Sure. Is it going to kill me? Will I get every horrible side effect in the book? I'm avoided Accutane out of intense fear...acne is kicking up my depression big time.

Accutane won't kill you. Side effects depend on each individual, and some (but not all) side effects are dose dependent. I personally have had a ton of side effects, but I'm still alive, kicking, have 10 days left of my treatment, and am finally acne-free

How long did it take you to see an improvement with Accutane? I'm 3.5 months in and keep getting repeated break outs of cysts. Is this something you experienced?

It saw a decent improvement by the end of month 4. I still had like two or three small pimples in month 5. I was also on a high dose for my weight. To give you a sense of how high of a dose I've been on, at the end of month 5 I'll be done and will have reached a cumulative dose of approximately 165mg/kg. Hang in there, you'll clear up eventually.

I saw immediate improvement two weeks into my first treatment two years ago.

I'm 26 also and just today I got prescriped accutane. It's been 10 years, and I have literally tried almost every treatment available. Every topical and antibiotic. I got into healthy dieting, nutritional supplements, and went through an entire list of things like changing pillows, not drinking water with flouride, only showering with cold water. I have a huge box of leftover vitamins in my storage. Almost all of my clothes and towels are stained from the benzoyl peroxide. It's literally driving me fucking insane. This shit better work.

I'm on my 8 month of accutane and I'm clear!! Took 5 months to see improvement though and 6/7 months to be clear. I still have hyper pigmentation though which looks like acne from a distance which is a pain but can be covered. Good luck! It is worth it! Ps. I've had pretty bad side effects, to the point where I can barely walk sometimes due to joint/muscle pain which is like arthritis but I'd still do it again.

I did three accutane rounds and my acne returned every single time. Keep in mind accutane is a "remission" not a cure and that cystic acne is a lifelong disease. You will relapse, trust me.

elkhoundgold

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I didn't realise that the thread had been activated.

It won't kill you. If you are make the side effects known before you go on it then you know what to watch out for. My side effects were pretty mild. However, they put me on half the dose for twice the lenght of time because I have fairly severe depression. I would presume that they woud do the same for you.

Now, I live in Ireland. Over here, they bring you in once a month and do all sorts of tests. It is not something that is taken lightly. I presume that you would have a bunch of experts looking after you and guiding you.

Also, go to a therapist of some kind. I started on accutane when I was twenty six, but I'm thirty now. Even when it's gone you still behave with the unhealthy patterns so it is good to address that as soon as possible.

Hope this helped.

LateActor

Mine gradually cleared up. I was not completely clear when they took me off of it. It kept getting better and better. A few months later it stopped coming altogether. I still get the ocassional spot, especially when I go hard exercise wise, but it doesn't matter. It's the first time in my life that I don't really have to worry about holding back while training.

crashoran

I know the feeling. Hang in their bud. You're not alone. Maybe head to a theapist and get a jump start on that side of things. Be careful of the self talk, the negative messages you are giving yourself. You are not an ugly person, you just have acne.

And listen, even if it doesn't work the first time, or your acne comes back, just go on it again. It will eventually work. Someday you will be able to look at yourself in the mirror, you will be acne free, there will be an enormous smile on your face....that feeling that you get just then...it's, there's not point in even describing it because I have no frame of reference, lets just say it is good.

Either way, let me know how you get on.

bubbles55

I'm sorry that it did not work for you, but keep yo chin up gurrrrrrrrl!

Keep trying, don't give up.

However, I do think that it is a little mean spirited of you to tell me that my acne will come back. First of all, I don't believe that it will. Second of all, it doesn't matter if it does. Being acne free for this long has allowed me to deal with the mental effects that having acne for so long, had on me. If my acne came back today, it wouldn't bother me. Plus, I'd just go to my doctor, get another does of Accutane.

You are younger than me. You're acne is in a different stage than mine was.

But, and most importantly, this thread was designed to give people some hope. I put myself forward as an example of how accutane worked. I'm nearly five years acne free. We ALL KNOW THAT SOMETIMES ACCUTANE DOESN'T WORK, we don't need to be told that. What we need more of is threads like this, where people let others know that there is HOPE, there is life after acne, and good life at that.

