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
February 2, 2012
Cons:
- dries ALL mucosa
- skin is very fragile and vulnerable
- rashes and skin irritation
- reduced appetite
- scary potential side effects
- heavy on the liver (therefore all the monthly blood tests)
- can shake menstruation cycle
I'm currently just over half the treatment - 20mg/day (I'm 55Kg) for 6 months. Though I cannot testify the full effectiveness yet, I'd like to share my experience so far and how I've been dealin w/ side effects.
I'm now 33 y.o. - age to start having wrinkles rather than pimples! As many, I tried several treatments, inc. doxycycline. My dermatologist suggested that my skin may react to testosterone by over-producing oil and therefore not much I can do (except looking forward to menopause'). Isotretinoine is probably the only known treatment that can be permanently effective in such cases, as it tends to "dry" the sebum glands of the skin. However, it not always work and some people may need a few cycles. My skin is almost perfect (except for still dilated pores on forehead), but no breakouts and even the black-heads on the nose have disappeared. No shiny skin, oily scalp (which, in my case is positive and in fact reduced a bit the amount of hairloss ' but still cautious about this one, given the opposite possible side-effect). Dealing with side effects:
' lips tend to be very dry indeed. My miracle solution is keeping them moisture with calendula extract in petrolatum jelly (vaseline). Calendula has regenerative and calming properties. I also tried other plants extracts, like propolis + calendula + Pau d'Arco (in vaseline) and they work wonders. That's also how I got rid of the rash on the top side of my hands.
- Skin is extremely fragile, so I use a very soft washing liquid (without soap or sodium laureth sulfates!). The best is to do the treatment during winter. Girls, avoid waxing!
- I had to stop using contact lenses (risk of cornea damage!)
- I take glucosamine + chondroitin supplements, so no major issues with joints so far
- Avoid drinking alcohol, keep an healthy diet, plenty of water ' liver is already too busy handling this drug
- Some initial irritation (a bit like the PMS) but kept in mind that this
October 9, 2011
Pros:
started with 20 mg the first month, 30 mg the 2nd month, 40 mg the third, and finished with 60 for the last two months. this product helped me skin TREMENDOUSLY. please believe me when i say it works. i tried every product, medication, cream.. you name it i had it. nothing worked but this really did clear my skin up. please dont let bad reviews scare you. i had no depression what so ever, and did not have any suicidal thoughts. this does work and its amazing.
Cons:
-DRY lips, and my arms got dry patches all over them. I literally needed to apply chapstick every half hour.. this really died my lips (aquaphor works well)
-my skin on my face would peel sometimes.. and this would take a long time to heal. im not sure if anyone else has experienced this problem, but if i had a blemish and popped it, layers of skin would just start to peal. if i would try to peal it to remove it, it was painful and my it 10x worse. so DONT pop pimples/ pick at face
This medication saved my life. It boosted my confidence in school, and in my everyday life. I can now look people in the eye when i talk to them because i am no longer embarrsesed about what they are thinking... i dont have to worry about what new blemish ill have when i wake up in the morning... this is really a miracle drug. besides the severe dryness everywhere, there was really nothing to complain about. my hair actually became less oily so now i dont have to wash it everyday. it takes time for the medication to work.. ill admit i was doubtful at times because your skin will get worse before it gets better, but after the third/forth month it is all up hill. Just stay faithful with the medication, and you will have perfect skin.
August 25, 2011
Pros:
During Treatment...
-Pores become invisible
-Zero Oil
-100% clear skin
-Only had to wash my hair every couple of days
6 months after treatment...
-Still 99% clear
-some oil has come back but I'm still about 65% less oily than before
-all side effects (except the good ones :) ) have completely gone away
Cons:
-Hair fell out for about a month after treatment
-Excema on lips was a nightmare
-Excema on hands, arms, legs
-Burning, flaking, dry, red skin
-Initial breakout (only worse bc of accompanying side effects)
-Headaches at first
-must avoid the sun at all cost!
-developed IBS-like symptoms
I wanted to wait and review this drug until 6 months AFTER completing my course. Back when I was reading reviews and trying to decide whether or not to take accutane, I was frustrated that people were reviewing it after 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 months of taking it. My main concern was relapse rate and would it be worth all of the horrible side effects if my acne and oil were just going to to come back?? So here is my fair, honest, un-biased review after the initially bliss of clear skin has worn off..... I had severely oily skin (think 10 oil blotting sheets a day), persistant pimples, black heads, uneven skin tone, and usually 3-5 large cysts on my face at any given time. I took 20, 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg per day for 5 months and it absolutely changed my life. Yes, the side effects were horrible. Yes, I was miserable the entire time. Yes, it is a serious drug with serious potential risks. But was it worth it? 100% Had I known what I was going to get myself into as far as side effects, I probably never would have taken accutane. Had I know what the results would be like, I would have taken it 10 years ago. Everyone must decide if taking accutane is worth the risks involved, so I'm not going to say that everyone should take accutane right now! I consider myself lucky that my worst side effects were a little hair loss and IBS. Bottom line, Accutane saved my life and I am SO glad I took it!
