Today marks almost two weeks of me being on Accutane or Epuris, in Canada, and how I thought Accutane was going to be like has truly changed.
Buckle up, because starting Accutane took way longer than expected, people think you see a dermatologist and they say, “ok go on Accutane, tomorrow,” but it is so much more tedious than that, trust me, I know. I’m going to talk about what side effects to expect; that you might have not heard about, what to do, and how to still feel confident while your face is blowing up.
What is Accutane?
Accutane or Epuris are just the brand names, but are essentially the same, Epuris is just the Canadian version. Isotretinoin is the actually thing in the medication. So, what is Isotretinoin Accutane, it is a pure form of Vitamin A or Retinoid; Vitamin A’s like retinoids help renew the skin and make skin-cell turnover happen at a more rapid rate.
The Accutane pill is used for extreme cases of acne, when nothing else seems to be working, patients are prescribed this, but there is a caveat of VERY intense side effects, like the drying of the skin, were all the oil glands on your body are dried out. You typically take Accutane or Epuris for 6 months, and over those six months your face will break out, like you’ve never experienced before, but in the later months it will clear up.
Accutane is said to cure 2/3 of patients and why it is called “the miracle solution’ for acne. So, that is what is Accutane.
Why Did I Start Accutane?
I never thought my acne was ‘so bad,’ that I needed Accutane, but it was persistent and had not gone away since grade 5, so I had been struggling with acne for the past 5 years, almost half a decade. People are also mean, no matter how much self-love I had, I would have nights were I would cry about my skin because nothing was working. Trust me, I understand what having acne is like, especially when people are talking about the craters on your face or calling you peroni face. So, when I saw my allergist and she said do you want me to contact a dermatologist, I said YES and jumped on that opportunity, but I didn’t know it would take months before I got on.
Before Even Starting
Starting Accutane is not as simple as people make it seem. People always talk about what happens during Isotretinoin, Accutane, but no one ever tells you about how it might take a while for it to happen. For me it was a process, and I would say GET ON ACCUTANE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT IT, you might not think your acne is bad enough to get on Accutane because you see all these crazy acne transformations online, with really severe hormonal acne, but that is so not the case. If you have persistent acne, meaning it just won’t go away (so annoying right), you could be approved to go on Accutane.
So, let’s go back all the way to November of 2023, my eyes were blowing up, they were so puffy and flaking, to the point I could barely open my eyes, which is a whole other story, but when I finally went to the allergist, she diagnosed me and referred me to a dermatologist when she saw my face… yikes… it was that bad. The thing about seeing a dermatologist for acne is you first have to get the appointment, and unless you have connections you would have to see your family doctor and have them refer you to the dermatologist, so tedious. In Canada it could take months to get an appointment.
The first time I ever saw my dermatologist was March 2024. Your first time seeing them, they might not even put you on Accutane, so DO NOT expect to be on Accutane the very next day. My dermatologist saw that my acne was very ‘active,’ and put me on Doxycycline, “but, Karina, how do I know if my acne is ‘active’” I hear you saying through your screen.
How To Tell If You Have Active Acne
- Go To The Mirror
- Look at Your Acne
- Is It Red and Inflamed
- Does It Look Something Like This
- You probably do
When she said that she prescribed me doxycycline to calm down my acne, and after the initial ‘blow up’ phase my skin went from this (Before Photo) to this (After Photo). Doxycycline is an antibiotic that treats bacterial infections and acne, I was on this for about 2 and a half months.
Now, June 4th, I’m going into the office so excited, finally Accutane, no. Was not that fast. Now you have to go get your blood work, and for me there was no availability until June 19th. TIP: Schedule blood work as close to after your dermatologist appointment as possible IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING ON ACCUTANE. That is the one tip I would offer anyone that knows they will be going on Accutane, because they will not allow you to get on Accutane without blood work results prior to starting. So, now I have to wait two more weeks, and than however long it takes for your dermatologist to look over your results.
Monday June 24th, we got the okay to start so on the 25th we went down to the drug store and picked it up for $46 dollars, originally it is $100, which is something that you should keep in mind. And I started.
Common Side Effects, You’ve Probably Heard
- EXTRA DRY LIPS
- DRY SKIN/BODY
- TIREDNESS
- SUN SENSTIVITY
- MOOD CHANGES/SWINGS
- DRY NOSE
- NOSE BLEEDS
- CHAPPED LIPS
Unexpected Side Effects, No One Talks About
- FACE DROOPING
- HAIR LOSS
- DANDRUFF/ DRY FLAKY SCALP
- DRY EYES
- AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
- DEPRESSION
My Personal Side Effects In The Past Two Weeks
The biggest side effect that has happened since starting Accutane, is the chapped lips. Dried lips causes such a headache when going out, because it’s a little abnormal and the sense everyone’s looking. So I would suggest TIP: to put Vaseline or Aquaphor on your lips all the time as a chapped lip remedy, and at night you could use a lip sugar scrub to try to gentle exfoliate the lips and get all the crusties off.
Something no one talks about is THE DANDRUFF. As people warn you about your body being super dry and sensitive, the same thing applies for your scalp, but it never occurs to you. My biggest Tips: switch to a one time shampoo method if you previously do a double shampoo in the shower and Tip #2: Invest in a Dandruff Shampoo, because the oils on your scalp will start getting stripped and your scalp will start flaking up.
IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT ACCUTANE
If you are thinking about starting Accutane, I would fully support you, the journey may be though to grow through, but me and many others know what you are going through and will be with you on your journey. But, always remember that acne is beautiful and to embrace all your little blemishes.