If you can, as a favour to me, could you delete your post? Pretty pwease. If not don't worry about it. It is just a small blemish on an other wise good complection.

I just want to take this opportunity to state further, that I am doing all the things now that I wouldn't or couldn't do when I had acne. I have a great life now. And more importantly, I can honestly say, that I have never been this happy in my entire life.

Best of luck to everybody, and feel free to ask more questions. I will check back more regularily now that I know that the thread is up.

bubbles55

I'm sorry that it did not work for you, but keep yo chin up gurrrrrrrrl!

Keep trying, don't give up.

However, I do think that it is a little mean spirited of you to tell me that my acne will come back. First of all, I don't believe that it will. Second of all, it doesn't matter if it does. Being acne free for this long has allowed me to deal with the mental effects that having acne for so long, had on me. If my acne came back today, it wouldn't bother me. Plus, I'd just go to my doctor, get another does of Accutane.

You are younger than me. You're acne is in a different stage than mine was.

But, and most importantly, this thread was designed to give people some hope. I put myself forward as an example of how accutane worked. I'm nearly five years acne free. We ALL KNOW THAT SOMETIMES ACCUTANE DOESN'T WORK, we don't need to be told that. What we need more of is threads like this, where people let others know that there is HOPE, there is life after acne, and good life at that.

If you can, as a favour to me, could you delete your post? Pretty pwease. If not don't worry about it. It is just a small blemish on an other wise good complection.

I just want to take this opportunity to state further, that I am doing all the things now that I wouldn't or couldn't do when I had acne. I have a great life now. And more importantly, I can honestly say, that I have never been this happy in my entire life.

Best of luck to everybody, and feel free to ask more questions. I will check back more regularily now that I know that the thread is up.

Younger? I'm nearly 25 years old and have had acne for over 15 years. How old are you? I presumed you were a teenager.

bubbles55

I'm sorry that it did not work for you, but keep yo chin up gurrrrrrrrl!

Keep trying, don't give up.

However, I do think that it is a little mean spirited of you to tell me that my acne will come back. First of all, I don't believe that it will. Second of all, it doesn't matter if it does. Being acne free for this long has allowed me to deal with the mental effects that having acne for so long, had on me. If my acne came back today, it wouldn't bother me. Plus, I'd just go to my doctor, get another does of Accutane.

You are younger than me. You're acne is in a different stage than mine was.

But, and most importantly, this thread was designed to give people some hope. I put myself forward as an example of how accutane worked. I'm nearly five years acne free. We ALL KNOW THAT SOMETIMES ACCUTANE DOESN'T WORK, we don't need to be told that. What we need more of is threads like this, where people let others know that there is HOPE, there is life after acne, and good life at that.

If you can, as a favour to me, could you delete your post? Pretty pwease. If not don't worry about it. It is just a small blemish on an other wise good complection.

I just want to take this opportunity to state further, that I am doing all the things now that I wouldn't or couldn't do when I had acne. I have a great life now. And more importantly, I can honestly say, that I have never been this happy in my entire life.

Best of luck to everybody, and feel free to ask more questions. I will check back more regularily now that I know that the thread is up.

Younger? I'm nearly 25 years old and have had acne for over 15 years. How old are you? I presumed you were a teenager

If you didn't know what age I am then that clearly indicates that you didn't read anything I said. It strongly indicates that you came here with your own agenda. That agenda was to rain on everybody's parade. You just wanted to be negative. I've already stated that the whole reason I started this thread was because when I began my treatment, I couldn't find anything that said, 'yes, accutane worked for me.' I swore that if it did work for me, I'd spread the word. Because hearing those words, knowing that there might be a way out of that hell, it would have meant the world to me.

I started this thread to let people know there is hope.

I understand that you're trapped in that hell now. I wish you the best, I really do. Don't give up. I have a good life now. I'm meeting a girl tomorrow for a "date." Something that seemed impossible even two years ago. If it happened for me, it can happen for you too. Or anybody. I'd very much like if you deleted that other post so as to keep this thread as positive as possible. If you can't or won't, well that's okay too.

