My Accutane Experience: How Accutane Changed My Life

Today marks the day that I am sitting down to write out my Accutane experience from start to finish.

Buckle up because this is going to document every single aspect of my Accutane experience, including the side effects and the financial costs! These days, my skin looks healthy, radiant, and break-out free. If you are someone who struggles with acne I 100% know how emotionally and mentally damaging this skin problem can be. Please keep reading to learn more about my skincare journey through my eyes when I chose Accutane as my last resort solution for clear skin. See some other Accutane experiences here.

My Accutane Experience: How Accutane Changed My Life

Although I’ve been off Accutane for a couple of years now, the experience feels like yesterday in my mind. I can still recall my dermatologist telling me that the best way to get rid of my acne for good meant I needed to go on a drug called Accutane, or Isotretinoin. I can recall sitting in the doctor’s office in a panic.

As someone who never liked swallowing pills, how was I going to take 2 pills a day for the next 5 months? I took a deep breath, called my best friend, and cried in the car on the way home like a baby. I felt so scared, yet relieved at the same time. Finally, I would have a solution to the one thing in my life that kept me feeling sad and defeated all the time.

Of course, I had concerns. As any normal person would.

• What made this drug effective over others?
• Would this drug give me nasty side effects?
• How would the drug change my body?
• Would the drug make me feel depressed?
• Could I suffer through blood work?
• Would it ACTUALLY work in the end?
• How much does Accutane cost?

Today I am sharing my Accutane experience and how Accutane changed my life for the better. I want to note that everyone who takes Accutane has a unique experience and each person reacts differently to the medication. I will be listing out the side effects that I felt during my 5 months of treatment as well as changes to my body that have stuck with me since completing my one round of Accutane back in 2017.

*I AM NOT A DOCTOR! This post details my personal experience taking Accutane for 5 months under the care of a licensed professional dermatologist in Florida. Please consult with your primary doctor before starting Accutane.

When Did I Decide To Go on Accutane?

The story goes like so: my Dad and I were riding in his car and it was during a time when my skin looked visibly broken out. I had signs of breakouts all across my chin and my cheeks. He gently made a conversation about my skin and he told me that his girlfriend’s sister worked as a dermatologist.

He asked me if I would want to make an appointment with her to talk about ways to manage my acne. I’ll never forget this conversation as it ultimately led me to schedule the most important appointment of my life. Of course, it’s uncomfortable to talk about acne for some people because it’s such a personal thing. By sharing my story about my Accutane journey, I hope to open up the topic of conversation about acne.

Dealing with acne always affected my mental well-being and back in the day I’d rather ignore the situation than openly discuss it. I felt as if talking about it would make me even more upset. I am truly glad my Dad had the courage to open up the topic of my skin with me in the car that day. Who knows where I’d be today if he didn’t ask me if I wanted to see a dermatologist.

How Was My First Appointment with a Dermatologist?

After consulting with my Dad and learning about his girlfriend’s sister, a licensed dermatologist, I booked my first appointment to see her. She walked into the room where I patiently sat and nervously played with my fingers to check on my skin. After looking at my obvious acne breakouts, she asked me a few questions about my skin through the years.

I felt vulnerable at the time talking about my struggles with acne! I mentioned to her in detail how I tried every single cleansing method, acne product, and dietary restriction in the book to no avail. I think I started to well up when I finally released all of the pent up sadness I felt from dealing with such a traumatic physical and emotional problem that affected many areas of my life. It felt amazing to release all of those emotions in front of her.

Accutane Was My Last Resort

She ultimately decided that Accutane could help me defeat my battle with acne for good. I had heard about Accutane hear and there, but I didn’t know anything more than the fact that it was called the last resort drug. Well, I had come face to face with my absolute last resort option. It was either take Accutane or suffer from painful acne for years to come. Obviously, I trusted her opinion. I felt a lot of emotions as she went on to describe the next steps I needed to take before I could start the drug.

The Steps I Took Before Starting Accutane:

• I needed to start taking birth control pills for at least 1 month to ensure that I wouldn’t get pregnant while taking this serious drug
• I needed to start taking monthly blood tests to monitor my liver function
• I had to sign up with the iPledge program to answer questions regarding the harmful effects of getting pregnant while taking Isotretinoin

What Are the Side Effects of Taking Accutane?

The side effects you read online are the scariest part of dealing with such an intense drug like Accutane. A lot of people choose to forgo Accutane because of the list of potential side effects. Some of these side effects include:

• Dryness
• Chapped lips
• Dry eyes
• Reduced night vision
• Dry nose
• Hair loss
• Depression
• Serious mental health problems
• Aggressive behavior
• Light sensitivity
• Suicidal thoughts
• Deformities/birth defects in babies (if you get pregnant)

What Side Effects Did I Experience While Taking Accutane?

