What Percent of Accutane Users Never Get Acne Again
If you're here right now, I'm willing to bet y'all've already spent a few dozen hours contemplating/deep-dive-Googling Accutane and everything almost it: the potential side effects, the before-and-afterwards photos, the existent-life stories, and the first-person experiences. And I know this because not only have I lived through acne—I'm talkin' a constant rotation of blackheads, whiteheads, and cysts on my face at all times—only I've likewise taken isotretinoin, aka the generic drug name for Accutane (which, FYI, isn't on the market anymore, just everyone notwithstanding refers to isotretinoin equally Accutane anyway).
And because I've been downwards the research hole myself, I besides know but how important it is to take first-person stories about isotretinoin that are real—ahem, not just the horror stories yous see on sketch websites—and accurately depict all aspects of isotretinoin. Because despite what you've heard, dermatologists agree that Accutane isn't actually as scary equally it'southward made out to exist (muuuch more on that beneath), and that the vast majority of patients who have isotretinoin are, afterwards their class, totally fine.
This content is imported from {embed-proper name}. You lot may be able to detect the same content in another format, or you may be able to observe more information, at their spider web site.
But, hey, I get it—yous want details. Which is why I chatted with nine women about their before-and-after experiences with isotretinoin, from a few who finished their doses just a twelvemonth ago, to some who finished theirs a decade agone, along with practiced commentary from dermatologists. Keep reading to discover out everything you've, well, already been Googling for hours/days/years, starting with…
What is Accutane?
Isotretinoin, commonly referred to every bit Accutane (annotation: Accutane was a brand name for isotretinoin and is no longer manufactured), is a vitamin-A derivative that, when taken orally, minimizes the oil product in your pare. "Accutane permanently shrinks your oil glands and so they tin't be stimulated equally easily anymore," Mona Gohara, Physician, dermatologist and associate clinical professor at Yale Schoolhouse of Medicine, has told Cosmo . Basically, isotretinoin slowly shuts downwards the party in your pores, so acne has a hard fourth dimension setting upwardly store on your face.
How long does it take to see results on Accutane?
Usually, you lot'll start to see some results from Accutane later a few weeks, with bigger results effectually 3 months, and best results after six months. But—only!—your results are well-nigh guaranteed to vary, because when it comes to isotretinoin, there'due south no universal dose or timeline; it all depends on your weight, your dosing, the severity of your acne, how well your body tolerates the medication, and your dermatologist'due south guidance.
That being said, many patients tend to have 40-60mg of Accutane a day for six months—though, again, how many milligrams you accept each day and for how long is based on your weight and wellness. For people with adult female acne (AFA), i.e., women over the age of 25 with stubborn, persistent, hormonal acne, some dermatologists will prescribe a lower dose of Accutane over a longer flow (think: 7 to nine months) to minimize the take a chance of relapse. Again, it all super depends.
Does Accutane work forever?
Ideally, aye, Accutane is a permanent fix to major acne breakouts. But in reality, even the all-time-adhering patients can nevertheless get the occasional tiny zit (because we're all man, and humans sometimes accidentally slumber in their makeup, or stress out too much, or partake in a bit too many cocktails), though they'll rarely feel acne as severely every bit before.
"I would say only five per centum of my patients go on isotretinoin a second time, either because their acne came dorsum in full, or considering they're getting some breakouts that they don't want to deal with again," says Dr. Gohara. "Some other five percent get a little fleck of acne again that clears upward with retinoids or antibiotics, and the other ninety percent never encounter a pimple again."
Is Accutane bad for you?
Most dermatologists hail Accutane equally the closest matter to an acne cure that exists, only that's not to say Accutane isn't a serious drug with serious potential side effects—it is, and everyone can respond differently to the medication. But does isotretinoin deserve the scary reputation y'all see on the net? Definitely not (except, of grade, when we talk about its known gamble of causing nascency defects, which is why regular blood tests, pregnancy tests, and nativity control is required while taking the drug).
Just in terms of the other out-at that place side effects you hear most, I once polled a handful of dermatologists who, collectively, had written more than 2,200 isotretinoin prescriptions in their careers. They said out of all their patients, fewer than 15 of them had serious problems while taking Accutane—the effects of which were resolved with a lower dose or stopping treatment birthday. Over again, as with any medication, everyone'south trunk responds differently, which is why your dr. will exist your BFF during your Accutane journey.
