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
March 8, 2012
Although reading all of these reviews gives you an insight into the side effects, pros and cons of accutane, it is important to note that it works differently for everyone. I consider myself to have moderate acne; I am on my second treatment of accutane, and still waiting for my skin to clear up. I have read reviews from people who consider themselves to have severe acne, and the treatment has worked really well for them. It seems most people experience similar and common side effects, such as dry skin and nose bleeds, but the success of this drug is different for everybody.
December 21, 2011
Cons:
relapse after stopping it.i had taken two courses of accutane for 8 months and one year respectively.but the condition of my skin is back to before=(
had depression and anxiety aft taking this medication so be very careful and do check if your level of irritability increases aft taking it.
If I had a chance,I wouldn't have taken this medication.The days of suffering with anxiety and depression was too unbearable.And it wasn't due to the acne itself. I was not told by my doctor that the medication was closely linked to all these. All they did was prescribe the medicine,I was having problem sleeping,palpitations,slight violent behavior and irritability once I started the medication.Nobody in my family was aware that it might be one of the side effects of the drugs.So please do monitor the behaviour of your family members who are taking up this drug.They might be suffering in silent without anyone knowing it.You can google it up and check on your own about the relationship of accutane with depression in adolescent.
Although it does clear up your acne but this is just temporary.I have taken up two courses of accutane,once for 8 months and another for one year. All I can say is,I'm now back to square one again.Huge painful acne on my skin,a big blow to my self-esteem again.
This product had given me false hope twice.If I was given a choice i wouldn't wanna try it again.Its quite pointless if you know your going to end up where you have started.Moreover,nobody knows the long term side effects ot taking so much medication=(
My doctor wanted to prescribed me this medication again,but I'm never going to try another course again.
December 14, 2011
Pros:
was on it for 6 and a half months None really, my skin was not oily while I was on it.
Gave it a 1 rating as could not submit my review otherwise
Cons:
Made my skin worse then ever - had cystic acne break out all over my face when I only ever got spots on my chin an a couple on my temples when I was on my period soi used to getspots which would last for about 2 weeks then clear up then start again 2 weeks later each month nothing to what happened with tablets now I have red marks and deep scars on my cheeks when used to have perfect skin on my cheeks, nose bleeds dry lips and skin on body. a few smaller spots now after being off it for 3 months
I went on this after being recommended by a dermatologist as explained that I had tried lots of different antibiotics but I still broke out in spots, mainly each month when I got my period my skin would break out on my chin mainly and I would be so conscious of it, I went on the pill but they made my headaches even worse although now I just wish I'd put up with the headaches as my skin was perfect. going on roaccutane was the worst thing I ever did my skin broke out terribly all over my face I couldn't even sleep resting on my face it was so painful, never held my head up as felt so disgusting. I never had spots like I did when I took these antibiotics and now I have ice pick scars on my cheeks and don't know what to do to try and improve them. I went back to the dermatologist a month later and he was shocked at how bad my skin had broken out, he put me on another antibiotic aswell as the roaccutane to try and calm the infection down, then two weeks later on top of all these he put me on a steroid again to try and calm the spots down, so I was then taking 9 tablets a day. I did not go out anywhere other than work which was awful for 6 months and now I just feel worse about my face than before, I really wish I'd never gone on these because now I think back my skin was not really that bad compared to what happened to it. I know everyone reacts differently, but for me I did not suffer from acne as bad as some people and had the worst effect. Everyone I know always says 'but you never had bad skin before you went on those tablets' so maybe I was just seeing it worse then it was because it was my skin, but I would take that any day over the scarring i have on my once perfect cheeks.
Has anyone tried any treatment to reduce acne scars, the dermatologist has suggested dermabrasion but after his suggestion of roaccutane I don't know whether to not do anything to make my skin any worse. Has affected my self-esteem so much, even worse than before.
December 10, 2011
Pros:
Clears most acne within 3 weeks
Clears all acne within 10 months
Cons:
Depression
Lower back pain
Dry skin
Dry lips
First zit at age 12, slowly got worse from then on. At 16, visited the dermatologist for the fourth time after going on Minocycline (prescription antibiotic) and Ziana (prescription topical) and was prescribed Accutane at 40mg a day. Noticed no difference for the first week. The second week came my initial breakout which swiftly cleared after the weekend. I gained lots of self confidence
I am happy with the results Accutane has done. My face hasn't been this clear since I was 11! However, the side effects are taking their toll. I have lots of lower back pain, extremely dry skin, dry lips, and the depression is very bad. I take lots of painkillers everyday and drink 10 glasses of water everyday to deal with the back pain and use moisturizers for my skin and lips, but I haven't found anything I can do about my depression. I thought Accutane would make me more confident, as it has, but the depression negates that confidence. I sit at home on the weekends, I distance myself from my friends. I have deleted my Facebook account twice because I believe that I do not have any friends. My grades are suffering. While I have had thoughts of suicide before going on Accutane, they have increased dramatically. While breaking down boxes with a knife to recycle them, I paused, stared at the knife, and imagined myself thrusting it through my chest. So far, I still consider the cons of Accutane worth the pros, as I remember that my self confidence was not so good with my terrible acne. Remember, the absence of self confidence is different than depression. If you are looking to go on Accutane, you're going to have to decide which one you can endure more.
