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
December 7, 2010
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.
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.
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.
December 4, 2010
Pros:
-CLEARS your skin
-you are oil-free!
-you can be self confident and worry free!
Cons:
-dry skin
-few rashes every now and then
-nosebleeds
-sensitivity
To me, this has been a huge life changing AMAZING experience! I would highly reccomend it! Everyone will react differntly to it. Just be careful, keep a journal, have a doctor or family member be careful and check your thoughts. As far as mentally, nothing has happened to me. Im the same as before! Physically, my skin has changed so much! I had a horrible oil problem, but now its gone! Im actually quite dry, but carry around a miniture bottle of lotion and your good! I won't say the journey through accutane is easy, but its do-able! It will be hard to keep your face moisturized and lips not chapped, but I have sooo many tricks!
* USE "JACK BLACK- lemon & honey" on your lips!! They will stay fine the whole time!
* use Cerave lotion or ive heard acne.org has awesome moisturizers.
:) I strongly suggest this!!
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.
December 3, 2010
Pros:
+ Clears up acne!
+ Side effects are far more manageable than others make out
+ Affordable if on NHS
Cons:
- Dryness (skin, lips, eyes)
- Derm/doctor should have prescribed it sooner!
I've used accutane for 9 months; I'm currently on my last week. My skin hasn't been this clear in years- after around 3 months my skin was around 90% clear. Since then It's completely cleared up- no other medication or topical comes close to this in terms of effectiveness!
The worst side effect for me was a rash on my right hand- after using a combination of moisturisers and a steroid cream, these have gone.
Really can't recommend this drug enough! I'll add another review in a few months, hopefully reiterating what I've already said post accutane!
November 30, 2010
Pros:
smoother skin
Cons:
nose bleeds
suicidal thoughts
dry lips
rash on my skin
dry scalp
bad back pain
cry alot (which i NEVER did(
headaches
blood tests
second month into it and i feel like i want to kill myself :/ dont really see any improvement apart from my skin isnt as oily as it was. Dont get any bright red spots anymore, but it hasent got rid of any of my black/white heads. Fortunetly i can cover these up with makeup but that completely defeats the object of taking it right?
November 29, 2010
Pros:
Worked while I was taking it
Cons:
Suicidal thoughts and instability
Other mental distress
Profuse nose (any anywhere) bleeds
Monthly blood tests
Side effects - just read the booklet
Acne came back 1 week after finishing it
I have mixed feelings because it did save me from terrible scarring at my most vulnerable time - but at what cost? I had acute cystic scarring acne starting at age 12. I started Accutane about 13 and had to sign a contract, that my parent also had to sign, saying that I would not get pregnant because of the terrible birth defects. They said normally a girl would be required to be on birth control, but I was so young - that was just the beginning of mental stress. I could only take it for 6 months at a time with a 6 month break in between, but they said that I should be able to take it once and be cured for life. I had terrible internal feelings that I didn't really understand, but the first round wasn't THAT bad. It dried out my sinuses, so I would have nose bleeds in the middle of the night. I started acting out too. My acne was perfectly clear while I was on it though. One week after I stopped, the acne came right back so I had to spent the next 6 months dealing with the acne again. I was really wary about trying it for a second time ("just one more time"), but I was young and my parent and doctor said I should so I did. Big mistake. Sure, the acne was clear, but I was as unstable as ever. I felt like "I love my life, my friends, and my pets, everything is great" but then have this uncontrollable urge to stab myself or down a bottle of pills. It was like I didn't WANT to kill myself, but there was something inside of me saying "do it, do it." The nose bleeds got so bad that once in the shower I just saw blood streaming down my body and when I turned to the side it splattered across the shower wall. Then there was the time that blood just started oozing out of my ear in Biology class. I had a friend who took it and told me he had liver damage from it. Again, a week after I stopped a second time the acne came back. I refused to take it a third time and instead used 3 separate prescriptions to avoid 1 tiny Accutane pill a day.
November 29, 2010
Pros:
-CLEARS SKIN!
Cons:
-Still have red marks left over, scarring
-Dry,dry skin, lips and eyes
-Blood tests (needle phobe)
I was terrified to try this at first, but obviously when you reach the point where you're considering accutane, you're probably desperate like I was. The infamous "initial breakout" and the blood tests scares me at first, which my doctor informed me are the two top reasons people choose not to go on it. If you're having doubts because of this PLEASE DON'T, I didn't even have an initial breakout and now my skin is smooth and I even had a lady at Sephora tell me that I have pretty good skin, which is a huuuge thing after what I went through. Now I actually have some confidence and love talkin to more guys :) Please give it a chance it could change your life!
November 24, 2010
Pros:
It really works, I have cystic acne type, and during the treatment, its gone.
Cons:
Dry, dry, dry. It`s all about drying.
It only lasts for 2-3 months once you stop the treatment.
The following 6 months after the drug, you are not able to go into laser or the treatment again. You basically have to deal with acne for the following 6 months with absolutely nothing you can do.
It really works. Unfortunately for me, it only works during the treatment and for 2-3 months after the treatment. Soon thereafter, the acne starts like before the treatment. I have taken the isotretinoin 2 times and I am planning to take it again after considering the reviews for the Blue Light treatment (there`s a 50% chance your skin improves and 50% chance your skin get WORSE). I rather not take that chance as I would`n
Pros:
completely cleared up my acne!