I am a 16 year old girl and have been suffering acne since i was around 10 years old. I have tried creams and lotions, (including pro activ), and even prescribed creams and tablets from the doctor, none have helped.

However recently i have looked into roaccutine and have been doing some research online, i was hoping to hear a few stories from previous roaccutine users to advise me.

The side affects such as dry lips and skin and nose bleeds scared me a little, and i was wondering if roaccutine really does work and clears up the whole skin, if so does this last forever?

I also have troubles swallowing large tablets and was wondering the size of roaccutine pills.

If anyone has any stories, information such as the side affects they suffered if any, if they felt roaccutine was a good idea, and the total outcome of it,

it would help a lot,

thankyou kindly,
~suffering teenager~

I have never used it myself, but in my day job I am an electrotherapy beauty trainer, and have heard of many negative effects of drugs like RoAccutane...People who are taking it are unable to have many beauty treatments until the drug has been out of the system for 6 months. This in itself should tell you it's a potent drug, but the worst side effect is that because it's a form of steriod, it actually thins the skin. So, although it may help to clear the acne, you will be doing yourself real long-term harm.

The other things to consider are;
Your age; I know when I was 16 my skin was awful, and though I'm sure you don't want to hear it, I know now that my hormones played a huge part in the state of my skin; I think you may find the same thing, and in a year or so perhaps it won't be so bad.
Your skincare routine; a lot of people aren't aware, but you must use a skincare product religiously for 1-3 months before you give up on it, saying it doesn't work for whatever reason. What are you using at the moment?
How you care for your skin; When you have active acne (Eg, big spots), are you squeezing them? If so, how are you squeezing them?! Sounds gross, but A. you shouldn't be squeezing, B. you're only human, and I know most therapists will admit to squeezing when they know they shouldn't! Make sure you're doing so in the way that is least likely to cause infection.
Are you constantly touching your skin? If you are, throughout the day you're transferring bacteria to your face, and spreading around what is already there, you're going to be making the problem far worse
Are you taking any other medication? Now obviously, I'm not a doctor and don't claim to be...but some medicines can aggravate certain skin conditions, so it might be worth checking to see. Don't some off anything without talking to your doctor though!!!
What is your diet like? If you're drinking lots of water, and eating really healthily with loads of fruit and veg then great...if not, maybe try to cut down the junk food. It's actually been said that no matter what you put into your body, the skin is the last place to see any of it; so in theory this point is perhaps the least important when it comes to skincare...but I'm just trying to cover all bases for you!

I'm not saying you should or shouldn't go for Roaccutane, but I am trying to make you think about your skincare as a whole. If you go to a doctor, they like to treat the problem, which is great...but they don't treat the cause. And as I mentioned earlier, drugs like this are very very harsh...and as well as potentially treating your skin, they're giving you other problems in the long term.

My advice to you would be to find a salon near you that specialises in advanced skincare, and ask them to help you BEFORE you go and get that prescription. Depending on the level and type of acne you have (I can't say without seeing you!), you might find that Prescriptive Facials, Galvanic Facials, AHA Facials, or Microdermabrasion are suitable options for you. A salon may well recommend a product range like MDFormulations, or Environ which may help you too.

Please don't go onto a steriod medication without exhausting the list above...hope that helps, PM me if you want more advice. Good luck!! XXX

Hiya ! i have used this myself 3 different times and the results are fantastic !! the worse side effect i got was really dry lips ! i did have to use it a few times but the spots only ever came back on my face , i like yourself suffered for years ( i am now in my 30s ) I would say have a good chat with your doctor and if he or she is happy go for it !! The tablets are tiny and it also comes in a cream form i am using this at the moment so there are many options :-) this is not a steriod treatment ... but it is also not something you should rush into
let me know what you decide and PM me if you need any advice xx

Hi

I had acne from the age of 15, I finally went onto roaccutane aged 21! To be honest it was a bit of a pain, you can't go in the sun, your skin gets dry, I was a bit more moody, but it completly cleared my skin, I've been off now for 8 months I get the odd spot now and then but nothing like what I used to.

Obviously your doctor needs to offer it to you, if your doctor hasn't suggested it then maybe he/she does not think you need it? You are quite young and you may grow out of it.

It is a big commitment aswell.

I really feel you should be speaking to your parents and your doctor about it.

hth

becki x

Thankyou so much everyone,

All of your advice really helped, i do think that maybe i should wait a while as most of you said, it is common at my age and it usually clears up after a while.

