I would say that Accutane should always be a last resort because the side-effects, although not everyone gets them, are pretty substantial. It does seem to work really great for some people, but it's something you should think long and hard about before starting. For example, I was informed that if I was to go on Accutane I would have to stop waxing my legs for the entirety of the treatment, plus six months afterwards!
I personally had much worse acne than you and I managed to clear it up without resorting to Accutane - although I was offered it several times. For me, after dealing with all the problems that come with severe acne I didn't want to be facing a whole new range of problems, the risk just wasn't worth it.
Would you be able to give us some more details about your daily facial routine and your age? Also, how long have you been on your prescription? Your skin doesn't look that bad at all and I imagine it might be useful for you to explore other topical options before resorting to Accutane.
Your acne is not that bad and it can be cleared pretty quick in my opinion. What have you tried? My skin I think it's looking alot better and all i did was just quit everything except the moisturizer:) sometimes our ocd about our skin is applying applying and applying and at times all the skin needs is rest and hydration.
I agree with the posts above. Accutane is a LAST resort drug. Usually your dermatologist will run you through a whole bunch of medications first. You should try and fail all antibiotics and topical treatments and hormonal treatments like BC. Then if that fails Accutane may be a good choice for you.
I took Accutane for 8 months and have been off it for about a year and a half or more. It has some pretty crazy side effects, not that you will get them all. It differs from person to person greatly. For me it destroyed my joints in my knees and ankles. I can't do any high impact exercise without them getting very inflamed. Then I have to be put on high strength pain medications and on anti inflammatories, just so I can walk without crutches. I was very active in sports before Accutane and haven't been able to do much of any sports since time. That's my most serious complaint about Accutane.
The other down side of it was after I finished my course that needed to go 2 months past what a normal course runs. I was only clear for 4 months. I started to break out very shortly after that. That's when I spoke to my OBGYN about going on spiro. It's been 14 months on that medication and I remain clear and no side effects! I would seriously consider spironolactone before Accutane. Exhaust all medications before you try and get Accutane.
My doctor was intent on putting me on Accutane. When I asked about the side effects he said there were none and the things people say on this site are invalid nonsense and lies. I didn't think much of him after that and flat down refused to start a treatment that he obviously did not know the full extent of. My next doctor also wanted to put me on Accutane, but had to spend 10 minutes looking through a book in order to agree with me that I should be able to apply BP every other day and use adapalene alongside it. Unfortunately doctors, especially GPs, do not have an in-depth knowledge of acne and you should always do your own research first.