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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July 28, 2010

Pros:

No More Oily Skin!
Makes you way more motivated because no acne!
No oily hair!
If you have a lot of acne and red cheeks it'll take that away too.

Cons:

Initial Breakout
I felt depressed at times because too high of a dosage
Did not see dramatic results til the end of the 4th month,
sensitivity to the sun

Amazing product, if you want no acne, take this. It'll take around 6 months, i'm on my 5th but right now i have no active acne on my body! It feels amazing i used to have upper arm acne, back acne, face acne, neck acne, sometimes butt acne, but now it's all clear. I used to be afraid to take my shirt off but now i do it without hesitation. You may get pink marks and such left over when you're acne clears up, but just don't play with it and touch it, it'll clear up on its own. and don't pop pimples while on it because the accutane will do it fast. Bottom line great product try it. and it is worth it!
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July 28, 2010

Pros:

dries up oil, dries out cystic acne, makes skin less red.

Cons:

dries out mucous membranes, dryness around nose and mouth.

If you need it, get it. Don't be scared off by the side effects. I took it for two years total time and never had a problem.
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July 26, 2010

Pros:

- reduced oilyness of skin and hair
- quick clearing of pimples
- clear skin!!

Cons:

- really bad eczema on hands and arms
- moody for the first 2 months
- hair loss!!
- really high cholesterol (beware if you are predisposed as I am)
- muscle aches
- repeated conjunctivitis due to dry eyes
- extremely dry lips

I was very keen to start accutane since I have tried many topical and oral treatments. I had started Dianette for 3 months but stopped it once I started accutane. Because of this I never had the initial breakout that many people experience as it had already happened when I started Dianette. I started seeing results immediately with a reduction in oilyness and drying of my existing pimples. I was told I was only to be on 40mg for 5-6 months and by month 4 I was experiencing 1 pimple/3 weeks. I stopped accutane at 5.5 months since I couldn't handle the hairloss, which I was told should be temporary. My cholesterol also shot up to 6.5 (should be <3). My skin is now pimple-free but is really really red all the time. This should go down within 6months. Now looking at my skin it seems like such a problem that its red but I would pick red skin over acne any day and the redness should go down.
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July 24, 2010

Pros:

-Cysts dramatically reduced
-redness fading
-skin feels smoother in areas where the skin is not flakey.
- NHS (practically free)

Cons:

-flakey skin
-dry lips

Just before i started taking acctuane, i was on antibiotics and i had a massive breakout, really really bad. It sounded very similar to the sort of breakouts people get when they start accutane. I had about 2 or 3 cysts on my face at the start, after 2 weeks these had started to reduce in size and disappear. This was on lose dose (20mg). Also the non cystic acne has improved and inflamation reduced. Now i am in my 2nd month of treatment, i weigh 80 kg and so was expecting to be put on 80 mg but my derm said that he would put me on 60 mg for this month because it seemed that it was already doing a good job and would reduce the risk of side effects. Now i have no place to make medical assumptions/claims and if you ask for scientific documentation im afraid i wont be able to provide it but here is my theory: People who go on accutane are always on other treatments first. Those that start acctuane and do not have an initial breakout are not lucky it is just that they already had their breakout while on antibiotics and so were on the road to recovery before they started the drug. However that road to recovery is so so much shorter when on this amazing drug. I highly reccomend it to anyone.
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July 22, 2010

Pros:

It works like magic.

Cons:

initial breakout, dry lips, some muscle aches

I was COMPLETELY clear when using it. literally, no blackheads, no pores even. it was great. Now, after I've been off for a couple years, I still break out very mildly, and very rarely. pores are back, but overall, my skin is much less sensitive and oily. overall, 90% better than before.
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July 15, 2010

Pros:

Gets rid of acne. Mild relapse but no more boils and scarring

Cons:

My side effects were: Dry lips, flaking and irritation of skin, acne did get worse, I also had severe joint pain resulting in having to take OTC glucosamine, pain occurred in my knees, ankles, back. (noticeable "creeking" of joints). Skin sensitivity (i'd get blisters from bandaids.. and no more waxing). Occasional nose bleeds, and photosensitivity.

This is only a medication for someone where nothing else worked. As a female, I had to sign up for iPledge and take quizzes every month, do pregnancy tests every month, and blood/urine tests. My cousin had to be taken off of it due to liver problems, so this medication has a high likelihood of causing issues, my issues were not too bad though. I had boils that would scar on my back and other places of my body. Today, after I think a year of being off accutane, I have clear skin except for very tiny random pimples. (size of a pencil tip)
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July 9, 2010

Pros:

Significantly reduces acne/outbreaks..95% reduction for me..facial/ back/ chest acne

Cons:

Reported:
VERY dry skin
Joint pains, etc..

