How To Get Rid Of Spots

Dear Rich,

I have been suffering with acne since my teens, but now that I am 23 I just don’t know what to do. I have tried everything, I’ve used different facial cleansers, moisturisers, masks, creams – but nothing seems to prevent it. It’s got so bad that I have been to see a doctor and have been prescribed Oxytetracycline tablets (antibiotics) and Retin A cream. Whilst this seems to clear the spots on my face, more just appear in the meantime. I feel so upset and self-conscious and its really affecting my relationships with guys. I’m just at a loss of what to do, please help me.

Rachel
Cocoa Beach, Florida

Dear Rachel,

I had this very same problem between the ages of 14 and 18 but you’re right, at 23 years old you have bigger things to tackle in life other than acne. A lot of women go through the same problem, I’ve heard of some even older than you in fact so firstly, don’t feel as though you’re alone in this. It sounds to me that these are no ordinary spots that can be cured from sleep, water and a healthy diet (though this would probably help to ease them). After I had exhausted all treatments and changes to my lifestyle, I started to do some research online. By scouting around on Google for a while, I found that there was a drug out there called ‘Roaccutane’ and in most cases, it cleared the patient’s acne completely and permanently. I went to my Doctor and asked to be put on this drug which he explained did do wonders for most people’s skin, however the side effects of the drug are quite severe which is why I hadn’t been offered it before.

While taking Roaccutane, I experienced chapped lips, dry skin, nose bleeds and dry eyes…although it sounds pretty nasty it’s a small price to pay for great skin. The drug is also known to cause pain in joints/muscles, hair thinning, rashes, headaches, sunlight sensitivity and depression amongst others – though these symptoms are rare. But don’t panic, any side effects you do experience usually wear off after you cease using the drug and many can be counteracted with different products like moisturisers, eye drops etc.  Courses of roaccutane usually last for a few months but vary on case to case. One word of warning, taking this drug while pregnant or conceiving has been known to have serious effects on the baby so please speak to your doctor about this if you have any further questions.

A quick Google search on the drug ‘Roaccutane’ will throw up enough information for you to learn about its pros and cons and decide whether this is a course of action you would like to take. If it is, I would consult your doctor and tell him about your research and why you want to try using the drug.

I hope this is helpful to you Rachel, and you get the beautiful skin you deserve.

Good Luck…

With Love, Rich