I’ve been on Accutane for nearly two months, and I wanted to check in. Things are going pretty well, and I think I may finally be seeing some progress. Let me first tell you about side effects, which have been minimal. I’ve had very dry lips, which about 80-90% of people experience on Accutane. Since the doctor increased my dose last month, my feet have also been very sore, especially in the morning. Watching me get down the stairs first thing is quite entertaining. Otherwise, I haven’t really noticed any other side effects.
One of the things I’ve really started to enjoy while being on Accutane is that my hair isn’t as oily. I don’t remember if I mentioned, but in addition to acne, I’ve also had folliculitis on my scalp since right after my daughter was born in 2012. This has been challenging to treat. Since 2012, I’ve found that I must wash my hair every day without fail. If I don’t wash my hair, my scalp becomes incredibly irritated and itchy and bumpy. Gross! This is a major problem when the “in” thing is to use dry shampoo and only wash your hair twice a week. I’ve also had to use a prescription antibiotic solution on my scalp, which I’ve discontinued since starting the Accutane. The Accutane seems to have pretty much cleared up my follicultis! The doctor that I saw in North Carolina was hopeful that this would happen. So for now, I can be stinky and not wash my hair everyday! Victory!
So two months in, I’m happy with the progress, and still hoping to see more results in the coming months. My dermatologist mentioned that with the severity of my acne, she thought it would take four months before I really saw results, so things are looking good. I’ll also say that so far the trepidation that many people experience before starting this drug because of the negative press is unwarranted. My labs have been great, and like I said, very few side effects. So far, I’d recommend it to anyone who has been struggling with chronic acne. It beats being on long-term antibiotics, and it’s better for your microbiome! I like to use big, fancy words.
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