I can’t believe I am actually freely sharing an unedited, unfiltered, no makeup picture on here but for the first time in my life, I am confident in my skin and I honestly have Roaccutane to thank for this.
I’ve been keeping this diary since I began my treatment in February 2017 and I cannot believe this is the final one. If you have followed my journey from the start then you will know that I am in no way promoting taking medication. Roaccutane is the very final straw in a long battle with acne and I honestly suggest that you explore every other option before you do get to this point. I also suggest that you talk in depth to your doctor/dermatologist and do your own research online before turning to Roaccutane as it is very severe and has different reactions in every patient.
This diary is to record my own experience, not to advise or encourage. I just wanted to give you an honest account of my own personal journey and whilst I am so happy with my end results, it wasn’t the easiest journey (and I actually got away lightly in comparison to others). So in this final diary I will talk about all negative side effects, the end result and how I am feeling now (two months after finishing.)
Whilst my side effects were not in any way as bad as google would lead you to believe they would be, I definitely had some negative effects, some of which I only realised after I came off the medications and they disappeared. I will list them below and tell you a little about my experience.
Headaches
This for me was a killer. I literally had a headache every second day, if not every day from about month 3 to month 6. This very nearly pushed me to stop taking the tablets. It was so hard to continue with work every day as normal. I felt drained and tired all of the time and was literally living on paracetamol which was obviously not good for my body.
Within a week of me finishing the roaccutane, they disappeared and thankfully I haven’t had one since. I am glad I persevered but it was definitely tough going.
Dryness
Dry lips, Dry skin, Dry Patches on your skin, Dry Hair, Dry Eyes… Yea I’m sure you get the picture lol! If you are on Roaccutane buy moisturiser and carmex by the bucket load!
Bad Moods
I didn’t suffer too badly with this (although my boyfriend would argue differently, lol)
I definitely found myself a little sharper with my temper, but apart from that I didn’t feel depressed or anything which was one of my main concerns before starting out.
Weight Gain
So when you are on Roaccutane you must also be on the pill both to aid the results and to prevent pregnancy. Roaccutane is very dangerous to both the Mother and the unborn child. It cannot be prescribed without the pill whether sexually active or not as women need to be protected in all cases, particularly incase of a sexual attack.
When I began the treatment I weighed 10 stone 7lbs which has been my average weight for most of my life, whereas at my worst on the tablets I weighed 11 stone 8. I am not sure if this was the pill, the Roaccutane or a combination of both, but literally as soon as I stopped both, the fluid retention and excess weight almost instantly disappeared.
Bloating
Whilst on the tablets I was permanently bloated, to the point where I almost looked pregnant. I tried everything – gluten free, dairy free, kinesiology etc. and whilst I still do have days were I feel quite bloated (I guess we all do) I have found that it has eased a lot since ending my treatment.
Pigmentation
You are well warned not to expose your skin to the sunshine whilst on the medication and I would imagine for a month or so afterwards but I went on holidays to Italy just a few weeks after finishing and it probably wasn’t my smartest idea.
I wore factor 50 on my face every day but it didn’t seem to help. I never ever get freckles but whilst on hols, I noticed pigmentation (similar to freckles but not quite) appearing on my forehead – you can see it on the pic above. I definitely think this was connected to the close proximity of being on the Roaccutane and sun exposure. Its fading now as the weeks go on but just be warned to protect your skin in the sun… wear a hat to cover your face!
Follow On Treatment
I tried to do a bit of research on the best follow on treatments and I found lots of articles suggesting a month of a retinol cream. I DO NOT recommend this – Give your skin a break and let it settle back to normal first. You have put it through enough, trust me!
I tried retinol for a week and I felt like my face was burning… so I stopped it immediately.
Now I simply use my Bare Minerals Oil cleanser (which I have recommended on many occasions and I follow up with Bio Oil, using it as a moisturiser before bed. This has really helped to fade the pigmentation and any scarring that I had. I also use a light moisturiser from LaRoche Posay in the mornings before applying my makeup and that is it. For me, the more simple the routine, the better as I do not want to damage my skin or cause an acne flare up by applying chemical after chemical.
My skin feels better than ever now and I honestly thank these natural, basic products.
I tried retinol for a week and I felt like my face was burning… so I stopped it immediately.
Now I simply use my Bare Minerals Oil cleanser (which I have recommended on many occasions and I follow up with Bio Oil, using it as a moisturiser before bed. This has really helped to fade the pigmentation and any scarring that I had. I also use a light moisturiser from LaRoche Posay in the mornings before applying my makeup and that is it. For me, the more simple the routine, the better as I do not want to damage my skin or cause an acne flare up by applying chemical after chemical.
My skin feels better than ever now and I honestly thank these natural, basic products.
Apart from all of the above (which actually sounds like a lot when all written together but didn’t feel it at the time) I am so happy that I made the decision to give Roaccutane a go. I feel more confident in my skin now than I have since I was a child.
Anyone that knows me would still say that they never ever thought I had bad skin… but I have worn heavy makeup since I was about 15 to cover it up and never ever left the house makeup free. I was so insecure in my skin and this has finally given me my confidence back.
As I said, this isn’t for everyone and make sure you are fully knowledgeable before taking medication of any description!
If you have any questions at all then feel free to contact me on:
Facebook – www.facebook.com/thesequincinderella
Instagram – thesequincinderella
Snapchat – sequincinders
I might not know all of the answers but I will definitely be able to direct you to someone who does!
I hope you have found the diaries both informative and honest and I really hope they have been helpful to anyone considering Roaccutane.
If you haven’t seen the previous diaries then you can find them by clicking the following links:
Month 1- Click Here
Month 2 – Click Here
Month 3 – Click Here
Months 4&5 – Click Here
Nicola x