Isotretinoin (Accutane®)
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Isotretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a retinoid that is taken orally and is approved only for severe acne. It is thought...

Isotretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a retinoid that is taken orally and is approved only for severe acne. It is thought to clear acne primarily through its ability to permanently reduce skin oil (sebum) production.

Isotretinoin is available in capsule form and is usually taken twice a day. Your physician will prescribe an initial dose, and this dose may increase or decrease depending on the response to treatment and side effects.

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April 9, 2008

Pros:

By the end of 4 months, i had PERFECTLY CLEAR skin

Bonus-My hair never got greasy while i was on the medication

Cons:

Dry nose and very frequent nose bleeds, rashes on hands and legs, Depression (which i think was mostly because of my acne and not accutane), SEVERE SEVERE initial outbreak

I had moderate acne prior to going on accuatane. After a month's use i had SEVERE acne, deression, nose bleeds every single day and rashes periodically. I believe it was the initial outbreak, which was SEVERE, that caused my depression... it seemed as the day went on i kept getting more and more pimples. HOWEVER, my skin cleared up just as fast! From when i left school on friday and came back on monday my face had cleared up tremendously! each day after that my skin became clearer and clearer. by the end of 4 months i had perfectly clear and unscarred skin. The cons are AWFUL-but for all you acne sufferers-the PROS strongly outweigh the cons! i have been off accutane for 9 months now and i never ever get pimples. I HIGHLY recommend acctuane! sometimes i forget that i ever had severe acne since its so clear everyday :) PLEASE TRY ACCUTANE!
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April 8, 2008

Pros:

Totally clean skin, less oily.

Cons:

Dry lips, slightly dry eyes, dry skin of course.

I do believe it's great, a few friends have taken, with the same effect. I don't know why everyone keeps writing about sore muscles?, didn't get any, could be because i work out all the time?, I don't know, but didn't experience any sore muscles at all.
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April 5, 2008

Pros:

It is very good at cleaning up acne, and relatively quickly at that! Once you go on it your supposed to be mostly acne free for the rest of your life

Cons:

Can result in damage of kidneys, dealing with the blood test every month, opening the stupid packaging!

I am 17 years old and i was on accutane for six months. It cleared up all my acne. I have been off it for 6 months and now all of a sudden its all coming back. The most likely cause is that I lift alot of weights and that naturally causes more hormones to arise which increases the acne no matter how many times you take a shower or wash your face a day
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April 4, 2008

Pros:

Clears up your face quick
It's just a pill, not a science of face washing with all sorts of creams and such.

Cons:

Horribly chapped/dry lips.
Dried out, peeling skin on face
Very sensitive eyes. Red face. Overall skin dryness. Bones are more sensitive. Caused anger in the first two weeks of medicine.

I started with 40mg a day the first month, then went to 60mg the 2nd month; Now I am halfway through my 3rd month with 90mg a day total. Im using the Sotret accutane(offbrand) and it works just as good. I used doxycycline, tetracycline, topical creams, every type of face wash, nothing worked. Accutane cleared my forehead up instantly but I have deep acne on the sides of my face. The accutane took out the lumps after about a month and a half, but I'm at the three month period and you can still see acne on my face. It's just smoother and not as obtrusive. The main problem I have with this medicine is the sensitive eyes because no matter what eye drops I used they all didn't work and I always ended up squinting a lot or resting my eyes. My face was very red and I had white circles around my eyes. That wasn't too cool, but it will all clear up and be worth it.
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April 3, 2008

Pros:

(Suppose to) clear my acne forever!

Cons:

Drowsiness and makes me feel a little "buzzed"

I've been on the generic form of claravis 40 mgs a day for about 5 days. My skin just started to slightly get dried out (peeling). Most of the deep cysts on my face have seem to flatten and dry patches have appeared over them. I am very optimistic that this drug is going to work and I will update you as I progress! I've had a couple of my friends that went on this and their faces are as clear and smooth as a baby's bottom!
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April 3, 2008

Pros:

clears skin forever

Cons:

dry lips, dry skin, temporary hair thinning,red face and ears,

this wus the best choice in my life it cleared my skin so well the side affects sucked but they go away soon after your done taking the pill you want to take it for 6 months because that gives you the highest chance of your acne not coming back the red face sucks but its only for 6 months and then you get the rest of your life with clear clear skin so definitely try it i did and i cant be happery. ps try ddf oil free morning dew to help with the redness it about 35 bucks
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April 3, 2008

Pros:

i've been on this for a month and it's cleared up my forhead very well and my back has cleared up dramatically already but not my trouble spots around my mouth

Cons:

It has gotten a little worse so far. Dry Skin...dry, cracked lips but not too bad

i have a great feeling about this medicine after being on everything else, and i mean EVERTHING...proactiv, oxy, duac, benzaclin, ziana, soloyn, phisoderm,u name it i was on it....i just went on this about a month ago and everythings clearing up pretty well except around my mouth which is where its pretty bad....forheads great and my back looks awesome already. I'm goin to th derm tommorrow and hopefully hell bump me up from 40mg's to 80mg's
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April 2, 2008

Pros:

DEFINATELY clears skin up. Got a nice lip-moisterizing prescription from my doctor that i still use :-]

Cons:

started taking it over 3 years ago, havent taken it for about a year due to the fact that i got TERRIBLE mood swings, i had crying spells, my skin dried out real bad for the first couple months, and i got nauseated sometimes after taking it

I had real bad side effects, majority of the ones that they warn you about. -but- It's worked perfectly for a girl i know. it's different for everyone i guess
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April 1, 2008
Well let me say that I'm a guy and started really suffering with acne when I hit 26. I mean really bad. It was mainly on my cheeks and jawline. Huge red pulsating and painful pimples. It got 2 a point where I couldn't even look in the mirror or go outside in public without feeling like a mutant.even cocncealer coiulnt hide em. And as a guy it isn't easy admiting I put concealer on but I did anyways cuz it was that bad. The worst feeling I hated was when talkin 2 people and instead of lookin at me they'd glance at my zits. And some would ask "what happened 2 ur face?" u can't help but tear up cuz that hurts and then u become a hermit and hide from society. So then I began spending 100s upon 100s of dollars (at least a 1000) on everything i thought may work. I bought everything. Murad, proactive, clean and clear, then I got desperate and experimented with tea tee oil, jojaba oil, honey, even toothpaste. All this experimenting most likely made my face worse but my face was already bad s
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April 1, 2008

Pros:

Easily takes care of light and moderate acne.

Cons:

Dry lips

I've had acne since I was 13, tried a lot of stuff (the regimen, zinc supplements, doctor's advise stuff) but nothing seemed to quite cut it. The regimen was just a pain to keep up (but it did clear my face after about 3 months) so I just stopped it, and the acne came back although it was less than before. My only advice is use it when you have a full grown body, this stuff is pretty severe and can seriously damage joints. Side effect were just dry lips and occasional dryness around my nose. Best thing, here in the Netherlands it's fully covered. A free cure to my everlasting acne!
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website