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
January 15, 2019
AMAZING
Don't even listen to anyone saying negative things about Accutane. I promise you this pill is completely wonderful, kinda like a blast of magic you know.
January 2, 2019
HAPPY WITH MY SKIN!!!
I've suffered with combination acne genetically since middle/ jr. high school. I've went to makeup to cover it up because it was an insecurity, I never just always thought I was less pretty because of it but yes I did get down at times because of it. My left side would be worst than my right or vice versa. I tried neutrogena makeup for acne, didn't work too well. I used the green primer to keep my redness down and all. I went to my doctor and they gave me medicine, I fell as if i didn't see a difference in a day or week i would give up! So I tried TCA peel which resurfaces your skin, it did some good but you have to go often! So I was redirected to my dermatologist, I've heard about Accutane!! I've taken it for 4 months and boom great skin, I used Cerva foaming wash with it to keep my skin hydrated as Accutane made your skin dry, on top of that I used Palmers COCO butter. Palmers works so good when I got my lip waxed, while using Accutane it ripped my skin off, I put coco butter on there for a week and now my skin is renewed! I kept Coco butter with me at all times since Accutane dried my lips out so much or simply keeping aquaphor on hand at all times for lips, make sure you put some on before going to bed too(ALOT) or else you will wake up with cracked lips! However, I am now happy in my skin! I'm still dealing with some texture from scarring but that's nothing that a Couple of TCA or IPLs can't fix! However, I have used Acne.org reginmen before it was pretty good with glycogen so I'm ordering it again just to smooth out that texture! The thing is once you get rid of acne you have to keep treating your face as if you still have it to keep it AWAY!!!
KEEP IN MIND IF YOU GET A CVS REWARDS CARD YOU GET LIKE 40% OFF A WEEK ON A PRODUCT IN STORE- THIS IS WHEN YOU CAN GET CERVA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE SINCE ITS ALREADY A BIT PRICEY! *just make sure you set up your email and get the app to get those good deals!*
Don't give up if you don't see a change so soon, at least give it a month!
December 29, 2018
best decision I EVER made
I know many of the side effects and the reviews can be intimidating but I promise you it was the BEST decision I ever made. I didn't realize how much of my confidence my acne had eaten away at and gaining that back was worth it to me. My acne was lots of little and medium-sized pimples all over my face, neck and chest. I occasionally got a deep cystic one that was painful. I have EXTREMELY dry and sensitive skin and even I had honestly no side effects. Yes, my lips were dryer and cracked easily but nothing a few coats of vaseline a day couldn't fix. I made sure to lather it up at night and I was basically fine. My hair stopped getting greasy completely which was actually a total WIN. I washed it maybe once a week. My skin was DEFINITELY more sensitive to the sun, it got reader quicker and when I forget and went tanning (even with sunscreen) I burned and had very dry skin for a bit after. If I wore a hat and tried to stay fairly covered most the time it was no issue. After the first 2-3 weeks I could see my acne shrinking, almost becoming flatter and after about 1 month I noticed the redness of the acne leaving. After 6 weeks my acne was gone and I had a bit of hyperpigmentation and some blackheads which weren't even bad at all. After about 3 months my acne, blackheads and most of the hyperpigmentation was completely gone. I got an occasional little red bump but otherwise, it was basically done. My skin was glowing and so smooth by the end of the treatment. I'm sure I could have stopped taking the pills after about 4 months but I figured it's better to finish fully and I stuck with it for 6 months. I cannot encourage you enough, if you are desperate enough to be reading the reviews just get the prescription already! It is at least worth a shot.
March 5, 2019
Awesome review!! If you don’t mind me asking... how old are you? I’m in my early 40s. And wondering if it has different outcome based on age, hormones etc.
November 17, 2018
Does acne Return after Accutane?
