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 22, 2016
Work in progress. Seeking inspiration....
I'm 33 years old and this will be my second time on Accutane. The first time was AWFUL, I was in my mid twenties. My face never completely cleared and has actually gotten worse within the last few years. I originally thought my acne must be hormonal since I was getting massive cysts on my chin but after some blood work, it was determined that my hormones were normal. My heart was broken by this because all I want is a cure, a reason. Accutane was the last thing I wanted to do. So far it's been 2 weeks and my skin is VERY dry, my lips are very chapped, nose bleeds have been normal, my scalp has been very itchy and my acne is HORRIBLE. I'm trying to tough it up but I'm afraid this may not work since it didn't the last time. Is this really the miracle I am looking for?
Charles Marcus
July 26, 2016
Patience is a virtue. You just have to fight depression by not looking your face in the mirror. don't think too much about your acne. I am also suffering from acne, but my skin is getting better now. I've been also hopeless when the drug worsen my acne. just wait the process and believe. You may tweak your diet for faster results. Wait and see. God bless!
Jess33
August 6, 2016
Thanks Charles for the nice message. I am trying my best to be patient. My cystic acne has improved but I'm noticing a lot of blackheads all over my face. This has been abnormal for me. It's only been month two. I'm still skeptical on whether this will actually work this time. Fingers crossed.
danda17
June 22, 2017
hi jess, how did it go?
June 23, 2016
I had to go to the ER
This is by far the worst acne drug I've taken. I think I most likely had an allergic reaction to the medication. I ended up vomiting 6+ times in less than 4 hrs. I went to the ER and they tried to give me medication to stop the reaction, and really strong nausea meds that are typically given to chemo patients... I still couldn't hold down anything, including water. I started having breathing problems and they ended up having to give me a steroid shot so I wouldn't go into anaphylactic shock. However, this is an extreme case, and many people have had success with accutane so I'll give it 2 stars. Just... Proceed with caution
April 28, 2016
scam
Was on accutane 3 times! all the right amount of doses, but every time i got off the pill, my acne would come back worse! some people don't get it back, but i wasted so much money. what a scam.
September 4, 2016
Eliminate dairy , sugar from your diet .
November 18, 2016
Have u tried lessening your dose of the pill? I changed pills, I was on a very very low dose whilst taking accutane and now I'm completely off it and no break out :)
February 18, 2016
Wouldn't reccommend
After trying just about everything under the sun I decided there was no other choice but to revert to Accutane. I'm 31 and have had cystic acne since I was 18.
Unfortunately it did not cure my cystic acne however the 9 months I was using the drug it did improve my skin by around 50%. Now that I am off it my skin has gone back to being inflamed and red. Very frustrating.
Given the noticeable side-effects and damage it does on your internal organs I would advise people to stay away. Soon enough someone will have to break the acne-vinci code, hopefully it isn't too long.
October 10, 2015
Almost got erectile dysfunction.....
This is kinda long so here it goes: I started getting acne when I was 14. Anyways, I started taking this drug and it was the best/worse decision of my life. It was good because It cleared up my acne within a couple of weeks. The bad was I would get cramps almost every day. And I know it was because of the medicine because they never happened before. Oh but it gets worse. I started not noticing something strange. I would no longer wake up with a morning erection. This was odd since i used to have one ever morning. I soon stopped because of it. Fast forward a year and school had just started and I realized how much I couldn't stand my face. Keep in mind my acne is severe. So I started taking the medication again and sure enough my acne was going away. I ended up only taking it two weeks this time. My penis was almost non existent. I had no sex drive or no morning erections. I couldn't maintain an erection as long as before. I knew something was wrong. I did some research and I found something interesting. There have been reports of people who had taken the drug the full course or longer who now have erectile dysfunction. I felt I had dodged a bullet. If I had blown this side effect off then I might be the same way. All I ask is that you talk to your derm and mention this side effect. He/she will probably deny It but I have first hand experience. It's been a year and while I am back to normal maintaining an erection, I still have trouble getting morning wood. All I have to say is fake this drug at your own risk. In my case the risk outweighed the reward.
July 3, 2016
Yes, every male beware - this may be a permanent side effect. Some men report total impotency. Sadly this is a fact, not scare mongering!
