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
August 4, 2012
Cons:
joint pain
mood swings
dry skin
nose bleeds
dry hair
no alcohol
ipledge
i had VERY severe nodular acne. to the point where i didn't go in public. I was very skeptical to start it because I read reviews that acne would get worse, also the crazy side effects. But it got to the point where I had no other choice because no antibiotic or topical could help my skin at all.
Within a week my cysts had reduce swelling. It was AMAZING! Within the next month I didn't have a bump on my face and I haven't had one since. I was on it for 6 months and have been off for 5 months and I'm so happy I took it because I can finally look in the mirrior and not cry.
The side effects were annoying but tolerable. You just have to be careful and let your doctor know the issues so you can get off of it. The side effects were minimal for me but it's different for everyone but don't let them keep you from taking it if you have severe acne.
If I get another flare there's no doubt that I would go on Accutane again. It is a life changer if you have no other choice.
I've only gotten a few whiteheads and that was during my period but other than that I'm acne free. I've never been so happy with my skin. I've suffered acne for 8 years.
Try it, see if it works for you, don't get your hopes up so your not disapointed.
Good Luck!
July 18, 2012
Pros:
Clear skin, confidence boost (major!), don't have to worry about waking up with a new breakout, only take for 5 months, cheap (with insurance)
Cons:
very strong drug, dry skins and lips, be careful with alcohol (which I haven't really been :( ), takes a month or two to work, sun sensitive
totally worth it for me. I haven't felt depressed or any more moodiness than usual. In fact, I am more happy and confident due to my clear skin. I have taken spiro, minocycline, birth control pills and numerous topical medications in the past to control my acne. While they all worked temporarily, none of them fully and permanently cleared my moderate acne. I stopped leaving the house without tons of makeup and avoided sleepovers with friends for the longest time due to my acne and self-conciousness. I was depressed due to the state of my face. Now, I am so so so much happier thanks to accutane. I have one month left to go (4 months so far) and can only hope that my skin stays this clear after I am done. If you're suffering from acne, please try this!
June 9, 2012
Pros:
Clears acne for a period of time; Decreases production of skin oil
Cons:
Acne coming back after some time; oil production restoring to the same level; flushing, facial redness; dry skin; eczema; Hives; bloody nose; sore joints.
Accutane does help with acne but sadly the acne returns after some time- can be up to a year. So considering all the side effects (apparent and possibly long term not so apparent) this drug fails to live up to its miracle status. During the accutane treatment the side effects worsen the longer you take it, and it does clear up the skin, but my face was terribly red all the time, so hard to enjoy disappearance of acne during this period. The other major concern I had is hives which I got twice. There is no official link between hives and accutane, but I never had it before and researching the Internet I found lots of other people who suffered from it while (and after) they were on accutane. Hives is basically this terribly blotchy rash popping up all over your body that itches like crazy. I would not mind side effects if the oil and acne have not come back since. After stopping the accutane you will see oil gradually building up again and after some time you realize that you are back at square one. The oil glans recover over time. I've read the reviews and most of the positive ones are written by people who have just finished accutane or even still taking it. One reviewer even has been on it for only two weeks (please). It's been a year since I stopped taking accutane, my acne is not as bad (yet) but its back and the oily skin too. So I do not believe accutane can change how your body produces oil forever. And considering the side effects you can't keep taking it to control your acne.
May 14, 2012
Pros:
Cleared skin completely, gave me confidence again, made me love my skin.
Cons:
Dry lips(easily fixed with chapstick)
Dry skin(easily fixed with lotions)
Migraines
Because of accutane i got my life back. My skin is so clear and soft now. I can walk out side without worrying about make up. Socially it has greatly improved my life. Im so proud of my skin.
