We have all heard the horror stories, we have all tried our best to avoid it, but a very large number of us end up taking it.

Is Accutane worth it? Let me share my personal experience.   

At the beginning of this year, I began taking Isotretinoin (also known as Accutane or Roaccutane) for 4 months. It wasn’t a decision that I took lightly, and it was my absolute last resort. 

I have struggled with my skin from the age of 12 (I’m now 25) with it getting progressively worse at the age of 23/24. Deep cystic acne decided that my body was a great place to call home and my face completely erupted in painful, sore and angry spots. I was totally convinced that by changing my diet and my skincare regime that my skin would clear. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome at the age of 23 so I knew that this had its part to play in my acne too. I refused to go on the contraceptive pill to manage my hormones and I tried to heal myself holistically and naturally. 

I set off by visiting a homeopath which resulted in me cutting out gluten, dairy, eggs, sugar from my diet along with taking various supplements. I also began having acupuncture and started seeing different skin specialists. This lead to me trying light therapy, chemical peels, laser, microdermabrasion amongst a huge range of skin care products. 

My journey to clearer skin started with me having a lot of hope and positivity, but when none of my efforts were working, my mood and mental health were spiraling downwards. After months and months of trying different things, I decided it was time to visit a dermatologist and I knew that Accutane would probably be the first suggestion. Is Accutane worth it to try?  

In January 2019 after having consultations and blood tests I started taking Accutane. I had done my research so I knew the good, the bad and the ugly that was heading my way. My dermatologist started me off on my maximum dosage straight away (60mg a day as I am 60kg) and warned me I was going to get worse before it gets better, and it sure did! 

In the first 3 weeks, my skin purged horrendously but I kept going and was so glad that I did! After the initial purge, my skin rapidly improved week by week, but it wasn’t without some noticeable, but manageable, side effects. Is Accutane worth it even with the side effects? 

The Side Effects That I Experienced:

1. Dry Skin & Eyes - This is the MOST common side effect. Not only did my face get dryer but so did my body. My nose was dry, my eyes were sore and my hands were cracked. My lips were the driest, I got through plenty of lip balm! I also suffered from bad eczema on my arms and legs too. The plus side to the dryness is not needing to wash your hair as often!
2. Fatigue - Tiredness crept up on me slowly. I felt fine for the first month or so, but by month 2 I was noticing a decline in my energy levels. I work out regularly but had to lower the intensity of my workouts quite substantially. 
3. Achy and stiff joints - Again, this was something that hit me towards the end of my course. My month 3 I found that I was stiff and sore, especially when I hadn’t been active. It did affect what I could do at the gym, which resulted in me feeling a little fed up!
4. Dehydration and Digestion - dehydration is REAL. You need to drink LOADS of water whilst on this medication. I had about 4/5 liters a day and still felt like I needed more water. Time for a bit of TMI but no one warned me or told me that my stools would get harder. I still went to the toilet regularly but they were a little less comfortable to pass (sorry for the overshare)!
5. Low mood - I was lucky and didn’t suffer from this too much, but it did affect me towards the end. I was so happy that my skin was clearing, but I was fed up with the medication and not feeling like myself. 

Is Accutane worth it? Those were all things that affected me whilst taking the medication, but everyone has a different experience. For me, it was all totally worth it. Seeing my skin improve each day kept me going and gave me so much hope! I decided to take Accutane because my acne had really started to have an impact on my mental health and I knew that it would be irresponsible to not address that. 

*photos courtesy of Instagram: @emilykeel_

After 4 months taking the medication, my dermatologist was happy with my results and took me off the meds! Yippee! I am currently 4 weeks post Accutane and my skin is still continuing to improve and the side effects have subsided. I have a lot of scarring left but I have been using BANISH Pumpkin Enzyme Masque, Banish Oil, Vitamin C Creme, and Vitamin C Beauty Elixir to help combat this - and I’m noticing a difference already! 

Is Accutane worth it? Accutane is a strong and in some cases dangerous drug. My advice would be to make sure you do plenty of research beforehand, ask your dermatologist loads of questions, talk to supportive people around you, be super kind to yourself whilst on the medication and DRINK LOADS OF WATER! 

We are all following our own path and acne is caused bust many different factors. Be true to yourself and your own journey. Whether you decide to take medication, or heal your skin naturally, please know that you are beautiful as you are - with or without acne!