June 24, 2011
Pros:
It works (for a while at least)
Cons:
dry skin, dry eyes
nausea
headaches
nasty side effects AFTER quitting
I started taking it after trying antibiotics but they didn't work, so the Dr. suggested Accutane. I was 20 years old and had had acne only for a few months, but it was severe. After taking it what looked like open wounds on my cheeks cleared with almost no scarring. While taking it I could tolerate the side effects (headaches, dry eyes, nausea and even vomit) but when i came off of it , it was horrible. I had severe depression, lost weight, hairloss and my bloodtests showed that it messed my system. AND my acne came back (about 3 years later) so, i think it's not worth to put your body through it, consider other alternatives before taking it
April 29, 2011
Pros:
cleared acne, face has never been so smooth and clear! took a good 4.5 months. my acne pretty bad and this product was a life saver!
Cons:
dry skin
dry eyes(bloodshot)
dry nose
fatigue
great depression
very achy and tired
this product was amazing. it really worked. I would not recommened this product if your acne isnt that severe. The side affects are very serious and there is no need to take this is not needed. Try everything else first, but if you have to take it be strong! have a good mental thought process all the way through. Hope this helped
April 17, 2011
Pros:
Cleared up my skin
Cons:
Harsh on my body
I had tried most everything and this was the last thing my doctor had for me to try. My initial blood test came back great, the one after the first month did also, but after the second month my liver enzymes had gone out the roof! Fortunately, though, they have gone down since I quit taking it. I know it works great for some people, but it is not for everyone.
January 6, 2011
Pros:
Clears up acne perfectly! I had better skin than most people who have never suffered from acne.
Cons:
Chapped lips (but it's not really a con as vasline easily solved the problem)
Amazing drug, which changed my life! Of course there are some scary side effects, however these only affect the minority and all drugs have lists of side effects. My friend used an over the counter cold remedy and she has an allergic reaction which made some of her hair fall out! I would also mention that everyone writing on this website is upset about their skin. The majority of people who find a cure for their skin do not search and write on acne websites. People in the UK with acne, get your doctor to recommend you to a dermatologist. It can take up to 10 months to get an appointment so do it sooner rather than later. They are are the acne experts. If your Dr. recommends accurtane go for it!
December 31, 2010
Pros:
Cleared my moderately severe acne
My old acne scars actually had a chance to heal
Face and hair no longer oily
My skin looked perfect and it improved my self esteem
No side effects while taking Accutane
Cons:
Expensive
A few weeks after Accutane, my face and hair continued to be oily
A few months after Accutane, I experienced severe hair loss and vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels, that appear as many red, painful, raised dots) on my legs
The treatment was temporary for me, my acne returned in about a little over a year, but I would consider it to be "light" instead of "moderately severe"
It works well. My hair grew back, and my vasculitis went away after a few months. Despite the side effects, I'm glad to have taken Accutane.
December 23, 2010
Pros:
Works wonders, If taken properly can and will ensure perfect skin and will make you a lot happier!.
Cons:
Depressive thoughts, stress, ocassional suicidial thoughts, takes a long time.
If you at least partially sane and can tell your brain to shutup for a couple of months this will clear up any acne you had and keep it away for good!. See my gallery by looking for my name to see the results. Or click the link for a side by side analysis
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December 19, 2010
Pros:
Clears skin!
Skin feels clean and not oily!
Truly makes you more confident about your skin!
Gets rid of redness!
Soft skin everywhere!
Cons:
Dry lips
Oilyness comes back
Some pimples after months of being off
Cant wax eyebrows
Nothing that I applied worked for me. Like cleansers and creams.I tried just about everything. My doctor recommended isotrentinoin. I had pimples and redness in my T zone and acne on my back and chest. It was pretty scary at first, knowing all the horrible side effects, but I really didn't have any. The only one I had was really dry lips. Which isn't bad at all. It cleared up my skin so well. I couldnt believe how happy I was to have no pimples or oilyness. I didn't feel depressed at all. I was amazingly happy! The one thing that was horrible though was when I got my eyebrows waxed and it ripped my skin off. It healed thankfully. Don't get anything waxed while on this! I've been off it for about 3 months now and I hate that the oilyness is back. Also, ive been getting little pimples above my upper lip just like I used to but not as badly. My acne on my chest and back are completely gone and I only get one pimple here and there but nothing serious at all. Hopefully my face doesnt go back to how it was. Which I am terrified of happening. I think it's up to you if you want to go on this. It was heaven to me but I know everyone is different and gets different side effects. So if you are feeling this will work go for it!
Pros:
- Fully cleared acne after 2.5 months
- Less oily scalp (for who this is a pro)
- brighter skin
- smaller pores
- No need for other complements or topics, only wash face once/day!