Hello, i loved this post. its so true!! i was just really wanting some advice please 
i was really oily and pretty bad acne. i took accutane for 12 months at 20mg a day, which completely cleared up my acne but left me with heaps of PIH. I have been off accutane for 2 months now and my face is really oily again and i am starting to get pimples everywhere... im pretty worried. i saw my derm 2 weeks ago, and she gave me retin-a to use nightly. when i saw her i didnt really have any pimples, they just started coming like right after i saw her 
She didnt want me to go back on accutane becuase toy didnt think anything was wrong with my skin.. but now its getting really bad, should i make another appointment with her and try get accutane? or should i continue retin-a?? PLEASE HELP!
Hey so I've always had pretty clear skin
Last year I changed my facial wash and it didn't suit me.and ever since that I kept gettting tiny pimples and whiteheads.went to the derm and he prescribed me Accutane 10mg.
So far it's been a month,there's been dryness on face but lips are fine also I haven't had any major breakouts,iam now on my second month.and I plan on taking this small dose for the next six months atleast.what do u say people?
Oh and I use garnier light Facewash,suits me fine and shiso moisture lotion from body shop
Also if anyone would recommend a good sunscreen?
@Ryan123123123
I think u should definetly go to ur derm and get prescription for Accutane.better get stated it soon so ur done with acne for Good
This is arguably the most uninformed post I have ever seen... What you are saying it utter garbage.
For starters you say doxycycline is used to kill bacteria and will not affect inflammation, that is incorrect at low doses 50mg once/twice a day reduces inflammation without causing antibiotic resistance, hence why it is used to treat symptons of rosacea (from experience).
Another point is that it is not recommended to use topical retinoids while on accutane as the skin is quite fragile/dry that this can cause cause further damage due to irritation caused by the dryness.
Having been on accutane at a dosage of 20mg a day I can say that the side effects are definitely quite minor in relation to high doses, however one issue that still occurs that i have experienced is slow wound healing and possibly rosacea may have developed due to accutane, which I finished 5 months ago and still my PIH has not healed and I have redness/broken capillaries on my cheeks which I did not have before the accutane course.
Also while excess oil production is a factor of acne, the reason accutane works is mostly due to its ability to slow down how fast the skin produces skin cells inside the pore, which helps pores from becoming clogged in the first place. If acne was due to OIL THEN THEIR ACNE WOULD RETURN WHEN THEIR OIL RETURNS POST TREATMENT.
Rant over,
XOXO
Gossip Goat
This is arguably the most uninformed post I have ever seen... What you are saying it utter garbage.
For starters you say doxycycline is used to kill bacteria and will not affect inflammation, that is incorrect at low doses 50mg once/twice a day reduces inflammation without causing antibiotic resistance, hence why it is used to treat symptons of rosacea (from experience).
Another point is that it is not recommended to use topical retinoids while on accutane as the skin is quite fragile/dry that this can cause cause further damage due to irritation caused by the dryness.
Having been on accutane at a dosage of 20mg a day I can say that the side effects are definitely quite minor in relation to high doses, however one issue that still occurs that i have experienced is slow wound healing and possibly rosacea may have developed due to accutane, which I finished 5 months ago and still my PIH has not healed and I have redness/broken capillaries on my cheeks which I did not have before the accutane course.
Also while excess oil production is a factor of acne, the reason accutane works is mostly due to its ability to slow down how fast the skin produces skin cells inside the pore, which helps pores from becoming clogged in the first place. If acne was due to OIL THEN THEIR ACNE WOULD RETURN WHEN THEIR OIL RETURNS POST TREATMENT.
Rant over,
XOXO
Gossip Goat
You can use retin-a , differin, epiduo or any topical with accutane as long as you are taking a low dose of 10 to 20mg a day. This was also the advise from my derm, I was reluctant to try it at first but im doing epiduo 3x a week and a low dose tane of 40mg a week with no problems.
Wow, you are really ignorant. When I was young I was on low dose accutane for I don't even remember, maybe 4-6 years! I only took 20mg twice a week and this was enough to keep all the oil away and that way I was acne free the whole time I was taking it. I stopped it because my skin became so fragile and thin and I started to look old as fuuug. Accutane accumulates in your body so low dose has eventually the same side effects as the high dose. Can't believe how stupid people can be, I was stupid too back then, but eventually we all have to grow up and learn.