I really wish you all the best. I hope you too become acne free.

Regards,

Colm

I was twenty six when I started. I am thirty now.

This is great news for me because I am about to see a dermatologist at last (7+ years of bad acne)

What are the side affects? im not too worried im just excited to see my acne disappear and my bank balance go up as i stop clearing out the shelves of Clinique!!

The common side effects are dry skin, lips and eyes. There are other more serious ones but there is debate whether accutane actually causes them, like depression for instance.

The side effect I found most difficult was the initial breakout. My skin slowly got worse and worse (in cycles) up to the 4th month mark. I definitely got a few more scars but it's impossible to say what would of happened to my skin if I didn't start accutane. I wouldn't be surprised if this is what causes the depression.

If you haven't tried benzoly peroxide, differin or antibiotics I'd recommend you try them first. They will likely work quicker and for most people they are enough. They also have fewer side effects. They worked for me for ages.

Thanks for the info! Yeh I have been on lymecline for well over a year it worked at first but now doesn't do much except if I come off of it my skin goes terrible.

Also had all the topical creams yadayada. Will try roaccutane after talking with dermatologist and weighing up risks and rewards.

Just wondering if it is something which will work and stop acne forever or of it's a constant start stop kinda thing?

Hey guys I have mild acne and scarring and tried everything, I mean everything from DIYs to birth control. Nothing worked. I tried vitamins, proactiv, all the gels and treaments. All I can think to do now is the last resort, Acutane. But my mom won't allow it. Please help!

Very much appreciated,

JoyfulCover

Hi-

This gives me some encouragement for my teenage son. He is almost 15 and just finished (a month ago) a course of Accutane, for very severe cystic acne conglobata. He had it on his face, neck and shoulders. We tried 32+ remedies (most of them natural) before going on Accutane. Some of them seemed to help for a period, but not completely. It was a vicious, never-ending cycle. He was at that age when most of his friends and peers still had clear, beautiful skin, and he felt like a freak. He was so very unhappy, and I was a basket-case. I was constantly stressed out and worried about him. I just wanted my boy to be happy and accepted. It was affecting our relationship.

I took him to the best dermatologist I know. He treated me when I was a teen, when I went on Accutane in the 1980s. He is world-renowned and has many years of experience. He is in his 70s now, but thank God he's not retired.

My son is now clear of his inflamed, red, unsightly cystic acne. He has a lot of scarring. We are working on the scars now, but I would take the scars any day over the active, inflamed cysts. He is much happier. He started high school with a clear face. He made lots of new friends and smiles a lot more. His grades are better. His derm. is extremely pleased with the results and called his face "excellent" at his last follow-up.

My problem now, is that I am terrified that his acne will return. Last year was a living hell for both of us, and I do not want to go back there. I haven't told him this of course, but inside I worry about it. I'm not obsessing, but worried. I know everyone is different, and that's awesome that you have not had your acne return (yay!!) but you are older, and his hormones are still raging since he's just a teen. Accutane worked wonders for me, and it felt like a miracle drug. However, some acne did return, and I'm still dealing with it in my 40s. But, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It's manageable. It's not making me depressed like I was as a teenager. My son has gotten some small little blemishes, even after 1 week of finishing Accutane. But they go away really fast, and are very, very small. If it stays that way, that would be great! It's the big huge cysts that frighten me.

The derm. prescribed him Tazorac 0.05% clear gel, which is a topical retinoid. He said it would keep recurring acne at bay, and keep his pores clear of sebum, and he had only wonderful things to say about it. However, I researched it, and many people say it sucks and made their acne return! This has scared me enough to not let my son try it. Instead, he's using natural things to keep his skin clear. Have you ever used Tazorac? I would appreciate any information you have on it, and I'm also going to post on the forum to people who may have used it after Accutane.

Thanks, and I'm happy to hear you had a good experience! Oh, and my son had minimal side effects. His body handled the Accutane very well. I had little to no side effects also (28+ yrs ago).

