I had suffered from severe acne since of the age of twelve. My doctor prescribed me every form of medication under the sun ranging from lotions to antibiotics but nothing worked in the long term. At 17, I was referred to a skin specialist who put me on roaccutane for four months. The end result was amazing - My skin looked fantastic and has pretty much stayed that way for the last seven years. Also, costs wise, I got the entire treatment for free, on the NHS, which was a real bonus considering how expensive it is. I get the occasional breakout, but nothing severe. The downside of the treatment were the side effects, which for me, were pretty bad; migraines, nausea, depression, weight loss and the worst one of all, cracked lips (which to this day, are permenantly dry).

Accutane is the greastest acne solution. Ive tried almost everything else and it all pales in comparison with Acctane. Insurance made it really cheap and the results have been incredible. Only down sides: always chapped lips, dry skin, cant give blood. Definetly worth it though.

Stay away from this product if you can. I took Accutane 10 years ago and it did clear my acne up to a manageable level but the side effects were terrible. It made me severly depressed, dried out my lips and gave me bloody noses. I found out years later that Accutane was linked to depression - I had no idea what was causing the change in my behavior at the time. Now I do. I use Proactiv now and it has been a life saver. No more breakouts, just some minor blemish from time to time.

Went on Accutane as a college freshman when my already bad cystic acne became WORSE. I was first put on minocyn, but I had a severe allergic reaction as I'm apparently allergic to tetracyclines. As a result, I had no choice but to take accutane. I misread the directions and ended up on the drug for 6 months rather than 4. But it did work wonders on the acne itself. Until just recently, I found myself getting only one or two zits per year. Currently, I've had a minor breakout - but nothing like it used to be; its enough that I can cover it with make up.

As far as the side effects, my eyes are still a bit dry - seven years later. My lips also dry out easily. While on the drug I had a couple nose bleeds and my skin would crack and bleed...but the difference was worth it. I wish it had done something with the scars, but most meds like this, designed to change the chemistry of your body, can only do so much.

I might consider going on it again - I just can't afford a derm. :(

Insurance paid for it so its cheap, its always the last resort, it worked for a few years. I had dry lips put I used chapped stick all the time and it was ok. I now have acne all the time and have tried so many things, Im thinking about blue light treatment, a new light disinfectant.

I went on it after trying everything. It was horrable i had dry skin and lips. My acne got 10 times worse and i now have bad scars and I want to file a lawsuit.

Took the drug for 6 months, worked great. However now am starting to get a little bit of acne, hopefully nothing too bad. My skin is great though but I still have fairly dry lips and the side effects are a killer. I would only recommend this if you have tried everything and are willing to spend the rest of your life with dry lips. Also, playing rugby union, i would often get grazes on my face because my skin was so fragile...

I took it for about 9 months. It worked really well, apart from getting really really dry skin, lips, scalp and eyes. I was clear for about 3 months and then I started to break out again. My acne is not as bad as it was though so I am very grateful but I am thinking about going on accutane again in order to successfully fully clear up my acne! HoPe it WoRkS!

The first time I took it I was twelve and it worked very well and the results lasted for about year. I took it again when I was twenty-one with absolutely no results. I have found sulfamethoxazole to be mildly helpful.

I've had moderate to severe acne since I was about 14, and during high school I tried everything the dermatologist could throw at me, from topical Retin-A, clindamycin and erythromycin to oral antibiotics (minocycline, erythromycin). Nothing worked. Finally I tried Accutane and have been through 2 rounds of it over the past 5 years or so. Each time, my acne started by getting worse for the first month or month and a half, but then after the next month it was almost 100% clear and looked awesome.

I did have some serious drying side effects, including painfully dry lips for both courses of the medication and some redness and sensitivity on my forearms during the first course. No depression like others though. I also experienced minor hair loss during the first round of it, but all side effects completely disappeared after the course was finished. My clear skin lasted both times for about 6-8 months after going off the medication, and during that time my skin was fantastic (totally clear, and even my hair didn't get oily!). However, both times the acne has slowly started to come back, and now, at 23 I'm looking for alternative solutions because though the effects of Accutane are great, for me it's not a permanent improvement and I'd rather not use such a strong medication a third time.