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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5
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4
34.1%
3
15.3%
2
7.3%
1
6.2%

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June 14, 2010

Pros:

Completely cleared up my acne within the 16 weeks I was on it

Cons:

Inconvienent side affects

My skin before: moderate acne, lots of annoying pimples, acne scars, blackheads, very very very oily skin. - Within 2 weeks of being on Roaccutane, my normally digustingly oily skin had been dryer, but not too dry. My skin stayed matte throughout the whole day, and I woke up in the morning with matte skin, unlike before when my skin would be constantly greasy. - At first, as the Doctor said, my acne did get worse. I got a few big spots, but they would clear in just a couple of days. My doctor said this is what normally happens when you first start on it. - Inconvienent side effects: constantly chapped lips (had to constantly put lip balm on, which became quite annoying), sometimes skin would go dry in patches (had to moistrise more than usual when this happened, which I wasn't used to as I normally avoided moistrising because of my normally greasy skin), ezcsma on my arms and legs (which i've never had before, but creams cleared this up, and it disappeared as soon as I came off Roaccutane) and dry inside of nose (happened after about 2 months, my nose became really dry and a little bloody, which was annoying, but not as serious at the nose bleeds I was told I would have by my doctor). - I also had a really random side effect, which was my nails becoming really weak and brittle for about a week, and also sore for a couple of days. But I had no other problems with my nails after that. However, the positives: - My acne is COMPLETELY GONE. - It dried up my oily skin, and my skin has also stayed non-oily when I came off roaccutane, but not as dry as it was when I was on it. - My hair used to go really greasy quickly, and Roaccutane stopped this from happening, and my greasy hair has not returned since I come off it. I am 17 and since I was 11 have suffered really bad with acne. THIS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE! I would recommend it to anyone. The side effects can be annoying, but the end result is so worth it, its worth having chapped li
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June 11, 2010

Pros:

It clears all acne on the face, after your treatment your skin will be spot free

Cons:

It's really drying. It will make your face very red.

This is a really good treatment for acne. When on the drug you should expect very drying skin. I used Dermalogica moisturiser which works very well. Lips also get chapped. Skin will become very red and cracked - this is normal so don't say to yourself "this isn't working". When the treatment stops, your skin will return to its original complexion. Obviously it does nothing to combat the scars however. Avoid standing in bright light because it will make you look awful, because of the redness!
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June 11, 2010

Pros:

Clears Skin well
Easy to use

Cons:

Dry Skin/Lips
Red Face

I had been on a couple of different antibiotics for around three years and I never had any improvement. I was obviously self-conscious of my acne, but the main problem I had with it was very comfortable, especially when I had large spots of my back. Bumping into something on my shoulder would have been incredibly painful for me. I went on a five month course of Accutane, and I had no improvement until around three months in. My skin is now completely clear of acne (as of three months after stopping). My face looks very good, and while my back has quite bad scarring, it still looks a lot better than before. The Dry skin and lips were a chore to maintain - I had to moisturise my face every morning and I used a combination of Vaseline and Carmex for my lips. I also put Vaseline up my nose as recommended by my Dermatologist (disgusting, I know) to prevent nosebleeds. The side effects were not as bad as I expected after researching the drug, but of course it varies from person to person. I would definitely recommend trying it. Make sure you get a good moisturiser - the first one I used was fine until around half way through, when it only lasted a couple of hours. I used E45 lotion. I also found that Carmex was good for healing dry lips (eg. in the morning when you wake up) and Vaseline was useful throughout the day to maintain my lips. If you exercise a lot, you will experience aching muscles. I cut back on swimming, but when ever I did my muscles were aching after only one or two lengths, but as I kept going weren't as bad. Clearly, the side effects are annoying but in my opinion they are completely worth it. If my acne does come back in the future, I would go back on Accutane.
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June 9, 2010

Pros:

Clear Skin - New found confidence

Cons:

Dry lips?

You people that are saying Accutane has ruined their life sound like your suffering from a little prolonged depression. Get out there and be happy - You have clear skin! :D
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May 24, 2010

Pros:

Cleared skin amazingly

Cons:

Dry lips
Eczema
Achy bones / muscles
Tiredness
Mood swings
Abnormal liver function results
Sore inside of nose
Regular conjunctivitis
Couldn't drink as much, terrible hangovers if i did
Generally feeling flat & ill & crap!!

