I’ve struggled with acne for what feels like my entire life but probably since I was 11 or 12, and I never really grew out of it. It’s had phases, really bad at 12/13, better for awhile and then bad again at 15/16 before getting better and then flaring up again in my early 20s. It’s was never really bad enough in the cystic acne way to warrant more than a smattering of prescription creams and antibiotics, but I tried them all over the years, and none really worked that well. Through trial and error, I discovered my own a crazy concoction of washes and creams that kept it mildly at bay for years, but it meant being religious about my skincare routine, dealing with dried out skin, and never putting anything else on my face, including makeup for the most part. But it was better than being covered in zits so I dealt with it, even carrying little bottles of my creams and face wash in my clutch if I was going out and sleeping at a boyfriend’s or friend’s. But then in my 20s after moving to NYC, my skin flared up again and my usual lineup of creams and potions just didn’t work as well, and frankly, I was sick of having acne. Wasn’t i supposed to have grown out of it by now? I finally found a dermatologist who helped me with a solution that may sound extreme, but it was life-changing for me, and so I wanted to share my Accutane experience.
I had finally had it, so I booked an appointment with one of the country’s top dermos with a fancy office on Park Avenue and who didn’t take insurance, but it was well worth every penny it turned out. For once, she listened and suggested what no other doctor would – Accutane, or actually it goes by a different name now but same diff. I went on a super low dose and while the monthly bloodwork and dry lips were annoying, it cleared up my skin and other than dry lips, I had none of the other scary side effects that give Accutane a bad rap. Honestly, my Accutane experience was not bad at all and the results were more than worth it. Now with that said, I was on a super low dose and my acne wasn’t severe severe as many cases, and obviously I’m not a doctor or expert and you should talk to your doctor about what’s right for you. But I couldn’t be happier that I did it. My skin was always a major insecurity of mine and I spent a fortune on creams, washes, pills and doctors and in just a couple months, Accutane cleared my skin right up.
The one downside of being on a low dose is it didn’t cure my acne completely as it’s supposed to. It’s nowhere as bad as it was, but now years later, it’s been flaring up again and because we’re trying for babies, I can’t go on Accutane again. With that said, it’s not nearly as bad as it was and an over the counter cream clears it up now, whereas before those non prescription creams didn’t do anything. Honestly, if it was safe to take when trying to conceive, I’d go back on it — that’s how positive my Accutane experience was. I know there are risks to your liver etc and other side effects that are important to consider, especially at higher doses (again, I’m not an expert or doctor, talk to your doctor), but I felt like it was important to share my skincare struggles, my Accutane experience, and what worked for me, because when my skin was constantly breaking out, I wanted to know everything anyone ever tried that worked to cure their acne. And I get so many questions and compliments on my skin and I think it’s important to remind you that what you see isn’t the full story and it took years of struggle and wanting to hide my face from the world to get to a place of clear skin that I’m not embarrassed to put on my website and Instagram in front of the world.
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