Hey guys,
I
have wanted to write this blog post for a long time but it’s taken me until now
to actually pluck up the courage to do it. Acne affects the lives of so many people and I know there will be lots of you that are suffering right now like I was. That's the main reason I am writing this. I am hoping that sharing my story with you all will benefit some of you guys in some way. This is quite a deep and personal subject for me but I finally feel like I can talk about it openly. I really do hope that this will help some of you.
So here we go, let's go back to the very beginning..
| THE BACKSTORY |
I
have suffered with acne my whole life. Growing up and going through school and
university with the condition was really tough for me. As a growing woman, it
totally knocked my confidence. I was very good at portraying this confident young woman but behind closed doors, I was so ashamed of how I looked. I would look at other
girls and be so envious of their skin and wonder why it was happening to me? Why
was I the only one suffering? How could people bare to look at me? How could my boyfriend love me when I looked like this? I refused
to the leave the house without my makeup on and I essentially hid underneath my security
blanket. Unfortunately for me, my acne was a hereditary thing so no matter how
good my skincare routine was or how well I looked after my skin, it was always
there.
I’m
sure a lot of you will relate when I say I had tried absolutely EVERYTHING on
the market to cure my acne. Every lotion, potion, pill, natural remedy, cider
vinegar, sudocrem, toothpaste, face wash you name it, I tried it.
Now I’m not saying that nothing worked at all but there wasn’t anything that
had long lasting results because as soon as I stopped using a certain product the
spots would come back again. This meant the products I had been using were only tackling the problem at the surface and weren't actually getting to the root of
the problem. Feeling like nothing would ever work, I tried to come to terms with
the fact that this was something I would just have to live with for the rest of
my life and I could only try and disguise it as best I could with makeup.
However,
in 2013, just before I turned 23, the condition of my skin peaked and became the worst it had ever been
before. I was in my 3rd year of University and I had just moved over
to London to do my 8 month work experience. It had got that bad that people
were starting to comment on it. I was in a desperate condition and I was extremely embarrassed. There were days
I didn’t leave the house and nights where I cried myself to sleep. It was at
this point that I decided I couldn’t go on feeling like this anymore and
something seriously had to be done about it.
December 2013
| TIME TO TAKE ACTION |
The
first bit of action I took was to book in with my new GP in London. I asked him
about a specific medication I had read about online called ‘Roaccutane’ which I
had learned is used to treat severe cases of acne. This type of medication is only
given to patients who have already tried other treatments such as antibiotics
and topical treatments but hadn't worked. Roaccutane works by
reducing the amount of natural oil (sebum) your skin produces and, thus, the skin dries up and so does the acne. After examining my skin and
hearing my story my GP decided to refer me to see a skin specialist at the North
Middlesex Hospital.
On
my first consultation with the skin specialist I was reassessed and we had a chat about my history with acne and other medications I had previously been on. I
remember feeling extremely distressed at the time because I had chosen to come
to the appointment that day makeup free and, whilst talking about my condition, I
completely broke down into tears. The doctor was very understanding and assured
me that he was going to look after me and help me beat my acne once and for
all. He explained to me what roaccutane was, what it would do for me and
went through the treatment process, the side effects and necessary precautions
to be taken before beginning any treatment.
One of the worse known side effects
to be caused by taking roaccutane is depression with the drug being linked to
many cases of suicide so it was important for the doctor to assess whether I
was at risk. This part scared me but to be honest, at the time, I couldn’t
imagine being anymore down than I already was. If my skin was going to clear up, then, if anything, this treatment was going to make me happier. I was willing to try absolutely anything to end this pain. Besides, I felt like I was in safe hands and I
had a good support network around me.
Contraceptive
precautions were also a must prior to treatment as getting pregnant while
taking roaccutane can cause serious harm to an unborn child such as deformities . At the time, I had
just had my implanon (bar implant) removed so we discussed some other options
and decided that I would have the mirena coil fitted. For those unfamiliar,
the mirena coil is a highly effective method of contraception which works by
releasing a hormone called Levonorgestral into the womb. The coil is inserted
into the uterus and stays there for up to 5 years after which it must be
changed.
