Throughout high school my skin was never a worry of mine and was the envy of my friends. Then, two years into university, something changed. I began to get large cystic pimples, primarily on my cheeks and chin. These pimples would last for weeks, sometimes months, and were impossible to cover no matter how much makeup I piled on. For a while I lived in fear of being tagged in pictures on Facebook, and began avoiding social events altogether. I even stopped going to the gym because the idea of being seen without makeup was horrifying to me, and I feared that working out while wearing makeup would make my skin even worse. I went to a dermatologist who immediately recommended accutane, but this seemed extreme to me, and I had heard the horror stories. So I instead began going to a local spa for expensive monthly facials. When these failed to work I returned to the dermatologist but was still resistant to going on accutane so she put me on doxycycline. When this was ineffective after 6 months we decided to try spironolactone. Six months later and this failed to work too. By this point I had been battling acne for well over a year and my self esteem was virtually nonexistant. My five year relationship had ended, I had pushed many of my friends away, and would frequently skip class as I couldn't bear to be seen under the fluorescent lights of my school. This was what it took to get me to try accutane. My doctor put me on a 6 month cycle working up to 50mg per day. It wasn't until around month 4 that I really started to see results. My cycle ended two months ago and my skin is perfectly clear. I've gotten a couple small pimples, but they have disappeared within days. I do have some residual redness left over from past acne, but the difference is night and day. I cannot express how much accutane helped me and improved my life. The only side effect I really experienced was dry lips, and this seemed a small price to pay. If you are considering going on accutane but are afraid, don't be like me and waste a year of your life trying everything else and letting your skin get worse and worse. My only regret is that I didn't go on accutane the first time my dermatologist recommended it. These boards are what kept me going and kept me hopeful throughout my treatment, so I feel it is my duty to contribute a before and after picture to give hope to someone like me.
Hello fellow acne sufferers!
Facing your face can be a taunting task. I suffered with cystic acne for most of my teenage years.
When I turned 17 my face looked like a battle field. Red, irritated, massive mountains oozing white lava...
let's just say it was NOT a pretty sight to see. I could barely face myself in the mirror and going out in public was even worse.
I could barely look people in the eye, because I knew their eyes were staring at my diseased face.
It was totally embarrassing so I confined myself to my room.
I was against Accutane because I am not really a "pill popper".I usually like to use natural alternatives or make up my own chemical free mask.
Mother Nature had no chance against this inflamed disaster. I finally gave in and decided to give Accctane a try.
Damn, am I glad I did! Taking 40mg a day I began seeing the difference almost overnight. I had heard about all the side effects but the only one that I had got was dried skin and lips. It wasn't even that bad!
Taking pills twice a day will definitely help you out.
But if you really want to speed up the healing process, remember you are what you eat!
If you fill your body with greasy, junk food.. you will look greasy and like junk.
Fill your body with healthy veggies and fruit, whole grains, and your good fats, and you will glow!
Accutane did miracles for my cystic acne. Within 5 months the war was over, and I was off the pill.
But the battle did not leave me scar less. Anyone who has suffered from severe acne will know
that the big boys will leave a mark. Scars can be just as bad as the zit, leaving an ugly indent on your pretty little face.
Yes, this is a great pill but it will not vanish your scars.
Anything you truly want is worth fighting for and researching!
Taking a pill for 6 months of your life will not clear your skin forever.
It might take away the major stuff but there will still be damage. You have to actually care for your skin. From what you put in your body.. to what your rubbing on it.
RESEARCH. RESEARCH. RESEARCH.
Try looking up essential oils for acne and acne scars. Tamanu and rose hip oil are a great combo! Experiment and find out what works best for you. Find a good face lotion that will not irritate your skin.
You can find some really cool masks online to clear your skin and soften the redness. One of my favs is organic honey and lemon.
I'll tell a couple of secrets anyone with a beautiful complexion will know.
1. Steam your face once or twice a week. This will clean our your pores from dirt and toxins and leave you feeling refreshed.
2. Not too much sun! Too much sun is sure to damage and age your skin as well as leave scarring.
3.Don't touch it or pick at it. Just leave it alone.
4. NO DAIRY. That's right, I said it. Cheese, ice cream, milk. Look it up, how dairy causes acne. After all there is pus in it.
5. Try cleansing or a little 2 day detox.
6. Apple cider vinegar, lemons, and grapefruit are your friends!
Anything worth having takes time. It takes effort and care. Our fight with acne does not have to be life-long! If you treat your body and skin properly it will heal for you. It wants to heal for you! If your acne is not too bad I recommend trying holistic alternatives.
If you must take the pill, go for it. Just remember there is no miracle pill. You have to help your skin through diet, exercise, masks, and lotions. The first thing someone notices is usually your complexion. Once your skin begins to heal you will have so much more confidence and be willing to face the outside world again. Take good care of yourself.
Shine from the inside, out!
