Day 77 - A Well Overdue Update…Sorry!!
June 12th, 2008
Firstly, I apologise for not posting for so long…I could give excuses but I won’t bore you. Instead I will just get on with it.
Well, to catch up since my last post way back in April. I am still on 40mg daily, my dermatologist has not wanted to increase the dose as my eyes and lips are still very dry. I have had every drop on the market and from the GP and they still bother me, I just try to ignore it! As for my lips I am still using Carmex, I find this works best for me.
So, over the last six weeks I haven’t been feeling too great. I have had an awful ear infection and needed to take antibiotics for a week, I found it hard to take the Isotreinoin every day while I felt so ill so I cut back to 40mg every other day. I have woken up every day with a headache, I take a painkiller every morning! In general I have been feeling very tired.
I am trying to take my 40mg dose every day, though I am not always managing it. Sometimes just the thought of taking them is enough to make me feel sick, so I make sure I take it at least every other day.
So now for the interesting bit…My skin.
Well (I think) it looks amazing! And I don’t think that is over the top! It is worth feeling so crap. I have had no new spots since the last time I posted, all the blackheads on my nose have gone, completely. The flakiness has improved, I am using Simple Rich Moisturiser which is great, I am also using a gentle exfoliator once a week (Simple gentle scrub) which I know is not advised but I find it gets rid of all the build up of skin cells, creams, sun creams ect.
I do not get any shine on my face at all now, I use a tinted moisturiser or very light foundation (Estee Lauder Double Wear Light is great). My face is not like an oil slick anymore so I can put on make up in the morning and I don’t even have to touch up or powder all day! I don’t need to use any concealer and I only need just a light dust of powder.
My skin is very smooth and the bumpy texture on my chin is noticeably reducing. I think it looks like I have had a few skin peels as the skin is quite fresh looking. My scars are fading nicely too.
One other thing to note. I used to have to wash my hair every day as it was so greasy, the longest I have left it without washing is 5 days! And it still looks good. I haven’t tried any longer.
So, as far as I am concerned the benefits outweigh the negatives. I feel much better within myself, I have more confidence and am doing things that I would not have done when my skin was so bad and unpredictable. I suppose the one big worry I have is that it will all come crashing back when I stop the course…I am trying not to think about it too much as I would be devastated.
I will post pictures tonight.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Hello
I’m 4 weeks into my course. The first 2 weeks were hell on earth, had a really bad breakout, even in places i didn’t usually get spots. Plus the weather was roasting. There’s nothing worse than waking up, seeing the sun cracking the flags and thinking “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
I’m very fair anyway, so on Roac i have to wear factor 30 everyday, which is a minor inconvenience but doesn’t bother me too much.
As for side effects, I’ve got the usual dry skin round my nose & mouth (the places I’m most prone to spots) and my skin looks slightly redder, sometimes, but not all the time. Other than that I’m OK. Could you mention if you’ve had any change in mood in your next update please? I haven’t except when my skin was really bad, but no more so than when I’ve had bad breakouts in the past, so I wudnt say Roac has altered my mood in anyway.
My skin has changed dramatically for the better over the last week and I’m hoping it just gets better from here. I know people who’ve had to stay on Roac for as long as 6 months and i found that really daunting at first, but it wouldn’t even bother me if I had to stay on it for 6 months now (provided side effects didn’t get any worse!). It’s good to hear all your blackheads have gone as I didn’t think Roach would help them, I thought I wud have to get them removed in a salon or get microdermabrasion once I’d finished my course.
I had my first compliment today in work. one of the girls said my skin looked very “clear and fresh”. Touch wood I’ve had no nausea, achy muscles so far. I’m on 35mg a day.
Good luck, keep us posted!
June 19th, 2008 at 5:05 am
where’s our promised photies??