Absolutely 100% do it! Im currently on my last month of Accutane, and it is the best decision I've ever made. My skin is flawless, I haven't had a pimple in months, its such a great feeling! My acne wasn't as bad as some peoples, but it was noticeable, so I'm sure yours will clear up too. The amount your derm prescribed you is fine also. Im 115' and was taking 80 mg a day at one point (that was a bit too much, wayyy too dry) but anywhere from 40/60 should be perfect.

I hope everything works out! You won't regret it

I had perfect skin up until I was 17, when I started getting mild acne. It was no big deal, but it slowly got worse over the course of a year. When I was 18, it completely blew up and became an absolute mess. I'd say a good 2-3 years of my life were ruined due to acne.

So my point being... If your acne is continually getting worse, and you have tried everything, you should get on Accutane now. Sure there is a chance that it won't get any worse, but I personally wouldn't want to take that risk. Plus, you've been OFFERED this medication which is extremely hard to obtain especially with cases of mild acne.

One question, have you ever been on birth control?

There is a good chance it might help. There is also an equal chance of accutane not helping long term and giving you side effects for life. Before you start it read the negative side effects on this website and see what kind of problems people end up and deal with years on after taking accutane. I took it, and it helped while I was on it. Once my treatment finished acne returned as before, plus I lost 50% of my hair which took me 2 years to grow back. Have you tried spire or birth control pills, have you tried regimen? If its mild, maybe some other solution can be found. Good luck!

Absolutely 100% do it! Im currently on my last month of Accutane, and it is the best decision I've ever made. My skin is flawless, I haven't had a pimple in months, its such a great feeling! My acne wasn't as bad as some peoples, but it was noticeable, so I'm sure yours will clear up too. The amount your derm prescribed you is fine also. Im 115' and was taking 80 mg a day at one point (that was a bit too much, wayyy too dry) but anywhere from 40/60 should be perfect.

I hope everything works out! You won't regret it

thank you so much for the encouragement!! I really was so excited with my dermatologist's positivity about me trying it, but as soon as some of my family found out they REALLY discouraged me from it, which only caused me to worry about it! I'm so glad to hear that it has worked for you

I had perfect skin up until I was 17, when I started getting mild acne. It was no big deal, but it slowly got worse over the course of a year. When I was 18, it completely blew up and became an absolute mess. I'd say a good 2-3 years of my life were ruined due to acne.

So my point being... If your acne is continually getting worse, and you have tried everything, you should get on Accutane now. Sure there is a chance that it won't get any worse, but I personally wouldn't want to take that risk. Plus, you've been OFFERED this medication which is extremely hard to obtain especially with cases of mild acne.

One question, have you ever been on birth control?

thanks for the reply. You're right about taking advantage of the offer. It seems A LOT of people with mild acne are desperate for it and have a lot of trouble getting it. And surprisingly this was my first time every seeing the dermatologist who prescribed it. (I had seen another in the past).

and no, i have never been on birth control. I feel like my acne isn't really hormonal though because it seems like there are constant clogged pores/blackheads all across my face.

There is a good chance it might help. There is also an equal chance of accutane not helping long term and giving you side effects for life. Before you start it read the negative side effects on this website and see what kind of problems people end up and deal with years on after taking accutane. I took it, and it helped while I was on it. Once my treatment finished acne returned as before, plus I lost 50% of my hair which took me 2 years to grow back. Have you tried spire or birth control pills, have you tried regimen? If its mild, maybe some other solution can be found. Good luck!

thanks for the input! I've definitely been reading a ton of forums on accutane, not just the good but also the bad. The side effects do concern me, and honestly if my hair starting falling out I think i would have to discontinue the treatment (or if i started experiencing any really bad side effects). I really hate to hear that about your hair, but i'm glad that it is growing back.

I haven't tried the acne.org regimen, but for a VERY long time i did a strict skin care regimen of washing my face with a BP cleanser, using Benzaclin, and then moisutrizer which seems to be very similar.

My advice would be to really consider if your acne is bad enough that you really want to start accutane. Before I started, I would say I had mild-severe acne; I would get the deep pimples that are impossible to pop and a lot of blackheads, but definitely not the worst case I've ever seen. The first couple of weeks on accutane my skin broke out so bad that I was embarrassed to leave the house. It can be really hard on your self esteem for the first month or two, so just make sure you're good with that aspect of it. If you are, then I would say go for it! I've been on accutane for almost 7 months now and I don't have any blackheads anymore, and I haven't gotten a pimple in months.

