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
May 6, 2011
Cons:
-chapped/dry lips
-skin becomes very, very dry
-mild depression
-having to get shots
i started accutane last summer ( i was 15 years old) I've been off accutane for 4 months now, i took it for 6 months. My skin is so much better than before. i've only had 2 pimples since i got off, but they were small. my skin wasn't oily for the first 2 months i was off but now it's starting to get oily, but it's nothing i can't deal with. Before accutane i Hated leaving the house, every time i took my makeup off i would cry. I would lie to my friends about why i couldn't go out. On top of that i'm a cheerleader so i'm around the prettiest girls, which gave me the lowest confidence. now i feel like i'm equal with them. I'm not sure if the acne has stayed gone because i continues using birth control afterwards or if it's just that good. Also not all of the scars go away but they dramatically lighten.
March 27, 2011
Pros:
Skin no longer oily at all
Spots healing more quickly
Old scars fading
Skin smoother & softer
Hair never gets greasy
Available on NHS so only £7.20 per month
Cons:
Dry/split lips
Dry & sometimes peeling skin on face
Eczema on backs of hands (although now gone) also on tops of arms
Occasional back ache
Some joint pain
Occasional crying spells/feeling depressed
Tiredness
I've listed quite a lot of cons, however, I am very optimistic that the outcome will make these side effects all worth it in the end. Also, I do not feel that the side effects are all that severe and are quite easily managed & easy to put up with in comparison to the feeling of having bad skin. I have only been on roaccutane for 10 weeks now and was previously on a very low dosage of 20mg/day so had not seen any improvement, if anything it seemed worse than before. However, my dosage has been increased to 40mg/day & despite only being on this dosage for 1 week, I can see a massive increase in the condition of my skin & amount of blemishes/spots already. I'm very hopeful that it will continue to improve and hope that I will one day be able to go out without make up and not feel self conscious about it. If anyone is faltering about whether to take roaccutane, I say try it as if it doesn't work, you can always stop taking it anyway.
August 12, 2010
Pros:
cleared up acne
Cons:
side effects
Part 3 (this is the end!) 8. feeling not your usual awesome. Is it the acne? Is it depression? Accutane is a strong drug so you need to keep you body in top shape to deal with it. I take a multi vitamin, a fish oil supplement, and vitamin D supplements. I think the fish oil is good for the achy joints and keeping triglyceride levels down (which is what they're looking for in those blood tests), and I suspect the decrease in skin oils inhibits the body's ability to absorb sun for vit D production. Hey, it doesn't hurt! 9. feeling tired. And thirsty. Drink tons of water! This med is designed to dry you out-- stay very very hydrated. There's no such thing as too much water; it can't hurt! 10. sensitive to sun. Your derm already told you about this. Wear sunblock. Especially on your lips. I am the kind of person who never burns, and I foolishly went out in the sun for just an hour and got a terrible burn that turned into me shedding an entire layer of skin for the next week. It was like a walking snow storm. A trail of skin flakes everywhere I went. Don't test your boundaries. QUESTIONS ON LIFE POST ACCUTANE
These are my tips for coping with Accutane. It's made my life livable, I hope it helps you too. I'm starting to think about life post Accutane. My skin is clear now, will it stay clear? Should I still treat it like acne prone skin? Will it be oilier? Will is stay dry like it is now? And now that I don't have acne, how do I deal with acne scars and hyperpigmentation? What treatments can I start immediately, and which ones should I wait on? And how long should I wait? I'd love to hear some input on post-Accutane treatments! In closing, I emphasize that Accutane is a medical treatment and lifestyle change. It is highly toxic to the liver, so keep your overall health in mind. It is, however, highly effective and the side effects are bearable. Patience is key-- think about how long you've been stru
July 25, 2010
Pros:
Acne is gone. Self-Esteem and Confidence is at all time high. Depression is gone.
Cons:
Back pain, Blood Test, Dry lips, Acne does worse, Had some depression spells sometimes.
I have suffered from since I was in 6th grade. I have tried every OTC that I could get my hands on. I.E. Clean and Clear, and Proactiv. Then I went to the Derm and I have tried almost Antibiotics and every tropical that she gave me and it didn't work at all or it didn't work and made my acne worse. My dermatologist has talked about Accutane in the past, but she was didn't want to take the chance with it because of the side effects. But I didn't care, I wanted my face to be clear. She signed me up in the I-Pledge(Which is a really stupid program) and I started to receive my pills since February of 2010. The first three months for me were not bad, I did have the initial-breakout, but not as bad as everyone says(everyone is different though). After the fourth month my skin started to improve and the meds did the talking for itself. But I do believe these meds are for only people who have try everything from OTC and lotions and antibiotics. As for the pricing of Accutane, it depends if you have insurance. Without insurance it will run from 800 to 1,000 dollars. I have paid around 10 dollars with insurance.
