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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March 7, 2012

Pros:

-Cleared up skin completely
-Hair didn't get as oily

Cons:

-Dry skin and eyes
-Extra sensitive to the sun

I would definitely recommend Accutane to any one with moderate-severe acne. It's a wonder drug for me! It cleared my acne up completely in about 4 months; even after a week I noticed improvements. My hair didn't need to be washed as often as it used to and my face didn't grease up within a few hours of washing. Some of the downsides were that my skin became really dry. I had dry a face and lips, and even my eyes and hands felt really dry, though this was easily overcome by diligent use of moisturisers and lip balms, and really it was a welcome change after having had a greasy face for so many years! You also have to been super careful in the sun on this medication! My brother was on it as well and he got some of the worst sunburn I've ever seen on a 23 degree day in 15 minutes! After finishing the course, my skin remained crystal clear for another 6-8 months, then my acne started to return. I was pretty disappointed, but my dermatologist recommended another course of it. My skin reacted to the medication much faster, and the side effects weren't as bad - I hardly noticed them at all. After a month or two my skin was back to it's best. After finishing the second course, my acne started to return (after about 9 months) but it was pretty manageable (maybe 1 or 2 tiny pimples a week and a few blackheads on my nose). It's been 1 1/2 years since I was last on Accutane and my skin's back to being pimply, though it's no where near as bad as it used to be.
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March 7, 2012

Pros:

-eliminates oiliness completely
-clears skin!
-makes skin soft and smooth

Cons:

-causes general dryness of skin
-can cause chapped lips (fairly mild for me)
-mild skin redness

Going on Accutane was the best decision I have ever made for myself I started getting acne when I was only in the fifth grade. It was fairly mild, but incredibly premature for an elementary student. Once I hit about age 12, near the cusp of puberty, my real troubles began I started developing cystic/nodular acne that sprouted one or two pimples about twice a month,(usually on my chin or around my nose, where they are impossible to hide) and it took weeks for them to go away. By the time that one pimple left, another was just beginning to grow again. As a young, awkward, impressionable pre-teen, these large, painful bumps were cause for much anxiety and shame. My skin also became ridiculously oily. These large pumps continued to plague my skin, and soon I also developed consistent, numerous, smaller pimples that became staple figures in my T-zone. In high school, my acne devastated my self-esteem. I would try desperately to cover up the acne with loads of make-up, but because of the sheer oiliness of my complexion, by the end of the day my face looked patchy, shiny, and red. I could hardly stand to look at myself, let alone look people in the eye during a conversation and have them stare at my skin instead of my eyes. I decided to start on acne when I had a huge break-out that caused more cysts than I have ever had before, and I was desperate. My fore-head and chin were covered in large, painful cysts that were not going away, and the oiliness of my face only made it worse. The first thing I noticed when I started on Accutane was that my skin gradually became less and less oily, and more and more soft and dry.My skin cleared up completely in the following months. As of today, my skin has never looked better It is the best feeling in the world wake up in the morning and feel good about myself. My friends have all noticed a change. Acne is no longer a factor in my life, and I feel proud of my skin. My only regret abo
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March 5, 2012

Pros:

Pretty girl swag
aka
amazing skin

Cons:

Eczema
Dry nostrils, skin and lips
Sore heels

I've read some crazy reviews and was iffy about all the side effects buuuut I tried it and literally there was a noticeable difference in my skin within the first month with no horrible initial breakout. When I first started I was still using topical benzol peroxide for the first week or so before my skin got too dry, then I switched to just washing. Then it got to where I only wash my face at night cause my super oily skin stopped producing all that ish. I'm loving how my skin looks and feels! ooh but I have had some side effects too- first came the dry lips. Then my scalp started getting a little flaky but I stopped washing my hair everyday and that fixed it right away. Add that I've been getting the occasional eczema rash on my hands/arms. I also noticed my heels started getting sore a little, not a crazy amount or all the time but it's noticeable. Finally and most annoyingly, the insides of my nostrils have all dried out- que asco mocos but I'll be real it's like my mucus dried up in little pieces. My derm recommended using a q-tip with aquaphor inside and that helps. Looking at that paragraph of drawbacks it sounds like a lot but it's actually not hard at all to live normally while taking accutane. The symptoms are not severe for me, I still drink socially with my friends, and if I ever feel like my symptoms are getting too bad I just skip a day or two of taking the pills (it doesn't make me break out and it helps). I'm on my 3rd month, with no breakouts, just the occasional little bump. for comparison i've been on 60mg per day the whole time. ~buena suerte a todos~
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March 4, 2012

Pros:

+ First advise, please don't be scared taking this drug....It is life changing for acne sufferers. If nothing has worked for you so far this will definetly do.I have been suffering from mild to moderate acne past 12 years. I have oily skin, and have tried every product OTC and all antibiotics ( azithro,minomycin) Nothing has stopped my acne until I tried Isotretinoin.
+ I have been prescribed 1 * 20mg for 20days and 1 * 10mg for another 20 days. Only 40days course with vitamin supplements.

