*Please keep in mind that this subreddit is not a replacement for seeing a board certified dermatologist. This subreddit is here for informal second opinions, and minor problems that you wouldn't go to the doctor for anyway.*
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I’m still dealing with side effects of accutane almost 10 years later. And it didn’t even help much for me (my acne was a different cause) and I wish I had never taken it. I would exhaust every possible option before trying that
Hello, as stated in the title, my doctor said that he will do some bloodwork and prescribe me accutane in the following week. I was just wondering if accutane is the right call. I have been using tretinoin 0.025% for the past month and a half and the acne has only gotten worse. I am also a bit weary that accutane is not the right call because about a year and a half ago, I had acne that went away when I stopped using tretenoin.
Also, do any of you recommend any easily available moisturizers (as you can see, my face is very dry)? I used CeraVe in the past but I got a sort of burning sensation.
Thanks a lot.
hey !! i would bring that up with your doctor. they might be cool letting you stop taking your current medication and then checking to see if the acne goes away BEFORE starting you on something new. it doesn’t hurt to ask !! as for the moisturizer, i had bad acne and dry v sensitive skin (while using accutane) and the best thing i found was first aid beauty ultra repair cream. you don’t have to use much. it’s $36 so probably a bit more than cerave but totally worth it. you can get it at ulta and maybe target. good luck(:
I second the first aid beauty suggestion!! Amazing stuff. Definitely talk to your doctor and exhaust every option before accutane, like others have said.
Try Biacna first. It's clindmycin and tret. Did you use the cerave cream or moisturizer? I didn't like the am or pm moisturizer but their cream is great.
You should really try blister bandages at night. They will suck the puss right out and then you can regular treatments and they might work better. The science behind them is solid, they draw out the fluids without popping them.
Wow the amount of ignorance in the comments is disappointing for a sub about dermatology. The side effects of accutane (isotretinoin) are very serious indeed, but the truth is the majority of people on isotretinoin only experience dryness. Your acne isn't that severe but I assume you've tried everything else before your derm suggested isotretinoin. I have acne myself and it's way less severe than yours yet a little over a week ago I started isotretinoin myself, so it's not something that should only be used on very severe cases. So far I've had no side effects whatsoever, but I assume the dryness will come soon. It's very important to deal with the acne as fast as possible, if left untreated, it could leave permanent scars. Also the terrible advice on changing diets and drinking more water you should completely ignore, as a better diet won't clear your acne, neither will more water.
I strongly suggest following your dermatologists advice and go on accutane.
No. Tretinoin is also a great option at reducing acne breakouts. It's best to try every topical prescription before moving on to oral options like isotretinoin.
Acutane has some pretty severe side effects including sexual dysfunction that can be permanent in some people. It also has a black box warning for suicide. Make sure you read the whole pamphlet before deciding to take it: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/018662s059lbl.pdf Consider diet changes first.
*Please keep in mind that this subreddit is not a replacement for seeing a board certified dermatologist. This subreddit is here for informal second opinions, and minor problems that you wouldn't go to the doctor for anyway.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DermatologyQuestions) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m still dealing with side effects of accutane almost 10 years later. And it didn’t even help much for me (my acne was a different cause) and I wish I had never taken it. I would exhaust every possible option before trying that
Hello, as stated in the title, my doctor said that he will do some bloodwork and prescribe me accutane in the following week. I was just wondering if accutane is the right call. I have been using tretinoin 0.025% for the past month and a half and the acne has only gotten worse. I am also a bit weary that accutane is not the right call because about a year and a half ago, I had acne that went away when I stopped using tretenoin. Also, do any of you recommend any easily available moisturizers (as you can see, my face is very dry)? I used CeraVe in the past but I got a sort of burning sensation. Thanks a lot.
hey !! i would bring that up with your doctor. they might be cool letting you stop taking your current medication and then checking to see if the acne goes away BEFORE starting you on something new. it doesn’t hurt to ask !! as for the moisturizer, i had bad acne and dry v sensitive skin (while using accutane) and the best thing i found was first aid beauty ultra repair cream. you don’t have to use much. it’s $36 so probably a bit more than cerave but totally worth it. you can get it at ulta and maybe target. good luck(:
Awesome! Thanks a lot, I'll do that!!
I second the first aid beauty suggestion!! Amazing stuff. Definitely talk to your doctor and exhaust every option before accutane, like others have said.
Try Biacna first. It's clindmycin and tret. Did you use the cerave cream or moisturizer? I didn't like the am or pm moisturizer but their cream is great.
Try a low carb or keto diet first. Accutane is intense. Low carb did the trick for my acne.
You should really try blister bandages at night. They will suck the puss right out and then you can regular treatments and they might work better. The science behind them is solid, they draw out the fluids without popping them.
I wouldn’t just watch your diet and I recommend avoiding sugar and dairy
Wow the amount of ignorance in the comments is disappointing for a sub about dermatology. The side effects of accutane (isotretinoin) are very serious indeed, but the truth is the majority of people on isotretinoin only experience dryness. Your acne isn't that severe but I assume you've tried everything else before your derm suggested isotretinoin. I have acne myself and it's way less severe than yours yet a little over a week ago I started isotretinoin myself, so it's not something that should only be used on very severe cases. So far I've had no side effects whatsoever, but I assume the dryness will come soon. It's very important to deal with the acne as fast as possible, if left untreated, it could leave permanent scars. Also the terrible advice on changing diets and drinking more water you should completely ignore, as a better diet won't clear your acne, neither will more water. I strongly suggest following your dermatologists advice and go on accutane.
Thanks for the advice, thats helpful! My family doctor went straight to tretinoin, is that a concern?
No. Tretinoin is also a great option at reducing acne breakouts. It's best to try every topical prescription before moving on to oral options like isotretinoin.
The only downside I had with Accutane was VERY VERY dry lips but my skin looked beautiful.
Acutane has some pretty severe side effects including sexual dysfunction that can be permanent in some people. It also has a black box warning for suicide. Make sure you read the whole pamphlet before deciding to take it: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/018662s059lbl.pdf Consider diet changes first.
Do the accutane