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

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April 12, 2012

Pros:

Cleared it up
**but comes back after being off of it for 3 years**

Cons:

severe headaches
body ached
tired
lips were drying and chapping
lack of energy
ankles hurt
NOT a cure just will fix it for a few years**

it will be a temp relief it doesnt cure hormonal acne.
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April 12, 2012

Pros:

-Gets rid of Acne, Oily Skin & Blackheads.
-Clear skin!
-

Cons:

-Takes 6 months to see FULL results.
-Red, dry skin.
-Initially, skin gets worse.

I was on Accutane (40mg) for 6 months (one pill per day). I am so happy that all the bad reviews didn't stop me from using this product. It has been 2 months since I've been off Accutane and I am thrilled to say that I have 100% clear skin.I must say, everyone gets different results from this. Some clear up quicker than others, so don't get discouraged. I was constantly breaking out even well into the 5th month of treatment. I was almost positive that the product wasn't working for me, as I read that most people have clear skin after 3rd month. Regardless of all discouraging reviews I read, I kept on it and I am so thrilled I did so. Although the journey was harsh and felt extremely long, it was well worth it. Give it a try!
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April 12, 2012

Pros:

-no more breakouts
-softer skin
-acne scars disapeared
-NO INITIAL BREAKOUT!!
**Major confindence boost! (feeling crappy to feeling awesome and acne free)**

Cons:

-very dry eyes
-chapped lips
-dry nose & skin
-small dry rash on hands & arms
-Extremly sun sensitive(during the summer) sunburn liike crazy!
-monthly doctor visits, and blood work
-Cuz im a girl it took a whole month to get perscribed (ipledge system)

I love Accutane! and i am so glad to finally be done with it :) thoughout highschool i was on benzaclin which kept my acne clear but then when i got to college my acne started bulging out. Went to the derm and she gave me tazorac .5%. Uggh hate that crap didnt do anything. then she moved me up to .1%. Worse than ever!! my acne had the biggest breakout ever and i was on it for 7months!! nasty looking skin. finally after that horrible year using taz and solodyn (sh*t dont work either!) i went back to the doctor and she told me about accutane. I didnt wana do it at first cuz of all the negative things i heard about it. But it serioulsy worked!!! my face looks amazing! you can not even tell i ever had acne! Okay so i had cystic acne and i had like 50 white heads all over my face with shiny oil all over. I hated getting ready for school or anything. And i relied so much on my make up! had minor deppression tooo! But thank God im over that:) So basically after that month of waiting for the stupid birthcontrol stuff i got on Accutane in November i got on 40mg of Claravis (generic brand for accutane). My Acne improved in the first month!!!:) Then on december i got on 30mg 2x a day (60mg). And improved even better each month. And noww its April so i am done!!! 6 months of this was sooo worth it!! Problems i have are just dryness of skin, lips and irritatingly dry eyes (cant even wear eyeliner!!) But it is serioulsy all worth it cuz now i can pour on the bronzer:) Love the skin! And best of all no horrible side effects. So from my experience dont be afraid of taking accutane like i was. just do it! it is the best thing out there for you if nothing out there works for you. All the other medicines suck compare to this thing! I hated my skin so much and in 6 months i LOVE it. And last thing i forgot the products i used!!! -Cetaphil face lotion -Cetaphil face wash & Dove bar soap -Avenno Positively Radiant SPF 30 (for daily sunburn protection) -
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April 12, 2012

Pros:

Cleared my skin
gave me confidence

Cons:

dry skin
dry lips
dry eyes
moody
scalp is flaky

This is actually my second round of Accutane. The first time it was necessary my skin was really bad. I actually starting breaking out in the 4th grade. I was teased so much and I tried everything! When I was 17 I was given the option to try accutane I'm now 28 so it was 10 years ago. I remembered the severity of the treament but one thing I can say is it completely cleared up my acne. I was acne free for years then I had a baby when I was 20 and while I was pregnant I got some pregnancy acne which was normal. Since having my son my break outs aren't even remotely close to being as bad as they were when I was a teenager but they are still annoying being an adult dealing with breakouts. My acne is of course worse when its that time of the month but I miss my skin when I didn't have to use anything. After all those years of using products I want to not have to use anything on my skin. Occasional break outs won't be that bad. I started seeing results earlier this time around we're talking within the first couple of days. I'm almost done with my second month. My dr is still saying a 5 month course I hope that I don't have to go that long but I will because I know it works. You have to be patient and just like any other medication it's going to give different results to different people. Good luck!
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April 7, 2012

Pros:

Clear skin after ~3 months
No more cystic acne
Can finally smile without it hurting! (cystic acne around mouth)
Confidence is back!
Even gets out blackheads! (added benefit)

Cons:

Dry skin
Redness (from thin skin)
Dry lips
Dry eyes
Aches
Nosebleeds (stopped)
Other side effects

