Acne.org Products
Oral Retinoid
Efficacy
87%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Use with EXTREME CAUTION: Causes severe birth defects and fetal death.
Oral Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
The nuclear option. It works reliably and provides long-term remission of acne, and even severe acne, in about ⅔ of people who properly take an adequate dosage. However, it permanently and irreversibly changes the skin and the body forever and users may experience long-term side effects for the rest of their lives. It’ll nuke it, but there is no going back.
Oral Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
July 29, 2013
Very Scary Depressive Thoughts...in no time at all.
After 8 years of living with acne, I finally decided to try Accutane and was excited to get it done with. I was on 40mg/day, and my mood plummeted faster than anything I'd ever experienced in my life. I had terribly dark thoughts and couldn't get away from them. My hair started falling out after two days. I couldn't think straight at all and had crying spells. I didn't even last a week on this stuff. It may work for you, but I regret taking ANY of it and am waiting for this miserable feeling to lift. I am happy for the people who have success with isotretinoin. But brain fog and seriously depressive thoughts cannot be ignored. Update: Literally FIVE days of this stuff has permanently eaten up my skin - eyelids, earlobes, forehead etc. You'd be insane to play Russian Roulette with your life for moderate to severe acne. Learn from me...I guess I never thought I'd become an Accutane victim. Good. God. Just because this experience didn't happen to you doesn't mean it isn't helpful.
June 12, 2013
It works
Pros:
Clear skin for the first time in probably 10 years
Cons:
Dry, red skin on face, knees, elbows, lips, etc.
Harsh initial breakout
Weird moods and dreams and increased anxiety
I grew up with acne that essentially controlled my life. It made me self-conscious all the time, to the point where I would skip school because of it--often. I started my 5 month course in January of 2013 because, entering my last semester of college, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had active legions--fewer and fewer every week, mind you--up until about the 3 1/2 month mark. Worse, I had an awful initial breakout. I looked like I did when I was 17. But now over 5 months later, after a series of pillowcases ruined by bleeding lips and skin so red it looked like I was perpetually embarrassed, my skin is completely clear--minus some hyperpigmentation. It's something you have to commit to. The initial break out period can last a while and be discouraging, it's expensive, it will increase depressed feelings, it will dry your lips and skin out a lot. But it works. Taking it and sticking to it was hard, but now that it's over I haven't felt this happy since I can remember.
June 1, 2013
Isotretinoin
Pros:
cleared my acne
hair stays perfect for 3 days
Cons:
mood swings
dry skin,dry lips
I was on this drug for 6 months, 10mg per day. I only saw results at the 4th month! The first months were hard to get through.. At the 2nd month my skin was at it worst point ever.. Now i only have scaring.. I am already doing treatments to get rid of the scaring and hopefully at the end of the year my skin is going to be perfect! Forgot to tell you, my acne wasnt that bad..It was moderate but while on the drug, at the 2nd month it was moderately severe.. You have to be patient if you want to see results
May 4, 2013
Pros:
Clears your acne
Cons:
Can be expensive
Quite a lot of side effects
Can have side effects years after
I had very bad acne when I was 21, I'm now 37. Endless amount of tablets and creams, my doctor finally sent me to hospital and I was given Accutane (think it was called Roaccutane back then) for 3 months (I think). It totally got rid of my acne. But when I was taking it, I lost sleep, had nose bleeds, lost my appetite and felt drowsy. Even if your acne isn't bad, I don't see the point in using anything else other than Accutane. I should have been put on Accutane earlier, but due to that not being the case, it caused scarring. But it wasn't until I got into my late 20s, I noticed that my skin started to change. It would become red and it would show up my scarring. Doing some research, it appears that you can have side effects years later. It's also been found that drinking high amounts of milk can cause acne and make your acne worse. This was found in a recent study in England.
March 24, 2013
Pros:
-Cleared Extremely Severe Acne
-Got a better social life
-Confidence
-Happiness
Cons:
80mg for 6 months
-Dry Skin
-Bleeding Lips
-Got Made fun of at school
-Itchy Skin
-Suicidal Thoughts
Overall the worst 6 months of my life I will never forget.
It saved my life, thank you to the maker of this product:]
March 13, 2013
Pros:
This treatment worked great. I can't explain to people how my confidence has shot up since the tablets began to kick in! It has completely cleared my acne as well as black heads. I have finished the treatment and have been off it for weeks now and haven't seen a single spot or even blackhead appear! I can actually walk in the shopping center and not feel like everyone is staring at me and my spots. Miracle drug!
Cons:
I got very dry skin, had to moisturize everyday. Also, my lips went REALLY dry, even using lip therapy wouldn't stop the dryness. I had a few nose bleeds because my skin was so dry, and did make me depressed at times, but it was worth it.
In the end, it's a means to make an end. Yes I suffered from all the cons but now look where I am. You can see the difference it has made at this link below. Yes, it hasn't removed scars but it reduced a lot of them. [link removed]
January 27, 2013
Pros:
Cleared skin
Minimum side effects
Cons:
Chapped lips
Sensitivity to sunlight
Took a few months to fully work
miracle
May 21, 2012
Pros:
Cleared my skin completely
Built up my confidence
Cons:
Dry eyes
Dry lips
Very dry nose
Skin rash
Hair loss
Depression & mood swings
I started taking this medication in January I was on 30mgs a day to start with, my acne has been ongoing for a few years now, controlled my some medication for a while but my body soon got us to them, I ahve been on many different drugs over the past 6 years and I was due to get married April this year so I was refered to a derm which said my last resort would be Accutane, after giving this some serious though I decided to take the drug. The first month was fine no real side effects and no bad breakouts, I went back for my second month and the derm doubled my dose to 60mgs this made one huge difference! After a few days my lips cracked, my eyes dryed and the sores up my nose were so painful I couldn't even rinkle my face without it hurting, I came out in a bad rash all over my arms and I started to get really bad pains in my back and legs. I suffered it for the month and went back for more tablets the derm reduced my dose to 40mgs which helps but the problems still persisted. Into my 3rd month here comes the depression, along with sorting out my wedding my mood swings were uncontrolable screaming one min and crying the next I have never felt so bad and after waking up one morning and not even being able to face going to work I rang my doctors and got an oppointment to be taken of the medication the same day! The effects soon got better the rash dissappeared and the cracked lips and dry eyes got better over the next couple of weeks. Also my moods improved greatly I was back to my old self within a couple of weeks. At this point my skin looked amazing just a few scars which I could cover with make up, I felt great and my wedding pictures look fantastic which was what all this was for! If it wasn't for the fact I was getting married and having to look back on my photo's for the rest of my life I would not have taken this medication the effects are to dangerous and i hate to think what it has done to the parts of my body I can't see.
March 29, 2012
Pros:
-Cleared my skin forever; no pimples at all left
Cons:
-Temporarily, I had dry skin and lips. These side effect lasted while I took the medication.
- Worked for me like nothing else. Miracle.
March 28, 2012
Pros:
Temporarily rid me of my acne, though only partially.
Cons:
-dry, flaky skin
-chapped lips
-could not wax during treatment
-body felt weaker
The Bottom Line is simple, I endured Ro-accutane for six months only to have my acne return to more or less exactly it's previous form. -Three years post-treatment I still get breakouts and my face is still scarred.
Cons:
crying spells, suicidal thoughts
brain fog
permanently thinned out skin, destroyed eyelids