Gone on Roaccutane but skin not clear yet

[Matt Rogers]

I have done a full course of Roaccutane and pretty much all of the acne has gone, but there are a lot of blemishes and red-marks remaining, and a lot of my face is quite inflamed. Will these fade over time and how long will they take or is there any way of getting rid of them?

 

[diablo]

Stick with the isotretinoin for another cycle. By the end of your 2nd or third, you shouldn't have much in terms of redness or blemishes... if you do, consult your dermatologist for his advice. It'll be better than that of what anyone here (or on just about any other forum) can give you. That is, unless one of the members happens to have gone to medical school lately?

 

[xi phi pi]

Neutrogena Multi-Vitamin cream.

Use that while still taking the roaccutane and your skin will clear up more. The Multi-Vitamin helps get rid of redness. Oh, and think about tanning.

 

[Matt Rogers]

Thanks Diablo. I am seeing my physician at the end of the month.

While my skin improved under Roaccutane, I found that Roaccutane made me very depressed (I have battled with depression in the past). It may just be a coincidence, but as I am feeling better now I am off the Roaccutane, it does seem likely.

I will try the Multivitamin cream.

 

[diablo]

Do NOT take a second cycle if you found yourself becoming depressed while on your first. Make sure your doctor knows how you felt - he'll take you off immediately. There have been more than several cases of suicide committed by people who were otherwise fine, then began taking Accutane, here in the States. It's gone so far that before anyone can start a new cycle, they first have to have a litany read to them by their dermatologist, get a book to bring home, have their parents (or themselves, if they are of age) sign it and then go back to the derm's office to sign another form... even then, every visit you take the nurse should ask you if you've been feeling any depression or any other unusual symptoms... so, to recap, don't take Accutane any further. Give that Proactiv solution a try - my little brother had the same reaction as you did to Accutane, and he's now semi-clear using the proactiv stuff. I personally have been on Accutane (then it's generic, Isotretinoin) for the better part of 3 years non-stop, and haven't had any side effects. Then again, my liver will probably be shot in 10 years.

 

[Porky]

Originally posted by diablo
Then again, my liver will probably be shot in 10 years.

yeah, but that's because you're almost always drunk.

 

[Matt Rogers]

Thanks diablo for the advice. I will definitely not do another cycle.
I will discuss stuff further with my dermatologist about alternative solutions in a month or so, but before then I have a few questions.

I have done
20
40
60
80
80

with a month on each dose.
My skin is clear and there is no new acne, but there are red marks and a general reddish appearance to my face. Definitely nothing I would call anything close to acne but nevertheless unsightly.

Will these just fade over time if I leave them? I mean, I thought Roaccutane treated acne-but this isn't really acne is it? Should I perhaps consider some form of laser treatment?

 

[xi phi pi]

Originally posted by Matt Rogers
Thanks diablo for the advice. I will definitely not do another cycle.
I will discuss stuff further with my dermatologist about alternative solutions in a month or so, but before then I have a few questions.

I have done
20
40
60
80
80

with a month on each dose.
My skin is clear and there is no new acne, but there are red marks and a general reddish appearance to my face. Definitely nothing I would call anything close to acne but nevertheless unsightly.

Will these just fade over time if I leave them? I mean, I thought Roaccutane treated acne-but this isn't really acne is it? Should I perhaps consider some form of laser treatment?

Yah, they fade over time. But the Multi-Vitamin will help fade it. That, plus a good moisturizer. Tanning will also help even out your skin tone.

 

[diablo]

Like Phi said, try going to a tanning salon for a month. If you're inexperienced with tanning, stick to their low-pressure beds. Other than that, a daily moisturizer and proper skin care are all I can think of to reduce any redness or irritation that may occur - both of which have already been emphasized ealier in the thread. In a month, after having tanned and used proper skin care products, if you're still having problems then I'd suggest a prescription solution instead of word-of-mouth advice.

 

[Virtú]

I have pretty much the same problem.

Accutane got rid of the bumps, but the red marks, along with some shallow scars still remain.

I'll try the multi-vitamin lotion, but unfortunately, I can't tan; I just get freckles.