I took Accutane for 1 full year going up to a dosage of 60 mg. Side effects were tough although I was very pleased with my end results and it was completely worth it. My biggest nightmare was the acne coming back. I have been off for 8 months now. The first 6 months my skin was perfect, not even tiny breakouts. However the last two months it has slowly been creeping back. It is not nearly as bad as before Accutane however I am starting to get worried it will slowly get back to that. I keep getting small breakouts all over my face. I was my face morning and night and still it is coming. I also use a tropical cream given by my dermo when I got off however it does not seem to be doing much.I am very stressed out and considering going back on it because I am worried it will spread further. Overall very much worth going on the pill however in some cases like mine breakouts and large pimples can still return.
November 12, 2018
I Am My Own Skin Goals
Hello! (side note i may refer to accutane and roaccutane, I'm not sure if theres a difference) I wanted to share my experience of acne and how I've struggled with it for the last 8 years. I started getting acne around 11 years old. Between then and 16 i made several trips to my GP where i tried multiple different treatments like a range of topical creams, antibiotics and going on the contraceptive pill. None provided me with the results i wanted. 2016-2017 was probably the worse years of my acne, all across my face, chest and back. I had had a couple of friends in a similar situation to me and they were put in roaccutane. I had done my research and knew that this was something i definately wanted to try. The side effects didn't put me off. If it meant getting the skin id dreamt of, it was worth it. In the middle of 2017 i started my course of accutane and started filming little clips of skin every few weeks or so and storing them on the 'my eyes only' bit of snapchat. (i will include pics if i can). I was discharged from the hospital december that year but at that point had had clear skin for a good 2 months. I do have to admit i did get cocky with it towards the end and wasn't taking the meds daily for those last two months and it may have come back to bite me on the arse, as nov/dec 2018 this year i am starting my second course of accutane. Going back to the doctor after almost a year after being discharged she did inform me that 20% do find acne to come back so it may have also just been i am a part of that 20%. I am so excited to start my second course again and have the best skin again, and go back to confidently not wear skin makeup. Side effect management: - Dry Lips: my dermo nurse on my first course of accutane recommended a 'nipple cream' that breastfeeding mothers use to heal broken skin on the old nips. Its very thick so id apply morning and night and then use trusty carmen during the day
- Dry Skin: (on the face i mean) actually after my course i found garnier moisturising sheet masks to work a dream as well as daily cetaphil, I get the big tubs off amazon and they last a good 6months.
I also continue to use gentle cetaphil face cleanser. I did get the occasional nose bleed but keeping the nose moist as well with the cetaphil and a Q-Tip helped.
Also get the occasional headache, mainly when increasing the dosage but they passed. Bumped to start accutane again :))
September 21, 2018
Wish We Had Started Earlier
My son had struggled with cystic acne since junior high. He tried a variety of different OTC and Rx products with limited success. We had resisted using Accutane due to worries about side effects, especially those which might be permanent. He had had some gastro issues, so we needed clearance from a gastroenterologist. This doctor said she did not believe there was any connection between Accutane and gastro problems such as colitis or Crohn's disease. He is a long distance runner, so he was also worried about joint/bone issues. Finally, in the summer leading into his senior year of high school (2017) he started taking isotretinoin. Within a month he saw improvement. After five months he was essentially getting no new acne. Now he is at college and is essentially acne free. The side effects were quite minor--the typical dry lips and a couple of nose bleeds. We wish we had started with Accutane a couple of years earlier. The reviews on this site were very helpful in convincing us to proceed. I hope this helps others with their decision.
October 29, 2018
Thankyou for your information. My son is going to start next week. He is a freshman in college and nothing has worked up to this point. I am worried about these initial breakouts I'm reading about. His face is so broken out now I cant imagine it getting any worse. I'm hoping for an experience simliar to your sons. How did he handle the nose bleeds?
October 29, 2018
Thankyou for your information. My son is going to start next week. He is a freshman in college and nothing has worked up to this point. I am worried about these initial breakouts I'm reading about. His face is so broken out now I cant imagine it getting any worse. I'm hoping for an experience simliar to your sons. How did he handle the nose bleeds?
