Isotretinoin (Accutane®)
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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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January 11, 2012

Pros:

clears most acne
makes you feel confident
reaal cheap, $3 for every subscription , as it is subsidised.

Cons:

drys lips reaaaallly bad , cracks them.
makes skin dry
still get breakouts , not so much
red skin

i have tried all the acne medications there are , litterly. as none of them worked for me . i went on accutane, i use to have light acne but to me it felt like alot !! my doctor told me my skin wasnt even bad but i still wanted to go on the drug , i was nowhere near confident ! i would cry everyday waking up and looking in the mirror, i even left school because of my skin, yes i know its pathetic but thats just how i was., i hated it. i had acne on my chin , and accutane cleared that up. I still get some breakouts but not as much , only when i have my period. Also for the dry lips i would reccomend pawpaw ointment. remember to moistrise everyday , dry skin is ugly :)
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January 6, 2012

Pros:

Helped facial acne
Completely cleared non-facial areas

Cons:

Completely stopped production of lubricating oils in my eyes, causing such severe dryness I could not attend class
Acne began slowly returning, has returned almost to pre-Accutane state
Expensive
Pregnancy tests are a hassle

I tried more perscription and OTC topical creams, pills, masks, and ointments from dermatologists than I can remember for several years before trying Accutane. My doctor used the C word (cure) when he suggested it and I got very excited. It's certainly worth a try if you can afford it. I was on it two times for several months each time. The first time I was very excited and saw a great improvement. Then my acne started coming back, so I went back on it. I had to stop it suddenly when my already somewhat dry eyes reached the breaking point and stopped producing the needed oils from my bottom lids. Be careful, pay attention to your body. Get a heavy-duty moisturizer and you're skin won't dry out. I recommend Eucerin Cream for the body and Aquaphor (NOT the one sold as a lip balm, the one sold in larger containers) for the lips. If you are going to try it, I recommend starting some kind of topical cleansing regimen when you go off it to continue the effects. I tried handling things myself for a while, using three Neutrogena products containing Salcylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide. My acne still kept coming back, so now I'm trying Proactiv. We shall see. Accutane did wonders for my skin while I was on it, but the side effects were too much for me to handle. The good effects wore off over time while the side-effects have remained a problem.
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December 31, 2011

Pros:

Clears you up no doubt

Cons:

sunburn
hair falls out
dry
red face
lips bleed
leaves scars

I had to do two rounds of this.. The first time my beautiful skin lasted 6 months and the second time it lasted a year. I'm breaking out again and it's because I went off of Yaz (girls do not get off of this! This was my problem both times). It did make me have fantastic skin for a while, but I will never go on this again. My face is tomato red in all my pictures and it took about 6 months AFTER getting off of it for me to start tanning again. I don't go to tanning beds, but my face was ghostly white for those 6 months no matter how much sun I got. DO NOT GO ON THIS DRUG, Try Yaz for 3 months if you're a girl, try medicines like Menocycline (I couldn't get on this because of stomach issues), and BENZOYL PEROXIDE (which I'm allergic to). Hope that helps!
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December 22, 2011

Pros:

Less Oil
No more shine
Smoother Complexion
Pimples starting to fade

Cons:

More redness of skin
Chapped Lips
Fatigue
Can't go in the sun

It's been 16 days now, first started off on 20mg went and saw the Dermatoligist last night she has bumped me up at 40mg. Was expecting major results but maybe that's because i wasn't on a high dose. We'll see how the 40mg goes. If it's what everyone is making it out to be then i'm just going to hold on and keep waiting for these wonderful results.
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October 16, 2011

Pros:

dried up oil
cleared skin pretty quickly

Cons:

dry eyes
dry lips
dandruff
rash
severe joint pain
Can't drink alcohol
loss of appetite

I wished I had a better experience on Accutane. At first I really liked it. But after a month all of the skin peeled off of my arms and I got a rash, so my dosage was reduced. I was initially on 40mg a day but went to 40mg every other day. After another month, I had to stop taking accutane because of severe joint pain and loss of appetite. I've been off of Accutane for about 2 weeks and although the oil is still gone, my face has completely gone haywire. I am more broken out than ever before. I'm not sure if it's the accutane leaving my system. I have an appt to see my derm in 3 days so hopefully some light can be shed.
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October 3, 2011

Pros:

cleared skin by 90% in 13 days on 20 mg
no initial breakout
no more greasy face and hair
no need for make-up
easier to take than applying creams and gels

Cons:

hair loss-despite the low dose.hair fall continues 15 days after stopping the drug
slightly chapped lips-didn't bother me much
skin takes forever to heal even after the smallest zit

For me, it worked very well from the aspect of skin-clearing despite the low-dose.I did not experience any other side effects during the month i used it except for the aformentioned. However,i quitted as the hair fall bothered me quite a lot and made me quite anxious about what will happen when i double up the dose as recommended.I prefer having a few pimples rather than being bald. Of course,everyone is different and this doesn't mean that all people will have the same side-effects.I would recommend it for someone with severe acne,but if you have light-to-moderate acne like mine please try everything else first.Unfortunately i didn't and my hair still falls.Currently i'm on diane35 and bactrim and my skin is good,but i'm off accutane for just 15 days, so this could be due to it.Good luck to everyone!
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September 8, 2011

