Christmas day

As usual i get some unfortunate spots when i want to look nice. This time a have 3 nice big spots in a straight line on my forehead! Even with make up you can still see them!

My story

So as a teen I had the odd spot but nothing major. I was around 18 maybe 19 when I started getting quite a few spots around my mouth that look a long time to go away.  I was 19 almost 20 when my GP put me on Erythromycin it worked well and for 18 months or so i had clear skin, then I went to my GP about something un related and saw a young Doctor who decided it was about time came off the meds for my skin. My spots came back and started to scar.
I went back to the Doctors and this time they put me on liquid Erythromycin that I put on in the morning and evenings. It did not help so I went back to the doctors and they put me on Lymecycline which was a bit stronger. It didn't really do much for me so I was given various creams and gels too.
I had mentioned going to see the dermatologist a couple of times but the Doctors I saw kept saying my acne was not serious enough for going to a dermatologist. I ended up back on Erythromycin.
I know my acne is not as severe as some peoples but it really gets me down. I do not see myself as an attractive person and well they spots just make it worse! They can be very painful and since they are around my mouth it sometimes hurts the eat or talk. They can also bleed at the slightest touch so if I rub my face they can bleed. It takes a while for them to stop and it it happens in public it can be embarrassing as people might think I have picked them or something! Which I don't as they already scar easily.
Over the past 18 months I have had a lot of problems with my bowels and I have had 4 operations since Feb this year and I am due my 5th on Jan the 8th. I have been back and forward to the doctors with this and in September I was at the doctors getting some anti biotics. She asked me if I needed any more Erythromycin since she was writing my a prescription. I told her I had stopped taking them as they are not working and since its not severe enough to see a dermatologist I didn't see the point in wasting NHS money by continuing to take them. Her reply was "Don't be silly of-course it is severe enough to see a dermatologist as you have tried everything else and 6 years later you are still having outbreaks!" I felt such a relief when I heard her say  that.
So I saw the dermatologist on the 13th of December. I was ready to plead my case as the drugs a dermatologist can prescribe are pretty hard stuff. I went in and told him my history and he said that I was the perfect candidate for Roaccutane.
Roaccutane contains isotretinoin which is related to vitamin A it is part of medicines called retinoids. It is a pretty serious drug and will only be prescribed if all other treatments have not worked.
 Women will only be prescribed Roaccutane under striked guidelines as it can cause serious birth defects to an unborn child.
Woman have to use 1 form of No user failure contraception such as the coil, injection, implant or sterilization and they advise you to use condoms too as no form of contraception is 100% effective. I am already on the coil so I am one step closer. Women will only be prescribed 30 days treatment at a time and will have to go back for monthly pregnancy tests before they are given the next prescription. They will also have to sign a form to say that you understand the risks  and that you accept the necessary precautions (which I think is if I do fall pregnant whilst on treatment I will get an abortion).
There are a number of possible side effects:
Very rare effects may effect up to 1 in every 10,00 people,

• Thoughts of harming yourself or ending their life, unusual behavior and signs of psychosis.
• Excess sweating or itching, sensitivity to light, thickening of scaring after surgery.
• Lasting headache, blurred vision, seeing less well at night. 

Rare effects may effect up to 1 in every 1000 people,

• May cause depression.
• Allergic reaction.
• Hair loss.

Common  effects may effect 1 in every 10 people,

• dry skin including lips, eyes and nose.
• Skin becomes more fragile (people are advised not to get cosmetic treatments such as waxing, dermabrasion, laser treatments and tattoos during treatment and for 6 months after)
• Skin becomes more sensitive to sunlight.
• Headaches.
• Bruising, bleeding and anaemia.
• Conjunctivitis.
• Sore and inflamed throat and nose.
• back, joint and muscle pain. ( People are advised to cut down on intensive exercise and physical activities)

Treatment usually lasts 16 to 24 weeks depending on the strength of the dose my body will handle. Most people will only need 1 treatment, if I need a 2nd I will have an 8 week break then start it over again.

So when I saw the dermatologist on the 13th of December I got blood tests to check my liver and kidney functions. Usually you go back 2 weeks later but since that will fall between Christmas and New Year I am going back on the 10th of January 2 days after my op. Then I will find out when I will start the treatment. I think I have to give 2 negative pregnancy tests before I start so I will have 1 on the 10th then 1 a month later. I am going to ask the doctor if I can postpone starting my treatment until the end of February as I have booked  my next tattoo for the 17th of Feb and as my skin will be a lot more fragile it will scar and just not look very good. Also It is a large tattoo and my 1st sitting I will be getting 3 hours work done for the outline. I have already paid a large deposit and the tattoo artist has already drawn up the design and that's a lot of work put in it on his part and money on my part to say, sorry can we please leave it for 18 months or more before I get it. I will explain to that tattoo artist that I will have to wait 6 months after my treatment before I can have the next sitting for the shading. I may meed 2 two hour sittings for the shading he is unsure as I am so small!

Current condition of my skin

So this is what my skin is like at the moment. The picture was take at 9pm. My face can get quite greasy in the evening.

Some photos of my acne.

I thought I would post some photos of what my skin can be like at times. I know my acne is not as bad as other peoples but it does really get me down and it hurts! I will write a longer blog next weekend with my background story and go into detail of what Roaccutane is and when I should be starting it.

 In this photo I am around 20. My doctor put me on Erythromycin and it cleared up my skin for around 9 months, then stopped working.

 I am 18 here and my acne had just started to appear.  Until then I only got the odd one or two spots.

I am around 22 here my acne was really painful and the spots were very angry and red.  It was around this time that they started to leave scars.

 Think I am around 19 here only a few spots.

 I am 23 here the scar on my chin had been there for 18 months or so and took over 2 years to fade!

 Not the best photo but I am 15 here and have no spots at all.

 16 and very grumpy! I only have a couple of spots but they cleared up pretty fast.

This is me in April 2012, this is what I look like with foundation on. I really don't wear it very often so don't see the point in spending loads of money on foundation that would totally cover my acne and scars as it would just go to waste.

I know the photos were not really in age order but hey. I will take a photo and post it next week of what my skin is like at the moment and I will add it to next weeks blog.