If you haven't tried birth control then I would also consider giving that a shot. Many of my friends who had mild acne found that birth control really worked for them.

I don't know about the amount you were prescribed since I'm not a doctor, but my derm asked me how much I weighed and then did some sort of calculation to figure out the dosage. I'm 5'8", 160lbs, and taking 40mg/day.

Good luck!

My advice would be to really consider if your acne is bad enough that you really want to start accutane. Before I started, I would say I had mild-severe acne; I would get the deep pimples that are impossible to pop and a lot of blackheads, but definitely not the worst case I've ever seen. The first couple of weeks on accutane my skin broke out so bad that I was embarrassed to leave the house. It can be really hard on your self esteem for the first month or two, so just make sure you're good with that aspect of it. If you are, then I would say go for it! I've been on accutane for almost 7 months now and I don't have any blackheads anymore, and I haven't gotten a pimple in months.

If you haven't tried birth control then I would also consider giving that a shot. Many of my friends who had mild acne found that birth control really worked for them.

I don't know about the amount you were prescribed since I'm not a doctor, but my derm asked me how much I weighed and then did some sort of calculation to figure out the dosage. I'm 5'8", 160lbs, and taking 40mg/day.

Good luck!

i'm glad to hear that it has eliminated your blackheads as that's a major concern for me! I've definitely considered the initial breakout, and i think that i'll be able to handle it and 1-2 months of bad skin is worth it looking great in the end! thanks for the advice

My .02

I have mild but persistent acne

for 4 yrs I saw several derms, tripe every OTC product and almost every rx topical..I also took antibiotics for 9 mnths

I was denied spiro because my acne wasnt 'bad enough'

This last derm in 2 secs rec low dose accutane

she said she would rather a 5-6 mnth course of accutane rather staying on antibiotics any longer or going on spiro indefinitely

Im on day #22 today ( i think)

and knock on wood things have been going so far so good

I dont have any massive dryness or peeling yet...and no bad IB (yet..scared to say that out loud)

any question lmk

Im 128 pounds and Dr wanted me to start on 40mg but I was scared so first 2 weeks I started on 20mg a day and just recently started taking 20 am and 20pm and all is fine.

kim

 

Absolutely 100% do it! Im currently on my last month of Accutane, and it is the best decision I've ever made. My skin is flawless, I haven't had a pimple in months, its such a great feeling! My acne wasn't as bad as some peoples, but it was noticeable, so I'm sure yours will clear up too. The amount your derm prescribed you is fine also. Im 115' and was taking 80 mg a day at one point (that was a bit too much, wayyy too dry) but anywhere from 40/60 should be perfect.

I hope everything works out! You won't regret it

thank you so much for the encouragement!! I really was so excited with my dermatologist's positivity about me trying it, but as soon as some of my family found out they REALLY discouraged me from it, which only caused me to worry about it! I'm so glad to hear that it has worked for you

 

>I had perfect skin up until I was 17, when I started getting mild acne. It was no big deal, but it slowly got worse over the course of a year. When I was 18, it completely blew up and became an absolute mess. I'd say a good 2-3 years of my life were ruined due to acne.

So my point being... If your acne is continually getting worse, and you have tried everything, you should get on Accutane now. Sure there is a chance that it won't get any worse, but I personally wouldn't want to take that risk. Plus, you've been OFFERED this medication which is extremely hard to obtain especially with cases of mild acne.

One question, have you ever been on birth control?

thanks for the reply. You're right about taking advantage of the offer. It seems A LOT of people with mild acne are desperate for it and have a lot of trouble getting it. And surprisingly this was my first time every seeing the dermatologist who prescribed it. (I had seen another in the past).

and no, i have never been on birth control. I feel like my acne isn't really hormonal though because it seems like there are constant clogged pores/blackheads all across my face.

