Nars Prep and Prime, Dior concealer and Bella Pierre compressed foundation aside, I couldn’t wait to say goodbye to my teen acne.
Though I was thankful for the endless blessings I had, and completely aware that this bad skin phase would not last forever, it affected every single part of me. My face was covered by spots, I didn’t want to go out and on my worst days even look at people in the eye! In retrospect, it sounds melodramatic, but I hadn’t seen such severe acne on anyone around me. I tried everything I could get my hands on: special facial washes, antibiotics, herbal remedies…I even changed my pillow case every day for a year! Nothing worked.
My mum saw my confidence slowly dwindle, and made me a follow-up appointment with my GP. He quickly advised me that my current prescribed cream (Panoxyl 10 Aquagel) wasn’t working and due to the risk of the acne causing permanent scarring, I needed something stronger. Ultimately, I was advised to take Roaccutane 20mg soft capsules, and following precautionary procedures, completely understanding the risks of the treatment, I went onto faithfully consuming a pill a day for 24 weeks.
Truth is, the risks are scary and become very tangible throughout the process. I understood the precautions – you cannot take Roaccutane if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, allergic to isotretinoin, peanut or soya, suffer from liver disease, have high levels of blood fats or vitamin A. I read horror stories online about teenagers and young adults suffering from depression, losing their hair, and even committing suicide on the drug. However, I truly thought these symptoms were exaggerated. Let me tell you now hunis that while some people are affected worse than others, the effects should not be overlooked.
Kudos to my family because they were dealing with an overly sensitive teen. My acne itself got worse before it got better, and I suffered from excessively dry skin and chapped lips – morning yawns hurt! Just when I thought my skin would never clear up, four weeks later, I saw a huge difference – every single day I saw a part of my skin that I hadn’t seen for months. Following 24 weeks, my skin was acne-free *breathes huge sigh of relief*.
My advice to anyone suffering from severe acne is to try over the counter lower dosage drugs first. If like me, you need something stronger, see your GP, immerse your trust in your dermatologist, be clear about your concerns, and don’t underestimate the risks of the treatment. Surround yourself with positive people who look beyond appearances – it’s not everything. Beauty also comes from within and you can have the most beautiful skin naturally or with the help of skin treatments and creams, but if you have an ugly heart, that beauty does not resonate. For me, I had the most supportive family and friends who never made me feel nothing less than I was with clear skin. However, it was my inner peace and my self-esteem that was intrinsically affected and no amount of validation made me feel better. Today, I am so happy with my skin, I am confident and try to only wear makeup when I need to. My Golden rule is to NEVER PICK ON YOUR SPOTS! I made this mistake and was left with some scarring. If you would like to know what skin treatments I had to get rid of my scarring, let me know below and I will be happy to write a blog on it.
If you have any questions or concerns about acne or Roaccutane itself, do not hesitate to contact me. I am here to help!
Know that you slay with or without pimples, and try to stay patient. But hey, glasses up to Roaccuate, it truly has been a marvel for me and many other women.
HS