And how da fuug you exfoliate your skin whhile on accutane, that's fuggin illegal! I can't exfoliate my skin never again, even with the mildest exfoliant you can find, otherwise my skin will look like I was on a vacation in boiling water.
hello ! just visited my derm again and she put me back on a accutane course starting today. i am taking 20mg daily again, had my first pill today. i finished my last course 3 months ago and have been using retin-a for around 5 weeks, so far my skin is quite oily, and im breaking out prretty bad again. just wondering if i should gradually stop the retin-a while im taking the accutane, or should i continue to use the retin-a throughout the course.
and should i start my course slowly, say 1 pill every other day and slowly increase to daily? or just have the pills daily from the start
any help appriciated 🙂
Hey I'm going to post my question here since I can't make my own thread because I never received a confirmation email:
I've been on Roaccutane for 2.5 months at 40mg a day and my results were SPECTACULAR. I have literally no more acne, my face and body cleared up, and my blackheads were gone. Flat, non-bumpy nose .
1- In my first month: I was taking 40mg a day in the form of ONE pill only. This was fine and everything went great.
2-I n my second month: I was still taking 40mg a day in the form of ONE pill only. Still progressed and was very happy.
3- In the first half of the 3rd month: I was using roaccutane which comes in 20mg pills, So I took TWO pills at once every day and things were still fine.
-In the second half of the 3rd month (Currently): I've been taking roaccutane in the form of 10mg pills, so I've been popping 4 pills at once every day. For some reason, my face started becoming a liiittle oily (it was as dry as the grand canyon), developed a few black heads on my nose, and had a break out of 5 zits. This never happened since i've started my course. Do more pills with less dosage per pill become less potent ? Am I building tolerance ? What is going on here ?!!!! I am definitely upset because I don't want to go back to having acne.
The reason why dosages per pill are different is because I travel A LOT for work, and every country has a different brand with different dosages. FYI the medication in point 2 and 3 is of the same exact brand, just a different dosage per pill, and I've only started developing problems at point 3.
This post was so helpful! I have struggled with acne majorly since the 6th grade and literally have tried EVERYTHING!!!!
I have a question about Accutane though. How long did it take for the low dose to kick in? And is 10mg a day too low?
I tried Accutane before and stopped shortly after bc some people scared me about the side effects and have some left over but it's not gonna last more than a few months on low dose... I'm guessing this won't be enough to cure my acne right?
Also, did you have an "initial breakout" when starting Accutane? I've been breaking out pretty bad since I started 20mg every other day...
Well, almost 40 here and still suffers acne (hope that make you guys feel better). After a year trying to get Roaccutane, the dermatologist only prescribed me 5mg. Just started.
Makes me feel like shit knowing that I'm going to have acne at that age and for the rest of my life.
Assuming you are much younger than me. You won't.
Why? You are here (acne.org) already, which mean you have the information, and you can get the holy medication (Roaccutane/Accutane) at your young age.
For me, during my teens, I stupidly enough to trust my parents and doctor that there's no treatment for acne, and acne will go away with time.
During my late 20s, the GP I visited only prescribed me antibiotics, and said that Roaccutane was not suitable for me since I was not that severe. I was stupid enough not to push for the "cure" which have very high percentage success rate.
And now in my late 30s, I recently spent a year trying to obtain Roaccutane with dermatologist. Guess what? Only receive the ridiculously low dosage (5mg), and they are treating adult acne (not teenager acne).
To sum up, I missed out the golden age on treating acne. I suffered for about 25 years of acne (although not severe, but still considered as suffering). Now in difficult to treat stage - adult acne.
How would that make most of you guys feel better?
1. Obtaining prescription for Roaccutane/Accutane seem to be pretty easy if you are not in Australia.
2. Just take a quick search on (old) posts in this forum (especially past members), they all cured, and left acne.org. Yes, some made some complains of side effect, but at end of the day, they all cured, happy and still young.
3. You guys are considered lucky... the holy medication is easily available to you, and you don't need to suffer like me. A stupid guy (me) suffered about 25 years. It won't happen to you. (Enjoy the laugh if you want.)