Thanks for the info! Yeh I have been on lymecline for well over a year it worked at first but now doesn't do much except if I come off of it my skin goes terrible.

Also had all the topical creams yadayada. Will try roaccutane after talking with dermatologist and weighing up risks and rewards.

Just wondering if it is something which will work and stop acne forever or of it's a constant start stop kinda thing?

It's differs from person to person and seems to be dependent on what cumulative dose you reach at the end of your treatment. Most people find their acne reduces in severity permanently and some are effectively cured. But, reading on these forums it is possible you have to do another round or so, not sure how common this is. From what I remember from the research I've read a cumulative dose of 150 mg/kg is a good target, in the region of 80%+ get a permanent effect.

I'm also in london (seeing a derm at st marys) and if you are going to a NHS dermatologist you are going to have to push for accutane. They don't like prescribing it as it's expensive (blood tests, loads of appointment and high drug cost) and there was some bad publicity a while back as they were accused of giving it to everyone who asked for it. I had been on and off antibiotics and every other possible prescription for 5 years and it took me 6 months to get on it.

This is great news for me because I am about to see a dermatologist at last (7+ years of bad acne)

What are the side affects? im not too worried im just excited to see my acne disappear and my bank balance go up as i stop clearing out the shelves of Clinique!!

I'm glad you think it is good news. That was the point of the thread. There are a lot of side effects but it depends, I only got dry eye and dry lips. I broke out in heat rash if I stayed in the sun too long for about two years after

Hey guys I have mild acne and scarring and tried everything, I mean everything from DIYs to birth control. Nothing worked. I tried vitamins, proactiv, all the gels and treaments. All I can think to do now is the last resort, Acutane. But my mom won't allow it. Please help!

Very much appreciated,

JoyfulCover

Hi:)

If you're under age there's nothing we can do. What I would advise, or recommand, is that you lay out your case to your mother in a calm and resonable way. Pretend you are a business person and you are trying to get somebody to invest. I'm sure your mother feels she is looking out for your safty because of the bad reputation that accutane has. She is probably only doing it because she loves you. Weather she gives in or not, I'm sure she will appreciate being spoken to in a resonable level and not being whinged at.

When It comes to accutane there is a lot of scare mongering for some reason. All I can tell you, is that from my LIMITED experience, that that is not justified. I think it's because that accutane is linked so heavily to depression and suicide. Well guess what, having acne makes you feel depressed and suicidal. That's what made me constantly want to kill myself. Isn't it logical to suspect that the people that killed themselves after taking accutane or while on accutane did so because they gave up hope rather than because they were on the drug. I.e they thought that it wasn't working, wasn't working fast enough, or had worked but the acne came back. They became depondant, all hope gone, they kill themselves. Accutane was they last drug they were on, or they are on accutane, accutane gets blamed. I put to you that it is the acne, not accutane that causes the suicide. Again, I am only speaking from my own point of view.

My brother, he is nine years older than me, saw my results, and immediately asked me to help him get on it. His acne cleared as well. It is still clear. He had a different type of acne than me, it affected different areas. The only side effects he had was dry lips. They weren't even as bad as mine. Now the reason I bring him up is that although we are brothers, we are not genetically related. One of us is adopted. I know it is a small test group, but I still find the results telling.

Now, Joyful Clover, I am presuming you are young. All I can tell you is that I wish, I WISH, that I had been put on it when I was a teenager. My life would have been sooooo much better. I would have actually have had a life instead of hiding away. Turning down opportunity after opportunity. Acne shows on your skin but affects all aspects of your life. I have turned down jobs and educational opportunites because of my acne. I reason that I am about ten years behind where I would have been if I didn't have acne. You also have years of unhappiness...that's right, years of unhappiness and feeling ugly ahead of you. I hope that this helps give you some points to bring to your mother.