I finished a 4-5 month course in Feb and despite the odd tiny pimple, my skin is oily again, yet clear. I took 25mg for 4 weeks and then 55mg for 14 or 15 weeks. There's lots of nasty side effects and it doesn't get rid of existing scars BUT it does stop you from getting spots. At what cost to my liver and how long i'll stay clear for, i don't yet know. 100% recommend if your acne is bad because otherwise you'll be so tempted to give in sometimes as the effects can be so harsh. I know i've listed alot of cons, i did experience all of them and the 1-2 months were particularly rough. But the side effects vanished within a matter of weeks after finishing the course. The bottom line is - I WOULD still use Roaccutane again if my spots returned. It works wonders and to have clear skin for the first time in over 10 years feels amazing.
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May 22, 2010

Pros:

*Pimples go away!!!
*Blackheads go away!!!
*Skin becomes oil free!!!

Cons:

*Bloody Nose
*Dry lips
*Back Aches

I told myself I would write a review if this worked and it did! I started clavaris (a brand of isotretinoin pill) in Novemeber. Within two months my blackheads started to get pushed out until I had no blackheads left. My skin, which was origionally really oily, stays oil free all day now. When I started clavaris I had about four to fve really painful pimples all over my face each day. After four months on maximum dosage, my skin was still not clearing I was convinced it wouldn't happen. By month five it finally kicked in and I havent had a pimple in a month! So be patient if your skin is taking a while to clear! Some cons about isotretinoin medication is the dry lips. Aquaphor vaseline is a miracleworker for this. I got some back aches but they weren't severe. I also got a couple nosebleeds while on clavaris which was embarassing but worth the final product. Aquaphor can be put in your nose too which moustrizes and helps prevent nosebleeds. BOTTOM LINE: This product is great and you should defineatly ask your dermatologist about it!
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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!
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May 20, 2010

Pros:

Clears severe acne
Leaves skin flawless
Fades scarring and red marks
gets rid of excess oil

Cons:

minor dry skin (chapped lips)
increased my liver enzymes
sunburn easily

Nothing has ever worked on my acne as well as accutane. I used to have severe nodular inflammatory acne and was finally put on accutane when it got really bad my junior year of high school. I started at 10mg first month then 20mg second month, 30mg the third and topped off at 40mg the remaining months. It took about 4-5 months before my acne was noticeably better. I didn't noticed a IB probably because my acne was already pretty bad to begin with. By 6 months there was only a few red marks left. After 9 months my skin was completely flawless and my confidence was never so high. This was the time I got my senior picture and my skin looks absolutely amazing in that picture. However around this time my monthly blood test showed very high liver enzymes out of the blue and my doctor immediately took me off without hesitation. It may have been because I started drinking around this time. DON'T drink while on accutane, it can only do you harm. About 2-3 months later my acne came back, though not nearly as severe. Now 2 years later, it has slowly gotten worse and could be considered moderate acne now. Currently I am trying tretinoin to see if it can replicate accutane's results. If you have severe acne like I did I'd give it a 5, however if your acne is only mild to moderate I'd recommend trying retin-A or another topical retinoid.
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May 14, 2010

Pros:

if you have horrible acne like i did in sophmore year of highschool, u need to take this drug. dont screw around with other crap like deoxycycline or differin or duac or other stuff that doesnt work. Accutane is the best period.

Cons:

If your fam has a history of hairloss, you will get it from taking this drug. Im not talking about balding, but u will get some minimal thinning in the front. however, this didnt happen until 3 years after i took it. But trust me you can always wear a hat if u want for ur hair. BUT U CAN NEVER WEAR A HAT TO COVER UR FACE!!!!!

take this drug, your acne will be destroyed. For those of you who have had instences of depression/over aggression its not because of the pill. Its because you are that way. 45 students in my highschool took this pill at 40 mg 2x a day for 6 months and not one of us had depression or over aggression. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU DO NOT PICK AT THE ACNE ON UR CHEEKS WHILE ON THIS DRUG! YOU WILL GET SCARS! if you do have scars get affirm co2 laser treatments i have had two and all my deep pitted scars are completely gone.
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May 14, 2010

Pros:

Clears SKIN

Cons:

Chapped Lips
Sore Muscles - Aches & Pains
Dry Nose
Dry Skin

If your on the fence about accutane, get it! The side effects are really not that bad but waking up everyday without a new pimple is amazing. Total self confidence booster. Going the whole day working two jobs, in the heat and humidity, without being greasy is awesome. I am in my fifth (and final) month and have not had a pimple in almost two months. Get it. Get IT. Get. It.
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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