my skin
There are, of course, many methods for controlling acne and getting rid of
blemishes. One that I am considering more and more lately: discharging a
shotgun blast directly into the "affected area."
About six months ago I went to a "skin care clinic" because I was fed up with
chronic, low grade breakouts. After clearing up a case of fairly severe cystic
acne in my teens (using oral antibiotics, retin a and erythromycin), I was left
with a never ending case of moderate "teenage" zits (I'm 25 now); it seemed
that truly clear skin was always just out of reach for me. There were always a
few lingering pimples, and my skin is such that any blemish I have tends to
remain for fucking ever, then turns into a small scar or one of those red
macule things. I actually was able to persuade the doctor into prescribing
Accutane. But when it came time to fill the prescription I balked. My skin was
going through a good period and I kind of had second thoughts about taking a
medicine as strong as Accutane. "Maybe my skin will stay clear this time," I
thought to myself.
Fast forward 3 months. Around Thanksgiving, I got the biggest breakout I have
had in years, right on my temple. Now, I don't know if it's just me, but when I
get a zit on my temple, I know me and that zit are gonna be getting really
chummy, because it is not going to go away for months and there is also about
100% chance that it will leave a scar. Maybe the skin there is thinner or
something -- who knows, really. So now that the zits have healed, I am left
with a patch of really wicked discolored scars on my left temple that sort of
looks like the little dipper constellation.
How much am I regretting not going on accutane?
Now I want to go back to the doc and get on the Accutane, but I also want to
get rid of these scars. I'm willing to do the laser or whatever it takes (and
that I can afford), but I don't know if I can get anything done if I start
taking Accutane because they don't like to mess with your scars if you are on
Accutane.
My plan is hopefully to get some kind of resurfacing done really quickly
(before a new scar inducing breakout occurs) and then get right on Accutane to
hopefully deliver the knockout blow to my acne. Perhaps I can do this
concomitantly: start Accutane and have resurfacing done at the same time,
before the Accutane really starts to take effect. But then again, maybe they
wont do that for me because Accutane will mess with the healing response of my
skin, post-resurfacing? (I wonder if the fact that the doc wanted me on a low
dose of Accutane has any bearing on this.)
If I wait to go on Accutane, until after I have dealt with the scars, I run the
risk of developing new zits and scars -- or, zitscars as I call them. But if I
go on the Accutane immediately in order to head off any further zitscars, I
will not be able to address the scars for a very long time (up to a year after
I finish the Accutane course).
Do you see what I'm saying? About the shotgun, I mean?
You can believe me when I say that we all know how you feel. I used to say
the same thing. But then I would think of people who don't have arms or legs
or even worse they are paralyzed or they have flipper arms or those poor
bastards who have been burned so bad they don't look human...I then became
thankful for who I am. Then I went on Accutane, my face cleared and I have
nothing left to gripe about except for being Irish (pink and freckly)
I believe if you kill yourself you are letting the world win. And *remember*
the people I mentioned above...
About the laser thing--a doctor wouldn't do it if you were on Accutane and
besides it would be impossible due to the "initial breakout period." I say
go on it and as soon as you are clear do the laser. I swore I do that but
lost intrest after the initial Mecca of clear skin was reached...I'm saving
the laser resurfacing for my late 30s so I can get the wrinkles too!