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
August 7, 2011
Cons:
inconvenient especially for females
it has a scary, very biased reputation
chapped nose, lips, and skin
Finally my skin is clear. Don't listen to all the horror stories, please, it is worth a try!
search for a doc you can trust who is not afraid of accutane. I took 80mg for 5 months, sometimes twice a day. No side effects. I drank alcohol, was in the sun somewhat and, even with hx of depression had no sx of depression. It was the acne that depressed me!! you can skips days if you are too dry. Communicate with your doctor.
I am so pissed it took dr's so long to prescribe it to me. I'm 30! Look, having acne IS is about your health, so advocate for yourself, please.
July 25, 2011
Pros:
Clear skin
Clear blackheads, whiteheads
Cons:
Based on my experience:
Dry skin
Chapped Lips
Headaches
Joint/back pain
Only temporary, may cause long-term health risks
Like other acne products, accutane may not be for everyone. The main difference though, is that while most acne products are harmless, accutane can result in serious long-term health effects. I tried accutane about a year ago. I tried it for several months, and for those few months I was really happy because my face was clear for once and everybody complimented on my face. Yes, I underwent some side effects (as mentioned above) which were bearable, and the doctor had blood checkups with me regularly, but know that once you stop taking it, and you think that you no longer need to take it, there is a high possibility that it will come back. Like most has mentioned, your face will be really dry and you will feel discomfort as the process goes on. Your face will break out and it will be worse in the beginning before it starts to clear and get better. Basically what it does is that your skin just peels off due to it's dryness so you face thins a lot. At first it may seem worth it...and I was going to start taking it again, but then I realized it's not worth it. Shortly after I stopped taking accutane, my nipples darkened, dried up, and liquid was oozing out of it. It was serious to the point where I had to have biopsy. Whether or not this has to do with accutane, I can't be 100% sure, but why would this occur out of the blue? Then I think to myself. Those consequences listed on the package, though it is rare, it COULD happen to you. You could be the 1/10 people to experience it. Liver damage, incapable of pregnancy, whatever it will be ... I'm not willing to give this a second chance. I trust my doctor, but really, who knows? I would rather have acne all over my face (literally, as of now), than to risk my health. And I would know how important my health is, because when you personally know someone who suffers from pain through cancer everyday, you would think twice about taking this. Not trying to scare anyone...
March 31, 2011
Pros:
This stuff is absolutely incredible. I used to have the most oily skin by far of anyone I knew. After only 2 weeks on accutane - my oily skin was GONE!! it was completely amazing and then the rest of my 4 months on accutane was great - minimal side effects
Cons:
dry skin, dry lips, nose bleeds - that's it.
Wow, this stuff is absolutely incredible. Been off accutane for only 2 weeks but I am so glad I did it. I used to get nodules on my face that would take up to a month to get rid of and now I haven't had a single pimple in the last month ****knock on wood!!!****
March 16, 2011
Pros:
Cleared skin up quickly when nothing else worked!
Made the texture of my skin improve and look brighter and more even.
Skin becomes less oily.
Cons:
Very dry lips and cracks in the corners of the mouth.
Eczema on the hands and lower arm.
Constant nose bleeds and dry cracked nostrils.
Depression.
Back aches.
General sorness.
Blood tests.
Acne came back after first treatment, however not so severe.
I am on it for the sxecond time and so far so good again. The bottom line is it is the only thing that worked for me so, to be honest, although some people may disagree with me, I was in such a bad way, that all of the side effects were worth it, just to get clear skin and my confidence and ultimatly my life back! Hope this helps you. If you are as desparate as I was then it really is the only option. I had tried absolutly everything else on the planet for my skin and nothing else worked!!