Cons:

To be honest on such a mild dose there are no cons....however, I would like to talk about pros.... It stopped my excess Oil on my face, my post acne marks & spots vanished, my skin is very clear now...and I feel very confident. Today is 25th day of my treatment and my skin is like reborn again....Also my doc has given me Clindamycin gel for tropical use along with Isotretinoin and as I mentioned before Vitamin supplements 1 each until Isotretinoin course.

I love it and definetly people with acne should try it. I know how acne feels like.
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March 1, 2012

Pros:

Clear skin
Confidence

Cons:

Dry lips & nose
Muscle pain
Eczema

I've been one of the lucky ones; Accutane worked for me almost instantaneously, without any initial breakouts, and tolerable side effects. I was on 25mg for a month which was increased to 50mg for 5 months afterwards. In terms of side effects, my shoulders were a problem - they ached like hell whenever I lifted my arms. I had to stop going to the gym for fear of permanently damaging myself. My nose was extremely dry inside and my lips could get quite painful if I didn't plaster them in Aquaphor (which I hugely recommend purchasing by the way). I experience eczema on my arms and hands, but nothing intolerable. I used Cetaphil on my skin and this helped battle any dryness. I didn't experience any flaking until I ran out of that stuff... Yes there are side effects, but in my experience the pros by far out way the cons if you want better skin. I've been free of Accutane for about 3 months now and I've only had one spot. Fingers crossed this remains the miracle cure people make out eh?
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March 1, 2012

Pros:

Cleared 100% Acne.
Blackheads 100% Clear
Whiteheads 100% Clear

Cons:

Doesn't work on Acne Scars.
Doesn't work on Red Scar Layer.
Severe dry Skin during the course.
Nose Bleeding.

One of the KILLER medicines ever had. Proactiv, Tactuo, Neutrogena, Skin ID everything was a piece of sh*t! Doctor prescribed me for 6 months for 80 mg, but it worked for me in just 3 months. I was told to stop.
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February 24, 2012
Suffered from acne from the age of 11 until 22. Tried everything with no success. Finally decided I could not deal with it anymore and went on Accutane. Best decision of my life. I now have 100% perfect skin.
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February 22, 2012

Pros:

Clear skin (face, chest, back)
Loss of blackheads
Improved confidence
beautiful, clear, radiant, healthy looking skin
I constantly get complimented on how great my skin looks.

Cons:

dry skin
DRY LIPS
dry eyes
sensitive skin
thin skin

I took accutane when I was 20 (21 after May) from January 2011-August 2011. I had pretty bad acne with mostly cystic pimples and general small whiteheads all over. My back and chest had small whiteheads that weren't visible but could be felt if you ran your hands over them. The entire experience was amazing. Yes my lips were constantly dry 24/7 but they weren't cracked/bleeding/painful. I never had an initial horrible breakout but I did have normal breakouts in the first month but after that my skin began to clear up. My small clogged oil sacks in my pores (for lack of a better term) started to come out each time I washed my face and all of my blackheads went away as well. By the 6th month my skin was porcelain smooth but extremely thin and sensitive. My skin had never looked better. By the 7th and 8th month my skin was absolutely perfect. So much so that I didn't want to come off of the medicine. After about 2 months off of the medicine I had a small breakout (5 small pimples) and I freaked out. But dont stress! That is normal! Now after being off of it for about 6 months my skin is amazing. I will usually get about 1 or 2 pimples every now and then but I dont even do anything about it. Just use a basic toner with salicylic acid and my cetaphil wash. I LOVE my new skin. I have never been happier and I have more confidence now than I ever have before. I didn't drink on the medicine at all until may (21st birthday) and then stopped drinking until June. June-August I did drink on the medicine but all of my blood tests came back okay. The CeraVe heavy cream and Aquaphor were my best friends. YOU CAN HAVE CLEAR SKIN. I never thought it would work since nothing ever had. It was really really expensive because I didn't have prescription insurance. Each month it was between $250-$500. Altogether it cost about $5,000 including doctors and blood tests. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION EVER! I AM SO HAPPY! I hope this helps someone wh
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February 15, 2012

Pros:

Cleared acne completely within a couple of months

Cons:

Extremely dry skin
Skin redness
Can't drink alcohol

I read a lot of reviews about how dangerous this drug could be an it got me really worried. My dermatologist however said that there is very rarely any problems. I think that if it works people just carry on happy with their lives and don't write reviews, so you only end up seeing negative comments about it. Overall this drug made me go from getting spots nearly every day to having flawless skin. I really feel like a new person it's fantastic. Sometimes I have a dream that I am still infested with acne on my face... and to then wake up and look in the mirror with perfect skin is such a great feeling.
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February 15, 2012

Pros:

Cleared skin
Made skin less oily

Cons:

Chapped lips

Accutane worked wonders. I have been off of it for about two and a half years and I barely see any acne whatsoever. The occasional zit here and there, but other than that, I'm completely clear, and my face is not oily either.
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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