November 1, 2018
My son is about the same age and I was so worried about the initial break out for the same reason as you. I feared accutane so much for many reasons. We got to the point where we feared acne more and what it was doing to him. We did have an initial break out for the first 2 and 1/2 months. We started him low and are still on a low dose because we don’t want to risk more breaking out and are just on a 9 month plan instead of 5. He’s doing great now and is clear now at 5 1/2 months. Still has pih and scarring to fade and fill in. Nosebleeds are minimal.
September 2, 2018
My miracle
I never suffered with acne as a teen, I guess I was lucky. My skin wasn't perfect, but it was blemish free. When I hit 20, everything went downhill. My hormones went crazy. Suddenly, it was as if my face was as out of control and there way nothing I could do to maintain it. I tried various products, microdermabrasion, light therapy, Tetracycline and a number of intense and EXPENSIVE chemical peels. For about 3 months, the tetracycline worked, then my acne came back with a vengeance. It was the worse I had ever seen it and suddenly I couldn't look at myself. I couldn't look at other people, I became anxious, shy, sad - I felt ugly. I began facial peels. I must of had at least 10-12 checmial peels( which did help). Slowly my acne began to improve, but it was still there, only not as aggressive and at a cost of £90+ a peel I couldn't continue using them. I learnt about accutane from the sk:n clinic where I was having my chemical peels; by which point my acne was graded as modular pustular acne - not nice, I know. Anyways, I continued having chemical peels for about 5 months,having at least 2 a month, before I demanded to be referred through my doctors to a dermatologist (only registered dermatologists can proscribe accutane in the uk and i just could not afford to fund it privately)
I was rejected at first. I went back ofcourse, kicked up a fuss and told them how depressed I was. I finally got to see a dermatologist and straight away was given accutane. My first appointment, they preached about not getting pregnant, checked I wasn't already, checked my weight and just wrote me a prescription. I though it would be more difficult, but once I got to that stage it was fairly easy. I was told that I would need monthly appointments, needed to go on at least two forms of contraception (although I didn't because I can't have synthetic hormones for medical reasons), would need to keep an eye on my mental health and come back every four weeks for an up-dated prescription. I started on 20mg a day for 4 weeks- no problems, no difference. I increased to 30mg for 4 weeks then 40mg. I started to notice I was no longer breaking out, like at all. I had no side effects at first. My dose increased to 50mg a day. The skin on the back of my hands began to dry, like scales. My lips split, like they reallllyyy split. My eyes became so dry and gooey and I was going through at least one bottle of eye drops a week. They're not exaggerating when they tell you to moisturise ( personal preference, cetaphill - it's a life saver and can be used on your face and body) I started to get backache, really badly. I became nauseas. All my blood test came back fine and within 6 months I was off accutane and spot-free. I'm the happiest I've been with my skin in over 24 months. The only side effect I'm still suffering with currently is backache but I've only been off accutane for 6 weeks. Despite the side effects , I would go back on it tomorrow. Roaccutane changed my life, for the better. It's a life saver and I don't regret going on it.
