Accutane Journey (Week 1)

On 12 July 2015, I decided to begin my Accutane Journey. I went to Niks Maple Clinic in Jurong East and was served by Dr Handry Gumanti. Nice doctor and I felt he was sincere. I am 54kg and based on my weight, I was prescribed 30mg (20mg after breakfast + 10mg after dinner). The doctor will first warn you of the possible side effects. NO PREGNANCY ALLOWED during the course of the medication and 4 weeks after the medication, as it can cause birth defects. Side effect warnings include lips dry, skin flaky, headache, body ache, blurry vision etc. The entire course of the medication will take 8 months. Hence the earliest I can plan for pregnancy is in April 2016. The doctor will also do a blood draw and conduct a health screen to check if your liver is functioning properly and if your cholesterol is at a healthy range.

Roaccutane, bought from Niks Maple Clinic (2 boxes for $295, inclusive consultation)

On Day 3, I can feel my pores getting smaller and areas which were red started to have whiteheads surfacing. I believe the accutane has begun its effects in purging. Areas which were red probably have hidden acne below the skin which were not ripe yet to surface up. I do not feel my lips or skin are dry yet because i have been putting on lip balm and mositurizer consciously. My daily routine has also reduced significantly. I only dab a little Dalacin T (Clindamycin) on the pimple areas and apply moisturizer throughout the face.

Day 6, my face continued to purge. I have about 23 (big and small) active spots. Some large n bumpy cystic acne. Some small n protruding. I couldnt really cover with my makeup as the bumps could be seen regardless how thick I cover. I started to wonder how long will this purging process last and how many more bumps will I have. This period of time is emotionally challenging. Writing my day to day progress does help me to calm my nerves. I read some reviews on acne.org and I am glad there are many people who wrote posts to encourage others to keep going. I read that the purging period is about 1-2 weeks. I just have to hang on...