September 28, 2011
Pros:
Clears acne (somewhat permanently)
skin looked beutifull while on it :D not dry at all, all my ugly calluses disapeared and nails looked perfect! even my hair felt smoother and easer to manage, now that I finished treatment my skin texture looks bad again :(
Cons:
expensive!! i had to pay $3,000 :'(
only dry lips and dandruff they werent so bad
joint pain and back pain, nothing drinking lots of watter and chondroiting and glucosamine couldnt fix
It works at clearing acne, but after 2 months of finishing the treatment acne is returning (much less, but returning :S)
Im giving it a five star rating without taking into consideration the price XD sice there's lots of people out there with better insurance than me
and bear in mind.. acne might come back
March 18, 2011
Pros:
Controls oily skin very well
Skin looks fine and smooth
Minimize pores
Make up lasts and looks better
Cons:
Hair thinning
Dry skin and lips
Dry eyes
Gastric problems
Mess up my menstruation cycle (not sure if it's caused by accutane)
I had good skin for few months when on accutane and never felt better. However not sure if the risks involved is worth it. Having perfect skin used to be very important to me and I was willing to take that risk. But now that I am going to try to conceive in a few months, all of a sudden everything is about having a healthy baby. I read online about how many babies get deformed or have died if mothers took accutane during or before pregnancy which really scared me a great deal. I stopped accutane since and will wait for a few months before trying to conceive. The hair thinning part and gastric problems are definitely not worth it too. For short term, it seems to be a great product, but I would not recommend taking accutane for long term. And just so you know, since stopping accutane, my acne has came back especially on my chin - many cystic ones. So only consider accutane is you are prepared to take it for a few courses (which may cause more side effects).
January 29, 2011
Pros:
It worked to clear up my skin. My acne is now pretty mild and completely manageable.
Cons:
As of writing this, it's been approximately 9 months since finishing up my course. I still have have bad sexual side effects that onset right after my course was over.
It wasn't worth it for me. My acne was leaving scars and I would still gladly take it back to get rid of what this drug has done to me.
January 20, 2011
Pros:
Less Oily skin, Helps get rid of acne
Cons:
Eyes Sensitivity increased, Have to moisturize hands and face alot.
Its been a little over a month and im just starting to see improvements in my skin. Another more or two and my skin will be looking great.
November 29, 2010
Pros:
Worked while I was taking it
Cons:
Suicidal thoughts and instability
Other mental distress
Profuse nose (any anywhere) bleeds
Monthly blood tests
Side effects - just read the booklet
Acne came back 1 week after finishing it
I have mixed feelings because it did save me from terrible scarring at my most vulnerable time - but at what cost? I had acute cystic scarring acne starting at age 12. I started Accutane about 13 and had to sign a contract, that my parent also had to sign, saying that I would not get pregnant because of the terrible birth defects. They said normally a girl would be required to be on birth control, but I was so young - that was just the beginning of mental stress. I could only take it for 6 months at a time with a 6 month break in between, but they said that I should be able to take it once and be cured for life. I had terrible internal feelings that I didn't really understand, but the first round wasn't THAT bad. It dried out my sinuses, so I would have nose bleeds in the middle of the night. I started acting out too. My acne was perfectly clear while I was on it though. One week after I stopped, the acne came right back so I had to spent the next 6 months dealing with the acne again. I was really wary about trying it for a second time ("just one more time"), but I was young and my parent and doctor said I should so I did. Big mistake. Sure, the acne was clear, but I was as unstable as ever. I felt like "I love my life, my friends, and my pets, everything is great" but then have this uncontrollable urge to stab myself or down a bottle of pills. It was like I didn't WANT to kill myself, but there was something inside of me saying "do it, do it." The nose bleeds got so bad that once in the shower I just saw blood streaming down my body and when I turned to the side it splattered across the shower wall. Then there was the time that blood just started oozing out of my ear in Biology class. I had a friend who took it and told me he had liver damage from it. Again, a week after I stopped a second time the acne came back. I refused to take it a third time and instead used 3 separate prescriptions to avoid 1 tiny Accutane pill a day.
November 24, 2010
Pros:
It really works, I have cystic acne type, and during the treatment, its gone.
Cons:
Dry, dry, dry. It`s all about drying.
It only lasts for 2-3 months once you stop the treatment.
The following 6 months after the drug, you are not able to go into laser or the treatment again. You basically have to deal with acne for the following 6 months with absolutely nothing you can do.
It really works. Unfortunately for me, it only works during the treatment and for 2-3 months after the treatment. Soon thereafter, the acne starts like before the treatment. I have taken the isotretinoin 2 times and I am planning to take it again after considering the reviews for the Blue Light treatment (there`s a 50% chance your skin improves and 50% chance your skin get WORSE). I rather not take that chance as I would`n
Pros:
cleared up acne fast