Going into this treatment journey, I fully braced myself for the worst, expecting my skin to flare, be red, and for my lips to fall off! Instead, I have been utterly surprised at how easy and stress-free the process has been. I am now nearing the end of my treatment and am well into month 5 out of 6.

I am happy to report that I have not had any new symptoms, nor worsening of pre-existing ones. If anything, I feel as though the symptoms I was experiencing (dry, bumpy hands and sore eyes) have come under control and I am now able to manage these with minimal effort. Dr Clayton explained to me the symptoms I may experience in my first consultation and so I knew what to expect moving forward. With this knowledge, I do think it has been a lifesaver anticipating and mitigating symptoms before they happen, instead of waiting for problems to occur before treating them. For example, from day one I religiously applied lip balm multiple times an hour, and I can honestly say I have barely experienced dry lips, which many report as their worst symptom. Prevention is key!

I have noticed a slight increase in lower back pain, but this is an excellent excuse to not go to the gym (although after an indulgent Christmas, I really should!). I am still able to walk and exercise freely, but I do notice a dull ache at the end of the day. Whilst it isn’t ideal, it is entirely manageable.

I feel almost guilty that I am experiencing so few issues throughout this course, as I remember googling and reading some awful Roaccutane horror stories and presumed everyone had a hard time but persevered for the sake of clear skin. I hope that by reading these blogs you can see that it isn’t all bad and instead can be a positive experience.

Most importantly, I can say for the first time since I was 11 that I haven’t had a new spot in about 2 months. This is something I never thought I would say, and I truly believed that nothing would ever work to fully clear my skin. Granted, I do still have some acne scarring marks and texture, but I have been told that the aesthetic nurse at Derma Reading can treat these with the Venus Versa system after the treatment course has finished.

As I enter the final leg of my time on Roaccutane, I look forward to clear skin and the ability to walk outside without make-up (for once!) and I am so happy I took the plunge.