Let's talk about Oratane- Are The Side Effects Worth It?

As you've probably read in my previous post My High School Experience, I struggled a lot with acne and vitiligo. From the age of 16, I've been constantly in and out of waiting rooms, switching dermatologists and constantly insecure about my skin. The dermatologists all gave me the same answer about my vitiligo, "incurable, but maybe try a cream", "wear sunscreen", "makeup would make it less obvious". I didn't want to go through light therapy so I directed all my anger towards the focus of the improvement of my acne instead, as I realised there was nothing I can to do reduce the lack of pigmentation in my skin.

Yes, like everyone else, I tried countless of products, cleansers, this and that. Nothing worked, as predicted. I went to a new dermatologist and she looked at my skin and knew I was struggling. She looked at my medication history and recommended Oratane. She educated me on the side effects, how it gets worse before it gets better, emotional instability and the strength of the medication.

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Skin

The Doctor was right...my skin did get A LOT worse before it started getting better. For the first 3 months, I had severe acne from my forehead to my chest. My forehead, cheeks, chin, neck and chest were covered in pimples, both white and blackheads. I wore makeup everywhere to try and cover it up, but as we all know, putting chemicals on the surface of active breakouts is a no go. Not only was my acne getting distinctively worse, my skin became so dry. Areas around my mouth and eyes would flake. I remember It would literally hurt to blink as my eyes were so dry, no moister had been retained. My hair and face had no natural oils anymore, I would constantly have to moisturise to avoid flakiness during the winter season.

Mental Health

It was not a secret to my high school peers that I was an emotional wreck through the duration of year 12. Oratane contributed to my emotional instability by experiencing random crying spells, intense anxiety and outbreaks of my regrettable attitude. My mental health was poor during the last few months on the medication. I had negative thoughts about myself, slight depression and high anxiety. Through my change of perspective and overthinking I also began to feel nauseous and faint.

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Although this isn't a side effect, I couldn't drink on the medication. It wasn't an extreme issue for me as I was still having fun at parties, but at times I did feel like I was missing out by not making memories playing beer pong or meeting new people. Even though I can honestly say my journey through Oratane was the worst 6 months of my life, I am extremely comfortable with the clarity of my skin and complexion. I still get a breakout here and there because of hormones and stress, but nothing compared to how it was. I have also gained strength in myself as I've learnt to control my emotions and seek help when necessary.