April 22, 2012
Pros:
Glowing skin
GREATLY diminished acne in just 1 week
Cons:
dry lips
flakey skin
Hear me out for a second: if the fine print on this medication said that the symptoms consisted of extended periods of elation, happy moods, butterflies, and high energy levels, those are the exact symptoms the majority would have reported. Yes, I understand that different bodies react differently to certain medications, but the mind behaves the way you tell it to. If you're anything like me and you read that after taking a pill, your hands will begin to shake, well gosh darnit, my hands will start shaking. It's called the placebo effect. Prior to taking this medication, reassure yourself that you'll be fine. Seriously, you will.
At first I was very hesitant about being put on isotretinoin after reading all the horrible side effects (joint pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety), but I decided to take a leap of faith and am glad I did. Give it a try. If you begin to feel like the side effects are too much to handle (which I am sure will not happen), you can stop taking them immediately. The pros outweigh the cons (which really mostly consist of dryness) by 1,000,000,000!!!! I am a 20 yr old female and have been on this for only a couple of weeks and cannot wait to continue to see the amazing results. I haven't gotten to the point where I can walk out without any foundation on, but I am not too far away either. Previous acne scarring is beginning to fade away which is GREAT!
Be sure to apply moisturizer very frequently, even if you don't feel dry. Keep the SPF close by, as all acne medications make you more sensitive to burning in the sun.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!!!: Take this pill after your most fatty meal. Since isotretinoin is essentially vitamin A, taking it after the consumption of fatty foods will increase its effectiveness and prevent your liver from working too hard at breaking it down.
Be patient and stay POSITIVE! Good luck :)
March 27, 2012
Pros:
No more acne since end of month 4.
Oily hair gone.
No more oily skin.
Free if your personal doctor sends you to dermatologist.
Cons:
Facial flushing/blushing.
Chapped lips.
No alcohol.
Skin gets irritated from shaving.
Back pain.
Dry eyes.
Nause
I was on 40 mg for 4 months and then 90 for 2 more months. I weigh 80kg and I've reached required dosage. First 3 months will be pain... They will go so damn slow and you'll keep looking at the mirror for any improvements. For me the point of having no acne (not counting 1/2 shaving pimples once a month) was at midle of month 4 since then I only get tiny pimples from shaving but I dont shave very carefuly.. so I guess this can be avoided. Last 3 months I was realy annoyed by the slow acne marks fading.. but as the time flew by acne marks were gone in 2 months they fade way faster when you stop getting acne. Accutane also thins the skin so they'll be more visibile. Now I am 5 days post accutane and my face isnt as dry anymore and the redness is fading. However I still need to use chapstick.
And dont worry for the minor acne scars they arent visibile when the red marks fade. It was totaly worth it I havent got any serious side effects and I think they are quite rare. Hope this review helped you and if you have any questions send me a message. =D
+ I'd like to thank to all the people that post reviews uphere they helped me alot =)
March 17, 2012
Pros:
- Dried up my skin very quickly (started from day 2)
- My skin became perfect. My dad said my skin looked like someone had smoothed it with sandpaper then polished it! Haha. Poreless skin!
- My 'mucus' inside my nose dried up as well. I always had a very runny and blocked nose, accutane completely took care of that.
