Accutane

If you're at a point where you need accutane then ignore the advice of people in this thread. Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic acid, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar etc. don't hold a fucking candle to accutane.

The only other alternative I can think of (that's been described as a cure in medical journals) is blue light therapy - no, this is not the UV light mask from neutrogena; you need to see a Dermatologist or at least an aesthetician. There's more to it than that but I can't remember the specifics of the study.

Accutane is a huge gamble. For some, it's all good, no problems.

For others, you'll have permanent personality changes for the rest of your life. Like I'm talking suicidal schizophrenic multiple personality bipolar panic attack personality changes. For some people this drug can seriously fuck you up permanently. It's rare but it does happen.

Other people get mild psychosis while on the drug that usually tempers or goes away after cessation.

While it does work on acne very well, there's also the possibility of it coming back in a year or two and you've just nuked your liver for nothing.

Unless you have serious cystic acne scarring your face beyond recognition, there are other alternatives you should try first.

what do all these products do

Citation for literally any mental effects please

Not that guy, but, as a former Accutane user myself, the only thing I've ever heard is correlation (not causation) between accutane use and depression. That can just as easily be depression due to acne, lol.

Your doctor should give you am extensive lowdown. If he doesn't, change doctors.

It's no joke user

I was in the same boat as you, from 17-18ish. Cleared my face, still some scars on my back, but that’s from me being an inpatient kid and fucking up.

Didn’t really have many side affects, Doc said aching joints may affect my lifting, but I didn’t notice. Besides, there are supplements you could use to help with that.

Did have to get my blood tested every 5 weeks to make sure my liver wasn’t shutting down lol

Also a former user and feel the same

increased risk of suicide as well

If you have horrible cystic acne that leaves noticeable scars from over 5 meters away then go ahead. If not stop being a pussy and get over it it will pass. t.-someone who took accutane for a few cystic pimples and severely regrets it....

Before you take the nuclear bomb of acne, I would try cutting dairy out completely, if if you haven’t already. And drink tons of water, and cut out sugar. /no dairy/ gave me some pretty legit results.

If that doesn’t work than accutane is the move for sure.

I don't agree, I think accutane should only be used for acne that is leaving bad scars. Usually doing what you said coupled with a good skincare regimen will reduce acne even if it is just genetic to a low acceptable level.

Now define "good skincare regimen".

Don't trust the broscientists in here, OP.

Tazorac has worked well for me.

Noticed joint pain and haziness.

I regret it, it worked yes but before taking it I had perfectly dry and tight skin after 1 year of taking it my skin turned into an oil field. That was 6 years ago and ever since I am afraid USA will invade because of how oily my skin is.
Also it turns out changing bed sheets every few days, keeping your face clean and eating right fixes 99% of skin problems because acne came back like 2 years after anyway.

Posting my exp

Me and 2 brothers had shitty acne, in the UK it is mandatory to do 6 months of each of the 3 weaker drugs before getting accutane from a dermatologist.

All other drugs, cleaner diet, better hygiene etc etc did nothing, accutane cleaned everything up for all of us fast. My only side effect was very dry lips so I carried chapstick around.

Don't listen the people saying that it'll fuck up your eyes or your mind.
Accutane was one of the best decisions I made when I was a teen, along with lifting. I tried everything, eating clean, daily skincare routines, Benzyl, and a lot of pomades and soaps but nothing worked.
My face was fucked up and sometimes I would get big pimples or scars that would drop my self esteem to the floor for the whole week. I decided to go to the dermatologist and he prescribed me 20 mg per day, and I did montly visits with analysis to check if I was okay. In 2 months my face was completely clean. 0 fucking pimples. I continued for 9 months and now I just wash my face with a special soap in the morning. It's amazing. The only side effects that I remember were my dry lips, but I never had mood problems or depression. Give it a try with your dermatologist, if you see really bad side effects just drop it, but I guarantee you'll be fine.

Doxy will fuck your gut up. Took it as a teenager and ended up losing a dangerous amount of weight

it fucking works. bad side effects, but if your willing to deal with that say goodbye to your acne.

Doxy is crazy shit..
and it only lasts for as long as you pop the pills.
and it takes like half a year for the shit to start working.

Benzoyl peroxide?
Asked my doc about it, and he just swiftly replied "True beauty comes from within, user."
and then i quit dairy.

little did you know, after a year off dairy, seems i'm completely intolerant to everything milk and it'll fuck me up for days.

>Don't listen the people saying that it'll fuck up because it worked well for me

What a fucking idiot, you're someone who is destined to either wageslave or study some low-IQ subject like economics.

The funny thing is that I studied economics and I'm not a wageslave, I'm a brainlet doing well in life I think. But relax buddy, you don't need to insult me.

However, if you're montly supervised with analysis numbers for sure you'll be fine. If the dermatologist sees bad numbers or you don't feel comfortable just lower the dose or drop it. I advised some friends with this exact advice and they were fine all the time. If you don't give it a chance it's your problem, good luck trying all the other solutions.