Luckily
for me, I was able to have the coil fitted that same day. I’m not going to lie;
it wasn’t the best experience of my life. It wasn’t that it was painful I just
found the whole procedure quite uncomfortable. Saying that though, it was all
over in no more than 10 minutes. Afterwards there is a little bit of cramping
and some spotting but nothing severe. I also had my bloods taken while I was
there and I was then re-scheduled to meet the doctor again a month later.
On
my next visit to the hospital I was finally prescribed with Roaccutane. From the first time I had met with my GP, it
had taken just over 6 months to be prescribed with the medication. The doctor
told me he would start me on a low dose in the beginning as the spots would
probably get worse before they would get better so I was expecting a big flare up
at the start. I was also told to wear high SPF if I was out in the sun because my skin would be extra sensitive and more susceptible to burning. I was also advised not to
have any waxing done for the same reason - my skin would be very sensitive and would tear. I
wasn’t told to avoid alcohol like others may have been (it might of been written in the booklet I was given) but I’m not a big drinker
anyway so that wasn’t an issue. The medication is taken orally so they are in tablet form and I think I started on 25mg - 30mg per day which was
gradually increased to 50mg per day over the course of the year.
I
had to return to the doctor every 4-8 weeks for check up’s which included
taking a pregnancy test, having my bloods taken and an assessment of my mental
health which usually involved a chat to see how I was getting on, if my moods
had changed and generally how I was coping. The blood tests were necessary to
check that my liver function/blood count wasn’t affected which can happen while taking a strong drug
like roaccutane.
At the time I had been prescribed the medication, I had just
moved back to Ireland to do my final year in Uni which meant I had to fly to
London for my check up’s but to me, it was a small price to pay.
| SIDE AFFECTS |
I
was lucky during my year of treatment the only side effect I experienced was
dry skin. My lips, hands, eyes and the inside of my nose & nostrils were the
worst affected parts but in general, my entire body was dry all over. I remember
it being particularly bad while I was away in Amsterdam but I think that was mainly due to the cold weather. All I had to do was make sure I moisturised once a day and kept my nose and lips smothered in Vaseline and
that was as bad as it got. My mood did fluctuate a little but nothing too out
of the ordinary.
Amsterdam February 2014 (My skin was extremely dry & tight and eyes red & sore)
September 2014 (My hands & the inside of my nose were both dry & cracked)
| RESULTS |
I started roaccutane in July 2014 and finished in July 2015. After
the first month, I started to see real changes in my skin. True for what the doctor said, it did get worse before it got better but, by the third month my skin had dried up and, by the 6th
month, my spots had completely disappeared. I
couldn’t believe that something had actually worked! It was like a miracle drug
for me. To track how I was progressing, I took pictures of my skin every week.
January 2014
April 2015 (Eyes still red dry & sore and skin tight and cracked but spots cleared)
May 2015
August 2015
June 2015
It’s
been just over a year and a half since I finished taking roaccuatane and I still do
get the odd breakout but nothing compared to what it was and it usually only occurs
around my lady time which is normal. Since having the mirena coil fitted
I actually haven’t had a period since but I can gauge when I should be due by
the condition of my skin.
I obviously have a lot of scarring from the years of torture with acne so my skin still isn't exactly perfect but its 100% better than what it was. That’s one thing I am still really
conscious of when I’m taking photos but I am hoping to address this in the near future. There are lots of options out there at the moment including laser and micro-dermabrasion etc. but the procedures don’t come cheap
so I’m weighing up my options. If any of you have any recommendations, please
do let me know. As long as I have it done before I’m married I can live with it
lol.
So
there’s my story guys. If you are suffering now like I used to be then speak to your
GP about what can be done for you and maybe discuss the possibility of trying roaccutane. Many
GP’s won’t necessarily recommend this to you straight off the bat as it is kind
of a ‘last resort’ drug due to its strength and side effects so it isn't taken lightly for obvious reasons. But if
you feel you have tried absolutely everything then do your research and speak
to your GP about it.
Just remember you are not
alone. If you have any more question’s then drop me a mail. I’m always happy
to help.
Big
Love,
Aileen