Thanks for the info. This post actually is very helpful to me and will help others even though I have received a warning from a moderator and am now being monitored for every post due to posting the response you quoted. Having a negative response in someone else's thread is off limits and considered "trolling" on this board, even though nothing in the terms of service for the forum says this.
Thank you for letting us know.
I was trying to comfort everyone here that there's at least one guy (me) suffering acne for 20+ years. Hopefully my bad experience can cheer someone up, and people not repeating my mistake.
I admit it was my mistake not insisting on getting Roaccutane/Accutane. Life gets busy, and had antibiotics for almost 10 years. Why? Antibiotics sort of helped (reducing), but not a cure, and I sort of forgotten the acne issue (I simply take antibiotics as part of meal, without thinking).
Although I am still suffering, I would encourage everyone, especially young ones to get on the holy medication (Roaccutane/Accutane), despite many side effects reported here, it has very high success rate. Get the acne treated as early as possible, if you can.
If you read around, there are many posts complaining about side effects. My take on this: people tend to complain louder than to praise, and the issue tend to be exaggerated. Those being quickly cured by acne won't bother coming here to make a whinge.
I was never really severe (compared to my mate), however scars accumulate. My highschool mate who had really bad acne, had Roaccutane treatment. During the treatment it was not very easy for me, but his face is not much more clearer than mine. (Yes, I envy him getting the treatment early.)
Look at me, I am now dealing with stubborn adult acne. I hope no one repeats my stupid mistake.
Crab76- I know your post is old, but it's important and should be read far and wide-- especially by dermatologists.
Low dose Accutane should be the standard treatment for moderate to severe acne. And it should be prescribed early enough to avoid scarring in younger people.
What a tragedy that Accutane is considered dangerous. A tragedy stemming from the fact that youthful hormones cause both acne and sexual activity. So it's very dangerous with respect to pregnancy.
But except for pregnant females, it is far less dangerous than long-term antibiotic use.
Topicals don't work for most. If one could simply spread Retin-A or BP on one's face and eliminate acne, nobody would have acne. But topicals can't stop sebum and can't make skin cells less sticky (at least not skin cells below the surface). Acne originates below the surface. Even if you wash away and disinfect 99.99% of the P Acnes bacteria, it will multiply back in a few hours. Even if you unstick surface cells using exfoliants or Retin-A, new sticky cells beneath are always coming up. Add in hormonal sebum production and you get a serious acne problem. Yet decade after decade, lazy dermatologists prescribe topicals. And many of those topical actually add to the inflammation problem via irritating ingredients.
Wake up dermatologists. Enough with the useless months or years of "treating" your acne patients. Just give them an initial course of Accutane and then proceed with low dose unless and until their sebum production burns out naturally or from the Accutane itself.
Hi,
I've been suffering with acne for about 7 years now and I've tried several antibiotics for my skin, which sorta worked I guess. But as soon as I stopped using them the acne came back. My skin is filled with scars of the past few years and I'm so sick of it.
My dermatologist finally persuaded me into taking roaccutane. Now that I'm studying medicine and really got to know how the medicine works I'm less afraid of any side effects or whatsoever.
The only question I still have and my teachers couldn't really answer because in medicines 'acne' isn't considered as a really big issue, compared to other diseases, is: does a low dose cause an initial breakout, worse than you usually have?
Personally I think everyone reacts to a medicine differently and my derm's told me that a low dose won't cause me to break out, but I have a feeling she's just telling me this so that I will finally take the meds.
Too many doctors don't seem to realize that the effect of acne is sometimes more psychological than it is physical.
Anyway I was on a low dose and didn't have an initial breakout. My skin got dry very quickly, then it got clear. Also for the first couple months on my low dose any pimples that popped up disappeared faster.
I was on 20mg. I'm about 47kg
Hi,
I've been suffering with acne for about 7 years now and I've tried several antibiotics for my skin, which sorta worked I guess. But as soon as I stopped using them the acne came back. My skin is filled with scars of the past few years and I'm so sick of it.
My dermatologist finally persuaded me into taking roaccutane. Now that I'm studying medicine and really got to know how the medicine works I'm less afraid of any side effects or whatsoever.
