Day 6 at Cary Dermatology was a great one! Although I didn’t see many new skin abnormalities or conditions, I felt as though I learned a lot from each patient and met a ton of super sweet people. It’s always good to spend a day focusing on the relationships between the patients and Dr. Mangelsdorf- the people themselves can teach you so much!
One thing that I found super interesting today was when Dr. Mangelsdorf explained Accutane to me. I have a lot of friends that have either been on or are currently on this vigorous acne product, so it was really cool to learn about! For starters, I learned that the correct name for Accutane is actually Isotretinoin, but more people know the brand name Accutane, so that is the name it goes by (much like how some people call a tissue a “Kleenex” although Kleenex is a brand). Accutane, or Isotretinoin I should say, is such an intense acne medication that it is regulated by the federal government! If you are a girl, blood work has to be drawn after every time you go to the dermatologist as you CANNOT be pregnant while on Isotretinoin- the baby would have some serious birth defects. While on this medication, it is super important to constantly moisturize and be cautious of the sun as the dermis (the first layer of skin) is so thin. The patient has to use moisturizer on their face several times a day, use chapstick all the time, and make sure to put sunscreen on when in the sun. Once the skin is clear of any additional breakouts, the medication has to be continued for another 2 months to ensure that the acne does not come back. I now have a new appreciation for those who are on Isotretinoin as it is a very strenuous and intense process!
