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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Read All About Isotretinoin (Accutane®)
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5
37.1%
4
34.1%
3
15.3%
2
7.3%
1
6.2%

Used Isotretinoin (Accutane®)? Rate It:

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December 19, 2010

Pros:

Cleared up skin!
Made me wayyyyyy more confident!
My back is pretty clear!
:)

Cons:

Dry skin, blurry vision, VERY dry lips, and excessive buying of Lypsyl Lip Moisturizer (The best and ONLY chapstick I used while on this!)

Please do it for yourself! Yes people say u will have bad reactions! Heck I heard I was gunna die an early death but PLEASE JUST DO IT! U will feel much better and people will notice! It took 7 months to get clear but it's worth it! Everyone tells me my skin looks baby soft and smooth! I want to cry I'm so happy!
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December 19, 2010

Pros:

Clears skin!
Skin feels clean and not oily!
Truly makes you more confident about your skin!
Gets rid of redness!
Soft skin everywhere!

Cons:

Dry lips
Oilyness comes back
Some pimples after months of being off
Cant wax eyebrows

Nothing that I applied worked for me. Like cleansers and creams.I tried just about everything. My doctor recommended isotrentinoin. I had pimples and redness in my T zone and acne on my back and chest. It was pretty scary at first, knowing all the horrible side effects, but I really didn't have any. The only one I had was really dry lips. Which isn't bad at all. It cleared up my skin so well. I couldnt believe how happy I was to have no pimples or oilyness. I didn't feel depressed at all. I was amazingly happy! The one thing that was horrible though was when I got my eyebrows waxed and it ripped my skin off. It healed thankfully. Don't get anything waxed while on this! I've been off it for about 3 months now and I hate that the oilyness is back. Also, ive been getting little pimples above my upper lip just like I used to but not as badly. My acne on my chest and back are completely gone and I only get one pimple here and there but nothing serious at all. Hopefully my face doesnt go back to how it was. Which I am terrified of happening. I think it's up to you if you want to go on this. It was heaven to me but I know everyone is different and gets different side effects. So if you are feeling this will work go for it!
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December 17, 2010

Pros:

Cleared all acne (the tiny white ones and the large papsules)
Stopped oil in its tracks (I was a grease ball by 10am before)

Cons:

Costly
Blood work
Cracked lips
White spots on my arms
Dry eyes

If you read nothing else about this review then read this: Accutane worked for me and I am 100x happier than before! I was lucky. I had NO inital breakout (I was also on Solodyn right before so maybe that contributed). Within a few days the oilyness I had before was GONE. This in itself was a miracle. NOTHING I had ever used before had got rid of the oil. My makeup actually stayed on and did not look like crap. My hair actually still looked washed by mid day. I did not have any sickness taking the medicine. My lips were cracked (Aquaphor worked wonders) and my arms got white spots on them from being so dry. But OTHER than that...Accutane was great! I read so many horror stories on here before I got on it. I cried to my boyfriend one night before I first took it and said "Im sorry if I act like a complete b**** for the next five months and please dont let me kill myself!" I also prayed that my hair wouldnt fall out and that I would at least be able to go to work during the IC and not be in complete pain. I prayed I wouldnt need massages every night for the muscle aches and that I wouldnt have blood in my stool. Five months, a few headaches, some white spots, and a months worth of cracked lips later...I am acne free and have never been happier. PLEASE do NOT let the nay sayers turn you away from this. *IF* you start having problems you can easily stop the treatment. You are monitered every month and your doctor knows what your limits should be. DO IT! You wont regret it!
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December 14, 2010

Pros:

Medium-term acne reduction

Cons:

I had pretty much every con there is for it - dry skin, dry peeling (and bleeding) lips, bleeding nose, bleeding gums, dry eyes, sties, raised blood cholesterol levels, depression, hair loss, terrible photosensitivity, aching muscles and organs.

