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
December 8, 2007
Cons:
My skin was constantly dry. I suffered from depression. My acne returned.
For the amount of work required: two types of birth control for women, depression screening, blood tests, vitamin supplements, constant moisturizing, this product is demanding to say the least. If you suffer from severe scaring acne, as I do, the product will only subdue your acne. However, to this date, it is the best result producing product I have taken.
November 29, 2007
Pros:
No more oily face and hair (I can go all day without turning into a greaseball!), acne is clearing up
Cons:
Initial flare up, peeling skin, very chapped lips, dry nose/nose bleeds, muscle aches, joint pain especially in knees and neck, rash on the back of hands, tiredness
Although I have a lot of side effects, I am SO impressed and happy with this medication. After just one month my extremely oily skin and hair are so much less greasy and my moderate acne is starting to clear up. I'm 28 and have had acne that didn't respond to any treatment since I was 12. The side effects are manageable:
Aquaphor for chapped lips & rash (it's an ointment and it WORKS).
Saline spray for nose issues.
Advil for muscle aches & joint pain if it's bad.
A cup of coffee for tiredness + lots and lots and lots of water to counteract the drying effects of it. Between the de-greasing effect and the prospect that this is actually going to work, it's totally worth the side effects!
September 21, 2007
Pros:
kill's all ur acne, but if u dont wash ur face it will come back after using it, so be careful!
Cons:
dries face but nothing lotion cant fix :]
it may give u some sadness here and there but keep ur chin up and dont go emo.
dries skin = no acne, works lika charm. and makes u sad, dont go emo!!!1
September 14, 2007
Pros:
All oil on body and face goes away while you are taking the medicine.
Cons:
Feels like you are poisoning your body, horrible headaches, hair loss, skins worsens the first two months, acne returns within six months after treatment, tired all the time, mood swings
I have been on acctane for two treatments. 6 months in 2005 and 6 months in 2006. Both times acne returned just as worse. It it not WORTH the horrible side effects. It's just a shame there is nothing esle that works. The FDA should take this product off the market.
August 31, 2007
Pros:
Got rid of my sever acne. Never came back.
Cons:
None!
I had very severe acne for years! almost instantly gone after taking for six months. I have been off for two years and have not had ONE break out since.
August 7, 2007
Pros:
Cleared my acne on my face and back completely.
Very smooth skin
Cons:
AWFUL "initial breakout (which made me too depressed to go out)," very dry lips, rashes on arms, hands and ankles, nosebleeds every day in the 4th month, no drinking
I had several small pimples all over my forehead for years. recentley these pimples started on my cheeks and i decided to go on accutane. the initial outbreak was terrible i got huge pimples all over my cheeks (an area that wasnt too problematice before). the outbreak wasnt gradual either, i woke up one day with so many new pimples and some around my mouth where i had never had pimples before. However, my skin started to clear up instantly as well. i went home from school one weekend and came back with significantly clearer skin, my friends were amazed (this was during month 3). My skin has been clear since. Im 2 weeks post tane without a single pimple. i highly recommend accutane, dont let the side effects or "IB" scare you, i would take a couple weeks of worse acne for the perfect skin i have now. and the only depression you get is about your skin, and if you're reading this, you must be depressed about it alreay. it will work even when the IB is bad, it will CLEAR!
July 24, 2007
Pros:
In mon 7 now. Very slow to react for me but it finally seems to be actually working! My insurance covers it so all I have are co-pays but that's still $40 for doctor and $15 for rx. Doesn't matter if it works! Confidence is much higher!
Cons:
Hurt Hurt Hurt! Dry lips, cracked nose, my skin started to peal even on my ears. Joint aches, thinning, hair mood swings. I'm on the maximum dose of 120 mg a day and it's hard to put up with.
If it works completely it's going to be worth it. My self esteem had gotten very low and I was very self conscious, even when I was at home with family, I didn't want them to look at me. I can look people in the face now without any make up on and concentrate on them and what we're saying instead of what they might be thinking.
February 4, 2007
Pros:
smoother skin
Cons:
worsening of acne at beginning of use, blurred, tired vision
waiting to see if this really works. My acne has worsened and i hope it will not scarr too much. The dry lips are nothing really, when you think of the benefit. I often have burning eyes and fuzzy vision. what we won't do for our good looks, huh?
October 6, 2017
Changed My Life - Only Regret is Not Doing it Sooner
I did Accutane years ago, thought I'd give my two cents. Before Accutane I had cystic acne, and nothing would help - I tried so many different skin routines and acne products on the shelf, birth control, antibiotics... You name it, I tried it. My skin controlled my life and I was always so anal about keeping it clean, afraid of anything touching it, changing my pillow cases constantly, researching home remedies for hours. I knew Accutane was a possibility, but it scared me. I had heard about the initial breakout many people experience, and was afraid of this because I scar VERY easily. However, eventually when no other treatments worked, and I was still scarring anyways, I just decided screw it, I can either face the initial break out, or face a lifetime of continuous scarring. I went on Accutane and within the first couple months saw drastic improvement. Luckily, I never experienced an initial breakout. Just slow and steady decrease in acne right from the start. I do still get the occasional small spot here and there, but these are the type of pimples that are maybe 1-2 mm in diameter, are totally flat, do not scar, and fade away within a couple of days. Before Accutane I would get deep rooted, cystic nodules that were raised from the surface, painful, and could last over a month, but afterwards I never experienced another cystic pimple... NOT ONCE. The one negative effect was lip dryness that still affects me to this day. However, this one simple annoyance is absolutely nothing compared to the despairs of cystic acne. My only regret is not doing it sooner, I waited over a year to try it because I was afraid of the initial breakout, and in that time I just experienced additional scarring that could have been prevented had I started sooner.
August 28, 2017
So far so good
This is a partial review because I am only on this medication for two and a half months. So far, so good. I am 37 years old. Quick history of my acne: Severe case when I was 20 (it seemed it was an overnight flare out of the blue) - 2 years later I had it under control by using topical stuff but lots of damage had been done to my skin. Over the years I've done microdermabrasion, facials, fraxel and pixel to reduce scarring. I was also using ProActiv just to keep the flare-up at bay for almost 10 years. Fraxel made a huge difference in the appearance of the scarring. In January of 2017, I decided to go full natural products on my face as ProActiv was causing wrinkles around my eye area, that backfired on me (Lesson learned: Never do cold turkey on your skin). 3months into using natural products (March)I had full blown flare up with huge cystic acne even on my neck area and face became extremely oily. By April, I tried to return to ProActiv but it made my acne red and irritated so I discontinue it. At this point I was so down and thought there is no hope. I was depressed and hardly go out anymore. Going to work everyday was a dread. Finally went to dermatologist in May and right away she prescribed me with Accutane with brand name Claravis. I started the meds in June. Two and a half months later I can say that I was back to my old self. I am now able to go out, confidence is back and life is beginning to come back to normal. I still have acne here and there but definitely so much better than before. Just the fact that the oiliness has went away made a huge difference in the appearance of my skin. I had a purge in the first 2 weeks but slowly faded away. My derm said I should see full clearance around 4th or 5th month, I believe it since 2 and a half months so far made a huge difference. Side effects: Besides dry lips, virtually none. I keep up with a good moisturizer and lip balm, I'm good. Will update again once my full treatment is complete.
Pros:
This product cleared up my skin for the duration of the treatment and approximately a year afterwards.