Isotretinoin and acne

Question: “Isotretinoin and acne”

Hi Mads,

I’m very positive about your site and have found a lot of great information here.

Since I was 12-13 years old (now I’m 18) I’ve suffered from acne. It started with acne on my forehead. It must be said that my acne was considered to be cystic acne from the beginning and still is.

When the acne appeared on my forehead, I started using Vichy Normaderm, consisting of cleanser, tonic and crème. I was happy with this product since it partially removed my light case of acne, what appeared as small white bumps that could easily be pressed. But the crème contained something that should even out my skin, but I just experienced it as irritating.

The cystic acne became worse over time and I ended up going to the doctor, because I started experiencing it as painful every day.

In the beginning, the doctor just gave me some gel that I should use, but it had absolutely no effect. Then I was prescribed some antibiotics, but when I had finished it the acne was back within a week or so. I was then referred to a specialist who prescribed Isotretinoin. During the treatment, I got really ill from pneumonia, because it completely shattered my immune system. But after using it for 3 months, my acne had completely disappeared. I really felt like I had experienced a miracle. For the next 6 months, I had no skin problems at all.

But after some time, the acne started to appear again a little on my forehead. But today, my chin is really badly affected and so is the skin just below my cheek bones. I don’t want to start treatment with Isotretinoin again, since it was simply too hard for me physically and mentally.

The last year or so, I’ve been using products from Ole Henriksen, using a cleanser, skin tonic, a gel with high levels of salicylic acid, a night crème with fruit acid and AHA, a stick with a high level of salicylic acid and a shaving crème that will prevent shaving bumps. I’ve been really happy with these products, but for the last 4-5 months I’ve experienced eczema on my neck, or at least that’s what my doctor says. It’s red spots where my skin completely cracks. Sometimes it’s unbearably itchy.

I’ve been prescribed different eczema crèmes from the doctor, but they only work as long as I use them. Could that be because I cleanse my skin every morning and evening, that I’m simply drying out my skin?

I don’t use any specific crèmes, only gels since that is recommended on the Ole Henriksen web site if you have greasy skin and acne. Of course, I’ve tried moisturizing, but it hasn’t really helped. The strange thing is that I only experience the dry skin on my neck and not on the places where I use products.

My question is: Could it be that the products I use are simply too harsh? Can you recommend me to use something for dry skin/eczema? Can I use products for dry skin when I have acne?

I hope you can give me some advice or recommend some kind of solution.

Søren

Answer to: “Isotretinoin and acne”

Hi Søren,

I am really sorry to hear about your skin problems! It sounds like you are really badly affected and naturally I will try to help you overcome your skin problems – I know from personal experience how frustrating it is to walk around with acne.

First of all, I would recommend you to read my guide “The Danish Acne Cure”, where you can find a lot of good advice and directions for treating acne. You can read more about the guide here:

Secondly, I would recommend you to take a closer look at the Danish Skin Care series – it is especially developed for skin with acne based on the knowledge and documentation that is obtained during surveys and research. At the same time, Danish Skin Care is a simple 3 step system consisting of 4 products that you use to cleanse and treat your skin both morning and evening.

And let me just leave a quick remarks regarding that it is possible to have dry skin and acne at the same time – acne does not mean that you have greasy skin. On the contrary, it is really important to treat dry skin by applying the correct amount of moisture – if not, the lack of moisture can actually worsen the acne, because the skin becomes “stressed” from the lack of moisture and screams for “help” by having outbreaks.

Back to the products I have developed for Danish Skin Care – they are 100 % free from perfume, dyes and irritating ingredients. Harsh products are among the biggest causes for acne. With the series from Danish Skin Care, your skincare routine would look like this:

Morning:

Perfect Skin Face Wash: Rinse your face with water, make the products foamy and wash your face. Rinse with plenty of water and dry off your face.

Perfect Skin Day Protector: Day crème with sunscreen, which is very important I order to calm your skin enough to battle the acne and protect the skin from the damaging rays from the sun – the rays from the sun are a huge cause for skin problems, so sunscreen is extremely important! At the same time, the product is filled with great ingredients and vitamins for the skin, which will help treat acne.

Evening:

Perfect Skin Face Wash: Rinse your face with water, make the products foamy and wash your face. Rinse with plenty of water and dry off your face.

Perfect Skin Power Treat: A daily peeling, which is applied to your face with a cotton pad after cleansing. Leave the product on your face overnight. A daily peeling is very effective for those of us with acne, since it helps clean our pores and at the same time apply calming ingredients to your skin and helps it stay clean and relaxed. Perfect Skin Power Treat is based on BHA (2 % salicylic acid), because research has proved that to be the best peeling for acne, whiteheads, blackheads – as well as being effective on scars and changes in pigmentation, which often occurs with acne and blemishes…

Perfect Skin Moisturizer: Night crème, which is filled with great ingredients like the day crème (only without sunscreen).

Read more about a complete skin care kit from Danish Skin Care here:

A skincare kit from Danish Skin Care has the longevity of 3 months, so the products are good for long lasting use, and the best thing is that they are really easy to use. No eye crème, masks, spot treatment, skin tonic, etc. It is all built in the skincare line.

Regarding crèmes, it is important to choose a crème that is correct for your skin type, I mentioned this earlier. So, if you have greasy skin, choose the kit for greasy skin. Dry skin, choose for dry skin. It sounds like your skin contains too much moisture, so I would recommend the kit for dry skin – at least for a while, because your skin changes all the time. So now, when your skin gets rid of all the harsh products, it can easily change in to being “combination skin”, for example. And of course, you will need to switch to using that kit. My advice is, every time you buy skincare products make sure to feel/observe your skin.

Order a complete skin care kit for dry skin here:

Please let me know, what happens with your acne. I wish you all the best!