This is what you need to know before starting Roaccutane

If I say that I have tried every remedy in the past ten years to get rid of my acne, I am not exaggerating. Honestly, thousands of euros have gone into benzoyl peroxide, way too expensive cleansers, peels, you name it, only to be left with huge craters on my face. Why didn’t I just go to the dermatologist? I still wonder about that to this day. In hindsight, I should have done this much earlier, but my stubborn head thought it could solve it on its own. Well, it didn’t. The dermatologist didn’t need to look at my skin for more than a minute before advising me to go on Roaccutane.

For those who have no idea what this is: in skincare land, this treatment is seen as a last resort for your acne. Every day you take a certain milligram, and this is supposed to make your pimples disappear like snow in the sun, literally. There’s little lie to those words, because after being on the treatment for four months, I have for the first time in ten years a completely even skin. And it feels fantastic. I have never been so confident as I am now, even though I certainly haven’t always felt that way in the past four months. The treatment is, to put it mildly, intense and has its own manual that you will undoubtedly have to deal with.

The oil production of your skin stops
Or in other words: every part of your body becomes extremely dry. Because Roaccutane breaks down the sebaceous glands in your skin, your body no longer produces oil, causing every inch of your body to dry out: your face, your lips, your hands, your legs, your eyes. Even the inside of your nose has a hard time with it, so don’t be surprised if you suddenly have a nosebleed.

You may experience mood swings
Although Roaccutane does not contain hormones, it has been proven that the treatment can cause mood swings. This doesn’t have to be the case for everyone, but unfortunately, I have experienced them. And the people around me have too. Not fun, I can tell you.

You won’t survive without lip balm
My tube nipple cream (miracle cure for dry lips) has become as essential to me as my phone: I don’t leave the house without it. I have to apply it every twenty minutes, otherwise the loose flakes stick to my lip. It happens that quickly.

Not everyone can and should use it
Just like with other medications, these pills are not for everyone. Roaccutane is strictly forbidden if you are pregnant or breastfeeding; you must be able to prove every month that you are not pregnant. People with diabetes or a form of depression also need to be cautious.

You will experience more muscle pain than normal
A leg day is tough enough on its own, let alone if you end up with massive muscle pain afterwards. Sometimes I couldn’t work out for a whole week because I was still recovering from the week before. Although I must admit I sometimes found this a nice excuse.

At first, your skin gets worse
I was told it would get worse, but I wasn’t prepared for it to be this bad. The second and third months are quite tough, but once you’ve gone through ‘the purge phase’, you’re almost done.

It doesn’t always work
Yes, it is seen as a last resort, but that doesn’t mean it works for everyone. It has a success rate of 80% if you give it at least four to five months. For some, it takes even longer.

You burn faster
And by fast, I mean really fast. Normally, I could get through the day with factor twenty, but now I have to apply at least double that. So be careful. A dry sensitive skin combined with burning doesn’t sound pleasant, and it isn’t.

But hey, don’t let this scare you off. Roaccutane has been one of my better decisions from last year, despite all the side effects because those are only for a short term. Just keep that in mind.