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
May 6, 2008
Cons:
Veryyy dry skin lips and hands (my hands still get extremely dry in the winter)
I know many people than have one used it once and it has given them PERFECT skin (I' couldn't even believe they have acne before!)
It was did wonders on my skin since the first week of use and it didn't get any worse at first. However, about a year and a half later I got the acne bad maybe not as bad since it greatly controls cystic ance but I'm still very unsatified for the moment. I will soon go ton it again for 2 months.
I DEFINETLY reccomend it thought!!!! It's the only thing that "cures" (to whatever extent depending on the inividual).
SOOOOO worth it!
April 14, 2008
Pros:
it cured my acne- I was one of the first to take this drug when it was approved in 1981. I had tried EVERYTHING to clear up my skin. Years of antibiotics, retin A, topical antibiotics. Nothing worked.
Cons:
Dry nose, dry eyes, chapped lips.
I would highly encourage those that have persistant, deep acne to try accutane. I consider it a cure for my acne. For years after the treatment, my skin was actually normal. About 15 years after taking it, but skin became oily again, but with no breakouts. My dauaghter is coming of "age" and before her skin gets as bad as mine was (scarring) I will put her on accutane. To me this drug was a miracle and I really can't understand all the bad press about it.
April 1, 2008
Well let me say that I'm a guy and started really suffering with acne when I hit 26. I mean really bad. It was mainly on my cheeks and jawline. Huge red pulsating and painful pimples. It got 2 a point where I couldn't even look in the mirror or go outside in public without feeling like a mutant.even cocncealer coiulnt hide em. And as a guy it isn't easy admiting I put concealer on but I did anyways cuz it was that bad. The worst feeling I hated was when talkin 2 people and instead of lookin at me they'd glance at my zits. And some would ask "what happened 2 ur face?" u can't help but tear up cuz that hurts and then u become a hermit and hide from society. So then I began spending 100s upon 100s of dollars (at least a 1000) on everything i thought may work. I bought everything. Murad, proactive, clean and clear, then I got desperate and experimented with tea tee oil, jojaba oil, honey, even toothpaste. All this experimenting most likely made my face worse but my face was already bad s
March 27, 2008
Pros:
no acne, soft skin, no breakouts
Cons:
dry lips
accutane is the best thing ever hapened to me. seriously. I've had some acne 2 years ago on the right side of my face. rest of my face was bad, but not as bad as the right side.I was on accutane 24 weeks. my skin looked perfect. it cleared completely in a month, and after that I didn't get a pimple. after I stopped taking the drugs my face has gotten even better. I didn't have to use covers or powders and that was definitely the biggest relief. my skin was perfect for about a year. however in the last few months I started breking out again. I don't have acne, thank god, but it's not as clear as it was, and some pimples started to appear on my face. so again I have to use cover just to hide scaring and redness. I was thinking on going to 2nd course of accutane but I'm not so sure my dermatologist would agree. hope it's just due to stress over college and stuff.anyway, I recomend accutane to everyone who has acne, because, believe me, other drugs and other products DON'T WORK!!!
March 21, 2008
Pros:
Got rid of acne, left skin smooth and soft
Cons:
Acne came back after a year
I didn't experience extreme drying of the lips or skin. The product works great, just disappointed acne came back after a year. When i was taking it, people complimented me on how beautiful my skin was. It was great!
March 20, 2008
Pros:
totally clear, soft, smooth skin
Cons:
VERY dry lips, occasional bloody nose and headache, ipledge program is a total pain
female, 19
about 6 months ago i was looking at reviews wondering if i should go on accutane...nothing else had worked for my acne, and after 6 years battling it my derm finally put me on accutane. i was hesitant...the side effects sounded scary. but honestly, this is THE BEST treatment EVER. the first couple of weeks were rough, but after that my skin only got better and better. the side effects should be that bad...just make sre to have a really good moisturizer and have lip balm on hand at all times. accutane has totally changed my life...i am so so happy i went on it!!
February 19, 2008
Pros:
Cheap
Cons:
It has a lot of side effects
Accutane sucks! It's a false hope for people suffering from acne. While using it started to notice small improvements in a months time, then all of a sudden my skin was back and this time worse. I stopped and started using Clear Pores, which worked miracles for me in a short period of three weeks. Thanks Clear Pores.
February 10, 2008
Pros:
bloody awesome!!
Cons:
bit of dry skin
this stuff is seriously good! i have been on it for bout 6 weeks now and I have started to see some improvement already!
Doctors say you cant go to the gym, but i still do 4 sessions a week, plus take creatine and have had no side affects, apart from seeing some good gains in the gym!
dont think about it just do it! it is worth the initial breakout and all that!
February 1, 2008
Pros:
cleared my skin up by month 3. less oily skin. only had to wash my hair twice a week. evened out my skin tone. no more acne!
Cons:
exhaustion. trouble concentrating. scatterbrained. muscle aches. mild mood swings. dry nostrils.
This stuff works. I've tried EVERYTHING and nothing compares to Accutane. I was on it for 5 months and I really didn't see much improvement until month 3. But once it started improving, it only got better. I just took my last pill over a week ago and I couldn't be happier! This is the clearest my skin has EVER been. Yeah, some of the side effects aren't all that pleasant but if you just go about your daily life and stop dwelling on them, the whole process is a lot easier and it's over before you know it!
January 27, 2008
Pros:
excellent treatment choice
Cons:
If your not a mentally stable and secure person you MIGHT experience some of the stated side-effects. For me just some minor depression, easily resolved with a good attitude. Chapped lips for sure (just use chapstick). Headaches. Photosensitivity.
I first took accutane for about 3 months at 80mg per day. Initially my acne did get worse before it got better for about 1 month, but at no point did accutane cause any major side effects. While on accutane take precautions with exposure to sunlight even in the SLIGHTEST amount, stop taking it if your gonna drink then resume afterwards (excessive liver damage), stay proactive and keep friends close (to avoid depression), do not forget to keep chapstick in your pocket (i went through 1/wk). You want horror stories about a medication, read about Zoloft. People with bad acne are prone to have emotional problems so of course studies will show elevated depression/psychosis problems. I'm a Navy Corpsmen so I didn't have to pay for it.
Pros:
FLAWLESS skin for the first year!!