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
August 19, 2010
Cons:
Ruins your body permanently.
Do not use this.
It's handed out willy nilly.
I don't think its even suitable for people with SEVERE acne. I'm faced with many problems due to this.
May 19, 2011
Pros:
doesn't even matter
Cons:
tons of side effects.
makes you want to die
Stay away from this if you have a history of depression, this will make it so much worse and harder to treat, its not worth it at all. If you're a guy resort to makeup and birth control before using this, seriously.
December 18, 2009
Cons:
DRY LIPS AND FACIAL SKIN, MADE ME WEAK.
AINT WORKEDE ITS MADE MY SPOTS MUCHH WORSE :(
February 7, 2012
Pros:
None
Cons:
Destroyed my life
Gave me rosacea
Thank you accutane!
April 30, 2011
Pros:
MAY clear up acne
Cons:
lots and lots
I must say that I've actually never used accutane but I wanted to write this as a warning to anyone wanting to try it. About 7 years ago my older brother used it and had severe depression that was difficult to treat - he failed most of his tests his senior year and ended up not graduating with his friends and having to go back to school once he was finally better. Then about 2 years ago my best friend decided that she had enough acne and it would be worth having clear skin no matter the side effects. Her skin did clear up a bit but not completely and her hormones were so messed up that she had to be on hormone treatments for almost a year. Now, a year later she is having trouble getting pregnant and her dr says the accutane may have messed up her hormones to get pregnant for the next few years, perhaps even never get pregnant. I know having bad skin sucks! I have bad skin but I would never take this drug knowing that it can cause such extreme side effects and harm your body. This is not a case of other meds where if your stomach hurts, or whatever, you stop taking it and go back to normal in a few days. This stuff can really mess you up. Even if it does clear up your skin (which it doesn't always) it can mess up your body so bad you'll wish you hadn't taken it.
April 11, 2010
Pros:
Supposedly somewhat clearer skin (Not worth it when looking at cons - find other methods)
Cons:
Possible, probable debilitating long-term side effects that will haunt you for the rest of your life.
[link removed] through these reviews and at this website along with many others if you use google you shall find warnings about how people have been effected negatively by this drug which supposedly was originally used on CANCER patients. Stories about stunted growth, back pain and surgery, the NUMEROUS side effects from taking this potent drug (Dan discusses them on his review - near top of this page) freaked me out. I was considering taking this drug but I now feel compelled to warn others. There are OTHER TREATMENTS out there that don't have the potential risk of crippling your body. Do you want to make a deal with the devil? A few years of good face (given through misinformation - there are other alternatives) for a potential lifetime of trouble? NO THANKS.
October 10, 2010
Pros:
None!
Cons:
It's a poison, literally! Could cause depression, liver damage, permanent thinning of the skin, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, hair loss, blood problems, basically every side affect known to man and these could develop months, even years after you stop treatment.
You have to be either stupid or extremely vain to take Accutane. This drug is a poison, and what a lot of people don't know is, Accutane was developed in the early 80s as a cancer medicine because it kills cells. Its purpose is too stop the sebaceous glands from producing oil, which is not even natural. When my doctor gave me the pamphlet explaining Accutane, I couldn't help but notice that the patient's skin in the after photos ten years later looked horrible! My doctor treated me like I was crazy because I did not want to take Accutane. The truth is, they just want an easy way to treat acne and don't take into account the potential harm it can inflict on the human body. Just look at the PSAs on TV and notice how the drug companies who make Accutane are being sewed by hundreds of people who took it. In the long run, you have to ask yourself a really crucial question. Would you rather have dry, chapped, crappy looking skin without acne, or would you rather be a human being and bear the zits?
Pros:
Helps spots.