1st Follow Up Visit To the Doc

It has been some time since I’ve updated this blog, and thanks for the many concerned readers who shared their Roaccutane experience with me

I went for my 1st follow up visit to the doctor some time last week, and told him that my acne are still popping out non stop. He showed me a photo which he took of my skin condition when I first went to him, and pointed out that the acne I have now are flatter and smaller than the previous ones. He also said that Roaccutane is something to be taken on a longer term, and I will have to pull through the whole course if I want to see the effects, giving up now will just put my previous efforts to waste.

Well, I must say that I felt much better after speaking to him, it’s not easy to be a doctor, sometimes you have to be a good counselors too, especially when you meet impatient patients like me ^_^”

I also mentioned to him regarding the dryness of my skin, and he prescribed a Physiogel Al Cream for me which is to act as a moisturizer. According to the label, it is an innovative, hypoallergenic, moisturizing cream formulated to nourish dry skin, and is beneficial in regenerating the skin protective barrier. Containing PEA in a physiological lipids base that can protect the skin against free radicals, it’s supposedly useful in countering the ageing process as well.

Hah, so the cream will double up as an anti-ageing cream as well? That’s killing two birds with one stone Right now I’m still facing the acne problem, but I’m trying to take less notice of it. I also change my skin care and makeup routine to as light weight as possible, allowing the skin to have more room to breathe. We’ll see if all these efforts are worthwhile soon

Alternative Treatments for Acne

Came across a news article in today’s papers discussing about alternative treatments for acne.

There seems to be a drug-free treatment which uses a specific blue light that acts to destroy the acne-causing bacteria. It is suitable for people who can’t tolerate the antibiotic treatments or for women with bad acne who want to get pregnant.

Besides that, it was mentioned that aesthetic treatments like microdermabrasion, intense pulsed light (IPL) and laser therapies can also help to treat acne and improve the appearance of scars. IPL seems to work on the same logic as Roaccutane, that is to shrink the inflamed oil gland and it will also help to repair mild acne scars by stimulating collagen growth.

I did remember people mentioning that while Roaccutane is effective in improving the acne condition, sadly it doesn’t do much on the acne scars that are already existing. Perhaps one should consider IPL or microdermabrasion as a finishing touch to your acne treatment after stopping the oral medication?

Just for education sake, here’s a list of the different kinds of acne and their usual course of suggested treatments extracted from the article:

Non-inflammatory acne: comedonal acne
What it is: Blackheads (pores blocked and capped with a blackend mass of skin debris) and whiteheads (closed blocked pores).
Treatment: Creams or facial washes with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or fruit acids unclog pores. Over the counter scrubs like papaya scrubs are fine. Tropical retinol prevents both from forming.

Inflammtory acne: mild acne
What it is: Blackheads, whiteheads as well as papules and pustules are present. A papule is a small, solid elevation of the skin that appears red while a pustule is a small, yellowish pus-filled pimple.
Treatment: Topical antibiotics like clindamycin or erythromicin or treatments like blue light or IPL.

Moderate acne
What it is: Skin is characterised by more painful and deep-rooted inflamed lesions like bigger pustules.
Treatment: Dr Chee Yew Wen, medical director of Wen & Weng Medical Group, advised that in addition to topical therapies, oral medication can be used. Antibiotics like doxycycline and minocycline are effective but acne could recur when they are stopped.

Severe acne
What it is: Skin may be covered with many small pustules but no big nodules. Nodules are like papules in that they are white and dome-shaped but bigger
Treatment: Patients with severe acne usually use Roaccutane, which is an oral vitamin A derivative that shrinks the sebaceous gland. The drub should be taken for between six months and a year an during that time, the pateient should avoid becoming pregnant and may also experience increased cholesterol levels and transient liver dysfunction as side effects. Those with just a few nodules may be administered an intra-lesional steroid injection which flattens the nodule within 48 hours.

This was not a very good week for me in terms of the acne condition, new spots have been erupting and there practically isn’t a single day that my face is absent from acne. Is this the most common stage where depression sets in? I certainly hope that it will be over soon… …

Combat Acne with Diet Control!

Mum just mentioned to me this morning that she came across an article claiming that consuming of soybeans can aid in acne control. Naturally this subject caught my interest and I went to do some online research.