June 7, 2010
Pros:
Clears skin
Exfoliates skin making it appear smooth and clean
Cheap with insurance
Cons:
Severe depression
Dry lips, skin, nose
Easily suburned
Blood test each month
I never had acne before until I hit 20, then it began to appear on my face, arms, and back. it's not severe but it does affect my self-esteem and confidence. I have been on it for a few months and have gotten several comments from friends and co-workers on how clean my skin is and how it's beginning to clear up. As for the sides, number one is depression (full disclosure I have one family member who committed suicide and I have suffered depression in the past) The depression was very severe. Suddenly, I felt alone, nothing to live for, contemplated suicide, began to isolate myself from friends/family, suffered loss in joy of things I normally enjoy. It was bad in the first month but then it went away, I feel fine now going into the second month, hopefully it does not return. It's manageable by hanging out with friends, going to the gym, eating food you love. I would recommend Cetaphil as it's non comodogenic and will not block pores on your face, apply it on your body and face each night before bed or when needed. I noticed if I do not my face starts to get red bumps from dry pores. Carry carmex at all times, other lip balms did not work for me. Other than that no other sides for me. So far I think the positives have outweighted the negatives so far.
May 8, 2010
Pros:
Your Acne Clears Up
Cons:
An endless list of Side Effects
I experienced hair loss, depression, and hyperlipidemia to name a few.
Accutane is a serious life screwer if anyone out there is considering taking it I suggest you read this article first
[link removed]
March 25, 2010
Pros:
It works very well on clearing up both the agressive nodular acne, whiteheads, blackheads and reducing scaring.
Cons:
Headaches, dry skin and mouth, suicidal thoughts during the third round, constant nose bleeds.
This product was a god send for clearing up my Acne. I won't lie, it worked so well. By the time I was 13 my Acne was so bad that even though I was a bit young to be taking it, and the drug was still in the "Unknown if you take it several times" phase because it was still new I took it. It took 3 rounds (at 13, 15 and 17) to clear it up, but my skin looks actually pretty good. You can barely tell I had any of the severe skin problems I had. Sadly I had migraines all ready, and the medication made them worse each time I took another 6 month round, with the symptoms not going away even after being off of the medication. And frequent nose bleeds I experienced during the third round, as well as the dry skin on my forearms, and lower legs never went away nor did my constantly chapped lips. To this day, I'm not sure if very clear skin was worth the side effects of taking 3 whole rounds of this drug. Maybe two. But not three.
February 26, 2010
Pros:
Aparently is a cure to acne
Cons:
-Dry Lips
-Severe Joint Pain
-SEVERE SPINE PAIN
Hi, I used Accutane for 5 days and it cuased me a world of complications. On my second day I was sitting on the couch and this sharp pain started to strike my back. I didnt know what it was I assumed I was probably lifting too much at the gym. I carried on taking it and the pain became more severe, so i looked at the net and found out it plays around with your bones. Like I said im a dedicated body builder and joint pain is a real let down. but the pain has gone away now since i stoped using it (been 2 weeks since i stopped). Any ways im not telling you guys not to use it, but im saying if you do find any unwanted side effects take note and research. if it wasnt for my re search my doctor said I would of been through major spinal complications that might not be reversable. Just take care guys this drug isnt a joke.
January 14, 2010
Pros:
- Completely got rid of my acne
Cons:
- Although my acne is gone, I still have some post marks/spots left over from former acne lesions. However, it's only been one week since I've been off Accutane and the marks are already beginning to fade.
- Initial facial flushing (red face) But that disappeared before I even got off Accutane.
- Mild dry skin
- Very dry lips. They were constantly peeling and looked bad. But they're getting better.
I began developing acne in 8th grade. It suddenly became pretty severe in my Junior year in high school. My dermatologist prescribed me with Doryx which worked okay for about 2 months, but then my acne returned to its original severe condition. I was then prescribed with Minocycline which seemed to be the next best thing besides Accutane. But after a few months on Minocycline, my acne returned again. Finally, my dermatologist prescribed me with Accutane. I was on Accutane for a total of 6 months. My acne gradually improved throughout the course. On my final month, my skin improved so much. Now, I've been off Accutane for about a week and I'm so grateful and satisfied with the results. I feel confident, have self-esteem, and most importantly, I'm happy. By the way, I did not experience any depression or mood changes while I was on Accutane.
December 19, 2009
Pros:
mostly cleared up my acne for a year.
Cons:
I still always had at least one pimple after accutane use, When I started on it my acne got MUCH worse than it was before,now about a year and a half later my skin is getting bad again even though I am still continuing on retin-A,really dry skin/lips
It works for some people really well and sort of worked for me. Get it if you want your skin to clear up enough that you are willing to risk it for all that money; however, I definitely wouldn't have gone on it if my parents did not have insurance to cover it.
Pros:
-amazing confidence
-can go out without foundation and not worry
-clear skin