I'm 14 and probably had acne for about a year on and off but I'm seems I've had it for ages... I've tried various oral antibiotics like tetralysal and erymax, and creams such as duac (Which did clear me up a little) adapelene (which did nothing..) and epiduo (which is benzoyl peroxide) which I'm on now with the erymax.. I scar really badly for example the acne on my left has been there for about 6 months I'd say
I would definitely say no to trying accutane at this point. I know acne is frustrating and can have negative affects on your self esteem but having mild- moderate acne for a year shouldn't be a precursor for accurate. For starters and maybe most importantly for a young man like yourself - studies have found it affects bone density and can cause premature epiphyseal (growth plate) closure-- meaning you may not reach your full expected height, not to mention the many other long term negative side effects which include that it is more common for younger individuals to have relapse after they discontinue accutane. I would exhaust all other efforts in the next couple years and wait until you've finished growing. The good news about scarring is derm offices provide many options of dealing with scarring once you've cleared.
I would start with your diet, the skin is an informant of internal issues. Look into food sensitives like gluten & dairy and read up on candida, it's connection to acne and a diet to treat it, there are many great forums under the natural health section of this site. Accutane is a derivative of Vitamin A, so look into foods high in Vitamin A- see how much of these foods are in your current diet and start incorporating them. Maybe also try some of the Retinol A or topical versions of Accutane.
Here is a link I found that explains causes of acne on different areas on the face according to Chinese medicine!
http://www.skinacea.com/acne/acne-face-map.html#.UyX4oni9LCQ
I know dealing with acne is upsetting, but accutane should be a very last resort after everything else!
Let me know how things go!!!
