I have had acne since I was 13.. finally at 18.. after trying everything I tired Accutane. I had bad cystic acne and I saw results in weeks. Only bad thing is how dry you get. But the good outweighs the good.

I know this a risky prescription drug but all that talk about the dangers are old stories from over 10 years ago and now doctors are aware of all of that and so I trust the medical today compared to past (obviously). Works wonders, this should be last resort though

I have struggled with terrible acne ever since i was 10 years old. I had tried every combination of every antibiotic/topical under the sun with no success. I would spend hours and hours online researching acne and the mediations used to treat it. I would read countless accutane reviews on here every day. Like many others i had heard the accutane horror stories on here and they frightened me so much that i decided i would not take the medication. But my life was a mess, i was consumed by my acne. Whenever i looked in the mirror it was all i could see. It had destroyed my self esteem and i could barely look people in the eye. By this point my dermatologist really urged me to give accutane a try. She explained that if i wanted my skin to be clear that it was the only remaining option. In a spur of the moment decision i decided to go for it. Enough was enough, it was time to get my life back. I knew the possible side effects but i made the decision that i was willing to risk it. I was most concerned about the possible link between accutane and suicide. I suffer from depression and was so afraid that the drug would make it worse. Needless to say when i popped by first pill i was beyond nervous, i could barely get myself to do it. Little did i know i was starting on one of the most incredible journeys of my life. After several days i noticed my lips and skin starting to dry out. I did have an initial breakout but for me it wasn't a huge deal. My acne was somewhat worse than usual for about a week and then it returned to normal levels. Just several weeks into the course my skin was getting better and better every day. I was excited to look in the mirror every day and see how far i had come. By the end of my treatment my skin was perfect and its still that way to this day (years later). I went from having the worst case of acne most of my friends/family have ever seen to having beautiful skin. The side effects i experienced while on accutane were mild. I had the typical dry skin and lips. The dry lips were definitely a challenge at times but aquaphor is really great and helped a lot. I would have occasional back pain but it was very mild. Also it had absolutely no effect on my depression. I honestly felt great while i was on it... my depression was honestly probably better on accuatane than it was before and after i stopped taking it, i honestly felt amazing. No thoughts of suicide at all. Maybe it had something to do with the joy i felt watching my skin i had suffered with for so long start to heal. All the side effects stopped for me about a week or two after i stopped taking it. Except that I feel as though it may have effected my night vision slightly but it was worth it. I have never written a review on anything before but i felt that it was my responsibly to write this one. The fight with acne is so difficult that if i can help just one person out its worth it. Our bodies are all different and you may have a different experience than mine but i can only go off of my own personal experience. Please if you are suffering greatly from your acne and its taking over your life do your self a favor and give this drug a try. I know its a very hard decision to make but if you are willing to take the risk i think the vast majority of you will be so happy you did. I look back now and wish that i did it years sooner and saved myself from all the misery i experienced. Stay strong and i wish you all the best.

Should of done this sooner. I'm 40 and have suffered from 12 tried every medication and nothing ever worked. Just finished a 7 month coarse and my skin is clear. Was wary of going on it because of what I read but needn't of been, got the chapped lips and joint aches some days but nothing too bad . Was well worth it.

I am finishing up my fifth and last month of treatment and felt strongly about writing a review and tips because blogs like this really helped me prepare and offered good advice when I was starting. I had suffered from acne for over 10 years (I'm 23) and had constant zits and ones that physically hurt. I tried every cream, antibiotic, and wash and nothing worked. I never went anywhere without makeup and felt uncomfortable constantly. Accutane treatment is expensive between the pills, monthly lab work, and monthly doctor visits, but it is so worth the money. Honestly it is an investment in yourself and your happiness. Worth every penny. So I started with 40mg once per day then increased to 60mg once per day and now I alternate between 40mg one day and 80mg the next. After my second day of treatment I developed a rash on my fore arms and started to freak out but the blogs and my derm just said it was dry skin so I slathered on Aquaphor and lotion and it went away literally the next day. So don't freak out if this happens. I didn't really get dry throughout the process. My lips were really the only thing that was consistently affected. I just learned to always have Vaseline or Aquaphor with me. I didn't try any other lip products because those two worked very well. You get used to constantly having to carry lip products. I also started moisturizing in the AM and PM. I used Olay with SPF in the AM and at night alternated between Cetaphil lotion and Olay night crème. My scalp got a little drier than normal (I started to only wash it 2-3 times per week) so I switched hair products and use Ren Pure Cleansing Conditioner to wash my hair and Aquaphor Baby Wash for my body. Occasionally if my hair feels really dry I use V05 oil treatment or just olive oil on my scalp and wash it out. Your hair won't get oily so it isn't necessary to wash it a lot. So some weird symptoms that I had, sorry if it is TMI but it would have been nice if I saw other people got these as well. There was like a two week period in my 3rd month that the bottoms of my feet were so dry I could peel a whole layer off. I wore socks to bed with Aquaphor slathered all over my feet. In my 4th and now 5th month, the inside of my nose is really dry (no bloody nose). In my 1st month it hurt to have a bowel movement because that area was so dry. Told you TMI, anyway I just put Aquaphor down there and it got better. So some tips: drink lots of water. Like a lot. Be kind to your skin, if you use proper care you can prevent it from getting dry. I used a Clarisonic before treatment twice a day and now I use it every couple weeks when I think my skin needs a deep clean. Your skin and routine is going to change so be willing to purchase new products to see what works. Overall, I'm extremely happy with my results. My skin is not perfect though. I don't have any zits but my skin tone is red and splotchy which my derm said can even out after treatment. Accutane really has changed my life, it's been amazing and the 5 months have not been bad at all. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Good luck and enjoy your new skin! ☺

