Accutane Question

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xdenielx

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So I've had persistent acne for about 10 years now. Up until about 4 years ago it was very mild, but now I have started to develop cysts on my forehead which are painful. Thinking about trying low-dose accutane, (20mg/day), but I'm scared of the side-effects.

Everyone talks about red-marks that they develop that take time to fade, are they just talking about typical acne scars or does accutane make you more prone to scarring from pimples? Also, ive heard that your skin/hair can become permanently dull/dry, you lose all your glow, is this true? Finally, what are the chances of permanent hair thinning on low-dose?
 
I am a 48-year old female and am currently on my 3rd course of Accutane for cystic acne. I take 40 mg daily. The scaring is from the cysts, not the Accutance. I am also not aware of any other side effects such as losing your glow. I just have very dry skin and lips when I am on it. Oh, and you cannot get sun-burned with summer coming and all b/c your skin will be very sensitive. I have never had any hair loss but then again I am a female. I personally think that this is a miracle drug, however, I also understand fear of side effects. A dose of 20 mg along may not prove to be enough for you but it can always be increased if it is not effective. Hope this is helpful and good luck!
 
Hi Caligirl, thanks for the response. I guess that I was referring to a few blogs and posts that I read on the internet. Several people have said that accutane can make you scar more easily, and acne that otherwise wouldnt scar often leaves small red scars that take longer to heal. Also, referring to the "glow", several people have said that during treatment and after coming off accutane, their skin remained dry and dull, their hair also dry and shineless, hence the "no glow" comment. one person even commented that even though accutane cleared his acne, he looked worse after worRAB because of the above mentioned side-effects. Have you noticed any of these things AFTER stopping the medication?

Thanks so much!
 
No, I haven't noticed those things. Your skin and maybe your hair will be dry, however, for me, especially when I was younger, that was actually a good thing. I had been so oily for so long, I felt "normal" after the Accutane use. Now that I am older, I expect that I will have dry skin and hair by the end of my treatemnt, and I plan on just moisturizing my skin and conditioning my hair. You can also buy a skin exfoliator to get rid of the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin and give you that glow back. Just be careful about using this when your skin is too sensitive.
 
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