I've only seen my doctor once about my skin and they prescribed some antibiotics, they clear it up a little but not too much, next time i go back i will definitely ask them what they think and whether they think roaccutane would be right for me, as i know the sideaffects such as dryness seemed to bother most users.

Thankyou so much,
i will pm you guys if i need any more help :-)

Hi hayley,
I do electrotherapy treatments on my clients and there is a treatment called high frequency desincrustation. It is a deep cleansing treatment for clients with oily and acne skintypes. You might want to find a therapist or salon who carries out this type of treatment and talk to them about it. Goodluck and hope this helps

I went on 2 courses of Roaccutane - sooo glad I did! At the time, may have changed now, it could only be described by a Dermatologist and not your GP - you needed a referral first. The dermatologist tried some other medication first, before getting to Roaccutane.

Yes your lips will dry out and be constantly dry, live with at least 2 lips within reach at all times (you'll loose one) and have plenty around the house / office / wheverver. Also a good basic moisturiser, I found E45 worked wonders for me, and if your lucky you may be able to get huge tubs of it as part of the prescription.

In short, if you haven't seen a Dermatologist get a referral from your GP.

Mat

Thankyou, and yes still unsure about how i would get the prescription, if i decide to go ahead i will talk to my doctor/gp and ask how to go about getting a prescription if they thought it was a good idea.

And it's good to hear it worked wonders for you, i have heard that from all who used it, an obvious pro in my pros and cons list of getting a prescription.

And most people said E45 was the best, i would definitely get some of that, thankyou

This is fabulous advice.
In my experience people often expect to get results without putting in the required effort.
As a former acne suffer, I know that I was never putting in enough effort to get the acne under control.

When I was in my early twenties I finally learnt how much I really needed to do to keep my skin nice. After a course of professional AHA treatments (Peelactiv) and a strict skincare routine (Algologie) which included cleanse/tone/moisturise 2-3 times a day, exfolliator and mask twice a week, my skin finally cleared after about 5-6 months.

I still have problems now if I don't stick to skincare routine religiously (I'm 31 now).

Maybe you could go through how you look after your skin, and maybe you could post a picture so we could see what your skin is like.

This is still true in my area at least, I was referred to a dermatologist. You also have to have regular blood tests, there was a thread on here a while ago someone can probably find it because I can't about different people's experiences whilst on it! I never had mental health checks or talks, I didn't get 1/2 hour appointments with a nurse, where some people did.

becki x

Definitely try microdermabrasion, i have had a few clients with acne and it has helped, it hasn't cleared it up completely, but it has definitely helped, obviously, along with homecare, cleanse, tone, exfoliate, moisturise etc, but make sure your using the right products for that i.e. products for congested/oily skin. Its really important to keep your skin clean, because daily impurities/grim etc are highly attracted to oil on the skin, also clay mask at home 1-2 times a week, sea clay has proven to work well good, absorbing excess oil.

I would agree with the advice of following your replies on here from the non-roaccuatne and then maybe go on to that as a real last resort if you really need and still want to. good luck xxx

I have suffered from acne for about 14 years. I have lots of scaring on my face from it.

I have tried every cream and tablets possible but nothing really worked.

I was referred to a dermatoigist (sp) and was told to take roaccutane. I think this is usually a last resort. Both my parents took this and would not let me have it due to the side effects etc.

I have found that taking the contraceptive pill Marvelon makes a huge difference to my skin and could not be without it now, the only time I get bad acne now is during my period.

this was the worst thing i ever dun. i went on this drug and it didnt give me dry lips etc but effected my behaviour soooooo much. I was sent to behaviour management because of it. ive got on my record to never ever have it again. my sis went on it and was fine tho. xx

hiya
i suffered from acne from about your age and still get adult acne now (im 23). but since i have found MD formulations adult acne kit, I HAVE NOT HAD ONE SPOT!!! *touch wood*
I normally get loads on my chin guareented at the time of the month, it is the time of the month now and not one spot!! yey!!! it is fantastic stuff and i couldnt recommend it more.
x

Hiya,

Get some mineral makeup to cover the scars etc, and wait until you aare 18 then you could get advise on laser scar correction or microdermabrasion.

You are still very young and your body is not done with hormonal change, hang on in there.

My niece has suffered all her life with skin complaints from weeping dry ithchy skin and spotty/acne skin she is 20yrs old now and has grown out of all of her old skin problems (her name is Rose and she has turned into an English Rose)
you are still very young, hang on in there, if problems still persist after you turn 18 then you can seek more harsh beauty treatments.
Good Luck Babe
Jenx