Now, set up to get into those before-and-after photos and first-person stories? Thought then. Let's get into it:
✨ Nine months post-Accutane ✨
A few months before I decided to commencement isotretinoin, I adult a very rare, very severe type of acne called acne conglobata, which left my face covered in deep, itchy, leaky, and incredibly painful cysts. It affected every aspect of my life, and I honestly felt like a victim to my own skin. I concluded up going on isotretinoin for a petty over viii months, and for the majority of that time, I was on 30mg: a lower dose than the usual forty-60mg, but the perfect dose for me.
I had pretty much all the side effects that you hear almost with Accutane: I was tired all the time, no matter how much slumber I got; my skin dried out to the betoken of getting trivial flakes everywhere; I couldn't exercise without getting a headache; if I stood up too long my back would ache. The worst side outcome for me was the dry eyes, and I do think it afflicted my mental health a fleck—I just felt more broken-hearted and didn't take whatsoever motivation. Merely, that'due south also why my dose was lower: to keep my mental wellness and the side effects in cheque.
Thankfully, all of my side effects started to subside a month after I finished Accutane, and I noticed my energy levels rise after near two weeks. I nonetheless take dry eyes nine months later, and I still suspension out before my period. But past "break out," I mean a few tiny spots on my face up—nothing similar before. Yet, all of the side effects were so worth it to me, because isotretinoin saved my skin—information technology genuinely inverse my life.
A dermatologist'south have:
"Accutane, aka isotretinoin, shrinks the glands in your skin that produce oils," says dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine. "When yous shrink those glands, your organs—including your eyes—will be drier, just this side effect usually goes away later y'all cease your dose."
Equally for Mariah's lower energy levels? Another common, yet annoying side outcome. "Some reports suggest that fatigue is dose-dependent, meaning the higher your dose of isotretinoin, the more likely yous are to experience it," says Marisa Garshick, Doctor, of Medical Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in New York City. "In full general, though, most people notice this side effect to exist temporary."
✨ Ix months mail service-Accutane ✨
Before isotretinoin, my skin was so oily that even setting powder couldn't take abroad the polish, and my face was covered in inflamed breakouts. My dermatologist ended upwardly starting my Accutane dosage at 20mg the starting time month, and so bumped me up to 40mg for three months, then had me on 60mg for the last two months.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in some other format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Throughout my course, I dealt with pretty bad eczema on my artillery and a dry scalp toward the terminate, and I also dealt with continuous headaches (though they were persistent plenty that I stopped noticing them subsequently a while, so information technology really wasn't the finish of the globe). The but remaining side effect I have nine months afterwards stopping Accutane is the eczema. It's withal on my artillery, and I've also noticed it becoming credible around my scalp, but it isn't almost every bit bad as it was when I was on Accutane.
As for my acne, I do get the occasional cyst or whitehead now, though nowhere well-nigh as severely as earlier. It actually took me a few years to finally go through with isotretinoin because of how scary it'south made out to be, but for me, the whole thing was by and large fine. I do experience really proud of myself for going on it despite my fears, though, and if I needed to, I would probably do information technology all over again.
A dermatologist'south take:
"Dryness is far and away the most common side event of isotretinoin" says Dr. Gohara. "Most patients can expect some degree of dry out lips, dry skin, dry eyes, and sun sensitivity while they're taking information technology." Though eczema certainly isn't the norm, it also isn't uncommon: "Eczema comes forth because the drug is essentially sucking the oils out of your skin, which is good for your acne, merely not great in terms of pare moisture," she says. "I tell my clients to bandy harsh soaps and washes for gentle, hydrating cleansers, then moisturize with heavier creams as opposed to lighter lotions."
Taking isotretinoin? Fight dryness with these 4 products:
✨ 11 months postal service-Accutane ✨
I got my first breakout when I was 12 years one-time, and for the adjacent five years, I was in a constant battle with my pare. I tried everything under the sun to care for it: antibiotics, topical creams, chemical peels, veganism, hormonal pills, spironolactone, cortisone shots, lasers—everything. I was eventually diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, a hormonal disorder that can cause—amongst other things—persistent acne. I knew then that I had to take the leap and try isotretinoin.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in some other format, or you lot may exist able to find more than information, at their web site.