This time last year I was completely miserable because of my incredibly oily skin and severe cystic acne. The impact it had on my life was major. Letting anyone see me without make-up was out if the question. The acne was on my mind the whole time. During my teens I had a little acne but it was mild. When I was around 20 I got diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and went onto an anti-androgen contraceptive pill, Dianette, which I then took for 14 years. When I was on that pill I had a few spots, but nothing more than that. I finally came off Dianette at the age of 34 and developed terrible acne. My skin was pumping out an unbelievable amount of oil and I had lots of horrible cysts. I now know that this is typical of what happens when people stop anti-androgen therapy. My doctor thought it would settle down after about 3 months, but it just got worse and worse. I tried anti-biotics, laser treatment, topical treatments. You name it, I tried it. I went back onto the pill, this time Yasmin. The Yasmin but help the acne some but it was still bad. I am a fan of natural remedies so I tried acupuncture, I cut down on dairy products and took fish oils and zinc. Again, it helped but I still had pretty bad acne. I went to a new dermatologist and asked for roaccutane. She agreed and I started taking it. It was one of best things I've ever done! Being a bit of a hypochondriac I was really nervous, half expecting suicidal thoughts or hair loss. In fact, apart from dry lips and eyes (both manageable) I haven't noticed any ill effects. However my dermatologist (who is very reputable) told me she has treated hundreds of people with this therapy and only 2 of her patients have had serious side effects. I took my final pill last night after being on roaccutane for a little over 5 months and my skin is almost totally clear. I am delighted and it's no exaggeration to say that this drug has transformed my life. I'm so grateful. So, if like I was, you're nervous about side effects and wondering whether to take roaccutane, I really urge you to do it. Good luck!

I contemplated taking Accutane for a while because of all the crazy possible side effects and stories, but from my experience its 100% worth the risk. My skin is literally flawless, and it feels AMAZING. I had tried so many different treatments before trying Accutane, so I didn't expect it to work, but luckily this was not the case. This medicine is truly magical, I have not had a pimple in months! Absolutely try it if you can!

So I was very hesitant on going on this drug - being 21 and having moderate acne (since I was around 16) really lowered my self confidence. Having tried each and every drug prescribed to me by my GP, I finally got referred to a dermatologist. I got prescribed by my dermatologist 30mg for the first month and then 60mg for the next 5 months which I am very happy about. I am only on my second month and I can honestly say I have already seen such a HUGE difference to my skin. Yes my skin (particularly nose) and lips are VERY dry but other than that I have had absolutely no issues. I never thought I would see results so soon, everybody was going on about the period your skin will get worse before it gets better but fortunately I haven't had that. I haven't broken out in the last three weeks at all (been on it now for about 6 weeks). I will get back to you guys in the next couple of months but so far very very happy. Not having a spot FEELS SO GREAT!!!!

Back in the day , when I was young, well around my 30's I took the miracle pill. It worked really well ,I had never seen my face , free of pimples. My face got so red , like a sunburn , it was the first time I really needed a moisturizer ,I slathered aveeno moisturizing lotion ,I mean the one for the body , but it felt good ,I had no pimples . I only took Accutane like for 4 months because I have high cholesterol and my liver couldn't take it anymore , it also made me really , really depressed .I was kind of going insane.I mean I didn't really wanted to stop it but sadly I had to.I had to choose between my clear face or my liver and sanity. The effects of Accutane helped me for about 4 years,I mean I didn't have to use any major acne treatment ,just simple proactiv , that is why I thought that proactiv was a miracle too,LOL. I mean after Accutane I could have peanuts and chocolate , it was wonderful. I think that Accutane is to be used on only extreme cases or as a last alternative, even at 52 I'm still dealing with hormonal acne ,I have hypothyroidism and believe me ,on my last visit to the dermatologist , he suggested Accutane ,I said no way! My cholesterol levels are high, and he asked, how high ? Really? High enough , so my advice , if you really think that you need Accutane only as a last result, then go ahead , but it's not a miracle drug , it will help you get your acne under control , and after that you are gonna have to use a topical treatment to manage your acne , which is all about managing, and controlling it. And my advice is to run some tests before using it and during treatment and watch for signs of trouble ,don't damage your body, if it doesn't feel right , then its not right. I think these days dermatologist are using really low doses on people who are older and are at risk of developing skin cancer , so that is probably why the dermatologist suggested Accutane, he doesn't know what to make of my acne anymore.I really feel sorry for him,and I'm kind of speculating about the reason why he wants me to try Accutane again ,ok . Best wishes.

I started getting acne in middle school and tried about every antibiotic and topical out there. They helped get my acne under control for a while; I wasn't completely clear but I could cover it with make up and my mom was really against accutane. My senior year of high school came around and everything just stopped working, my skin started to get really bad again and after talking with my doctor, my mom finally allowed me to try accutane. I am a division 1 athlete and one of my biggest concerns was the joint pain. I have been on it for almost six months an I have not had to stop participating in any of my training due to pain. The biggest side effect I have noticed is the thinning skin. I have at least one new bruise after practice and my skin gets really red really easily. I also had nose bleeds for a few weeks but those went away after probably the second month. And like everyone says, USE AQUAPHOR!!! I have three days left of my 6 month treatment and I am very pleased with my skin. I can't wait till the red marks have a chance to heal up once I'm done taking it to see the final result. I was afraid of the side effects, but in the end it was so worth it!