26/02/2010 by Einstein719.

Although the skin on my face is 100 times better, my back, chest and now arms also, are terrible. I cannot treat it with BP, for I would use a whole tube each time I applied it and the blue lamp is so time consuming already just using it on my face, so I cant use that either.

Feb 2010: I went to see an NHS dermatoligist (we decided against private as my skin was improving with topical treatments), with the intention of asking to be put on Ro-accutane (isotretinoin) or one of its generics. When I asked, and with only my newly improved face to go on, he looked very sceptical as to whether I needed Ro-accutane. But after I showed him my back and arms (my chest is not really that bad) he agreed instantly.

Now, in the UK, the prescription procedure for R`tane is much quicker (no i-ipledge), all I had to do was have my blood test fine. I had my blood taken, at the GPs a few days after and expect them to be fine. I return to see the dermatoligist on the 1st march 2010 and presuming my blood tests have been fine, i will be prescribed it and begin the course the same day. I dont yet know how long im going to be put on it for and at what dose - that will be determined 1st march. At present I am a little concerned as to what will happen to my face when I drop all other treatments ( as you have to when taking R`tane). Isotretinoin is suppose to cause an initial breakout anyway - so I am certainly not looking forward to the first month on it. My derm did say that if it gets really I can come back and be prescribed “emergency” steroids to prevent the inflamatory response.

Posted in Ro-accutane for Acne, Ro-accutane, Isotretinoin, Blue light treatment Acne, Teenagers, Acne treatments, Teenage Acne, Acne | Print | 1 Comment »

22/02/2010 by Einstein719.

December 2009: Whilst my mother was trying to get me a private derm, my father was also spending money to try and solve this for me. It was really damaging my self esteem and I had no motivation to do anything other than watch tv and escape reality through computer games, such as Runescape.

At the time I was also doing my GCSE mocks, which didn’t help by adding to my stress. Anyway my dad bought an acne lamp, which effectively is just a blue lamp. You hold this to your skin and it activates some chemical in the bateria causing them to fry themselves. I`ve heard that if you have this treatment done prefessionally it hurts quite a lot, but I personally have noticed no side effects.

Within about three weeks the skin on my face was looking so much better I no longer had huge cysts and nodules and had fewer pimples. The change was incredible. However it would be unfair to attribute all this improvement to the blue lamp. I was still taking Lymacycline (although this is clearly not the reason for the improvement since I still have sever acne on my back and chest) and I was still using benzoyl peroxide. Together it seems BP and the acne lamp have cleared up my face considerably, to the point were I have no more acne than most people in my year at school (Year 11) and I was so much happier with my life, come new year.

2010 had started on a positive.

Posted in Phototherapy Acne, Blue light treatment Acne, Teenagers, Teenage Acne, Acne treatments, Acne | Print | 1 Comment »