 

[Matt Rogers]

Something that is working for me, although expensive is a product called Elicina. It is basically snail crap, but has vitamins a,c and e. Glycolic acid, allatronin and a whole host of other chemicals that are proven to help with skin regeneration,

 

[MR_PERFECT]

I know they usually tell you to never believe what you see on TV, but Proactive actually works. I had a friend who had a severe acne problem and the Proactive cleared it right up. It will clear up your face, even out your skin tone (reducing the redness), and prevent new breakouts.

 

[CLOONEY]

Going out and getting an awesome tan will make your skin a lot better (at least it did for me). Other than that, just time mate, just because you finished your course of roaccuate doesnt mean your skin will be clear. It will take time to clear the red blemishes!

How long is "1 course" of roaccutane? I was told by my dermatoligist back in the day that "1 course" in Australia is like 2 courses in the states, because apparently if you stay on it for a lot longer, you will see far better long term results.

 

[affliction]

Six months is the typical duration of one session. It cannot be any longer than that. It's also required that you take a six month break in between sessions.

As far as depression goes, I was suicidal during my 5th and 6th months of my first accutane session. I used to daydream about jumping off this huge bridge near my house. Sick ****.

I didn't tell anyone though and I still ended up going on a second session. The urge was strong, but I survived.

edit: oops, didn't realize this thread was so old. I saw the pic you posted recently, Matt. Your skin looks fine to me!

 

[diablo]

Originally posted by affliction
Six months is the typical duration of one session. It cannot be any longer than that. It's also required that you take a six month break in between sessions.

I've been on Accutane consistently for about .... 4-5 years now? Definitely since before they knew it could possibly cause depression in some people. Every time I take a break for over a month, my skin starts breaking out. The only depression I've noticed is when I'm off of it and pimples start forming. Now I'm taking 40mg every other day, so a 1 month supply lasts me 2 months - just enough so it's still in the bloodstream; I've done it this way (actually, I told my dermatologist I was going to do it this way... lately it seems I've been telling him what to do and he just writes the scripts...) for about the past 3 months. Just felt like sharing.

 

[Matt Rogers]

Whoa diablo, that is a long time to be on Roaccutane. I was only on it for around 6 months, and of that only around 3 months were at 80mg.
I did 20, 40,60,80,80,80

Affliction I feel for you about the depression. Seriously when I was on the final few months I was so tired and irritable it was unbearable. I actually screwed up an internship at an investment bank because I just didn't have the motivation to work and was a wet blanket the whole summer.

Thanks for the comments about my picture. Right now it is a lot better, thanks in part to the Elicina. My complexion is reddish, but it just looks like I am slightly sunburnt and the red marks are only noticeable under very bright light at close quarters.

All in all, Roaccutane has been a life saver for me, as 6 years of acne really destroyed my confidence and made me very selfconscius and insecure about my appearance

 

[frank05]

I've been on Roaccutane for 4 months now and my skin looks perfect! Trust me, nothing else works.
If I were you I would wait a few months and if it doesn't get better, I would start another course of Roaccutane.
BTW, make sure you reach a total dose of 130-140 mg/kg, and don't use high doses to avoid side effects

 

[S0LID]

my acne isnt too bad but I'll probs go on it. Will it leave scars??

 

[diablo]

If your acne isn't that bad, I highly doubt your dermatologist is going to write you a prescription for it without first going through a whole list of other, less extreme measures.

Anyway, Accutane isn't what causes scars. In fact, you may end up having less scars if you take Accutane early on. Read the following article for additional information:

http://www.acne.com/c_physical.php

 

[Matt Rogers]

SOLID, I didn't get any noticeable scars and mine was pretty bad when I started the Roaccutane. One thing that I have noticed though is that you get a lot of red marks where spots used to be and your face gets a bit inflammed.

The red marks are macules, sort of remains of spots. The inflammation is because when your body kills the spots, it requires a lot of blood cells flowing to the face which gives your face a red appearance. This is slowly fading, but is a helluva lot better than having acne. I just look like I am slightly sunburnt.