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
July 21, 2007
Cons:
My face was VERY dry with flakes. Lips are TERRIBLE and constantly peeling- can't go out without petroleum jelly. I get two nosebleeds each day.Dry feet and arms,eczema became torture.Very sore and flaky ears.Sometimes feel sad and have no confidence
I think it is working, but very slowly in my case.It is month 7 and I am still suffering with existing cysts, although they have reduced in size.You have to be patient and think of something else.I avoid make-up so the drugs can work better,plus the skin is so dry that make-up flakes away.My social life and confidence are suffering alot as I feel inadequate about my skin.Sometimes I feel quite sad and fed up, the waiting is very frustrating.Hopefully I will see better results soon and it will all have been worth it.Overall I would reccommend people to try it because atleast now I am seeing changes, whereas before my skin just didn't respond to anything and I hated my appearance.The side effects are harsh and they do make you feel frustrated but I think the untreated acne itself does that, so why not suffer these feelings while you are fighting it rather than suffering from it.
July 9, 2007
Pros:
saw progress within 1 month and i only have a couple zits on my face after 3
Cons:
extremely dry lips
it dose what its supposed dont expect to see instant results this stuff is a gift from god
June 14, 2007
Pros:
Cleared up my mild/moderate, persistent (as in I'd had acne for 7 years)acne! Very mild side effects which were all completely worth bearing for the results :)
Cons:
Didn't totally clear up the small white lumps (milia?). That's about it!
Fabulous stuff...don't hesitate to take it out of fear of the side effects. I was suprised by the number of friends who had taken it but had never mentionned it. If it were such a dangerous drug, I doubt so many would have taken it and experienced little to no issues.
April 27, 2007
Pros:
Smooth and clear face, with barely any skin imperfections.
Cons:
Very dry flaky skin, peeling like a lizard. Lips that dry up fast, even begin to peel as well. Being tired and having no patience for some family members and friends.
I was hit with moderate to severe acne late in my teens. I went for the most radical approach first: Laser Skin Resurfacing and Microderm. Dropped 2-grand and underwent a lot of pain but ended up with a beautifully matte face with refined pores and soft youthful looking skin. That didn't last because the oil-production sped up because of m hormones and I began having more acne outbreaks. With my face worse than before, I turned to PROACTIV. Don't ever use that crap-- it made my skin worse by making my skin dependent on the benzoyl peroxide in all the creams. It cleared by simple and uncomplicated acne for the first month or so, but then when things looked better my acne turned out just to better my acne was pushed lower into my skin and my face became common ground for painful cystic and nodular acne. Went to the dermo and she put me on Accutane. Was very hesitant at first but to be honest, I'm kind of regretting not asking for that in the first place. It's worth it.
March 21, 2007
Pros:
Very effective on acne
Cons:
Dry skin, eyes, lips
This is a medical tip to everyone reading: please have your doctor check you out for underlying hormonal causes of acne. For the girls who have severe acne, are overweight, and may even have a little excessive hair growth, ask your doctor to check your hormone levels and maybe do an ultrasound of your ovaries - the syndrome called polycystic ovarian syndrome affects 5% of women (yes, 1 in 20). It is a common cause of acne, hair growth, and possibly later diabetes, infertility, and heart disease and strokes. This type of acne will not respond to over the counter treatments and although it may respond to accutane, it is likely to bounce back if the cause is not treated. this disorder can be treated - please check it out before you start on hard-core drugs like accutane.
January 13, 2007
Pros:
Great.
Cons:
NONE
Don't listen to all the side effect garbage. If you know yourself and body, you will realize something is wrong. This stuff is great. I had acne from the time I was 16, it got much worse by the time I was 22. So I finally went on Accutane, and it cleared my skin 95%, I only did a 5 month twice a day treatment. It kept my skin 95% clear for about 10 years, but the last 3 I have had acne consistanly only never as bad as before. I am now going on it again, hoping for the same results. I never had any side effects except for dryness. There is a generic called CLARAVIS, its the same as ACCUTANE but half the cost.. Good luck all
January 5, 2007
Pros:
Clear skin, less oil production
Cons:
Dry lips, occasional nosebleeds
This is the second time I've been on Accutane, with the last session about 9 years ago. My skin stayed fairly clear until last year, when severe cystic acne hit me at age 25. Antibiotics did not help. I have extremely sensitive skin, with acne meds causing more irritation and breakouts (the regimen destroyed my skin too :( ) So, Accutane was my final hope. I started on 30 mg a day, but progress was slow. About 3 months into it, my dosage was upped to 40. The only side effects I've had are dry lips and occasional nosebleeds. With good cleansers and moisturizers, my skin looks less dry than when I was using topical stuff. Aquaphor makes my dry lips no problem. I have not had depression or mood swings, and at 4 months, my skin is really clearing up. For some people, this could be a very harmful drug. For me, though, it's been nothing but positive. My side-effects have been a non-issue so far. Considering I used to cry myself to sleep every night, I'm feeling great.
December 21, 2006
Pros:
It will get rid of all your acne in less then 2 months.
Cons:
I had joints that ached and dry lips. You'll still get pimples occasionally when you get off of it.
IT IS THE ONLY MEDICATION THAT REALLY WORKS FOR PIMPLES and well worth the money. If you have a lot of acne and do not have a problem with depression you need to try it. It'll work and is a sure thing. I just wish I would have taken it earlier. Now I have some scars from the previous pimples.
October 16, 2006
Pros:
hi ive been taking isotane( the same as roacutane i think!) for around 5 months now.
before starting the treatment i had chest, back and face acne now i have none of these.
taking these pills once a day has been one of the best things ive eve
Cons:
dry lips and dry skin was my only problems
it has done so much for my confidence, i rarely ever wear make up and yet still feel confident. apart from dry lips and a bit of flaky skin i have had no other side effects.
i havnt yet finished my treatment but hopefully my skin will continue to be clear!
January 14, 2018
Side effects were manageable for me
180lb male age 23
duration: 214 days (~7months)
dose: 40mg for 2 months, 60mg for 1 month then 80mg for the remaining months, respectively. I paid about $20 a month after bcbs insurance covered most of it. before isotretinoin:
applied chapstick 2-3 times daily
applied lotions only to elbows and feet during the winter
eyes almost never dry
easily complete an hour weight lifting workout with energy to spare during isotretinoin: -apply lip moisturizer up to 10 times a day, and even waking up in the middle of the night to do so
-apply lotion at least once a day or get rashes
-dry eyes in the evening sometimes made it difficult to read
-nose was very dry, almost never had any moisture
-my face flaked dead skin
-any minor cut seemed to be redder than normal and take longer to heal
-lifting weights became a little more difficult due to some joint pain, and feeling fatigued more easily; cut workouts to 30-40 min
-**i got probably 50% more acne than i originally had during the first 4 months of my treatment** When it finally got into the summer time all the dryness related side effects reduced and made me significantly more comfortable
I never got any sunburn, but only because i put on LOADS of sunscreen and avoided the sun whenever possible. i stopped treatment 8 months ago and i've had maybe a dozen pimples since. i still have some light acne scarring but i am treating it successfully with hydroquinone. all the side effects are back to normal. Thankfully nothing has been permanent. Overall I'd say it was worth it
April 6, 2018
This med works! I use low dose.
Pros:
Less oil on the face and pores seem to look smaller.I am still not finished treatment so can't comment on the full result yet.