Isotretinoin (Accutane®)
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Side Effects

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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July 17, 2013
It worked, wish the treatment lasted longer!

Pros:

oily skin dried up, pores got smaller, blackheads went
spots, cysts went
got my self esteem back

Cons:

dry lips, itchy scalp, some joint pain

I've always had spots and oily skin, since I was 12 years old. I was put on many oral and topical prescriptions and nothing worked. I live in the UK so got the treatment on NHS, I paid £7.65 for each prescription for which I got 2 months supply of Roaccutane. I took 20mg twice a day for six months, from september 2012 to march 2013. I had to be reffered by my GP, I saw the Derm every 2 months, I had to have a pregnacy test every month so that I could get my next months supply. I also had to have blood tests every 2 months. I loved the effects of the treatment, the oil dried up within a month the spots/cysts took longer to go. I had wasted so much time in head on worrying about the oil and the spots on my skin. It was amazing to be so confident and not ashamed of my face and skin and not to have to blot my skin every chance I got. I'm disappointed however in the fact that for me the effects wore off very quickly, I got the oil back within 3 weeks of ending treatment and the spots soon followed, they are currently around my hair line and chin. The spots are growing up my face I also have a couple on my chest, no cysts yet. I told myself during treatment that my DNA will out, I should have tried harder to engrain that in brain so that I would'nt be disappointed that my skin bounced back to what it was before. So to everyone else, popping a pill for a few months will not change your DNA, it is what is.
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July 10, 2013
Hairloss = worth it?

Pros:

Cleared skin
Got rid of oil
Don't have to wash hair everyday.

Cons:

Hairloss
Dry lips
Moody

After taking Accutane for just 3 weeks my hair began to rapidly recede; if I wasn't completely obssessed with my image it wouldn't have been a big thing haha!
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June 28, 2013
2 rounds of Accutane; My thoughts

Pros:

Cleared my acne
Boosted my self esteem
Does the job

Cons:

Side effects
Long duration
Slows the healing process of your body immensely

I'm a 17 year old female with moderate to severe acne. I have oily skin (it's in my genes). I have always had acne; I believe it started in middle school around 7th grade. I never really did anything about my acne until high school. My mother and I finally went to the derm and he gave me Doxycycline and I stayed on that for quite some time, but it never really seemed to work. Eventually my acne got to the point where it made me depressed and I never wanted to do anything except sleep. So my mother and I went back to the Derm and he then told us about Accutane along with the effects and so on. I went on it and the first month there was a flare up and possibly the second, but eventually it dies down. I was on it for about 5 or so months and afterwards my face was so clear and smooth I couldn't believe it. Well, a few months down the road, (I play soccer and we condition in the summer) I started breaking out again. At first it was just a few bumps here and a few bumps there, then it seemed to just continue and it never stopped. My derm told me that I would get pimples from time to time, but this was a full fledged break out that never went away. Eventually I couldn't stand it anymore so we went back to the derm and he put me on it for 3 months and the same thing happened the first time I was on Accutane; my skin was clear. Well I got off my last dosage 3 weeks into March and it's June and I'm training for soccer and exercising and my face is breaking out again. It's not horrible;it's mostly on my cheeks and forehead, but it still bothers me. I just want to know that I'm not alone.. Has anyone else experienced this problem? I recommend Accutane. Though I'm still breaking out, my face isn't as bad as it use to be, and for that I am thankful. If ANYONE can help me or give me some words of advice .. it would much greatly appreciated!
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June 27, 2013
REALISTIC Accutane Review

Pros:

Acne has gone
saved my life

Cons:

Side affects
Acne PIH
time on the drug

My acne was very severe from an early age and when i was 16 i was referred by my doctor to a dermatologist. My derm was very keen to get me on accutane, but after reading the side affects i was quite reserved on the idea at first. But after a while i decided that i had no other option and i had a corse of accutane for 6 months. Now heres the point that everyone wants to know, Does it work? Obviously people react in different ways to medication so theres always going to be some variation in its results. However my conclusion is that accutane does work. It may not feel like it in the first place after having the initial breakouts but i can honestly say that it cleared my skin of acne. I still get the odd one now an again but no more than any one else. The major issue i had after finishing accutane was the hyperpigmentaion, which i still have today 2 years after finishing my accutane course. Granted it has faded massively since then but still it is there. To round up, if you have severe acne and have tried everything and you want to get rid of your acne for good, get on accutane. its a long long process but its worth it!!!!
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June 24, 2013
This Stuff Really Works!