I have been on 3 rounds of Accutane in my time, starting from when I was 11, the last when I was 18 (I'm now 28). Each treatment worked, for up to a couple of years after, but the acne always came back in the end. During the first treatment I had to go on steroids to stop my face from collapsing. My recommendation is that if you really want a short term solution, and you are willing to put your body through hell and possibly cause permanent damage to your organs, go for it, but life is long, and Accutane doesn't get rid of acne permanently.
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December 12, 2010

Pros:

Clears up acne!
Dried out oily skin
gave me my confidence back
not many side effects

Cons:

initial breakout
slightly dried lips
no drinking

This has saved my skin.. i have tried literally everything before this and wasted so much time, i wish i could have started this earlier because it works wonders. I took claravis which is a generic accutane but its exactly the same.. from what i read most people see improvements around the 3rd month.. i didnt see improvements till the 6th month, so hang in there till the end.. my derm and i decided i should do an extended course treatment, but im not complaining... it has really helped my skin and reduced the oil so much and shrunk my pores down. It has given me my self confidence back and now i look people in the face! its a life saver.. i didn't really experience any side effects from it that are all over the internet.. but talk with your derm to see if its right for you. The really only major cons are the intial breakout but it eventually calms down.. and always carry chapstick.. ALWAYS haha! and no drinking so its kinda hard in college but most def worth it! Hope this helps!
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December 10, 2010

Pros:

helps with acne a little bit

Cons:

dries out your skin like you won't believe, requires blood tests, enhances depression, dangerous for your body, didn't help all that much with acne.

I was on this for 5 months and it barely helped my acne. All it left me with was dried skin and lips so cracked they bled constantly. My doctor finally pulled me off of it since it wasn't doing much good and my blood tests were showing enhanced liver levels that could have been dangerous. This is so dangerous to take!
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December 7, 2010

Pros:

took it for 4 months and my skin is 95% perfect
Results are definitely worth it
No more oily skin
Side effects go away

Cons:

Red/Pink Face
Very dry lips
Cracking and peeling lips
Dry skin
Hurts to smile
Dry nose
Nose bleeds
Worsened acne before it got better
Felt depressed sometimes
Very self conscious while on the drug

If you doctor recommends that you take accutane, i would definitely take it. The results are well worth all of the agonizing side effects. It may take about 4-5 months to completely clear your skin, but trust me it is worth it.
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December 7, 2010

Pros:

completely cleared up my acne!

Cons:

lips are quite dry but nothing some lipbalm cant fix

There's a lot of scare-mongering about accutane which meant that I put off taking it for a long time. However it's made my skin perfect and cleared up my acne that had really affected my confidence.
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December 7, 2010

Pros:

Acne gone totally

Cons:

All the side effects under the sun, had to stop after 10 weeks. Started on 40mg daily for a month then upped to 80mg dails

HOWEVER!! I look back at photos a year ago and could scream that I didn't go for it before. I have a very low body fat percentage and I think the dose was too high for me despite being correct for my weight. So if you are very sporty it's worth keepin to the lowed end of the dose scale. I have scarring but clear skin. Was terrified to go on this but heartily wish had done it sooner.
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December 6, 2010

Pros:

-Best way to get rid of acne. Period.
-About 60% of acne gone in a month.
-95% cleared at end of treatment
-Better confidence

Cons:

-DRYNESS! You will be DRY
-Acne came back a year later :(
-Having to carry chapstick around all the time

I love accutane. I would do another treatment of it if my mom would let me. It killed all my pimples and gave me so much confidence with everything. But you need to be careful: it drys you the eff out. My lips were constantly dry, sometimes even bloody. I needed to get nasal spray for my nose because it dried my nose out hella bad. But if you had acne as bad as mine, you would go through hell to get rid of it so it was a small price to pay. I highly recommend it, but if you dont have insurance its really expensive, but that wasnt a problem for me. I took 30mg 2 times a day and it worked wonders. Get it.
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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