I was on it for eight months total: For the first three months, I took 40mg, then 60mg for the final five months. I had dry out everything—face, lips, eyes, scalp, body—and my hair started shedding a bit, besides. I'm decumbent to headaches, but Accutane really exacerbated the symptoms, and my caput would ofttimes experience like it was crushing in on itself. It was all an emotional roller coaster for me. I'thou not sure if it was the medicine or my personal life or both, just I definitely think I was more emotionally fragile while I was on it.
About ii months subsequently I finished Accutane, I saw the severity of my migraines, dry eyes, and dry out scalp subtract. After four months, my emotional wellness evened out and I felt back to my erstwhile self. Equally for my skin, I'm now experiencing breakouts all along the lower half of my face up and around my hairline. Thankfully, they're much more minor than before—just pocket-sized whiteheads and blackheads—and truthfully, they could likewise just be a side effect of going off birth command a few months ago.
Information technology sounds weird, but I really think I was meant to get severe acne. My journey taught me and then much most myself: to love myself and exist confident, no matter the condition of my peel. Yes, it was so difficult, but I wouldn't modify a thing. And I would 100 percentage consider going back on isotretinoin once again if I needed to.
A dermatologist'southward have:
If the idea of potentially losing your pilus on Accutane freaks you out, accept deep breaths: "If whatever hair loss occurs, it's mostly temporary," says Dr. Garshick. " One study showed that isotretinoin doesn't touch on hair loss if the dose is depression enough."
Dr. Gohara agrees, stating that "less than 10 per centum" of her patients run across this side effect, and if they practice, "it's unremarkably considering the pilus is drier and more than fragile from the medication, and nine times out of 10, information technology slowly grows back totally normal," she says. "Once the Accutane's out of your system, hair and nails are always laggy in terms of regenerating themselves."
✨ 1 year post-Accutane ✨
I suffered with astringent acne for 3 years earlier deciding to try isotretinoin. My breakouts were super oily, sore, and red no matter what I put on them, and kids at schoolhouse would phone call me Braille face. I didn't take Accutane just that i fourth dimension, though—I ended up taking it three times over the adjacent few years.
The first two times, my acne slowly got worse over six months, then came back as bad as before. My dermatologist even switched upwards the dosing each time: My get-go class, I slowly reached 60mg a twenty-four hour period; my 2nd course, nosotros took the approach of 10mg a day for a longer catamenia of time; and my third course, I slowly reached 60mg over again.
But afterwards my third round, my peel was still incredibly oily and cleaved out. I remember sitting in my dermatologist's office every bit he explained that Accutane hadn't worked how it should take. He apologized and said there was zero else he could offer me. I cried the whole style home. But then, strangely, my skin began to clear up a few months after, nearly like a delayed effect. Now, my skin is totally clear, and I don't have any agile acne.
This content is imported from Instagram. Yous may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Even though Accutane eventually worked for me, it wasn't an easy journey. I honestly had most every side consequence in the volume: dryness, eczema, rashes, body soreness, fatigue, blurred vision, headaches, nosebleeds, stomach problems, hair loss, irritability, and brain fog. Fifty-fifty my vision was notwithstanding a footling blurry until this past summer. Just recently, I went to an ophthalmologist who reassured me that my vision is officially back to 20/20.
If you practise make up one's mind to go on isotretinoin, I take ii words of advice: 1) Take progress pictures! I hope y'all will non detect how much your skin has changed without them, and they'll really assist you stay positive; and 2) Listen to your trunk. It'southward so of import to rest when yous demand it, and say no to going out if your body needs it. I tried to push myself over and over again, and I ended upwardly worse off in the end.
A dermatologist's take:
"There are certainly people who have longer to answer to Accutane," says Rachel Nazarian, Doc, a dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology in New York Metropolis. "This may be due to their ain natural resistance, or due to their medico'south dosing regimen, but information technology's of import to recollect that even when yous end taking the pills, the medication continues to stay in your organization for weeks. Then some people may actually get-go to show improvement around this 'tail end' of treatment."