- Smooth skin, great increase in confidence, very quick results day after day
- Easy to swallow; smooth pill
- Allowed me to sleep better (more on that later, it is
Cons:
- Very, very tired after a week or so. Would have to take afternoon naps. But, when I slept, I would easily be knocked out for 8-9 hrs :)
- Lost a lost of hair, still losing hair. But sebaceous gland size is linked to amount of hair as well; oil glands shrink/get destroyed --> naturally less hair
- Back pain when lying down, weirdly achy joints
- Horribly itchy eczema outbreak all over my body. Had to use soap free wash for months. Had trouble sleeping b/c it was so itchy
- Mental si
17, female, Asian, moderate on face, severe acne on back (cystic). 40mg/day (20/20), 45kg, slim build. Let me start by saying this - I did not regret taking accutane at all. BUT, I would also never take it again, unless I have an absolutely terrible cystic outbreak and I get put on a VERY low dose. The physical side effects I could tolerate; but the burden of reading about its negative side effects THEN finally experiencing some of the more serious side effects personally, I decided it was time to quit. At first, I was absolutely in love with accutane. I had the most glowing, smooth skin and my oil glands/mucus secretions greatly reduced. I'm genetically predisposed to oil overproduction, and would be extremely shiny and oily all the time. Accutane really took care of that well. However, I started to get back pains - tolerable. Eczema - tolerable too, eventually disappeared completely. However, I cringe as I say this, I feel like I'm betraying such a great drug... but I did get mental side effects. I felt... I don't know how to say it, I felt like I wasn't worthy. I felt I didn't really have a purpose in life anymore (this kicked in at the 2nd month), and the feeling was just WEIRD! I had a great life and nothing to worry about; I was on holidays. But it was a sad feeling that gradually built up and got worse. Having read articles on accutane and depression, I stopped the drug at my 3rd month. I have always taken the full 40mg. After I stopped, the next 1-2 weeks I still had disturbing thoughts. However 1 month on, I am completely fine now :) Back to how I was used to be, all happy :) These days, I still lose alot of hair and I'm slowly getting mucus and oil back. I'm on Tretinoin cream currently, but my acne hasn't returned. My hair loss is decreasing and I'm really thankful for what accutane has done for me. Bottom line - listen to your body. It's better to be safe than sorry :) But, accutane - thank
January 25, 2012
Pros:
Cleared my face up completely
Cons:
Hemorrhoids
Dry eyes
Initial break out
I was on Accutane for 5 months. Was supposed to be 6 but I ran out of prescription coverage for the rest of the year. It does dry you out so I made sure to drink 8-10 glasses a day of water. I also took multi vitamins and probiotics to keep me healthy with such a strong drug. The worse part about it was the hemorrhoids, no matter what I did they were always there. I was so afraid to go poo. :( I found that taking fiber soften things so that made it easier. I also stayed away from a lot of protein because that made the poo harder. When I know I'm going to have a large meal or a lot of protien I would use preparation H suppositories before I went to bed. Worked wonders!
Its been a year post Accutane and Im still clear. I get a couple pimples every now and then but its not nearly as bad.
December 3, 2011
Pros:
- Clears all acne
- Improves skin quality (Flawless/smooth skin)
- Clears oily skin
Cons:
- Severe dry lips
- Initital breakout lasted 3 months
- Takes a while to work
I'm 19 male and had acne since the age of 14. It has gradually been getting worse and worse to the point where I had severe cystic acne. The docotors tried everything to clear from anti-biotics, many drugs and tropical creams. All worked a little for a for a few weeks but no major improvements at all. Eventually I went for Isotretinion on the NHS which took around 3 months to get from my initial appointment as they have so many checks to do and big que's of people waiting to see the derms. Any how I finally got my Isotretinion in June 2011 starting with 20mg for first 30 days then upto 40mg after then. Within 7 days of taking my skin was feeling really smooth and got less oily everyday. However around the 20 day mark I gradually started getting extremely bad cystic acne to the point that around month 2-3 I had 20 big red cystic acne spots that would just not go. However as I hit month 3.5 I work up one morning and literally they were all nearly gone and from then I have been improving everyday to the point now I don't have one single spot and everyone I know is commenting saying wow you look amazing, even got myself a nice girlfriend. I would 100% recomend Isotretinion and just stick for the first 3 months of breakouts because they are defiently worth it!
November 1, 2011
Pros:
Cleared away 85% of acne, and 95% of cysts.
Great hair during treatment!
Cons:
- Still left with many blackheads, and have occasional.
- Skin, eyes, and mucous membranes dried out during treatment. Aquaphor is a must.
- Complicated and strict schedule for getting and taking it.
- Expensive (had insurance that paid for most of it)
- High cholesterol from treatment
- Treatment took 10 months
Definitely worth it for me.
Pros:
CLEAR SKIN!
scarring fading
confidence