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
December 17, 2013
Amazing!
Cons:
dry skin whilst using medicine
dry lips whilst using medicine
This Product is FLIPPING AMAZING. All these stories about people getting depression are utter rubbish, two or three cases out of many does not make it the cause of depression. Since iv been taking the 10Mg prescribed by my gp, my cystic spots have completely gone and its only been 2 months, i have just got the odd spot here and there but hey got another 4 months to go. To anyone who is unsure of trying the product, just go for it, dont waste time on using expensive products. This will DEFO work. You will be glad that you took this medicine.
December 15, 2013
First month
Pros:
Clear skin
No more surface pain
Confidence!
Cons:
Dry lips
Dry nose
Dry throat
Before my dermatologist decided to put me on acutane, we had tried multiple medical topical treatments, Minocylene for almost 6 months WITH the topical and still no results. With painful acne that covered my whole back and chest going to prom (dress), wearing clothes lower than my neck was a no go. I was wearing so much concealer on my face it was getting expensive... Not being able to put pressure on my back without feeling pain led to back problems from sleeping on my side all the time. After one month of taking acutane all the pain, bumps, and acne is gone! Of course I was warned it would come back before the end up my treatment so I'm still on it. The side effects are quite annoying but easy to deal with. Carmex for my dry lips, eye drops when my eyes get dry and itchy, an plenty of water! Having oily skin to start with, I haven't had any dry skin problems though I still use St. Ives body lotion on my hands, elbows, and over the old acne scars. They are starting to fade and I've never been more proud in my skin! At first the reviews scared me but I realized all the patients experiencing serious side effects weren't even seeing a doctor every month! I see mine before every monthly refill of my medication and have my blood/kidney tests. So far so good! I recommend this to any healthy person with severe acne, but do it through a doctor who knows what they're doing:) (can be expensive, insurance coverage might help! My 60mg a day is 2,000$ a month!)
November 30, 2013
My Accutane Journey
Pros:
Major improvements
Skin is completely cured
Minimizes pores
Cons:
Dry skin/ lips
Eczema
Can influence mood slightly
Accutane has changed my life. I've always had problems with my skin, but at the start of 2013, I began to develop large, cystic whiteheads and pimples all over my face, back and chest. They became inflammed and red so I went to a dermatoglist to be diagnosed. He told me I had severe cystic acne, but it was a much rarer kind than that found in most teenagers suffering from the same problem. From April 2013 to June 2013, I was on 10 mg, which seems like a small dose but it was enough to bring out my acne to it's worst. For the first six months my skin was in the worst state it had ever been in. It was red and inflamed with large cystic pimples protruding from every part of my face.
I am now finishing my 8th month of Accuatane and I couldn't be happier with the results. My skin has improved tremendously and I have never felt more confident and treatment isn't even finished! Accutane has changed my life. View my before and after here: [link edited out]
November 23, 2013
Dissapointing
Pros:
Clears Cystic Acne
Pores look smaller
Cons:
Depression/Liver problems
Dry flaky skin
Acne comes back
I have suffered from bad cystic acne for about a decade. about 3 years ago I decided to take some time off from college and come home and give Accutane a shot. I was excited to see that my face was clearing up rapidly (I started on 30mg). However, I was constantly nauseous even though I was on a special diet. I also became extremely depressed. I would spend days at a time laying in the couch not being able to move. At this point my blood results were crazy and indicated that my liver was extremely irritated. I stopped treatment immediately for about a month, and then went back on it at 10mg. The side effects were pretty much gone except for super dry lips and dry skin. My skin was so dry that the soles of my feet would flake. After I finished the treatment, my skin looked amazing. I was happy to be done with acne forever. EXCEPT it came back about 2 months after I stopped taking the pill. First mildly, and within a year it was as if I had never done the treatment at all.
November 22, 2013
I love this drug!
Pros:
Beautiful clear skin in 2 weeks!
Cons:
Hair loss
Eczema on hands
I am 26/ female and have suffered from adult/ hormonal acne since I was 22. Cystic acne on the jaw, neck and chin, as well as small pustules on my forehead that just kept reappearing no matter what I did. I tried everything under the sun (Yaz, spironolactone, antibiotics, topicals). A new dermatologist finally convinced me to try Accutane. I am so grateful to her! Accutane has been amazing for my self esteem. I've been on the drug for 1.5 months (first month at 30 mg and second at 40). I had a small initial breakout the second week, but I normally breakout that week (thanks, hormones). After that, NO ACNE! I haven't had a new pimple/ cyst anywhere on my body/face since then. My old acne is practically gone. I am still left with some hyperpigmentation from past acne, but I expect that to fade over time. The side effects aren't nearly as bad as everyone says they are. My skin isn't that dry, just not oily any more. I used to blot my forehead at the end of the day and it would douse the paper in oil like a french fry. My lips peel a bit, nothing extreme though. And I now have eczema on my hands but it's pretty easy to manage with very thick lotion at night. My only real concern is hair loss. After a few weeks on the drug, I noticed visible thinning of the hair around my forehead. My hair was already thinning a bit before I started Accutane, but I believe the drug is exacerbating the loss. My dermatologist said this is extremely rare; I guess I'm unlucky. But I'm willing to cope with that side effect to keep this beautiful skin. I'm so happy I finally took the plunge with this drug.
