Hi, I am wondering if any adults have taken accutane and cured their acne permanently. I have read that accutane is very effective on teenagers because it stops oil production and gives them time to grow out of their acne. What about those of us who haven't grown out of their acne? I am 26 and considering taking accutane for the first time, but I am afraid the acne will come back after I am off accutane and my oil production returns. Thoughts?
The changes of accutane are typically permanent and irreversible (although sebum production will usually return to almost pre-treatment levels once you stop). I believe that you are thinking of antibiotics when you speak of using the drug just long enough to allow the patient to outgrow their acne.
At 26, you are just as good a candidate as anyone else for this wonder drug. I am 26 myself and pop 10 mg pill every single day to give myself nice, clear skin. I get complimented on my skin quite often. Accutane has the potential to offer you clear skin for the rest of your life. Recurrence rates from what I've seen aren't linked with age and if they were, I suspect it would be the opposite of what you've proposed (i.e., relapse rates are higher among younger patients).
Actually from what I've heard Accutane is more effective for adults than for teenagers. My derm has always said that 24 seems to be the magic age, meaning if you take Accutane after the age of 24 you are much more likely to be cleared permanently. I took Accutane when I was 20 and I will be doing another round in a couple weeks- I'm 25 now, so I'm crossing my fingers that this is true!
Wrong- the acne returns in 60% of those patients who took accutane including myself.
Sebum returning after treatment is also incorrect. Your skin,hair and everything inside & out will be dried out - possibly permanently.
All this guy keeps writing is regurgitated information provided by Roche in so called scientific studies.
I am 34 and finishing up my first course. I put it off for many years because my acne was not so bad. But at 34 and after 2 kids I've had enough and tired of only wearing shirts that go all the way up to my neck! I don't know if it will stay away forever, but I"m hopeful. It has worked wonders on me so far. My face, chest and back. Finally I have the clear skin I've always wanted.
The changes of accutane are typically permanent and irreversible (although sebum production will usually return to almost pre-treatment levels once you stop). I believe that you are thinking of antibiotics when you speak of using the drug just long enough to allow the patient to outgrow their acne.
At 26, you are just as good a candidate as anyone else for this wonder drug. I am 26 myself and pop 10 mg pill every single day to give myself nice, clear skin. I get complimented on my skin quite often. Accutane has the potential to offer you clear skin for the rest of your life. Recurrence rates from what I've seen aren't linked with age and if they were, I suspect it would be the opposite of what you've proposed (i.e., relapse rates are higher among younger patients).
Nope....plenty of people take accutane multiple times (especially if they do it low dose) but it can be years in between some people's courses--and what the OP said about the idea behind accutane for teens is correct; this is why women are usually told that if their acne is caused by their hormones it will only work temporarily for them--its also why their usually instructed to keep taking birth control. I took accutane for three months at a low dose and it kept me clear for like 6 months, but then I quit taking spiro and i'm pretty sure the change in hormones just reset everything accutane did (back to square one). I mean sure, we could theorize that it was the spiro that cleared me and not the accutane but if thats the case then going back on spiro would've cleared me again and it did not (lol not at all unfortunately). Its been 6 months since then and im one month into a second accutane coure--or I am basically just finishing that first one---and I'm already clear (I also waited until now to quit spiro again b/c I don't want the same thing to happen).
Whats interesting is that even just from 3 months of low dose accutane my skin became all dry and rough looking--and it stayed that way until i started messing with my hormones. To tell the truth I was actually kind of relieved... I just kept taking less and less of spiro and getting more and more glowy and a little oily (which i liked) but when I finally tapered all the way off spiro--omg I suddenly became so freaking oily its not even funny and and it just never stopped after that! Makes me so embarrassed to see pictures from then because I look so disgusting. I fucking hate spiro. It probably seems like I am directing my anger towards the wrong medication but trust me spiro was never anything but trouble for me and I believe it upset the balance of my hormones long before I started messing with the dosage (I was constantly depressed and bloated on it, and I'd also stopped getting my period which is basically the opposite of what's supposed to happen).
Anyways, I guess my advice is to go for it (accutane) if you're in good health and think you can handle all the potentially permanent side effects but either stay on your birth control after accutane or just pretend to take it throughout your course if you're not planning on staying on it cause a change in hormones could bring back your acne. To me it only makes it worth it if your acne is bad and mine was.
LiveToRegret why not try to trigger some androgens or you know, jump start your hormones to get back your oil? Fucking with my hormones made my skin all glowy and plump again and i think messing with your hormones in general could do it--like even just starting or switching birth control might be able to do it. If you're one of those people who claims you'd rather have acne than whatever it is you're talking about in your name well now you can put your money where your mouth is (hopefully it will work for you).