Yours,

Colm

Hi-

This gives me some encouragement for my teenage son. He is almost 15 and just finished (a month ago) a course of Accutane, for very severe cystic acne conglobata. He had it on his face, neck and shoulders. We tried 32+ remedies (most of them natural) before going on Accutane. Some of them seemed to help for a period, but not completely. It was a vicious, never-ending cycle. He was at that age when most of his friends and peers still had clear, beautiful skin, and he felt like a freak. He was so very unhappy, and I was a basket-case. I was constantly stressed out and worried about him. I just wanted my boy to be happy and accepted. It was affecting our relationship.

I took him to the best dermatologist I know. He treated me when I was a teen, when I went on Accutane in the 1980s. He is world-renowned and has many years of experience. He is in his 70s now, but thank God he's not retired.

My son is now clear of his inflamed, red, unsightly cystic acne. He has a lot of scarring. We are working on the scars now, but I would take the scars any day over the active, inflamed cysts. He is much happier. He started high school with a clear face. He made lots of new friends and smiles a lot more. His grades are better. His derm. is extremely pleased with the results and called his face "excellent" at his last follow-up.

My problem now, is that I am terrified that his acne will return. Last year was a living hell for both of us, and I do not want to go back there. I haven't told him this of course, but inside I worry about it. I'm not obsessing, but worried. I know everyone is different, and that's awesome that you have not had your acne return (yay!!) but you are older, and his hormones are still raging since he's just a teen. Accutane worked wonders for me, and it felt like a miracle drug. However, some acne did return, and I'm still dealing with it in my 40s. But, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It's manageable. It's not making me depressed like I was as a teenager. My son has gotten some small little blemishes, even after 1 week of finishing Accutane. But they go away really fast, and are very, very small. If it stays that way, that would be great! It's the big huge cysts that frighten me.

The derm. prescribed him Tazorac 0.05% clear gel, which is a topical retinoid. He said it would keep recurring acne at bay, and keep his pores clear of sebum, and he had only wonderful things to say about it. However, I researched it, and many people say it sucks and made their acne return! This has scared me enough to not let my son try it. Instead, he's using natural things to keep his skin clear. Have you ever used Tazorac? I would appreciate any information you have on it, and I'm also going to post on the forum to people who may have used it after Accutane.

Thanks, and I'm happy to hear you had a good experience! Oh, and my son had minimal side effects. His body handled the Accutane very well. I had little to no side effects also (28+ yrs ago).

I feel really bad that acne has had such a bad effect on your family. All I can say is enjoy it now that it's not there and if it comes back deal with it. You've already solved the problem once, so there's no reason that won't work again. That's advice that I couldn't take myself though. After my acne cleared I was absolutely sick with worry that it would return. There are those milestones, six months, a year ect, ect that you watch out for as it may return. I effectively crashed and burned mentally. Went to see a therapist and built myself back up again. Now I feel great.

The reason I mention this is because I'm worried you are going down the same path. I understand how stressful a time it is but you need to give yourself a break. Your son is doing great. You caught the acne nice and early. I don't want to over step my boundaries, but you seem very stressed over the ordeal. You mentioned that you had acne when you were younger. Do you feel stressed because you can empathise with what he is going through, or because you feel that it is somehow your fault that he has acne? Give yourself a break, because it is not your fault. You suffered when you were younger so he didn't have to. You knew what to do, and stopped the acne in its tracks. I wish I had a mother like you. If you were my mother you have saved me years of suffering.

I wish you and your son the very best. I have a particular mantra that helped me get through the stressful early days, 'if it comes back, go back.' Meaning that if the acne came back, I would go back on the accutane. It is that simple. Your son is half my age, so I can't tell you weather or not it is going to come back. However, it also means that he didn't scar as much as he would have, and that they will have longer to fade. If his acne comes back, just go back on accutane as soon as you can. But enjoy now, he's happy and so should you. You did some good mothering.

I have never heard of Tazorac. I don't use anything on my skin, I do use clean and clear or something of it's ilk, but just out of habbit really.

Best of luck

Colm

Hi-

This gives me some encouragement for my teenage son. He is almost 15 and just finished (a month ago) a course of Accutane, for very severe cystic acne conglobata. He had it on his face, neck and shoulders. We tried 32+ remedies (most of them natural) before going on Accutane. Some of them seemed to help for a period, but not completely. It was a vicious, never-ending cycle. He was at that age when most of his friends and peers still had clear, beautiful skin, and he felt like a freak. He was so very unhappy, and I was a basket-case. I was constantly stressed out and worried about him. I just wanted my boy to be happy and accepted. It was affecting our relationship.

