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
April 27, 2007
Cons:
As usual.
Honestly, it just didn't work.
October 13, 2006
Pros:
Completely clears acne. I had many one zit in the past year.
Cons:
Causes acne to get really bad at first. Side effects could be nasty... in my case they weren't much more then a nuisance. A little dryness and some rashes. Near the end I got a few nosebleeds. Went through alot of lip balm.
If you can stand feeling really ugly for a month or two, and you don't mind dealing with dryness... then do it. It's the closest thing to a cure. I'm very happy with it.
October 18, 2006
Pros:
Acne relief, higher self-esteem.
Cons:
Dry flakey skin, seriously chapped lips (during the first cycle, I would tear my lips by smiling... during the second cycle, no such problems even at a higher dose).
It's been nearly ten years since I finished my second and final cylce of Accutane. The first cycle is undoubtably the worst, I was taking 40mg/day, 20 in the morning and 20 at night. My lips were seriously chapped and would bleed nearly every time I smiled. Also, the skin on my face was very dry and often flakey. Near the end of the first cycle, my acne went away. I was completely free of acne for about 6 months. Then it returned, this time all over the lower half of my face (previously it was only on my forehead). So back to the dermatologist I went. He put me on 60mg/day 40 in the morn and 20 at night (or it could have been the other way around, all I know is it was a gold pill and a purple one). The seocnd cycle went MUCH better than the first, even thought I was taking a higher doseage, I didn't have any issues with my lips being seriously chapped and my face wasn't nearly as dry as before. My acne cleared up and ten years later.. NO BREAKOUTS! Just an occasional pimple.
April 16, 2013
Cons:
long term issues, older looking skin
The 7 pills that ruined my life. Truthfully, before I thought about taking this drug, I would read the reviews thinking that the people that said negative things about it where exaggerating. I started taking Claravis over a year ago and took it for only 7 days and I regret it every day. It did nothing for my acne at all but has made me feel like a 50 year old. I am in my mid 30's in within a month after taking the drug I have 2 ruptured discs in my back as well as arthritis now. Also, maybe because am older, but the skin around my eyes is parched and is full of wrinkles and the skin on my neck is always dry now. Of course, it would be uneducated of me to say that I am certain that the drug did this to me, but before taking it I was very athletic and an avid figure skater training to go into the sheriffs academy and now I am lucky if I can skate two times a week and sit ups are out of the question with my bad back. I have back pain daily now and I feel like I look more aged, all from taking those 7 pills. The truly crappy thing is that my skin is now flawless after finding the right topical and over the counter med after ten years of searching. I wish I would have just experimented more with other things before taking those pills and perhaps I would be my old self. Now I use Aczone and Alpha Hydrox 14% Intensive serum and I have never been happier with my skin. Maybe it's because I am older that this happened or it could be that it was bound to happen anyway and had nothing to do with isotretinoin. Who knows? My suggestion is to exhaust every avenue before you try this.
April 13, 2013
Pros:
oil free, acne free skin
Cons:
delusions
impaired cognition
colitis
dry skin
schizophrenia
Try Lazer Treatment for Acne before you resort to this..
Ok so yes the effects of it were amazing although not permanent, I decided to not not through the full treatment, because it was literally making me stupid, and often throughout day I'd suddenly not know why I was where I was, my friend's mother took it and got ulcerative colitis for life, and schizophrenia, and I wouldn't be able to think straight, my grades dropped by 2 letter grades, so try everything else out first, you don't want to become acne free but get stuck with colitis for life...
December 8, 2009
Pros:
Claravis worked great for my skin! It took just a couple of weeks before I didn't see anymore breakouts. I stopped using it after 3 months.
Cons:
Very dry lips (constantly putting lip balm on), muscle aches especially in the morning and night blindness. It made me sad and more emotional. Somedays I felt crazy and not myself.
I would recommend at least trying it. It does have A LOT of side effects but like my doctor said "How bad do you want clear skin?" I'm also blessed to have health insurance to afford it otherwise it would run about $600 a month (co-pays + prescription).
November 17, 2009
Pros:
this s^%$$ works
My cousin took accutane about 10 years back when she was about 15. I remember both of us had acne but hers was way more severe than mine. Her face was just ugly looking with nasty looking bumps all over her face. Mine was just a few big pimples here and there and white heads all over but nothing compared to hers. Well anyway, at that time she took accutane I didn't want to take it cuz I thought my acne was not as bad and I am 26 now and I am still suffering with acne, too scared to take accutane at this point. My cousin has been acne free ever since she took accutane. I have never ever seen her with a pimple and her skin is flawless and beautiful ;(. I wish I could have taken it 10 years back. I have depression now and it would just make it worst. I am currently on taz. Hopefully it works for me.
September 30, 2009
Pros:
I had severe acne in on particular spot which was my forehead and in between my eyebrows, since i started 8th grade. I used everything from proactive and prescription cream, but accutane was my miracle solution! After 4 months i was completely clear
Cons:
I got some heavy headaches and dry lips but it wasnt a big deal. For me my skin did get worse for the first two months before it got better. My skin is not as clear as when i was taking the pill, but it is 100% better than how it was at the beginning
It is an amazing drug that i would only recommend to people that have severe acne. There are many side effects that may or may not affect you so you should really talk to your doctor first. I personally loved it and even though it didnt have the lasting "perfect skin" i wanted i still would recommend everyone to use it.
April 16, 2009
Pros:
My skin isn't as oily as it was, and pimples for the most part have cleared out.
Cons:
Multiple bloody noses a day for several weeks at a time (I hadn't gotten a bloody nose for a couple years before this), nose clogs up at night because of the nosebleeds, dry itchy skin on my sides, dry eyes, horrible bad breath, puffy bleeding gums (
If you're on antidepressants already like me, then make sure you have someone around to notice any changes in your behavior so you can get it taken care of. While this stuff is scary, you won't be on it for long. Nothing else was working to get rid of my acne and I was getting sick of trying to get it under control. If you have the nose bleed problem like I do, don't bother with cream inside your nose like they recommend, find a nasal spray that constricts blood vessels and use that. I'm still up in the air about recommending this to someone else.
July 12, 2008
Pros:
My skin was friggin fantastic while I was on it!!! and it cleared up the acne on my forearms.
Cons:
About 3 weeks of being off of it, my face broke out and has been broke out!
I've been off of accutane for about 2 months and I'm freakin pissed! My skin was AMAZING while I was on it, I'm talking not one blemish or black head. It was AWESOME! But after about three weeks of being off of it, I noticed my skin starting to be oily again and then my face slowly but surely started getting new pimples, and now its back to how it was!!! bummer!!! the only good thing that came out of it was my arms are still clear. THANK GOD.
Pros:
No.