December 25, 2017
HATEANE THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS WHAT YOU SAY!!! HOW CAN YOU SAY THIS IS A FACT!! Don't you realise the damage and fear you are putting into people!!! I am just finishing 8 months on accutane 40mg and have NO , no erectile problems. Sayint it is a FACT is disgraceful. It is your opinion please state it as such. If it is a fact please leave your medical qualifications and documented research papers and the journals where they are published. How dare you say 'fact' , state your opinion only, shameful!
September 30, 2015
hair loss is real
I am a 23 year old female who took accutane for 6 months when I was 21. I had suffered acne my whole life from age 9 to 23 (present). I have mixed feelings about accutane. While taking the medication I had very dry lips and skin but a thick moisturizer made that barely noticeable. I was also able to use a clarisonic during the course. When I was on it my skin was perfect. I also lost about 10 pounds. I was 5'2 about 95 lbs. My skin cleared up at about month 4. I was taking the low dose of about 30 mg i think and worked my way up to 90 mg. Everything was great until about 5 months after being off of it. My hair started falling out. My hair still falls out rapidly even though its been about 2 years. My acne is also back. It's not as bad but it's still here. I have to wear makeup to cover my acne everyday. I don't recommend accutane because I feel that there are other options that I could have resorted too. Luckily, I don't have a single textured scar from my acne. So basically accutane cleared my acne for about a year and half and made me lose about 2/3 of my thick hair.
July 14, 2016
I lost 2/3 of my hair as well , for a guy not so bad I cut it ultra short for a woman it must be horrible , this drug needs to be banned period , or at least reserved for severe cystic modular acne ONLY and NEVER handed out to people with mild acne EVER.
June 12, 2015
Only a bandaid fix
So if you're a female and you suffer from hormonal acne like me, nothing will ever 'cure' your acne. The best you can do is manage it. Accutane works by drying up the oil glands and shedding the skin cells quicker. But, it isn't the be all to end all for a lot of people. For many it has been shown to cure their acne, but it depends what kind of acne you have. If you suffer from adult hormonal acne chances are this won't work for you. The best option is to go on Diane 35, and even that has side effects. Plus, Accutane is really bad for your health so unless you have tried everything else, including birth control, then try it. I've been on it 3 times. The only thing that has ever kept my acne at bay is Diane 35 and Proactiv, used together. But that's me just managing my acne, not trying to cure it. Remember, there is no cure, as you can't cure your hormones.
May 29, 2015
Had to stop after 2 months.
I used it for two months. But had to stop as it caused me severe anxiety (I have no past history of this), as well as insomnia, kidney pain and other very unpleasant side effects like constipation and pain during sex. My skin was starting to get much clearer but it just wasn't worth the effects for me, I felt like I was losing my mind and I still don't feel 'normal', my digestive system is messed up and I'm constantly getting infections. Think carefully before going on it, I didn't and my acne was only mild. I would only consider going on this if it really is a last resort.
February 23, 2015
accutane
So this is my second time on accutane. I'm a 16(17 in a month) year old female who suffers from mild acne but enough to feel insecure and need accutane. The first time I went on it I was about 13 years old, and had a horrible experience with side effects. I was depressed, I gained weight, had the GROSSEST lips and refused to leave my house unless it was for school but it cleared my skin up like a charm. I had radiant skin but still scarring from before. My doctor had said my mood swings had been so bad due to me going through puberty at that time. I am 3.5 months into accutane this time around and I'm still finding myself breaking out. My side effects this time are different: chapped and dry lips and skin, a sore back, hair loss(not too much), BURNING skin which is very uncomfortable.. I feel like this might be my last time taking this product. I feel like I need a detox. Hopefully my burning skin and acne clear up along with my scarring but for now, i'd say a no to taking this product. It's changed my life for the worse :( but everyone is different!
August 30, 2014
Only works if you continue to take it!
I was accutane for over a year and had brilliant results. Only had mild side effects dry skin, chapped lips and occasional headaches. My dermatologist suggested I stop taking accutane give my face a break for a year and then have laser to clear up my scarring. However within 2 months of being off the medication I began to break out. I have now been off the product for almost a year, my acne is back once again very red and painful and as bad as it was before I started treatment.