I'm a 26 year old female and like most people here I've had bad acne since puberty and have tried everything under the sun before finally starting accutane. I'm on 30mg pills, twice a day (60mg a day). I'm now on month 4 out of 5.
Month 0 (March) - Starter Pictures.. my face has been like this for over a decade. Ah.
Month 1 (April) - First month completed and I can definitely see some improvements already!
Month 2 (May) - Second month completed and its already down to only a few pimples and lots of redness.
Month 3 (July) - Third month completed after I missed June completely! but my skin still showed improvement.
I missed August as well and now Im a few days in to September and my face still looks like the July pictures. Marks and a little scaring, a small pimple or two but overall Im really really happy with it. Its actually quite overwhelming to think that my troubles might be behind me before the year is over.
Update: My skin without makeup has minimal markings and I feel comfortable with just a quick brush of powder to leave my apartment some days. That's huge for me. Now I really want to concentrate on getting the skin all one even layer. Considering microdermabrasion. If I start any treatment that shows improvement for me I will update here.
I started taking Accutane in June of 2014. I started on one 40 mg pill a day for 2 weeks, then two 40 mg pills for the next six months. I was skeptical the whole time about whether or not it would work. I finished in December of 2014, and was extremely satisfied with the results. My after pictures are from 2 months after my last pill. I recommend this medication to anyone who is willing to make the commitment
Female Age 23 started on 40mg/day to now 80mg/day (generic brand: Myorisan). Acne since I was about 12.
Day 1 before starting Accutane
Day 60 after 2 months on Accutane
Day 90 after 3 months on Accutane
I haven't had my skin this clear in YEARS!! It feels too good to be true... Can't wait to see how I look in 2 more months!
Check out my log!
On 10/19/2006 at 12:09 AM, Rebelgurl said:Before Starting:
About 2 months
About 4 Months
Finish (5 months)
[Edited image out]
First month I was on 40mg.
Second month 80mg.
Third 80mg then switched to 60mg.
Fourth 80mg.
Fifth 80mg.
I stopped a month early because my triglys were at a whopping 498 up from 98 in the beginning.
Not perfect. But better.
Update: If you don't clear up totally kiddies don't give up hope. It took me a couple extra months and some high quality vitamins before I finally quit getting the occasional cyst. Now I'm doing great (::knocks on wood:
with only the occasional whitehead. I still use 2.5 BP most nights though.
What kind of vitamins did you take
@AnnaGrandeIt's called accutane or isotretinoin. I got the prescription from my general practitioner. Usually, you can only get the medicine from a medical professional. I live in Canada. There's different companies who make the medication, it all depends on what is available and the dosage prescribed to you.
There are my results only 1.5 months in 
seriously!! This medicine is one of the most aggressive things I have ever taken, no doubt, but it has been worth every second and my only regret is not taking it sooner.
* First two pics show my texture (or lack thereof) with makeup on. Last three are all 100% barefaced.
right = first day of accutane (it got worse a few months in before it got better)
left = 1 year and 1 month later
I was on accutane (40 mg first two months and 80 mg last 4 months) for about 6 months. I really only saw good results towards the end of my use. Some of the larger/deeper scars never went away but there's still more time for them to potentially fade.
One thing I learned from this process is that just using accutane is NOT enough to maintain a clear face. During my time on accutane and till this day I've been washing my face twice a day with cetaphil face soap and moisturizing my face in the morning. Every third day I use an exfoliant to help clean out my pores. Since finishing accutance, I've also taken 50 mg of Zinc everyday. I now get 1-3 minor pimples a week which is nothing compared to what I got pre-accuatne.
On 3/12/2006 at 2:45 PM, *Ariana* said:
ACCUTANE GALLERY
The main objective of this pinned thread is so that all of the Accutane users have an opportunity to post their Accutane before and after pictures in order to enable easier viewing by other members. We are hoping that this thread will facilitate locating the before and after photos, as well as alleviate some of the difficulties associated with the screening process in the original gallery.
Guidelines:
1. Post your before and after Accutane photos in ascending order.
2. Write a one sentence description explaining how many mg of Accutane you were taking and the
length of time.
3. No discussions should occur in this thread.
PLEASE HELP US KEEP THIS THREAD ORGANIZED!
Before : May | After : November
Even though the pictures are 6 months apart I only took accutane for 3 months l, after you™re done it keeps getting better from there, my skin still had red spots after I was done with the treatment but just wait a few more weeks and you should be good.
Make sure to drink water, eat right, and exercise, Good luck!
On 18/11/2017 at 10:06 AM, Murad1397 said:Before : May | After : NovemberEven though the pictures are 6 months apart I only took accutane for 3 months l, after you™re done it keeps getting better from there, my skin still had red spots after I was done with the treatment but just wait a few more weeks and you should be good.
Make sure to drink water, eat right, and exercise, Good luck!
This gives me hope. Mine looks v similar. What dosage?