Once I wrapped up my initial consult with my derm she prescribed Accutane pills as determined by my weight. My routine for the next 5-6 months involved taking 1 pill in the morning and 1 pill right before bedtime, both after full meals. The 30 mg dose of Accutane started to take effect around 1 month into treatment.

The worst side effect for me? SERIOUSLY chapped lips! I kept a tube of Aquaphor with me at all times because my lips looked dry 24/7.  My chapped lips lingered for all 5 months.

On the downside, I experienced very chapped lips, headaches, slight nausea, and achy joints during the course of my 5-month long treatment.

With the downside came the good! My once super oily hair actually started to dry up and look good?? I was shocked at this side effect for sure! My hair looked really nice for once and I didn’t have to wash it as often. Thanks to the decrease in sebum production, my hair felt less oily. My once greasy locks experienced way less oil production and build-up!

Life on Accutane

Since Accutane can cause so many adverse reactions, it’s important to understand what to do to keep yourself in line while taking this drug.

You definitely can’t drink alcohol. You shouldn’t use abrasive cleansers on your skin whatsoever. Using birth control needs to be a top priority to prevent pregnancy.

Staying connected to your dermatologist can also make you feel more informed during the process of taking Accutane in case any unwanted symptoms arise. Call your dermatologist or nurse if anything unusual starts to happen as I did when I began to experience slight nausea and headaches.

My Skin Care Routine on Accutane

What did my skincare routine look like while I was taking Accutane? I kept things clean and simple. In the morning, I washed my face with my gentle Cetaphil cleanser. This drugstore CeraVe cleanser has hydrating ingredients, too. After cleansing, I applied sunscreen to my face. One of my favorite sunscreen brands is Supergoop! and their Unseen Sunscreen tops my list even today. At night, I washed my face with Cetaphil and applied a thick moisturizer all over my parched skin.

Since the Accutane left my face feeling dry, I needed to boost my complexion with a heavy moisturizer for the ultimate fix. For my current skincare routine to keep my skin clear check out this post where I outline my top 3 favorite products for acne.

My Top Skin Care Products For Accutane

The Financial Costs Of Accutane

Another reason to only resort to Accutane if you’ve exhausted all other options? The cost. It pains me to think about the cost of Accutane. Thankfully, we found a coupon to reduce the monthly cost of Accutane pills down to $250.

I ended up using a coupon from Good Rx and buying my monthly pills through Sam’s Club. Luckily there are generic versions of Isotretinoin that you can take to lower the cost. For me, I personally ended up taking the generic version called Myorisan. Check with places like Walmart and Sam’s Club to see if you can score a discount as I did.

Even with a discount paying out of pocket for Accutane adds up. In addition to the monthly prescription drug payments, paying for dermatologist and blood work visits also factors into the overall cost.

You can see that the cost of Accutane quickly adds up each month. I am grateful that my Dad offered to cover the costs associated with my Accutane. He gave me the best gift ever by paying for my pills each month and covering my doctor’s visits. I am beyond thankful for his contribution to my Accutane journey and for helping me achieve the clear skin I’ve always dreamed of having.

When I have children, and if they have acne as bad as I did, I know I will do whatever it takes to provide them with financial assistance to eliminate their acne as soon as possible. I believe strongly in the power of this medicine and I hope to give my future children the same experience.

Do I Have Any Regrets From Going on Accutane?

Maybe this will surprise you and maybe it won’t, but I have 100% NO regrets about choosing Accutane as my last resort solution for FINALLY ending my years of suffering from acne. I would take back the 5 months of chapped lips for clear skin in a second.

My single regret? I wish I had done Accutane sooner in my life.

Not only do I feel good about my outward appearance, but not dealing with acne makes me feel confident to go outside and not wear any makeup. Back in the day, you’d never catch me without a full face of makeup. These days I switch my makeup routine from loose mineral powder to a light BB cream instead of caking on layers of liquid foundation to cover my redness.

What Does My Skin Looks Like After My Accutane Experience?

After 5 months of Accutane taking 2 pills per day, I am more confident than ever. My skin feels baby soft and virtually all of my acne disappeared since coming off the drug. Within the first month of treatment, I already saw visible results on my face.

To my excitement, I noticed fewer breakouts on my cheeks and my chin after a mere 4 weeks. Today, there are days when I walk out the door without any makeup on. Before Accutane, I would always put makeup on no matter what! Even if I was headed out the door to eat dinner with friends, my makeup was a necessity.

These photos featured within this blog post are evidence of my clear skin after Accutane. I am wearing ZERO makeup because I was shooting skincare photos. Other than some acne scarring and hyperpigmentation, I do not deal with regular cystic acne anymore.