 

There is a good chance it might help. There is also an equal chance of accutane not helping long term and giving you side effects for life. Before you start it read the negative side effects on this website and see what kind of problems people end up and deal with years on after taking accutane. I took it, and it helped while I was on it. Once my treatment finished acne returned as before, plus I lost 50% of my hair which took me 2 years to grow back. Have you tried spire or birth control pills, have you tried regimen? If its mild, maybe some other solution can be found. Good luck!

thanks for the input! I've definitely been reading a ton of forums on accutane, not just the good but also the bad. The side effects do concern me, and honestly if my hair starting falling out I think i would have to discontinue the treatment (or if i started experiencing any really bad side effects). I really hate to hear that about your hair, but i'm glad that it is growing back.

I haven't tried the acne.org regimen, but for a VERY long time i did a strict skin care regimen of washing my face with a BP cleanser, using Benzaclin, and then moisutrizer which seems to be very similar.

I did use PB before I tried regimen and it did not do much but, for the last 2 years dan' regimen seemed to prove the only thing that works for me. Side effects sometimes do not stop, even if you stop taking accutane¦.it depends on each person. Having said that in my own family 3 people have been on accutane in the 80s and they had fantastic results. My hair started to fall out 1 month after I finished taking accutane, there are some people who had hair falling out months after finishing. So, just because you plan to stop taking it when you hair falls out would not mean it immediately reverse the effect. I say, if your acne is not severe look for some other solutions.

My .02

I have mild but persistent acne

for 4 yrs I saw several derms, tripe every OTC product and almost every rx topical..I also took antibiotics for 9 mnths

I was denied spiro because my acne wasnt 'bad enough'

This last derm in 2 secs rec low dose accutane

she said she would rather a 5-6 mnth course of accutane rather staying on antibiotics any longer or going on spiro indefinitely

Im on day #22 today ( i think)

and knock on wood things have been going so far so good

I dont have any massive dryness or peeling yet...and no bad IB (yet..scared to say that out loud)

any question lmk

Im 128 pounds and Dr wanted me to start on 40mg but I was scared so first 2 weeks I started on 20mg a day and just recently started taking 20 am and 20pm and all is fine.

kim

I'm so glad to hear that yours is going good! That makes me feel much more confident knowing that others with mild acne are doing this treatment as well. I'm hoping that I will luck out and skip the initial breakout too!! hope it all continues to be smooth sailing

 

My .02

I have mild but persistent acne

for 4 yrs I saw several derms, tripe every OTC product and almost every rx topical..I also took antibiotics for 9 mnths

I was denied spiro because my acne wasnt 'bad enough'

This last derm in 2 secs rec low dose accutane

she said she would rather a 5-6 mnth course of accutane rather staying on antibiotics any longer or going on spiro indefinitely

Im on day #22 today ( i think)

and knock on wood things have been going so far so good

I dont have any massive dryness or peeling yet...and no bad IB (yet..scared to say that out loud)

any question lmk

Im 128 pounds and Dr wanted me to start on 40mg but I was scared so first 2 weeks I started on 20mg a day and just recently started taking 20 am and 20pm and all is fine.

kim

I'm so glad to hear that yours is going good! That makes me feel much more confident knowing that others with mild acne are doing this treatment as well. I'm hoping that I will luck out and skip the initial breakout too!! hope it all continues to be smooth sailing

Thanks!

Just wanted to add when I left the Dr office my head was spinning

I knew what accutane was but didnt think it would ever be offered to me since i couldnt even get spiro

when I came home and did my initial research I was almost 100% sure I was going to do it

than I started hearing from more and more people on accutane as a result of mild but persistent acne that like me, have tried rx topicals, bp, sal acid, bha etc etc etc, and were having positive results

I have no clue if IB is at all tied to how troublesome your skin was BEFORE accutane