Took the drug in late 1982 to early 1983...drug just came out of trials...so I was basically still part of that trial I guess you could say. The drug was a miracle cure for my chronic acne..I have had 95% or more reduction on my acne since taking Accutane. In just last 2 years have developed some minor acne on my face again in the nose area and chin....have tried max clarity recently and got great results. As for Accutane, I would not hesitate to recommend the drug to those who have severe cases of acne like myself. Reports of depression and bowel disorders with the drug...I can only report that I may have what is commonly referred to as irritable bowel disease....nothing that can't be managed. Definitely only take accutane under a doctors care and review. Again, for those with severe or chronic acne only.
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July 6, 2010

Pros:

Intense as it may be, this is an incredible drug. I tried nearly everything for years.

I haven't had a large pimple in months and don't even worry about getting them anymore. My skin is gradually healing (FINALLY) and I feel like I can move on with my life.

Cons:

The side effects can be a bit nerve wracking (everyone must make their own decisions about what's worth sticking out or not). The need for blood work and other tests make using this drug more burdensome than using others ever is.

Basically, its a serious drug and can be an intense experience.

I'm only about 5 months post accutane so time will tell if the results will be lasting which, obviously, I hope happens. NOTES Your skin is brittle so be careful, I got several scratches and cuts from very simple day to day stuff. Don't consider waxing. Take with fat. If you have a ridic initial breakout be careful with steroids, had a bad experience there. Aquaphor is your friend. I am glad to live in Canada where this was mostly covered minus a total deductible of about 300 CAD for the entire treatment. In Canada your GP can prescribe it for anyone wondering and you don't have to do the pregnancy testing (if applicable) or the registration system. If the side effects are intense or if your blood work is only mildly off, consider lowering and extending your dose or taking a break (talk to your doc bla blah). I did that to a certain extent and it worked out really well in the end. I am so much happier having taken this drug, the quality of my life has improved tremendously and, as far as I can tell at this point, the side effects are temporary, mild, and dose dependent. I am so much happier having taken this drug, the quality of my life has improved tremendously. x
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July 3, 2010

Pros:

Clears up your acne
Increase self confidence
Decrease redness
Helps get rid of acne scars.

Cons:

Dry lips
Dry Skin
Headaches(only for the first few days)
Monthly Bloodwork
You *might* get sun burnt easier.

This medicine clears up your acne completely. I've only been taking one 40mg pill each day for 2 and a half weeks, and my face is almost clear!! It used to be all oily and red and pizza faced. Now it still has some pimples, but it doesn't even compare to what it used to look like. My acne used to be so bad I would not look people in the eye for more than a few seconds. Now, the only downfall about this medicine is that you get dry skin, and VERY dry lips. I have to have Chap Stick with me ALL THE TIME!!(I recommend "Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm," or Blistex. It seems like all the other ones just make it worse. Also, use a VERY gentle face cleanser. This medicine already makes your skin dry as hell, but on top of that you don't need some harsh face wash full of chemicals to add to it. I would recommend "Cetaphil-Gentle Face Cleanser." You can pick this up at any Walmart, or local supermarket. Wash twice a day, morning and at night before bed. When I first started on this medicine, I had some minor headaches for the first few days. Then I had one migraine for a whole day. (But then again, I had a fever of 102 F) After that I haven't had a headache since. I would recommend this to ANYONE who has very bad acne. My dermatologist told me that he's had people with acne all over their body come in and this cleared them up within 6 months. So yes, GET THIS NOW. (Make sure you have insurance, or you're going to be paying about $600)
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June 29, 2010

Pros:

clears skin up completely
fades scars

Cons:

personally i got:
chapped lips, light nosebleeds, back pain, dry skin, bloodshot eyes

i wanted to review this because at the start of this year i was trawling these pages on an almost daily basis, really low because my skin was so bad but also panicking at all the scary stories from people. i went on roaccutane in mid february, i came off it 2 weeks ago and i don't have a spot to speak of. my scars are also fading, and the other day i actually left the house make up free - a big achievement for me (i used to wear a full face of makeup to the gym). i did have some bad side effects, but personally they were all pretty minor for me and cleared up after a while. The chapped lips are something that i don't think you can imagine until you experience, but although its bad (i would apply lipbalm in the middle of eating) that also cleared up a bit towards the end of my treatment. it is amazing to have clear skin, i can look people in the eyes and i'm just so happy to look the way i've always wanted. i don't feel ashamed anymore, i don't have to slather on makeup now and i just feel comfortable in my own skin! i'm 17 and suffered from severe acne from about the age of 13, so i finally feel good. my treatment was also free as i live in england and we have the NHS. so for anyone worrying about going on roaccutane, all i would say is DON'T! take the leap and you could have the skin you've always dreamed of.
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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