I took him to the best dermatologist I know. He treated me when I was a teen, when I went on Accutane in the 1980s. He is world-renowned and has many years of experience. He is in his 70s now, but thank God he's not retired.

My son is now clear of his inflamed, red, unsightly cystic acne. He has a lot of scarring. We are working on the scars now, but I would take the scars any day over the active, inflamed cysts. He is much happier. He started high school with a clear face. He made lots of new friends and smiles a lot more. His grades are better. His derm. is extremely pleased with the results and called his face "excellent" at his last follow-up.

My problem now, is that I am terrified that his acne will return. Last year was a living hell for both of us, and I do not want to go back there. I haven't told him this of course, but inside I worry about it. I'm not obsessing, but worried. I know everyone is different, and that's awesome that you have not had your acne return (yay!!) but you are older, and his hormones are still raging since he's just a teen. Accutane worked wonders for me, and it felt like a miracle drug. However, some acne did return, and I'm still dealing with it in my 40s. But, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It's manageable. It's not making me depressed like I was as a teenager. My son has gotten some small little blemishes, even after 1 week of finishing Accutane. But they go away really fast, and are very, very small. If it stays that way, that would be great! It's the big huge cysts that frighten me.

The derm. prescribed him Tazorac 0.05% clear gel, which is a topical retinoid. He said it would keep recurring acne at bay, and keep his pores clear of sebum, and he had only wonderful things to say about it. However, I researched it, and many people say it sucks and made their acne return! This has scared me enough to not let my son try it. Instead, he's using natural things to keep his skin clear. Have you ever used Tazorac? I would appreciate any information you have on it, and I'm also going to post on the forum to people who may have used it after Accutane.

Thanks, and I'm happy to hear you had a good experience! Oh, and my son had minimal side effects. His body handled the Accutane very well. I had little to no side effects also (28+ yrs ago).

I feel really bad that acne has had such a bad effect on your family. All I can say is enjoy it now that it's not there and if it comes back deal with it. You've already solved the problem once, so there's no reason that won't work again. That's advice that I couldn't take myself though. After my acne cleared I was absolutely sick with worry that it would return. There are those milestones, six months, a year ect, ect that you watch out for as it may return. I effectively crashed and burned mentally. Went to see a therapist and built myself back up again. Now I feel great.

The reason I mention this is because I'm worried you are going down the same path. I understand how stressful a time it is but you need to give yourself a break. Your son is doing great. You caught the acne nice and early. I don't want to over step my boundaries, but you seem very stressed over the ordeal. You mentioned that you had acne when you were younger. Do you feel stressed because you can empathise with what he is going through, or because you feel that it is somehow your fault that he has acne? Give yourself a break, because it is not your fault. You suffered when you were younger so he didn't have to. You knew what to do, and stopped the acne in its tracks. I wish I had a mother like you. If you were my mother you have saved me years of suffering.

I wish you and your son the very best. I have a particular mantra that helped me get through the stressful early days, 'if it comes back, go back.' Meaning that if the acne came back, I would go back on the accutane. It is that simple. Your son is half my age, so I can't tell you weather or not it is going to come back. However, it also means that he didn't scar as much as he would have, and that they will have longer to fade. If his acne comes back, just go back on accutane as soon as you can. But enjoy now, he's happy and so should you. You did some good mothering.

I have never heard of Tazorac. I don't use anything on my skin, I do use clean and clear or something of it's ilk, but just out of habbit really.

Best of luck

Colm

Thank you for the kind words! I do want my son to be as healthy and happy as possible of course, which is why I finally put him on the drug. Now I know to some, that may sound weird ("healthy on Accutane? It messes up your body so bad!") That's why I waited so long to finally let him go on it. I did not want to mess up my precious child's body inside. I know all the risks- the liver damage, etc. I was determined to not do that to him. But all of the work (including money) we were putting into the different remedies, special diets, etc. just got to be too much. I still wrestle with the dilemma and guilt I have about having done this to him (meaning putting him on the drug), knowing how extreme and toxic it is. But he just kept saying to me, "But Mom, look at you- you took it yourself, and you're fine. So maybe I'll be fine too." I hope he's right.

