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 14, 2010
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.
January 15, 2010
Pros:
Cleared up a lot of my skin ( face, chest, back) in one packet (10 pills). It worked instantly. I have tried many products Differn, Retin-A, antibiotics, even high priced mall products but this is really effective for me.
Cons:
dry lips and dry flaky skin but can be easily reduced by fish oil and Vitamin E soft gel pills and carmex lip conditioner . I do suffer from some joint pains.
It really does work for me and I have never been happier. I have been suffering from on and off acne for 10 years. GOOD LUCK!
January 2, 2012
Pros:
Clear, perfect skin!!!
Eliminated blackheads
Non-oily hair
Confidence!
Cons:
Dry lips and eyes
Some inconveniences - staying out of sun, blood test, no waxing
I'm 5 months into treatment and I only wish I went on it sooner. I was terrified of trying Accutane because of the very vocal nay-sayers and vowed never to try it. I only went on after being strongly encouraged by my doctor and dermo. (Which I thought was rude of them at the time but now I'm practically kissing their feet, haha.) I actually couldn't sleep the night before I started taking it because I was so scared of the side effects, as I'm very sensitive to medications. Well, I was lucky enough to not get an initial breakout. My skin was smoother in a week and I was almost completely clear going into my 2nd month! Since then my skin has been perfectly smooth, clear and glowing. I get compliments all the time. AND, the blackheads I've had embedded on my nose since I hit puberty have vanished!!! (I'm 26.) My hair no longer gets oily hours after washing it. It feels so good to go without makeup and know I look nice. The kicker? The only side effects I've had are mild dry lips and eyes, which are easily treated with balm and drops. I'm on 20mg a day (47kg/104lbs body weight). My dermo said I could take 30mg/day but it's just as effective to stay on the low dose, which I think I might. Of course, the last hurdle will be seeing if I stay clear after treatment, but since I responded so well I'm hoping I will. The side effects have been so mild another course wouldn't break my heart anyway. All this said, I suffered with acne for over a decade and tried everything else under the sun first. Even.... urine therapy. And I did a tonne of research on accutane before going on it. Yet my advice is to take horror stories with a grain of salt - everyone's different and the only way you can know how you react to it is to try it. Someone with a bad experience is going to be a lot more vocal than someone for whom it worked and they just went on with their life. Be prepared that the drug might not be for you though and remember your health
April 24, 2011
Pros:
No more oily face, no more pimples on face or back, more confidence, spend less time getting ready
Cons:
Dry face & lips
I would recommend this drug for anyone who has severe acne. I've had acne for 10 years and I contemplated going on this drug for years because of of the side effects. I'm so glad I did & it was probably the best decision I could have ever made. Noone should have to suffer with acne that makes you not want to leave your house. I had no side effecs except for dry lips and skin which is no big deal at all. If you're suffering with this problem I would definitely try accutane it worked for me when nothing else would and I finally have my life back.
May 1, 2010
Pros:
clears skin
Cons:
so brutal on the organs! gave me nausea, extremely dry skin, insomnia and more. and about 6 months after treatment the acne was back
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone! It does a lot of damage that you can't see. But I do understand why a lot o people do try and are very happy with it - it clears everything! fast.
April 22, 2010
Pros:
CLEAR SKIN, CONFIDENCE, NEW LIFE
Cons:
just dryness around my lips and lips were very dry but was so worth it
i was very tired of going to local gp's who were prescribing me with anitbotics and topical creams...they didnt help me at all. then i decided to privatly see a dermatolgist as i could bear the pain of no seeing any one without make up. it is aweful when any body use to come to my house i would hide in the toilet soo that they dont see me.. i was so eshammed of my acne its undescribable..
so my dermotlist told me they pros and cons of the medication and i was a bit scared of depression as i was suffering from depressing of having acne.... BUT GUESS WHAT i didnt have no sad moods since having this ...what i have had is clear skin without any acne blemishes or new break outs ..touch woood!
its the best decision i have taken!
people out there with current break outs i feeel the pain u go though each day looking at the mirror PLEASE dont suffer give accutane the chance to transform your life.its a mircle drug ! can u imagine each day waking up with new progression on skin with amazing results ?
January 21, 2010
Pros:
Cleared my acne
Cons:
Dry lips, blurred vision(the first few days), headaches,dry skin.
I have been suffering with somewhat severe semi cystic acne for 5 years. Just started college and decided it was time for a change. I thought i would grow out of it but that wasnt happening... Took me 3 months to see my dermatologist and finally get some isotretitonin but man was it worth it. Doc gave me 80mg a day 2 capsules(40mg each) i started feeling the difference the first few weeks and after 7-8 weeks i didnt have any new cysts forming under my skin. i stopped after 3 months and ive been clear for 8months. The side effects are annoying but... the feeling of waking up in the morning and looking in the mirror and never having to worry about acne when you go out is the most amazing feeling. Should have done it sooner would have made highschool much more fun. An amazing drug with some nasty side effects but hey.. any drug that actually does something significant is gonna have some side effects.I recomend it to everyone. Good Luck =P
October 12, 2011
Pros:
-No more acne! :D
-HUGE boost in confidence. Huge.