There seems to be 2 sides to the story, some claimed that a low fat plant based diet rich in soy will help in acne control while others said that soy products will trigger more acne.

Now I remember reading from somewhere that the way Roaccutane works is that it reduces the sebum we release by shrinking the sebaceous (oil) glands. Since acne is caused by the overproduced sebum that is built up within the hair follicle (or rather being clogged up inside the hair follicle), reduction in sebum has a direct impact on the presence of acne. After we’re off Roaccutane, the size of the sebaceous glands will increase again but never to the original state before the medication. That is why some of us may still experience acne after stopping Roaccutane, but it probably won’t be as serious as before.

Side note, Roaccutane is recommended to be taken along with or shortly after food to maximize its effects, and works best after eating a high fat meal. Ironically a high fat diet promote sebaceous glands to produce more sebum and casues acne, it seems like there is nothing such as the best of both worlds But don’t go spoil your diet just because of Roaccutane, both acne and weight control are fairly important parts of our healthy lifestyles ;p

Back to our soy products vs acne story, theoretically by switching to a low fat plant based soy diet, it should significantly reduce the amount of sebum present in our skin, so why is it that some people experience otherwise? My guess is that is probably the result of allergy. Upon further probing around the Internet, I came across the below article that touches on this idea:

(Note: Article is extracted from www.quickacneremedy.com, not written by me ^_^”)

Beans of soy contain more than 40% protein and most of the proteins are heat-stable, that is, it can not be decomposed easily at ordinary cooking temperature. Studies show that existence of these proteins is the only factor that produces allergic effects and acne.

Soy does not cause acne on its first intake. When soy is taken for the first time, your immune system responds badly to soy and produces antibodies. Now the antibodies are become dormant and will be alive as soon as you take soy the second time and onward. Proteins are thought to be responsible for bad immune response and allergic effects.

Sebaceous glands or oil producing glands are extremely susceptible to bad immune response. Sebaceous glands are inflamed and produce excessive sebum. Excessive sebum clogs tiny hair follicles. Normal production of sebum and discharge through hair follicles is necessary for healthy skin. But, due to inflammation, hair follicles are narrowed and sebum is restricted within hair follicles.

The accumulation of sebum and bacterial infection rupture the walls of hair follicles. When hair follicles are ruptured, the lesion is called papule and the bump is called blackheads. If the sebum still stays inside, the bump is called whitehead.

Thus, soy kicks start a chain of allergic reaction that ends in acne breakouts.

Soy Not Used in Previous Centuries:
Pictographical data reveal that soy was designated unfit to eat as it contained many toxic chemicals and heat-stable proteins. It was not used even in East Asia, its native homeland. Toxins in soy inhibit the activities of trypsin and other protein digestive enzymes. Soybeans inhibit the absorption of essential nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, zinc etc as it contains high phytate contents.

Can fermented soy products cause acne?
Fermented soy products are somewhat safer than raw soy products as during fermentation, heat-stable proteins are destroyed that trigger your immune system. Consult your health care professional about the possible risks of fermented and non-fermented soy products. In some cases, taking fermented products is more risky than non-fermented products.

Conclusion:
Soy produces allergic effects and directly targets the immune system. Immune system in return stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce excessive sebum and inflammation of hair follicles and lymph. If you noticed any allergic effect after taking soy, avoid it completely and consult health care professional.

—- End of Article —

So maybe soybeans do have a positive effect on acne control? Right, now besides the wonder pill Roaccutane I have another wonder bean on my diet list.

And thanks for the soybean milk during this morning’s breakfast, Mum. I love you

Alas! New Acne Spotted! >.<

Sobz, noticed a few new acne sprouting out on my cheek and close to the lips area. Generally they are smaller than the ones I used to have but still……………. :’(

However, on a positive note it seems like Roaccutane may have some effects on blackheads as well, not sure if any of you has experienced this? My blackheads are usually concentrated on the nose area but recently I notice that I don’t have that many new ones appearing. Maybe I should go for a facial to get rid of all of them and see if Roaccutane really does subside blackheads ;p

Very soon it’ll be 2 weeks since I’ve started on Roaccutane, and hopefully as per one of the previous comments has stated, my face will start clearing up soon *prays hard*

No hair loss yet. But dry skin? Yes, very dry indeed…

Hair loss is also known as a side effect to Roaccutane, so far I haven’t experienced any major hair loss (and hopefully will never ever go through that), but my scalp does feel kinda itchy while on the course. And yes, all the stuff you hear about your skin being dry after taking Roaccutane is indeed true, especially so on the lips.

