everyday (the scalp issue means I still do). New spots that pop up dry out much quicker. And I can now lie on my back without being in so much pain I want to cry, yay me!!

Hope you’re faring well and staying warm in our rubbishy little ‘spring’ season.

Just putting this out there in case anyone had been in a similar situation. I’ve been on Roacc since September last year, with one 2 week break and one break of about 4 days in between. My dose was taken down to 40mg because my neutrophil levels (a type of white blood cell) were dipping, but that means apparently I hadn’t reached the cumulative dose. BUT the derm said it was best to go over and above the cumulative dose to make sure I don’t get a remission. Got what should be my last appointment this week, but I just counted … I still have about 1 month’s worth of tabs left. AH!

That would make 8 months being on Roaccutane … so pretty much my entire final year of uni. Not helpful.

Has anyone else had this long a Roaccutane experience?

Peace

Soph

also got bloods back last time and turns out im now anemic so taking 3 iron tabs a day for the next 3 months

fed up!!!

I haven’t written on here since I first started treatment but have been constantly checking in to see how people have been getting on. Now I’m at week 20 and going into my fifth month, I thought it might be helpful to give an update on progress.

I’m 29 next week and I think Roaccutane working has been the best birthday present I have or will ever receive. The first 3 months were hard. I had big breakouts, no consistent change in my skin and some side effects, including dry skin, very sore dry lips, lower back pain and also a dodgy tummy at times. None of these were very serious but were more annoying than anything else!

By the end of the 3rd month, I still had some spots, but there were huge signs of improvement and I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I’ve now just finished month 4 and I haven’t had a spot or even tiny pimple for over a month – its amazing! My lips are still super sore & crack at the sides but apart from that I feel absolutely fine. I’ve been on 40mg a day for the whole time and I think my next appointment with the dermatologist next week will be my last (fingers crossed!).

The difference it has made to my confidence has been huge – I no longer carry around my massive make up bag and I’m not constantly checking my skin in the mirror for breakouts. I also recently went on holiday to Brazil where it was 37 degrees and ridiculously hot and sweaty and I didn’t wear make up the whole time and felt great!

I still have red marks on my cheeks which I really hope improve in time, but I’m not complaining as life without spots is a revelation!

For anyone starting out with roaccutane or thinking about doing it, my advice would be to give it a go – it has worked amazingly well for me and I just so wish I had been put on it earlier. I no longer have days where I don’t want to leave the house or do a crap job at work because I feel so down about my skin. Life without spots is possible and fingers crossed it stays that way!

Jen xxxxx

My skin has cleared up quite a lot in the last few days, I didn’t have an initial breakout so I’m worried it’s going to surprise me with a bad breakout. I’ve got a ball on 26th April so hopefully it will look good for that!

Otherwise, I’ve got nothing to report…except go easy on alcohol, it definitely gets you drunk faster! Hope everyone’s treatments are going well! x