And I think the reason I have been so stressed out about his condition is because it really messed me up mentally when I was younger. I never realized until this experience with him, that acne really destroyed my self esteem when I was young. I mean it totally screwed me up, and I was a miserable kid and teenager. Until Accutane, that is. Once I took it and got clear, I regained much of my self esteem, and I was like a different person. So with my son, I was re-living all of the angst and misery that I went through in my own childhood. Acne really messes with your head! It is not just a physical ailment. It affects basically all aspects of your life. I don't think my parents realized how depressed I was before the Accutane. I never contemplated suicide, but I was just soooo unhappy. I used to pray that I would wake up the next morning with a miraculously clear face. So yeah, acne really destroyed me more than I realized!

Hi-

This gives me some encouragement for my teenage son. He is almost 15 and just finished (a month ago) a course of Accutane, for very severe cystic acne conglobata. He had it on his face, neck and shoulders. We tried 32+ remedies (most of them natural) before going on Accutane. Some of them seemed to help for a period, but not completely. It was a vicious, never-ending cycle. He was at that age when most of his friends and peers still had clear, beautiful skin, and he felt like a freak. He was so very unhappy, and I was a basket-case. I was constantly stressed out and worried about him. I just wanted my boy to be happy and accepted. It was affecting our relationship.

I took him to the best dermatologist I know. He treated me when I was a teen, when I went on Accutane in the 1980s. He is world-renowned and has many years of experience. He is in his 70s now, but thank God he's not retired.

My son is now clear of his inflamed, red, unsightly cystic acne. He has a lot of scarring. We are working on the scars now, but I would take the scars any day over the active, inflamed cysts. He is much happier. He started high school with a clear face. He made lots of new friends and smiles a lot more. His grades are better. His derm. is extremely pleased with the results and called his face "excellent" at his last follow-up.

My problem now, is that I am terrified that his acne will return. Last year was a living hell for both of us, and I do not want to go back there. I haven't told him this of course, but inside I worry about it. I'm not obsessing, but worried. I know everyone is different, and that's awesome that you have not had your acne return (yay!!) but you are older, and his hormones are still raging since he's just a teen. Accutane worked wonders for me, and it felt like a miracle drug. However, some acne did return, and I'm still dealing with it in my 40s. But, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It's manageable. It's not making me depressed like I was as a teenager. My son has gotten some small little blemishes, even after 1 week of finishing Accutane. But they go away really fast, and are very, very small. If it stays that way, that would be great! It's the big huge cysts that frighten me.

The derm. prescribed him Tazorac 0.05% clear gel, which is a topical retinoid. He said it would keep recurring acne at bay, and keep his pores clear of sebum, and he had only wonderful things to say about it. However, I researched it, and many people say it sucks and made their acne return! This has scared me enough to not let my son try it. Instead, he's using natural things to keep his skin clear. Have you ever used Tazorac? I would appreciate any information you have on it, and I'm also going to post on the forum to people who may have used it after Accutane.

Thanks, and I'm happy to hear you had a good experience! Oh, and my son had minimal side effects. His body handled the Accutane very well. I had little to no side effects also (28+ yrs ago).

Hey there, I've used to use Tazorac back in college (I'm in my late 20s now and just got done with Accutane) and it actually helped improve my acne breakouts throughout my college years. I stopped using it after a few years as I found that it wasn't working as well with time (my hormones probably went all crazy) and started to try other topicals to help control it, including benzoyl peroxide creams and other prescriptions and over the counter combinations. It all helped for a few years until my hormones got more crazy and I eventually required accutane. I wouldn't worry too much about your son's hormones getting to much more crazy than they aleady are as he gets older and into his 20s, that seems to be more of a female problem which is unfortunate for us :-/