My solution? Use a moisturizing shower cream and apply a generous amount of mositurizer daily. Dove shower cream is one of the best shower cream I’ve ever came across, I used to have dry skin even before I started on Roaccutane and ever since I used Dove I won’t let go of it! It’s working pretty fine for me until now I’ve always had a practice of applying lip balm before sleep so that my lips won’t feel dry in the morning, now I make it a point to apply it several times throughout the day, but even with that my lips still tend to flake a little. Dryness near above my eyelids near the head of the eyebrow area is rather obvious and they flake quite a fair bit, I have to resist the urge of scratching and peeling the dry flakes off.

Today there is no sign of any new acne popping out, how I hope it’ll stay that way from now on. Sighz.

Anybody wondered how Roaccutane look like?

And now, revealing the ‘Legendary’ Roaccutane Pill….

The Legendary Roaccutane Pill - so small yet so potent

Roaccutane Box with Warning Label

Back of Roaccutane Box, I have no idea what is written on it....

Well, it’s the 6th day on the course, and I have a new acne which popped up this morning close to my upper lip area, not too sure if it’s caused by the drug or due to my menses date being near. My lips are indeed feeling rather dry and I’m drowning myself with water throughout the day and applying loads of lip balm.

Off to drink some water again, good for the body even if you’re not on Roaccutane

Roaccutane – The Wonder Pill To Cure Acne?

This is my 5th day on Roaccutane, a drug known to treat severe acne and other skin conditions. I was prescribed with 20mg of Roaccutane by my doctor when I visited him several days ago, after I’ve decided I had enough of the stubborn acne which have been popping up non stop on my face for the past months.

Pior to this I’ve tried various methods and even chinese medicine but sad to say, all efforts being wasted. Doc told me Roaccutane was a fairly strong medicine with several side effects, and most importantly I must never be pregnant when on the course as Roaccutane is known to cause birth defects on a large number of cases. Also, I’ll have to go through occasional blood tests to check on my cholesterol level. Oh well, I suppose these are the kind of times I should be glad that I exercise frequently?

The duration of the medication depends on your body weight, and I’m suppose to stay on Roaccutane for 12 months. According to my doctor, results will be clearly visible after 3 months and upon completing the course, my face will be stay clear for at least 4-5 years.

This was the first time that I actually hear of Roaccutane and it was only after performing some Internet research that I began to know more about it. Roaccutane seems to be a widely known medicine both because of its effectivness against acne and the adverse side effects. Some patients who took roaccutane posted horror stories of how they suffered from the long term side effects even after they stopped the medication. Things like suicidal thoughts, depression, bone disorders and stuff alarmed me and for a moment I was wondering what I have gotten myself into. But yeah, there are indeed cases where the patients were ecstatic about the results, and swears that Roaccutane is the only solution to their long term acne hell after trying tons of other methods.

After doing some serious consideration, I’ve decided to just continue on the medication and see how it goes. Pior to this, I was deeply depressed by the condition of my acne. I did suffer from acne problem when I was a teenager and they persisted for a few years. The condition improved after I took some antibiotics and my face was nearly flawless for a couple of years. Then one fine day they decided to make a grand comeback and since then I will see new acnes sprouting out every single day especially on the lower part of my face and the side of my nose. Looking into the mirror has become the one thing that I hate to do, and the whiteheads sometimes hurt till they bring tears to my eyes. Needless to say, my mood was terribly affected and I often snapped at people who love me and so deeply regretted it afterwards. The more depressed I was, the more they want to step closer to show their concern and the more I wanted to push them away.

Yes, some may say looks are not the only thing that matter, but it does has a major impact on a gal’s self esteem. One reason I started this blog was to keep track on my progress while on Roaccutane, and also to have a place to rant should I experience any of the undesirable side effects and not have to take it out on my loved ones again, hahahaha~

Some people say that they have a major outbreak for 1 month or so when they just went on Roaccutane. Well, I do have a couple of new acne that popped out after starting out, but nothing *VERY* severe yet… (prays hard)………………………

This is gonna be a long long journey and I shall hope for the best, for myself and all those out there facing the same plight :)