January 23, 2011
Pros:
Clear Skin
Confidence
Less oily skin and hair
Cons:
No alcohol for the duration of treatment
Very dry skin and eczema
Slight hair loss (offset by use of moisturising treatments)
Going on Roaccutane is the best decision I have ever made in my entire life! I say that without any hesitation whatsoever. Yes there were bad times too during the course of my treatment but I honestly couldn't give a crap because I'm acne-free. I had a small initial outbreak that seemed huge at the time but at my 6 week visit I only had two pimples and they were the last pimples I have ever had. I was on Accutane for 5 months (was supposed to be 6) so that means I haven't had a zit in almost 4 months!!! I started off with 20mg and gradually worked up to 50mg so I reached a cumulative dosage of about 100mg. I am very aware that it is 20mg below the recommeded dosage but I hope that since I cleared so early and my acne was only moderate at it's worst but mostly mild that it will stay away. The reason I had to stop early is because of bad eczema on my cheeks that was unbearable for a few days that popped up every weekend (weird pattern) over Christmas. It also coincided with extremely cold weather here in Ireland so that was probably an exacerbating factor. My bottom line for Accutane is this - if you've tried everything else and your acne is really getting you down then go for it. I suffered for 5 years before I made the plunge and it was well worth it!
January 18, 2011
Pros:
Embarrasing Acne is gone and I feel and look hott!
Cons:
Chapped Lips, and may have to go on a second treatment
It is worth it! I had chapped lips, and that's it. My acne has come back a little bit, but I did not take the prescription as I should have, so I am going to go back to the derm. and get back on it and take it like I should have. Even so my acne now can never compare to what I had. Also it is easily covered with make-up. My boyfriend before I knew him had terrible cystic acne, I met him while he was on the drug and I got to see him gradually get better. He also looks amazing. The bad side effects are rare, and I did all my research before I took the stuff. It is worth it if acne gets in the way of your social life or if you want to look better.
January 2, 2011
Pros:
Gets rid of acne that is deep down in skin and acne that is already present. Removes acne that is stubborn and difficult. Leaves skin feeling beautiful! Builds confidence!
Cons:
More prone the sun/wind burn. Skin may get irritated and dry. I broke out with a mild and easy to treat staff infection.
Use this product if you have tried all the creams and washes on the shelf. You may have heard people complaining about dryness and the blood tests, but it really is worth it. It removes all acne, and only occasionally i break out with a zit here or there, but my dermatologist gave me a cream that removes it within a few days, and reduces its size over night! I am so confident!
December 4, 2010
Pros:
skin starting to clear
Cons:
back ache!
I have only been on accutane for a few days (40mg per day), already my skin is starting to improve but my lower back is very sore.
July 26, 2010
Pros:
-reduced my oily skin and hair
-eliminated cysts
-reduced inflammation
-reduced my rosacea symptoms
-cheap with insurance
Cons:
-for some it can take a while to work
-its results are not permanent for many
-if you have acne compounded with another skin condtion, such as rosacea, high dosages of accutane can irritate/agitate that condition)
-you can't take it long term
-it doesn't work as effectively each subsequent time you go on it
I've done accutane twice. It worked the first time immediately (within a month of taking it at 60 mg/day), even though I had severe acne and rosacea. My skin stayed clear for abouttwo years after, but then some of my acne symptoms began returning and I rushed off to the derm again. I was proscribed a slightly higher dose of accutane (80 mg/day) and my skin did not respond to that as well. After three months of flushing and ittle improvement in my acne, I went off of Accutane and went on Spironolactone, and now my face is clear! I would reccomend Accutane, yes, but understand that it loses its effectiveness each subsequent time you take it. If you're a women, you should skip the accutane altogether and see if you can take spironolactone instead.
July 8, 2010
Pros:
Cleared up acne for a couple weeks
Cons:
Clear skin did not last. The worst side effect was the red skin and the serious flushing that happened after being in cold/hot temperatures or stressful situations. Also experienced heightened anxiety and occasional anxiety attacks. It is very expensive (about $1000 for 60 mg) if you don't have insurance. It increased sensitivity to the sun and made my skin very fragile.
Don't expect perfection like I did, because you could be seriously disappointed. I was on accutane for 8 months- 60 mg for the first 7 months and 80 for the 8th- and it only cleared me up for the last month and two weeks after that. Then the oily skin came back, with small break outs, and then larger breakouts similar to what I experienced before. I am now back on the topicals and oral antibiotic treatments, and considering a second round of accutane.
I am 23 and have had acne since age 12, which has gotten worse since i turned 21. I think accutane is worth trying because the potential benefit of clear skin is worth the costs of this intense drug. I hope it works better for you than it did for me!
Pros:
no more oil!
no more acne!
easy, no topicals to apply!
rosy glow
improved scars
cheap
effective