August 28, 2018
Wish I tried earlier
After being scared off of Accutane for years due to horror stories online, it was only when I was 27 -after over 10 years dealing with reoccurant breakouts of acne- and reached my lowest emotional point dealing with the depression that it caused me (I really got to a point where I did not want to live anymore) that I gave in and thought i might as well try the drug. I had a very bad flare up, I used to have bad back acne (painful cysts) and moderate forehead bumps (blocked pores) and painful reoccurant cysts on my cheeks and chin (hormonal acne) which had begun to scar badly. I didn't want to wait on the NHS for a dermatology appointment as i was at such a desperate point psychologically so I went private for the first month to get a prescription and then transferred to the NHS to finish the course, I was on half the "normal dose" for a longer period which meant 30mg for a year rather than 60mg for 6 months, I did this as all of the studies i had researched showed that this had the same effect with less side effects while on the medication. I don't really know how else to describe it as anything other than a miracle for me, within 2 weeks my acne had all completely disappeared and the few scars I was left with then faded a few months later. Over the course of the year I had beautiful skin and hair that never needed to be washed, the only slight inconvenience was that I had dry lips but with regular lip balm my lips never cracked or got too dry, I just had to make sure I applied lip balm every couple of hours (more if I was busy at work or working out sweating a lot etc). I came off the Accutane almost 2 years ago now, and my acne has not returned, I occasionally get a tiny pimple that disappears in a day if I leave it, my hair oil returned a bit but I still don't have to wash my hair every day, my lips are mildy dry but nothing a couple of applications of lip balm per day can't solve. My skin is beautiful still, smaller pores and not the oil slick it used to be minutes after washing every day. I used to be so anti drugs and I honestly tried every natural remedy for years first and then topical bp (only really helped if i caught every spot 'in time') then antibiotics. I really wish I had not wasted so much of my 20s being so depressed about my skin, cancelling social events, spending hours online planning what my next cure would be. For me Accutane has dramatically changed my life, to the point that I went from being quite lost in my life to excelling in my career within months of starting, getting into the kind of relationship i deserved and 3 years later have just had a beautiful baby (with no break outs during the hormonal rollercoaster of pregnancy and post pregnancy). I'm not saying this drug will cure all of your problems but if like me your acne affects you psychologically to the point it is causing your life to always be "on hold" or cancelled at late notice. It is worth giving it a go, because I had a low dose for a year I had such little side effects with so much reward! Some people may have a bad time on the drug but I also believe that this has a lot to do with the high doses most people are on.
August 12, 2018
Accutane should be 1st option for intermediate to severe acne.
I had severe acne for 20 years and tried everything until I tried Accutane. It basically cured my acne. I didnt really have much side effects except increased weight and elevated lipid level. Acne gave me so much problem in life that I rather be fat like Homer Simpson with clear skin. If you take low dosage (20mg to 40mg), I really doubt you are going to have severe side effects. Anyways, if you have moderate to severe acne, I think you should just try it. You got nothing to lose. It's a total waste of time to try those topical or oral antibiotics or some diet regiment. Take my word for it.
August 4, 2018
my experience so far
So im 16 and i struggled all through the last year of primary school and all throughout high school with severe acne. Some times were better, others not. My 'good' days were when my spots weren't red and inflamed they never seemed to go but when one did another 2 would replace that. i tried changing my daily routine, from what i was eating to exercising, home made 'remedies' all i can say for that is dont believe everything you read on the internet.
It eventually got to the point where all the doctors and nurses at my doctors knew me, thats how regularly id been going to either get a new prescription or because the stuff i had wasn't working for me. This went on for about a year until my doctor finally told me about a dermatologist and booked me an appointment. i went had the blood test and weighing procedures, if im honest i was terrified about going on this, all the side effects potentially life threatening ones nearly stopped me from going on accutane. I went back saying i didnt want to risk it but my dermo insisted i should as they don't open this up to many people and turn away most that are asking for it. so i gave in, the first month i was on 20mg because i was a baby and panicked about what it could do internally, i saw slight changes, just slightly dry lips. 2nd month i was upped onto 30mg my skin got much better but as my dosage upped i broke out,making me think this was all useless, side effect: slightly drier lips, bit of cracking in the corners, dandruff (but i seemed to have sorted that)
im on my third month now, 40mg one day, 30mg the other, my skin has cleared up so well im left with maybe 2-3 but spots, these are really unnoticeable and i feel so much more confident going out, i have some red scars left but nothing concealer doesn't cover up. im looking to eventually get rid of my scars completely but im in no rush.
overall my experience has been so good so far, the only side effects ive had is dry lips and i went a couple of weeks not eating properly so lost alot of weight but thats all sorted now and im eating well again.
One positive is i can go for 3-5 days without having to wash my hair now!
Amazing!!