Hello all!
I am 17 years old (female) and have had moderate acne for a few years now. I would say that my face has been at a normal level, but recently my bacne has been getting pretty bad and spreading.
I have been seeing a dermatologist for a few months, and after giving me Epiduo (that I apply to my face and back) and minocyline, my face has cleared up almost completely. However, my back is still in very rough shape, but it has gotten slightly better. To my surprise, she already has recommended Accutane for me, but I am really scared of all the side effects (I play two varsity sports and am most worried about the fatigue and sunburn problems). My acne is not cystic nor scarring, however I'd say it is pretty bad, slightly inflamed, and again, only on my back, treatment has worked for my face.
I feel like I have only been fighting it for a few months now, and should try a few more things before jumping to such a drastic form of treatment. I also feel like this treatment is really for people with very severe acne, however, I also feel that my dermatologist probably knows best...
What do you guys think? Would the pros outweigh the cons for me? Do you have other tips or treatments that might help my bacne before I jump onto the Accutane boat?
Thank you so much!
After doing two rounds of the stuff I would say no, don't do it. It does help, but the acne often comes back. The side effects are awful and can be permanent for some. Especially since in your case the problem is in an area that's usually covered it really isn't worth it. There are hundreds of other alternative methods for clearing acne that may not be as simple and easy as popping a pill but are much safer.