This drug is very harsh but it works. I am on my last month, and I can honestly say I have not one single cyst or pimple on my face. However, my skin is not flawless. I do have one small cholesterol deposit/milia under my eye, which should go away. I also have many red marks. I heard these red marks go away, however, after 2 months of getting off! Well, at least they get dramatically better. After month 3, I couldn't wash my face anymore or else my face would be beat red. I splashed my face with cold water and put on Cetaphil Gentle Skin Lotion as many times as it took before the redness died down. Be super gentle with your skin on this stuff! Don't pick at it AT ALL! Especially after month 2. I accidentally got a scratch between my eyes and now I have a scar (hopefully it will go away!). Don't exfoliate. Just be super duper gentle! Side effects will come and go. Just communicate with your doctor/parents (if you're a teen like me), and be careful. To me, it was definitely worth it. I went from having cystic acne everywhere to having no pimples whatsoever. I tried Differin, Proactiv, keflex, monocycline, etc etc. I needed to find my cure and this was it! IF your skin can tolerate it, if you get angry pimples on accutane, take a Q-tip and put the smallest amount of Proactiv sulfur mask on it overnight. It a couple of nights, it will be gone! Otherwise, just moisturize!!! Any lip balm will do. Be careful & believe, and in half-years time, your skin will be savable :) Maybe not perfect, but something to work with until your complexion is smooth and nice!
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April 5, 2012

Pros:

-Completely Cleared all the pimples
-Completely cleared all acne marks left behind
-Gave me a perfectly clear and glowing face
-made my complexion even and my skin very smooth

Cons:

-dryness of lips and face
-dryness of eyes sometimes

This medicine worked like a MIRACLE for me, i have no words to describe how much it helped me regain my beautiful clear face. :D I am 17 years old and i had acne for about a year, no other prescriptions or treatments worked and i was finally put on a moderate dose of accutane by my doctor- 20mg for 1st month, 30 mg for 2nd, 40mg for 3rd, 50 mg for 4th and 60mg for the 5th month. These five months changed my life, from a pimply unevenly toned and ugly face , i got a perfectly clear face, a face i couldnt even dream of :D Yes guys, this drug changed my life, after these 5 months, not even one pimple or not even a scar is left back on my face. i have a face which everyone dreams of having- glowing, clear and smooth. This Drug changed my life, it boosted my confidence, it made me handsome :D it enhanced my self esteem and more importantly it made me happy because after all every person who has acne , his/her dream is to have a clear face. i would strongly recommend everyone with acne problem to go on an isotroin prescription. Very often you hear people having acute side effects such as joint pain, suicidal thoughts, loss of hair, appetite, etc..All those are rare side effects and only happen to one person out of a thousand, this shouldnt stop you from taking isotroin as it is a life changing drug :D Precautions and Tips: - you may get more pimples initially , but dont worry as they will soon fade out along with the old pimples. - youre skin may become more exposed to the sun, hence wear a non - greasy and non-codomedic sunscreen lotion while going out in the sun. -use CETAPHIL CLEANSING LOTION as your face wash and CETAPHIL MOISTURIZER -USE URIAGE BARIDIERM LIP BALM. -Stay POSITIVE and HAVE FAITH int he medicine as the results will start showing properly only in the 4th months onwards. -Visit your dermatologist monthly to seek his advice and suggestion. THIS MEDICINE GAVE ME A PERFECTLY CLEAR FACE, I AM SURE IT WILL WORK FOR YOU
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April 4, 2012
I finally have my skin back after years of misery. The image obsessive media and shallow people in the world made me feel like a freak, now i no longer have to worry about people judging me which is all i wanted from this drug. Thanyou accutane!
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April 2, 2012

Pros:

-Started working immediately: I noticed an effect on my sebum production on the second day.
- Porcelain skin only a few weeks into treatment: no shine, no bumps!

Cons:

- Severely chapped lips for the duration of my course.
- Dry eyes and nose and everything else.
- Achy joints.

It wasn't easy, but it's worked. If I need a second course I will do it without hesitation. I'm 35 and took accutane as a last resort against my mild yet persistent adult-onset acne. Differin and Doxycline alone were not sufficient, and while it was rarely more than mild, it was persistent and spread also to my chest. I took 40mg of Accutane a day for 7 months, a low-ish dose and a long-ish course on account of my very slight build (45kg). Although my derm told me to stop using Differin, I had been through one nasty IB with Differin and wasn't keen to experience another when I resumed Differin after Accutane, so I continued to apply it every second night. I felt that I could gauge my skin's reaction and stop if I really needed to, but I didn't. My skin tolerated Differin while on Accutane just fine. I'm not recommending that others do this, it's just what I did. As for why I wanted to continue Differin if the Accutane worked: hooray for anti-ageing. My Accutane side effects were all 'normal' and while uncomfortable, never bad enough to make me want to give it up. I experienced overall dryness, even in places I didn't think it was possible to get dry. Vaseline on delicate lady areas became part of my daily routine, and even now, 6 weeks after my last dose, I have a funny dry patch around my tail bone of all places, and need to apply a cortisone cream to my elbow. Oh, and it also affected my periods. Accutane really does dry you from the inside out. I'm not much of a drinker so didn't mind no alcohol, and used the time to take extra care with diet and getting enough rest. I did miss lipstick and the ability to wear heels without ankle pain, but got more into eye makeup and cute ballerina flats, so no big deal there. It's 6 weeks since my last dose, and I still have the beautiful skin I remember from before adult acne. I really hope it lasts. If it doesn't I will definitely do a second course.
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April 1, 2012

Pros:

-Worked, completely cleared up acne all over face and body
-makes skin really dry and it peels (makes scars go away faster)

Cons:

-lips get really dry
-depression (not too severe)
-results not permanent

I took it 3 years ago, it worked really well. I was acne free for 3 years but broke out again a month ago. The break out wasn't as bad as it was before and I was able to treat it immediately with retin A
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March 29, 2012

Pros:

-Cleared my skin forever; no pimples at all left

Cons:

-Temporarily, I had dry skin and lips. These side effect lasted while I took the medication.

- Worked for me like nothing else. Miracle.
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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