Pros:

Clears Acne

Cons:

Risks for birth defect ( no big deal use protection or control)
Expensive

Accutane is a miracle product! I've suffered from acne since age 15. I started using Accutane at the age of 28 after begging my doctor after I spend 1,000's of dollars on products and laser treatments. After 4 months of taking Accutane and I had to get on birth control while using it to avoid getting pregnant due to the possibility of having a baby with a birth defect. This stuff cleared my acne and acne scars! I'm now 34 and I no longer suffer from acne!!!!! Every now and then when it's time for my monthly cycle I will get a pimple or two but nothing major. I'm a advocate for Acctuane now. This product save my self esteem and confidence!!!
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June 21, 2013
Effective but not worth it

Pros:

Clears Acne

Cons:

Scarring
Hair Loss
Other major sideffects

Over the past years I have been suffering significantly from acne. Up until last year I managed to keep it at bay with minocyclin. Regretably, my doctor took me off it because he wasn't comfortable with such long treatments (past 1.5 years) and my acne came back. Instead he prescribed isotretinoin. I held out for half a year to just wait how my skin developed but after it kept getting worse, I started a treatment. Initially I was happy with the results and was suffering from few sideeffects (dry skin and lips, later dry eyes). However within 4 weeks I was visibly losing hair and I started to notice my acne scarring (it never scarred before even though it was much worse. And no, I did not manipulate it or anything). After 7 weeks I aborted the treatment due to feeling depressed, mainly about the scarring and hairloss. I have been of it for several weeks now. What is left is that my skin is a little better but I still get pimples while I have scars all over the place. My hairline has receded by 1-1.5 cm and my hair has gone from being super thick and having a nice texture to being able to having about 60% less hair, the individual hairs being much thinner and the hair itself feeling really dry. I would go back to my state before isotretinoin anyday! Please note that the sideeffects I experienced will not be experienced by everyone. However the possibility is high enough to pose a seriouse risk, so PLEASE read the forums and reports on this medicine before going on it! It is in no way a mirracle worker and while acne will go away over time, some of the sideeffects from isotretinoin may not. Also, I experienced all of these sideeffects with a rather low dose in a short period of time (first week 20mg per day, remaining time 40mg per day for 62-65kg, did 7 weeks of 26 week treatment)
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June 15, 2013
Miracle in a box?

Pros:

Clears acne
Reduces oil production

Cons:

Extreme side effects
Some long lasting side effects
Extreme sun sensitivty

I was on Accutane for a 7 month course back in 2012. I started at 40 mg for my first and second month and then 60mg for the remaining months. I experienced all the usual side effects. Extremely dry lips, dry eyes, blood noses and sore joints and lower back. I didn't clear until the start of my 5th month. I went from having moderately presistant acne to being clear. I wish the results stuck around though. I was only clear for 3 months after finishing up my course.
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June 14, 2013
Until this...

Pros:

Clear skin
Smaller pores
Natural looking complexion

Cons:

Weight Loss (nothing to complain too much about) ;)
Body aches
Gaunt Face (maybe or maybe not related to accutane?)

I've broken out since I was ten years old, and throughout high school I was stuck with cysts and basically a full on pizza face. I decided to write this review because out of everything, this has been the number one. I'm not all the way complete with my treatment but I'm close enough to say that it was 100% worth it and then some. Feel free to follow my little blog I have going as well as my picture I posted. I'm pretty impressed.
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June 14, 2013
best decision i ever made - wish i did it sooner

Pros:

great skin
long term effects
better complexion

Cons:

really dry eyes
peeling can be a little annoying
very chapped lips

i had acne for about 3 years before i decided to use accutane. i got acne as a freshman and it wasnt bad, i was able to treat it with antibiotics and topical perscriptions. summer before my junior year (about a year ago) was when it started to get really bad and nothing was working. I really didnt want to use accutane cause its a very powerful drug and i have heard horrific things about it but it was all i had left to try and my skin was depressing me. so i did it and it was amazing, i had no initial breakout, it worked pretty fast and i havent had a pimple in months. i just finished about a month ago and everything is still going well. i was on it for a total of 7 months. my eyes are still really dry but my skin is producing oil and not peeling anymore. also another annoying thing is your lips are SUPER chapped you need to carry some sort of lip moisturizer at all times or your lip skin will peel and sometimes bleed! CHAPSTICK IS YOUR BEST FRIEND! best decision, my self confidence is a million times better. i recommend to anyone with moderate to severe acne and bad self esteem it turned my life around. if you are considering it, try it!!!
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June 12, 2013
It works

Pros:

Clear skin for the first time in probably 10 years

Cons:

Dry, red skin on face, knees, elbows, lips, etc.
Harsh initial breakout
Weird moods and dreams and increased anxiety

I grew up with acne that essentially controlled my life. It made me self-conscious all the time, to the point where I would skip school because of it--often. I started my 5 month course in January of 2013 because, entering my last semester of college, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had active legions--fewer and fewer every week, mind you--up until about the 3 1/2 month mark. Worse, I had an awful initial breakout. I looked like I did when I was 17. But now over 5 months later, after a series of pillowcases ruined by bleeding lips and skin so red it looked like I was perpetually embarrassed, my skin is completely clear--minus some hyperpigmentation. It's something you have to commit to. The initial break out period can last a while and be discouraging, it's expensive, it will increase depressed feelings, it will dry your lips and skin out a lot. But it works. Taking it and sticking to it was hard, but now that it's over I haven't felt this happy since I can remember.
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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