The Third Month
- Sierra Gillespie
- Oct 13, 2015
- 3 min read
UPDATE Month Three on Accutane Treatment
Month three is in full swing, and I could not be happier that I am that much closer to ending my battle with acne and my trial of Accutane.
This month, Dr. Pedretti prescribed 40mg of Accutane twice
daily everyday, which I am very excited to see the results of. According to my close friend and veteran Accutane survivor, Chase Studinski, “80mg is within your 1-2 mg/kg range, so it’ll get real now :).” In addition, Dr. Pedretti suggested that my acne will start improving greatly in the third month. While she said that my face will not be crystal clear yet at the end of the third month, I should be looking forward to some drastic changes for the better.
Over the past month, my acne has slightly improved. To my boyfriend, who hears me complain about Accutane daily and has seen the worst of me up-close and in person, my face has gotten noticeably better.
My chin, which has usually been the bulk of the issue, is as clear as I have seen it in years. Still, my cheeks remain an issue. They have been noticeably bad since my junior year of college, and this month of Acctuane has been no different. The struggle here is the bumps that cover my cheeks. They are unfortunately quite noticeable, and as stubborn as Scarlett O’Hara. Thankfully, Dr. Pedretti anticipates my cheeks to be the next part of my face to clear.
As far as the rest of my face, acne has been breaking out where it ordinarily wouldn’t. My nose, which hasn’t been a problem for me since my days in Intermediate School, is full of whiteheads. If it hadn’t have been for an Accutane forum that I read warning Accutane patients from using pore strips (it rips off all the skin on your nose!), I would have been a little more embarrassed of my nose than just of the whiteheads.
In addition, my forehead and hairline have seen increased breakouts, something that is somewhat unusual for my acne. Unfortunately, the first few months of Accutane can be some of the worst. There is no calm before the storm; this is the storm before the calm. Before starting Acctuane, Dr. Pedretti warned me that my face will break out worse than it ever has before during my first few months—and she was not wrong. Fingers crossed for a strong third month, during which I can see some real, solid changes! Currently, my side effects have much improved since my first month on Accutane. The joint pain while working out has decreased—possibly because I stopped running as much after my 5K, but month two overall was not nearly as painful as month one. In addition, my faintness has improved, though I am still as emotional as ever.
The real side effect that incredibly affects me is my chapped lips. During no winter in my Wisconsin-born life have I experienced such dryness. So far, I have gone through three sticks of Blistex Medicated Lip Balm, half a tub of Vaseline and a tube of Aquaphor. I have lip balm with me at all times. Hidden inside my wallet, purse and makeup bag are tubes upon tubes—feel free to hit me up if you’re feeling dry!
The problem with my chapped lips is three fold: One) the burning. Two) the flakes. Three) the reaction.
Since starting Accutane, I have avoided lip color because of the intense dryness I experience, but last weekend I made an exception. I returned to my alma mater for Ball State University’s homecoming, and felt risky. I used Nyx lipstick Friday night, Saturday morning and Saturday evening. By Sunday morning, my lips had broken out into what appeared to be hives. (My boyfriend Googled it and yes, you can get hives on your lips.)
During my dermatologist appointment today, I asked Dr. Pedretti about this side effect. She told me that most lipsticks contain agents that dry out one’s lips, therefore three straight applications of lipstick combined with the already dry lips caused the almost allergic reaction. Needless to say, I will not be applying much more lip color until February or March.
Aside from these issues, my Acctuane experience seems to be going well. Stay tuned for more updates, and make sure to read my monthly articles about Acctuane awareness. Cheers to moist lips, I am jealous of you all!
Comments