The only question I still have and my teachers couldn't really answer because in medicines 'acne' isn't considered as a really big issue, compared to other diseases, is: does a low dose cause an initial breakout, worse than you usually have?
Personally I think everyone reacts to a medicine differently and my derm's told me that a low dose won't cause me to break out, but I have a feeling she's just telling me this so that I will finally take the meds.
Hello crab76 please help!
I took accutane 40 mg for 7 months and my skin was completely clear. I have been off for 4 months now no accutane just using some topical treatments. I noticed after 2 months bumps all my jaw line and my doctor said it is a skin disease keratosis pilaris and it was not caused from accutane and accutane kept it more at bay while being on it. Around my period i usually get bumps all over my forward and 3-4 pimples. I want to see how I can avoid this problem.
I am wondering if birth control will help control this? or will i need to do a whole course of accutane all over agian or taking the low dose like you have mentioned once a week will help. As well if we are taking the accutane once a week do we need to get blood test monthly as well to make sure everything is okay as for blood levels etc. I noticed my skin is more oily as well. Please let me know your thoughts i really appreciate !
thank you
I'm on 20mg Accutane, day 5
Should i continue cleansing every night?! I feel like if I don't my skin doesn't feel nice, also my Skin isn't that dry on Accutane... its pretty much the same
Im on 20mg/day too and i used clindamycin for spot treatment. Well i didnt see any major untill im on week 6 the acne started to clear pretty quick and since then hv nver hv new acne.On week 7 now.still lot of acne marks tho
Ah that's so long! 6 weeks, i was hoping after the first week i would see good results, but my blackheads are clearing up already just the red marks from ages ago are really red....
I cleansed last night and the skin went full red its like just a cleanser exfoliated the skin.,....now I understand why people suggest using a really mild cleanser or just water.
But this morning my skin feels smoother and less oily, i think cleansing is a must but probably once every 2-3 days maybe?!
Anyway 'm glad its working for you, my dermatologist was so positive he said 85% of patients see results after week 8, so fingers cross!!!
Ah that's so long! 6 weeks, i was hoping after the first week i would see good results, but my blackheads are clearing up already just the red marks from ages ago are really red....
I cleansed last night and the skin went full red its like just a cleanser exfoliated the skin.,....now I understand why people suggest using a really mild cleanser or just water.
But this morning my skin feels smoother and less oily, i think cleansing is a must but probably once every 2-3 days maybe?!
Anyway 'm glad its working for you, my dermatologist was so positive he said 85% of patients see results after week 8, so fingers cross!!!
Well 6 years ago i was on 10mg/day and i saw improvement by month 3 and after 6 months was completely clear with no even single blackhead.The acne started to come back slowly after a year off tho,this time the derm put me on 20mg and planned to put me on topical retinoid for maintenance afterward to keep me clear.I think you should do the same as 20mg arent enough to provide full acne remission
Day 9 tomorrow, so far it's going nicely, however I have flushed twice i think where i have red marks, and I don't normally flush. & m lips are dry as hell, my skin is fairly dry, not that dry that I need a moisturizer, (not that i want one, strongly against them)
Yeah well so far i'm ok with it, don;t need a topical, did you ever flush when on it?
I've just read your forum on Accutane and I noticed you said you don't need to moisturise , I have acne rosecea and if I don't keep my skin well hydrated my rosecea flares up, you mentioned that using a moisturiser traps dead skin, l also have congested pores and want to clear my skin, h
ow would I keep my skin hydrated without moisturiser cause if i don't moisturise my rosecea flares up and my skin dry's out.
I'm 33 yr old male. I've managed with OTC scrubs and topicals but want to change that by running a low dose course of accutane. I've read many different protocols and have an appointment scheduled for September (long waits for derms these days) but I feel like the derm is going to not want to prescribe me accutane bc my acne is mild to moderate with only a few cystic pimples on my shoulders and jawline. If the derm doesn't prescribe I plan on getting the accutane myself. But I wanted to know the best dose to run and for how long, follow up with differin OTC, continue with accutane 1-2 x per week, etc...
I am 167lb or 75kg
My plan
month 1 - 20mg eod
month 2 - 20mg ed
month 3 until completely clear 20mg ed
Then 20mg eod for an additional month after completely clear.
total time using accutane would be 4-7 months.