FYI: These will help keep you clear even subsequently Accutane
✨ 1.5 years post-Accutane ✨
Before Accutane, I used to have astringent acne—by and large full-bodied on my cheeks and forehead, but also along my neck, chest, and dorsum. I took 50mg for the majority of my isotretinoin handling, and luckily, my side effects didn't impact my twenty-four hours-to-mean solar day life that much: My optics, lips, face, and entire body were dry; I had the odd headache here and there; and toward the cease of treatment, I got some articulation and back pain.
This content is imported from Instagram. Yous may be able to notice the same content in some other format, or you may exist able to discover more than information, at their spider web site.
For the first month of treatment, my peel also went through the initial purging flow, significant my acne got significantly worse (similar, information technology doubled in severity) before it started to calm down again. Those outset few months were 100 percentage the hardest to endure, merely I look dorsum at information technology all with gratitude. Even though my acne did come dorsum half dozen months afterward finishing Accutane, it's nowhere near as astringent—I'd say my skin is 60-70 percent better than it was before.
Overall, I'm really lucky to have had such a positive feel, with very minor and manageable side effects. When my acne was at its peak severity, my mental health truly suffered in all means imaginable. And so if my peel e'er came to touch on me the manner it did prior to isotretinoin, I would probably proceed it once more.
A dermatologist'due south have:
"In terms of purging, I'd say a third of my patients see their acne get worse in those first few months of taking Accutane, while a third run into nothing happen at all, and the terminal tertiary say, 'This is the best affair that's ever happened,'" says Dr. Gohara. "For well-nigh people, after month three, their improvement takes off similar wildfire."
✨ 2.5 years post-Accutane ✨
Earlier isotretinoin, I had severe cystic acne on my face, breast, arms, and back. Every time my peel bumped against something, it felt similar somebody had poked the most sensitive blister. My acne would then form keloid scars, which I still accept all over my shoulders and back.
I decided to proceed Accutane in the fall of 2017. I started with a low dosage twice a day, and so was upped to a stronger dose once a solar day after a few months. The strongest side effect I had was dry out skin: My scalp and nose were always dry and itchy, and my lips were constantly cracked. The second side effect was a lower booze tolerance. I call back going out with friends early on in my Accutane journey, drinking just a few drinks, and getting a terrible hangover and headache that lasted way longer than my usual hangovers. Thankfully, these were my only two large side effects, and they went away on their ain within two months after treatment.
Considering my body tolerated Accutane then well and the results were so excellent, I finished after vi months rather than the anticipated 9. I'm so happy I did it, and I wish I hadn't been so scared in the kickoff place. The best part is that my skin isn't constantly inflamed anymore—I can habiliment makeup, bras, and whatever clothes I desire without being in constant pain. And now, whenever I do get the occasional pimple, I'm non worried that I'm about to face clusters of inflammation for months.
A dermatologist's take:
"In full general, it's recommended that people avert alcohol while on isotretinoin," says Dr. Garshick. Not only does Accutane already put a bunch of stress on your liver (which is the same organ responsible for processing all those White Claws you lot beverage), only information technology also dries your body out. Basically, you're setting yourself up to have a major hangover the next solar day.
✨ Four years post-Accutane ✨
I used to have patches of painful cysts and nodules underneath my skin that didn't reply to regular acne treatments. I grew upwards in a beach town and would wear a total face of makeup to the beach, or beg non to get to schoolhouse because I was having a specially bad skin day.
I ended up doing 2 rounds of isotretinoin about four years apart. The start time, it worked perfectly, and I didn't accept a unmarried pimple for three years. Over fourth dimension, though, my acne came back fifty-fifty worse and more painful than before, so I ended up doing a second round of handling. It's been nigh 4 years since I finished, and while I notwithstanding go an occasional pimple, my acne hasn't come back at all. I take no residual effects from the medication, and all of my deep acne scars have gone away, besides.
For me, the biggest side effects I dealt with were an extremely dry nose and lips, and I had large patches of cracked and scaly pare. Simply all of information technology started to go away within a few weeks after I finished the medication. I honestly wouldn't hesitate to get back on isotretinoin if my acne came back, though. The five or six months of uncomfortable side effects didn't outweigh the not bad benefits for me.
A dermatologist'due south take:
Equally Dr. Gohara said, very few (5 percentage, if she had to estimate) of her patients get on Accutane a 2nd time, while the vast majority never run across a major breakout again. Once again, your results will vary, but rest bodacious most patients see life-changing improvements with a course of isotretinoin.
