well tomorrow the whole week ive been VERY excited to go to the derm and ask for accutane, the end to my annoying, stubborn teenage acne, but i also have KPRF Rubra Faceii as well as KP on my arms and chest... they have been improving but as far as both parents their KP totally cleared up in their 20s.

Ok, so I can live with the KP i have, but not along with the annoying and horrid looking acne i have, not cystic but definately persistant moderate that leaves me with red marks months thereafter =[ i have been so depressed. i used to be called the cutest kid when i was little, and even at the beginning of the year when my acne wasnt bad girls thought i was a lot hotter apparently. its just so discouraging. so back to my question:

will accutane have an effect on my future KP, I'm assuming if nothing happens that my KP will clear up by the time that BOTH of theirs did, around their early 20s, considering all my KP popped up during puberty, so if i take accutane will i have a good risk of not growing out of this condition? because this condition is seriously as important to me as curing my acne, if not more. someone please help =[ btw I am treating my arms successfully, 50 percent of my bumps are gone yet nothing's done s*** for my cheeks with rubra faceii which i detest more than anything, I flush and it actually physically gets hot as well as my ears as well, and drinking a lot of water helps but I am ALWAYS red. Didn't have these cursed red cheeks when i was younger =[

so anyone with knowledge about this please answer my question considering tomorrow ill be making my decision. ive tried retin-a, differin, acnefree, proactiv, aveeno pads, oxy pads, cetaphil, and a lot more to try and get rid of my acne... but to no avail.

if there is no reason that it will slow down or dissipate my KP disappearing as an adult I will definately be doing accutane starting tomorrow. thanks all
=]

Hi wilson_sims!

Well, as you know accutane is VERY strong drug that can cause many side effects. It is usually prescribed when other anitbiotics and medicines didn't work.

I haven't used it myself (I can't; it is unavailable outside the US) but as far as I know it is a form of vitamin A. KP is somehow related with absorption of the vitamin. Some people use creams with v. A and some take it as a supplement of their diets. But you can overdose it (as everything) and hence it may make your KP slightly worse.

You can't use accutane if you have asthma, diabetes, liver diseases or if you are allergic to any foods. Plus, while taking accutane you should avoid sports that can result in injuries because the drug can weaken your bones.

I think its side effects rarely happen... Accutane may lead to easy bleeding and bruising and your skin mustn't be exposed to sun because it may cause severe sun burning. Laser treatments, microdermabrasion - should be avoided, obviously.

Accutane is a strong drug with strong effects and strong side effects (which generally happen rarely though). Personally, I wouldn't take it. Not because I would be particulary scared about KP. Generally I avoid taking this kind of medicines...


To sum up: easy bruising? easy sun burning? Irritations? It sounds like it possibly may have some effects on KP. Possibly.
It is just up to you... And your DERM. If you have ANY doubts just put off takin it for one or two days and consult you derm. There is no need to hurry, right?

PS I also have KPRF and acne but not on my cheeks (luckily). My acne isn't severe (I have it only in my T zone). All I do about it is to keep the face clean, avoid touching spots, avoid scratching em and drink heartsease tea which is very popular among teens with acne here in Poland. It really helps but you have to be patient and drink it for about 2-3 months to see effects.

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Have you tried either a glycolic acid cleanser or lotion? The items you mentioned are all salicylic or benzoyl peroxide based, both of which are harsher on your skin and your skin may be trying to over-compensate for getting dried out. I've struggled with acne on and off over my lifetime and glycolic has generally been the best for me. Lately I've been using the oil-cleansing method (oil cuts thru oil, check it out) and my face is clear and as a bonus I don't look as old. You can google oil-cleansing for more. if i do get a zit, it clears up much faster now too instead of taking months for the red spot to go away as the hair works its way out. just some thoughts of alternatives - bd

p.s. tho hot and humid lately so I use oil in the AM and glycolic in evening... always balancing things out. but overall improvement.

thx for ur answers guys =]

sadly i didn't get it til later today which means i already signed up for accutane, since my acne however is not cystic... i am most likely gonna be on a low dose. his reply to my question was i could experience a flare up while on the drug, but afterwards my skin in respects to KP should go back to normal. GOD I HATE KP SO MUCH GUYS... I honestly am not happy about clearing my acne if my KP can't go with it... I don't have it horribly, especially anymore considering most of it was on my arm, but my arm is all greasy during the day because of the stuff i put on it just to keep it bearable looking.... and i also asked about my cheeks I believe have KPRF and he didnt really take a close look at it even and diagnosed me with rosacea. I don't believe that's what it is considering I have a bunch of tiny bumps all over my cheeks, unless i flush its not severely red and its only in a certain area of my cheeks... also its in a weird sort of a pattern. do u think im right in saying I have KPRF? or do u think he's right and it's rosacea? either way I never ****ing had it before puberty and I felt so much better about myself... wow... this is a low time in my life... i feel as though i'll never be satisfied with the way i look anymore...

sorry that was kind of a mini rant there =[ well thx for ur replies and i hope for more along the way lol

well, as long as your on a low dose you should be ok but be careful. And for some reason alot of skin specialists like to use rosacea as like a general term, but you dont have rocasea if you have those little bumps

Maybe I can help shed some light, although this may just confuse you more. I was recently on a course of Accutane and finished successfully (totally worth all the ipledge **** and monthly labs). Pre-Accutane I had very mild, unnoticeable kp. Just a few bumps on the back of my arms. When I was on Accutane, the bumps cleared, and I didn't think anything of it. Well, about 4-5 months post-Accutane my kp flared terribly. I had many bumps and my arms were beat red. I went to see the derm and they said it was either a result of my Accutane treatment or from switching my birth control from the pill to the Nuvaring (aka the devil). After switching my birth control once again about 4 months ago, I am starting to feel that the flare was due to the BC switch. The redness has gone down considerably, but I'm still dealing with a bunch of the bumps I didn't have before and some redness.

At any rate, I think you should totally go for the Accutane and give it a try. I think it was worth it.