November 21, 2013
if you healthy mind, go for it
Pros:
clear skin
not oily
it boose your confidence
Cons:
dryness
dark thoughts and hopelessness
long terms effects.
i have acne/pimples since I was in 16 years. It has hit me hard on my esteem and confidence due to it. I tried benzoyl, salicid and dalacin t, and to some extent it works, but it keep coming back, and worse when I start working. Then, I went to see this Dermatologist- Dr Noraziah. She gives me a few alternatives and tells me the result I should be getting, and having been with acne almost 10 yrs, I resolve to take Accutane despite her advise that it will cause birth defects. I've use it for 3-4 months and I stop using it when I see the tremendous result, no longer oily skin, my face turns out smooth, and for the first time ever I feel total confident. Of course I do experience dryness, but the doctor advice me to take aques cream and Vaseline, which it works. Afther I stop, perhaps I did not really care for my skin, 4 yrs later..my face started to get oily with pimple and acne. so I decided to see my dermatologist again. Again she advise for this treatment. This time, I'm taking it for 6 months. It has been great, except, dryness, hair thinning, and mostly dark thoughts and hopelessness. So I decided to not taking it. If you ask me if this product is really worth it, I would say yes and no, as the side effects for a long run it's not worth it.
November 17, 2013
YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!
Pros:
Smooth Skin
Poreless
Acne-Free
Cons:
Dry Lips
Muscle Aches
Dry Face
Accutane has been the most amazing acne product ever invented on the market today. I'm on month 4 and my skin hasn't looked poreless or acne-free since I was in 6th grade! Its amazing! I really recommend this product to anyone and everyone. Don't listen to all those discouraging stories. Just take it with a grain of salt. You will not regret it.
November 16, 2013
only 17 days in, amazing results
Pros:
Cleared/clearing acne
no IB
Cons:
Hair was falling out first week or two, not anymore.
Dry lips and face.
Tried everything, nothing working. Started Accutane 17 days ago and it's been uphill from there. My doctor started me on 20 mg once a day and it seems to be enough. My acne dries up so quickly and basically falls off my face in 1-2 days. Before accutane I had mild-severe acne. Anywhere from 2 to 10 huge cysts on my chin and around my nose. After a few days of Accutane, it all started to go away! No initial breakout, my derm said I wouldn't get one on 20 mg but I didn't believe him. Only thing negative about this is my face and lips are dry, all managable tho. Not clear yet, but everyday it gets better and better ha! I'm pretty stoked. Go listen to STS9!!!!
November 16, 2013
DON'T DO IT!
Cons:
Painful, bleeding ulcers for the rest of his life
Acne returned
Lots of medical costs for the rest of his life
Accutane is NOT worth the high risks. Use a TOPICAL treatment instead. My son had moderate to severe acne at age 14. He took an accutane generic for about 6 months and now has Severe Ulcerative Colitis. This means that he will have a lifetime of battling BLEEDING ULCERS throughout his colon which then causes severe pain and diarrhea. Now, at age 18, he had to do a medical withdrawal from his first year of college because his symptoms were so severe. He takes 3 medicines 3 times a day and it still hasn't helped enough. He will soon begin a new treatment whereby he has to go to the hospital and hook up to an IV line for about 4 hours every few weeks. Furthermore, we can't sue the drug company because the Supreme Court recently said that you cannot sue the maker of a generic medicine. In addition, my son still has moderate acne.
November 15, 2013
Best treatment for cystic acne.
Pros:
Cleared acne.
Reduced the severess in future pimples and made my skin way less oily.
Cons:
Dry, sensitive skin.
When taking this drug you'll be very, very sensitive to sunlight. So use sunscreen and possible sunglasses (my eyes very so sensitive that I sometimes couldn't see when being in the sun)
The first 4-5 times you take the pills you'll experience stomach aches.
Cleared my severe acne in a matter of a month and continued to be clear for a long time. But last resort, the side effects when being on the drug can be irritating.
Pros:
Cystic spots removed
much clearer skin