I was using retin-a nightly for 10 yrs and bp every am for years also

I dont know if that had anything to do with the mild IB Ive had

it clearly wasnt enough to keep my breakouts at bay

but maybe i didnt have has much under the skin/brewing issues

GOOD LUCK

kim

Accutane is a good choice for not just severe acne but also stubborn acne. Have you tried retinoids in conjunction with thr antibiotics? Sure, antibiotics have side effects but if you take probiotics it's not as bad. I mean even eating one probiotic yogurt a day will help. I'm just saying because the side effects of Accutane can be terrible - dry cracked lips, even mental issues. I have folliculitis for years and they tried to out me on Accutane and after only one pill I was hearing voices and I had vertigo, it was terrible and I had to stop. They gave me the same dosage. I'm only 118 lbs, 5'2.5" with an athletic build. But just one pill messed me up and I took topicals for years till my folliculitis went away. But you may be lucky and not have much side effects but the dry skin is going to happen. The meds basically turn off your oil glands. Even after one pill it was pretty evident. But two of my friend who had severe acne were cured from it and had been clear eversince. It's basically your decision and if you family can't support you that's too bad. That only means they will not be sympathetic if you suffer the side effects. One of my friends did not get support from her husband even though he suffered from severe acne and took Accutane in the last. My friend just put her foot doen and said this is what she was going to do and did. And now she's the happier for it.

hi there LOML, well I will chip in my experience too.

My course:

20mg daily (4.5months)/ age 27 / sex male / skin type olive / weight 155lbs

I had light/mild persistent acne. I would go through the cycle of clear, to breaking out, to clear, to picking, to healing, to breaking out, to clear. i tried Differin and some other topicals but it honestly got worse. Basically there wasn't really a time were i felt good in my own skin. I would use concealer and avoid going out. It really took over my life.

Looking back I can see it was most likely the products I was trying in desperation that made it a lot worse and now in hindsight I wish I could have just tried a more gentle skin care approach and no picking at things at all. I truly think this combo would have been the best thing in the long term... Which brings me to my experience of accutane.

So, Accutane purged all the spots in the first 1 or 2 weeks for me. However, it did over the entire duration break out here and there. I also think a product I was using to moisturise with and the spf for sun protection unfortunately clogged my pores and caused more issues along the way and towards the end...

after 4.5 months of occasionally purging and clearing (thinking yes clear at last..) I started to get really bad headaches.. so I listened to my body and stopped treatment early. I should have finished the course this january from June.

when i came off the accutane, I had clusters of small clogged pores, they became inflamed, became painful and erupted. they have consequently caused scars and hyperpigmentation.

Note, before accutane, unless I squeezed really hard, my skin didn't scar. Also red marks would fade within 3 weeks, now it seems like these marks take forever to diminish ever ever so slightly.

So if i were in your shoes or my own shoes +6 months ago, I would try what I said at the start of my post. This and drink green smoothies every day. give it 3 more months (its nothing really) and if NO improvement, do it. but. Remember this;

Accutane slows down/inhibits the formation of new blood cells from forming, meaning healing is delayed much more than usual, you may be left with scars from the closed comedones that will inflame (they may not all inflame) but most of mine did especially when you come off Accutane (perhaps fulfilling the correct dose will not cause this..).

skin is thinned, hair becomes brittle, you can get odd nightmares and really dry mouth.

the worst thing i would say is the skin strength and thickness, it becomes so weak and i worry it wont return to 'normal' I think these changes are permanent. Honestly I'd avoid it if i could rewind the clock for myself.

I did a lot of research on the drug before I did it in terms of reading users experiences and i guess i felt helpless with the persistency and only listened to the good reviews (i.e based my decision to swallow the first pill on positive experiences).

Ultimately its not the best solution and the natural way in the long run is king. The skin is an organ don't forget. Don't sacrifice this entire organ just for the face. Thats how i see it now.

I hope you give a gentle cleanser a go and eat dark greens, esp give green smoothies a go first. After that if not any better, sure i would recommend it even with the negative effects because i know how bad self esteem and mental state of mind take a toll .

You just have to make a decision on your own merit and not regret it. Regret is the worst thing, and its something i am dealing with along with the marks and scars..

Decide if its for you, and do it if its what you want to do, not anyone else

There is no evidence that supports the "Accutane delays healing" theory - if there is please send it me as I would be very interested.

Everyone's experience is unique to them - please DON'T push your experience on other people, especially when they are considering taking this course of action.

LightOfMyLife - I wish I had started taking Accutane years ago. I was terrified when I started and I think I manifested symptons/side effects. I talked to my family and realised that it is generally people with a bad experience who are the most vocal. You know, squeaky wheels and whatever. Anyway, ask your friends etc if they know anyone that has been on it. When I did that I realised that heaps of people in my circle have been on it with AMAZING results.