Pros:

- Much clearer, smoother skin
- Cleared my back particularly well

Cons:

- Really dry eyes which made them bloodshot 24/7
-Very inconvenient nosebleeds at the worst possible times.
- The higher dose really started to play with my mood after about 2 weeks on it.
-Joint pain and general fatigue

Basically, it does work. But it's quite horrible when they put you on the high dose. Having suffered from mild to moderate acne since my early teens, I was getting fed up when I was at university and I still woke up most mornings with horrible spots. I saw my GP and they prescribed me lymecycline for about six months, which didn't do much, then doxycycline and tretinoin gel, which had minimal effect again. Eventually i agreed to be referred to dermatology where the consultant started me on 30mg/day isotretinoin. This was a low dose for me because it was during my exam period and the doctor didn't want me to be annoyed by side effects. This worked quite well. It cleared up my back and face by about 60-70% i'd day within 4 weeks. I didn't really have any side effects apart from fatigue and dry lips. Also very dry, red eyes. After about 3 months I finally got another appointment at the hospital (long wait in the NHS) where he increased my dose to 60mg a day for a few weeks to start of with. Almost immediately things were different. I have always been a very stable, grounded and happy person but I started to feel very anxious in social situations and very moody with everyone. Also i suffered from really bad knee pain. Two weeks later, I didn't want to continue anymore and stopped because of my mood and fatigue. By this point I had taken 30mg/day for about 3 months and 60mg/day for roughly 16 days. Approx. cumulative dose 44mg/kg which I believe is nowhere near complete. The results seem quite good though. I have a very clear back, shoulders and face.The doctor at the hospital told me not to worry that it will come back because it rarely does, even when the course isn't quite done? When I wake up I almost never have any spots and my skin feels nice and smooth. Perhaps more importantly now i've stopped I feel normal again. I would recommend the treatment to people but if possible I'd tell them to time it right to avoid times when the
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August 16, 2011

Pros:

- No more oily skin
- Cleared up my acne (there wasent a single breakout left)
- Smooth skin
- Hair also wasent oily anymore

Cons:

- Severe nosebleeds in the beginning (I used Vasaline, it worked well)
- Extreamly chapped lips
- Really dry skin
- Acne came back after almost a year (Not as bad)
-Still had many acne scars

I would recommend this product because I had pretty bad hereditary acne all over my face for about 3 years (I'm 16 now), & this completely cleared it up. I was so happy & I didnt have to be so insecure about my skin anymore. I started in May 2010 & ended in September 2010. About 7 months later, my reign of clear skin had come to an end & I started to get some breakouts on my forehead, which is where my acne first originated when it was severe. It has now been almost a year & on a scale of 1-10, I would rate my acne at about a 4 which is definately not as bad as before (which would probably wouldve been an 8. I'm really sad it didnt really have lasting effects for me, but I did go back to my dermatologist & she said that acne does come back in about 35% of the people who use accutane. I was unfortunately apart of that percentage. She told me that I could take it once more & there will be a better percentage that my acne will clear up for good, but I'm still trying to convince my mom on that one since Accutane is a strong drug & she worries that taking it too much might damage my liver. But I really hope that I'll take it again & hopefully have better, longer lasting results. Overall, I would recommend it because although it didnt clear my acne for the good, it did make it less severe.
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August 13, 2011

Pros:

Cleared up my acne completely and left skin super soft

Benefits lasted for about a year from starting course

Side effects did not bother me

Cons:

My acne always returned about 6 months after finishing product, to similar severity as before (3x courses on this product)

Necessary to visit dermatologist regularly

I have been on 3 courses of roaccutane during my 20's (now 28) and it worked like magic. Initially it made my skin red and sore, but I applied masses of aqueous cream which left it super soft. However, sadly I was in the small number of people for whom the drug is not a cure. Having been on it 3 times, my acne is as bad as ever (possibly worse due to stress) and I can't try the drug again as (a) it probably won't work long-term and (b) I'd like to start trying for a baby soon. However, I am really pleased I tried the drug as it gave me several years with clear skin which really boosted my confidence when I most needed it. I'm now happily married, and my skin does not bother my hubby (although recently, benzoyl peroxide has started to work wonders) My brothers have both been on roaccutane and it improved their skin dramatically. Friends have also been successful. Although I suffer from some anxiety and depression, so I was worried that roaccutance might make these worse, these actually subsided whilst I was on the drug due to the positive benefits of having clear skin.
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August 4, 2011

Pros:

Works for acne
Decreases oil production

Cons:

Expensive
Makes skin very thin
Sores around mouth
Very dry, cracked lips

It works but is very drying. Do not use waxing on face while on accutane, it will rip your SKIN OFF! I got dry itchy sores around the mouth from the dryness. I could not keep up with the lip balm either! Accutane is not the solution, it should not be used for long.
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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