✨ Five years mail-Accutane ✨
Before isotretinoin, I had severe cystic nodular acne, mostly on the lower half of my face, that wouldn't reply to typical acne treatments. The bumps under my skin were so large and sore that I ended upwardly going on 60mg of Accutane in 2015. Throughout my six-month dose, everything was dry—my eyes, the insides of my nose (to the point of occasional nosebleeds)—and my joints were super stiff and achy, especially in the morning and at night. Even bending down and picking something up was harder on Accutane; I had to motility slower because of how potent I felt.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in some other format, or you may exist able to detect more information, at their web site.
Thankfully, all of my side effects ended rapidly, only a few weeks after I stopped taking the pill, but my acne started to come back six months later. In the end, I decided non to proceed another dose of Accutane, though, since my acne is so hormonally driven that I feel similar it wouldn't have helped. I still have acne 5 years afterwards, but I've found more than natural ways to treat it over the years, and information technology's nowhere as severe equally it was before.
Even though it didn't piece of work for me, I'grand still really grateful I took isotretinoin. Without it, I wouldn't have started my Instagram account @myfacestory and wouldn't have connected with all the people I've had the opportunity to meet online and in person. The fact that Accutane didn't work for me ended upward being my gateway to skin positivity; information technology helped me have and beloved my skin no affair what information technology looks like.
A dermatologist'south accept:
Ask a dozen dermatologists for their thoughts on isotretinoin and hormonal acne, and yous'll probably go a 50/50 split in opinions. Some dermatologists believe isotretinoin isn't super effective for hormonal acne in women, just Dr. Gohara (and many others) disagrees.
"We know that acne is caused past a hormonal surge that triggers your oil glands to produce oil, allowing bacteria to settle in and create inflammation," says Dr. Gohara, "so it simply doesn't make sense to me that this process wouldn't respond well to isotretinoin. I call up that in the cases where a patient's skin isn't responsive to Accutane, it's because that person's torso simply isn't responsive to Accutane—which can happen in some people."
✨ 8 years post-Accutane ✨
The best fashion I could depict my peel prior to isotretinoin is...painful. There was a period of at to the lowest degree five years where I don't call back waking up without my face hurting. I actually got fired from a task at a dazzler counter in higher because the managing director thought I made a bad impression on customers considering of how my skin looked.
Accutane concluded upwardly working really rapidly and really successfully on my acne, only I besides had virtually every side result—the well-nigh abrasive of which was the dry skin. I needed to employ lotion to my face, hands, and body all the fourth dimension, and I dealt with horrible joint pain, especially in my hips. Considering isotretinoin dries up a lot of your body's natural moisture and lubrication, even my anus (yup) was dry out, which meant taking a sh*t was one of the most painful experiences of my life.
I also experienced suicidal thoughts and ideations toward the stop of my treatment, but I didn't desire my derm to pull me off the meds—at that bespeak in my life, I thought my peel was more important than my mental health, just I should have been upfront with my dermatologist (I absolutely don't recommend this dangerous behavior, FYI).
Inside six months, my acne cleared up, and my dermatologist decided I no longer needed to take isotretinoin. All of my side effects disappeared inside a calendar month, except for the low. To be off-white, I've always had depression in some class, but I had never had suicidal ideations until I was on isotretinoin. Still, as awful as some of my side effects were, I don't regret a second of information technology. I was and so self witting about my pare that I used to hide in the bathroom and cry. I truly believe that Accutane was the merely viable handling for my cystic acne.
A dermatologist's take:
According to Dr. Nazarian, less than one percent of her patients experience mental health symptoms while on isotretinoin. As for Dr. Gohara, "scientifically, there's no correlation between isotretinoin and depression or anxiety, but anecdotally, I see it in 10 per centum or less of patients," she says. "If somebody has a pre-existing mental health condition or is seeing a mental healthcare provider, I make sure that provider is on board with Accutane before I even first it, and that we are in actually close contact then nosotros can speedily lower the patient's dose or come off of the medication ASAP if demand be."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, phone call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or contact the Crunch Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
This content is created and maintained by a third political party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You lot may be able to discover more than information about this and similar content at pianoforte.io
Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a34465646/accutane-before-after-results-side-effects/