-I went from wearing heavy foundation and two powders to just powder.
-Pretty much everything.
Cons:
-Dry lips, skin, eyes, nose
-Chapped lips to the extreme, I had to apply chapstick every half hour or my lips would crack and bleed (I'm not exaggerating).
-I scarred easily while on Accutane.
-Depression
-Mood swings
-Irritable
I am SO glad to have been on Accutane! Given the pros and cons, I would've taken those 4 months of discomfort to get rid of my acne any day.
While I know the effects of this drug vary from person to person, it worked well for me.
I started Feburary 2011 and finished in the latter half of June. Initially, I had planned on being on Accutane for 5 months (my dermatologist's recommendation), but because my skin had completely cleared by month 4 I decided to go off of it.
When I started I had terrible skin- at least 20 active cysts on my face at a a time, noticeable redness, oiliness to the extreme, the top half of my back was literally covered in cysts and my chest was red and bumpy. Wearing makeup did nothing to cover up the fact that I had acne and usually by mid-afternoon my face would be so oily my makeup would come off anyway. My face and back were painful to touch; I couldn't lean my back against anything without feeling uncomfortable and often found myself hesitating to rest my face on my arms/hands.
Not only was my acne painful and noticeable, but it caused me to be extremely self-conscious. I refused to leave anywhere without makeup and even then the minimal coverage wore off, so I had to reapply it multiple times throughout the day. Being in high school heightened my insecurity and I often questioned whether I was "pretty" or not solely because of my acne.
After trying almost everything (Retin-A, minocycline, doxycycline, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, etc.) I decided to give Accutane a try.
I started with 40mg and by the second month went up to 80mg. Usually 60mg is the highest dosage people take, but I'm pretty tall and weigh more than most people so they raised my dosage. My time on Accutane was difficult for myself and everyone around me, but I'm soo glad I went on it!
Before you consider going on Accutane you should do some research to see whether your comfortable with the possible side effects as they can be dangerous
July 6, 2010
Pros:
Intense as it may be, this is an incredible drug. I tried nearly everything for years.
I haven't had a large pimple in months and don't even worry about getting them anymore. My skin is gradually healing (FINALLY) and I feel like I can move on with my life.
Cons:
The side effects can be a bit nerve wracking (everyone must make their own decisions about what's worth sticking out or not). The need for blood work and other tests make using this drug more burdensome than using others ever is.
Basically, its a serious drug and can be an intense experience.
I'm only about 5 months post accutane so time will tell if the results will be lasting which, obviously, I hope happens. NOTES
Your skin is brittle so be careful, I got several scratches and cuts from very simple day to day stuff. Don't consider waxing. Take with fat. If you have a ridic initial breakout be careful with steroids, had a bad experience there. Aquaphor is your friend. I am glad to live in Canada where this was mostly covered minus a total deductible of about 300 CAD for the entire treatment. In Canada your GP can prescribe it for anyone wondering and you don't have to do the pregnancy testing (if applicable) or the registration system. If the side effects are intense or if your blood work is only mildly off, consider lowering and extending your dose or taking a break (talk to your doc bla blah). I did that to a certain extent and it worked out really well in the end. I am so much happier having taken this drug, the quality of my life has improved tremendously and, as far as I can tell at this point, the side effects are temporary, mild, and dose dependent. I am so much happier having taken this drug, the quality of my life has improved tremendously. x
June 15, 2010
Pros:
perfectly clear skin
smooth complexion
Cons:
red face
dry lips
dry eyes
minor hair loss in first month
I have had light-moderate acne for over ten years. I have been put on every medication under the sun, however these have either worked temporarily or stopped working after finishing treatment. I was finally given a script of accutane this year. I am not going to lie - the first month was not a pleasant experience. My skin was bright red and very sensitive, my lips were cracked and I would pick at them. My face was a combination of red sore acne and peeling skin. However, into the second month everything started to change. It was as if accutane 'pushed' all the gunk out of my pores and everything started to clear up. I am into my fourth month now and my skin is perfectly clear. Accutane has even cleared the bumps on my upper arms that I did not attribute to acne. For me, the results definitely outweigh the side effects. I finally feel free of my acne and I am not conscious of how my skin appears to others. I would definitely recommend this medication, however it is good to research and consider the side effects before starting treatment. Good luck to you all!
Pros:
Clears SKIN