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
September 11, 2010
Cons:
Side effects can be a bit creepy.
Blood and pregnancy testing (if applicable) are a pain.
Can be expensive if you don't have insurance.
Can potentially lead to long term health problems for some people (debated).
My side effects were -Dry skin, lips, and eyeballs.
-Very brittle skin- scratches that would have normally been nothing would bleed and take a while to heal.
-My liver enzymes went up so I had to reduce my dose.
-Bizarre pain in the heels and achilles (which was reported by others on the accutane logs)
-freckled very easily in the sun ALL OF THIS WAS 100000000% worth it. I am so much happier having taken this drug. I used to think about my skin constantly and now I get to think about other things. I look better and feel better and really feel like I can put the years of acne and failed treatments behind my (forever hopefully). If you have problems consider lowering your dose. Odds are you will still have a good outcome and lessen the side effects. Don't be too scared to try this. I wish I had taken it two years sooner at least. I ended up loading my body up with all that crap, AND THEN ALSO accutane. I should have just cut to the chase. If a doc tells you your acne isn't bad enough and you have nodular or cystic acne, or chronic moderate acne or worse, find someone else. Get this drug guys, I can't emphasize that enough.
June 14, 2010
Pros:
Made skin much less oily
Cleared some areas
No serious side effects for me
Cheap with insurance
Cons:
Didn't clear biggest problem area
Chapped lips
Some eczema
I am a 22 year old female who has had acne since I was a teenager, but it has worsened in the past few years. My biggest problem area is the side of my face, right below my cheeks. My skin in very oily. I completed 5 months of claravis (generic accutane) and I definitely saw improvements. I have very oily skin and it completely fixed that when I was on it. It made my lips chapped but Aquaphor is the absolute best thing for that. I stopped having body acne completely. Acne on my face cleared except in my main problem area which continued to have about 1 new blemish a week during the course of this medication. I developed some eczema but after moisturizing regularly, it cleared up. I finished 5 months, and when I stopped taking the medicine, my face regained all oiliness within a month, I got body acne again, and my face broke out in places where it hadn't broken out in a very long time! I hope to do another course of this medicine when my dermatologist will allow it. I would absolutely recommend this medication, especially if you have oily skin. I had no serious side effects at all, and really the only annoying thing was the chapped lips and the monthly appointments.
June 1, 2010
Pros:
it clears u up
Cons:
u look horrible for the period u r on it.
with this u have to have some patients. for the period u r on this medication u look like sh*t ur lips are chap ur always sundurned. this is a last resort medicene and i only subjust it for ppl with severly moderate acne or worst do to all of its side affect. I've been off it for a year now my face is staying clear but my back has started to break out again, in tht case go see your dermatologist again I've been using some topical stuff and the stuff is staying away. long story short it will do wonders for u u js have to wait n follow the doctors orders. i didnt miss a day on it
May 21, 2010
Pros:
Clears skin fast! Smooths out the bumbs! Acne is dissapearing!
Cons:
Dryness everywhere! *to be expected*
I have pretty bad acne, like SEVERE. And I never leave my house because of it, or rarely do, I hate having to look like a clown with pounds of makeup and just hated life because of how BAD my acne was. It affected my life in the worst ways! So I had enough and decided to go through the long process of getting accutane. I got it, it has been one week! ONLY ONE WEEK! And I feel more confident, because I know this stuff works, my acne is going down, before it was all flared and gross, now it is subsiding and looking better than I have seen it in a long time! My skin used to be very oily and like 3 days into it, the oil goes away, and even my hair feels dryer. :) Totally worth it. So far so good, I can't wait to have PERFECT skin!
November 28, 2009
Pros:
Smooth skin, less blemishes, overall clear skin
Cons:
very irritable, troubles with concentration and focus, depression, back pains, socially distant, etc...
I'm a 23 year old girl and I've been on accutane for 5 months now and its cleared up greatly within the past few weeks. At first it got worse than before I was on accutane. I have slight mood swings, I'm depressed it's hard to concentrate at work or school my motivation is practically non-existant, I've had minor suicidal thoughts and dreams, friends think I'm not fun anymore when we're out. I just don't feel my old self anymore but I think at the end it's worth it so I gonna stick it out..I would definitely recommend this product.
November 9, 2009
Pros:
works quickly + effectively; literally tried everything on the market...everything else only worked for a few months
Cons:
insanely chapped lips that are bleeding, nosebleeds, return of eczema
There are side effects, but to have clear skin, they are totally worth it, because once you're done, the side effects go away, but the acne does not return!
August 27, 2009
Pros:
no oilyness (scalp/face)
Cons:
dry skin everywhere, skin takes longer to heal, nightmares, mild depression
i've been using isotane for 3-4 months now, and my skin is worse than when i begun the treatment. going to keep taking it in the hope that my acne is due to the bad stuff still coming out.
August 17, 2009
Pros:
100% clear face back and chest....
Cons:
dried eyes, nose, and lips which isnt too bad.. for dried lips and nose get AQUAPHORE its better than chap stick.... minor joint pain and stomach pain... minor depression
WORTH IT!!!
August 7, 2009
Pros:
*clears the worst, most hideous acne wonderfully.
*worked better for me than ciplacyproterone acetate hormone pills combined with Ginette birth control pills, or antibiotics.
*take it for six months then usually dont have to ever take again.
Cons:
*have to wait months for it to clear skin totally, dry skin and lips.
*after skin is cleared there will be redness for while.
*possibly contributes to depression.
dont take accutane unless you have seriously bad acne. Seriously bad acne like i had, means that you hardly have any clear facial spot left. It means redness with little yellow puss-filled pimples and other pimples all over the face. It means disfigurement, and a face so oily you can wipe the oil off your face with a tissue every three hours. Accutane worked better for me than antibiotics, hormone pills, birth control pills, and creams or facewashes. Accutane is probably the best acne medication in the world but i recommend u only take it if u have gruesome acne because it may have contributed to my depression. If you can cover up with makeup, then do it! still a product i have a lot of respect for, its a miracle.
January 21, 2009
Pros:
Works great. Positive results after only 2 weeks. I used it in high school and my face stayed clear for about 8 years. I just had a baby 5 months ago and my acne flarred up again so I am back on accutane. I am now on my second month of treatment.
Cons:
Very dry lips and scalp. Skin on face/neck/scalp are very sensitive and breaks easily.
If you have any issues with moderate to severe acne, get on this medication. I have used it before and it works wonders!! It is well worth the time and money. I totally gained more self-confidence knowing that I had clear skin.
Pros:
Gets rid of acne when nothing else does. Changes your life (for the better in most cases).
Restores confidence.