I'm just completely out of ideas as to what I can do to clear up my acne. I'm turning 28 y/o this year and I'm still suffering through it as if I was 16. The problem is that it isn't so bad as to warrant accutane, yet it's so persistent and bad enough to cause depression--which has taken a massive toll on my life. Topicals don't seem to work at all (if only temporarily before my acne fights back) and I remember several years ago trying a prescription from a dermatologist which did absolutely nothing either.

So here I am, wondering what in the world I can do. I always have these red marks on my face that take weeks (in some cases, months) to clear up and I never want to leave the house. It's emotionally debilitating and is a major source of my depression, which has caused me to miss out on a lot in my life.

Would a dermatologist even consider prescribing me accutane if I tell them my situation? Are the side-effects as bad as they say? Are there any other prescription medications out there that have consistent results?

Hey there,

I understand your situation entirely, as I've been there myself. Talk to your derm about taking isotretinoin - it WILL clear you and put you into remission. If you do not wish to undergo a high dose then ask for a low long one. I am currently doing this and am seeing fantastic results with little to no side effects. Please feel free to browse my profile for my story etc and drop a message if you have any queries.

All the best

Rob

Hey

I started accutane just today and thought i might tell you why i chose to go on it. I have moderate acne, but it was very persistent and nothing worked.

I don't think there's any reason for your dermatologist to deny you accutane just because you don't have severe acne. Even if the acne is only mild to moderate, if it's persistent and no other product works, you definitely have the right to at least try accutane.

No one on this website can tell you how bad the side effects are because we all have different standards and reactions to the medicine. Some might say the dry lips and dry skin are unbearable while others say its not that bad. The only way to find out for sure is to go on it and decide for yourself if you can handle the drug.

Almost all of the side-effects of accutane are temporary and will go away when you stop taking it. In my opinion, I think you should at least try it. If you feel the results are not worth the trouble, then you can stop.

But know this, there's a tendency for things to get worse before they get better so accutane requires patience and commitment.

I wish you the best of luck

If I was 28 and I had tried everything (including the acne.org regimen, which I do recommend for adult acne) I would consider that my last-chance saloon and probably ask for accutane. It's not fair that you have to deal with acne on top of the struggles of being and adult and wanting to just live your life acne-free.

So if you want to try something before going down the accutane route, try the acne.org regimen. If you've simply had enough and fed up of using topicals, get on accutane. It's really up to you. There are sides such as dry lips, depression/anxiety, hair loss etc. but since you're on the medication for a prescribed amount of time, I should think those subside post-accutane.

Dan has some informative videos on accutane on the acne.org YouTube channel, check those out to get some more information, he's done a lot of research on it by looking at the medical studies/clinical trials carried out on the medication.

If you haven't already, I would try the regimen (as LewisS said) and/or a low GI, anti-inflammatory diet (like paleo) first. However, as you probably already know, neither of these methods "cure" acne and you will have to keep taking them indefinitely to manage acne.

Accutane can put your acne into remission (either permanently, for a long time, for a short time, or not at all). Considering your age and the severity of your acne, your chance of relapse after accutane will be lower than many others, especially if you do a higher dosage. Dermatologists often prescribe accutane to those who may not have severe acne but persistent acne that does not respond fully to other treatments. However, there are a lot of side effects. Most common ones are dry skin and lips. There is also a chance you might break out worse than before for a while. If you get any more serious side effects, you can simply stop the medication. To me, dryness and bad breakouts are worth clear skin in the end.

I know exactly how you feel. But, hang in there, you will get through this,

Agree with the great responses above^^^

First and foremost, if your acne is affecting your life this much, you should definitely be under the care of a Dermatologist. This should be your #1 priority.

Dermatologists can prescribe you a range of oral and topical medications which are effective and which you may not have tried, including oral antibiotics, which are particularly effective in combination with a topical retinoid cream/gel such as Retin-A or Differin. Another option is Accutane, which is often prescribed for such persistent, debilitating acne.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/Supplement_3/S163.full.pdf

Good luck

Thanks everyone, I'll look into it.

I've tried the acne.org regimen and used to follow it religiously, unfortunately, I really didn't see much improvement. Accutane has always been an option that I never considered until recently since it seemed like the drastic last resort when all else fails. Retin-A, Differin, Duac, and a myriad of other topicals, cleansers or lotions never did the trick either. Alas, here I am.

Also, can I expect to run into some difficulty when asking for (probably low dose) Accutane? I move around a lot so I don't exactly have a regular dermatologist that I visit. In that case, I assume they might seem hesitant to give me a prescription since most doctors that I see always try to push the topicals on the first visit.