How the fuck does vitamin A derivative skin cream burn your retina??

Don't fuckin do it. My best friend did it at 13, he's had brain fog because of it since then.

30 year old beta here.
Accutane helped clear up some acne but it turned my skin red
After 25 years I figured out what I was doing wrong
I was washing my face twice a say with all kinds of chemical bullshit
Bar of irish spring only at night.
That's all.
In the morning I shave and splash the shaving creme off my face but that's all I do and I only have 1 zit every 6 months.
Try it out.

There is no alternatives, do it faggot and become acne free. You can handle dry lips and skin for 6months right?

Joint supplements? Like what?

What do I put in my oatmeal then? Water is terrible, and almond milk is way too expensive

symptoms are overblown by some anti-accutane people

if you have severe or persistent acne, take it, there is no other choice

yeah dude accutane was a miracle for me. I had terrible acne, tried 1000 different remedies and accutane cleared it right up. I didn't get any negative side effects. The only downside is the cost, hopefully your insurance covers it

THERE IS NO CAUSATION OF MENTAL DISORDERS!!

This was a bullshit label pushed through by a senator because his faggot of a son killed himself. Long story short, rather than realize he should've done more for his son in life, he fucking blames the drug.

Shut the fuck up you daft cunt. If anything, all the people I know are happier on and after acutane. Don't be a fuckin' troll.

I recently ( 2 days ago) threw my remaining pills away. It's my second course and about 3 weeks in I starting getting some pretty severe joint pain especially in my elbows and heels, alongside major thinning of my hair. Skins still abit spotty after 2 months but I'd take acne over being bald and not making gains for the army which I need to pass a PFA for in the future. It's up to you really lad, my first course kept me clear for about 5-6 months but left me pretty scarred on my cheeks because of how fragile your skin gets.

Did a cycle at 18/19, 25 now.
>Is it safe?
No
>Does it work?
Yes
>What are the alternatives?
Some things for some people, nothing for others.

Don't listen to people saying don't listen to people. Yes, it's dangerous. It has like a 1% chance of fucking up your whole life forever. It has a 99% chance of not fucking up your life forever. Those are good odds if there are no alternatives. Those are bad odds if there are alternatives. Try all the alternatives. They might work. They might not work. If they don't, then do accutane. It's worth it if you need it, it's not if you don't.

That's the simplest answer I can give you without being wrong.

Idk how it affects men but my girlfriend went into a pretty deep depression every time she tried this stuff be very careful your skin ain't worth loosing yourself

>nuked your liver
Kek i'm sure it puts a mild strain on it, but that's what it's there for pussy

>loose yourself

These are the people keeping you from totally clear skin. It is up to you, there are no mental drawbacks that have been officially declared aside from "possibilites". Only joint pain and dryness.

Do. Not. Worry. This drug was a lifesave for my cystic acne.

accutane had me very scuicidal (i'm talking had a plan, had the tools to go through with the plan, etc) for a long time so watch out for that. it works though.

Should be treated as a last resort. Use it if lifestyle choices don't fix anything. Even then it's worth mentioning that I was on it and while that fixed the constant acne and got rid of most of it, it isn't guaranteed to make you immune. With that said, it is still very good if you can deal with the side effects.

I didn't mention mental sides, retard. I'm talking about renal disease, osteoporosis, cataracts, IBS, closure of growth plates...

When I took accutane my hair loss increased, would just go through my hair with my hand and bunch of hairs would fall out, it slowed afterwards but I lost like a good 3rd of my thickness and it never recovered. It was around 17 18 years of age so could be coincidence but it did start with accutane and slowed down afterwards. Hairs in hand stopped altogether.

It's not rat poison, but it's not the kind of meds you don't notice that you're on them.
I started bleeding from my lips, a bit of joint pain, got really sensitive to the sun. Also, you're going to be dry everywhere, and feel like your skin is really tight and thin. Eyelids, lips, face, dick, hands, scalp. It's the whole point with the treatment, but it's going to sting like a motherfucker. So keep a jar of vaseline in the fridge for dat cooling soothing moisture, slather your face in it, then it won't sting anymore. Stay out if the sun, no alcohol whatsoever, drink a lot of water.

I had no permanent side effects. I'm a bit less oily nowadays, but I'm not constantly dry or anything.

Be certain your derm checks liver values every third week or whatever though. It's the one thing where things could potentially go really south.

This is due to your scalp drying out when you stop producing natural oils. I had the same, but it grew back.

I'll also add that I had pretty severe cystic acne that was both itchy and painful. It's not something I would recommend for someone who's "a bit spotty".

As for alternatives, there is lymecycline/tetralysal. But I believe that's an antibiotics, so depending on where you live you might not be allowed to use it for long, due to the risk of bacterias developing resistances. It cleared up the worst of my acne, but not all of it. Acne came back after I finished taling it, hence moved on to accutane. But it was enough for my brother to completely clear up, and it's a whole lot less scary than accutane. You take it orally together with a topical you put on every night. The topical cream is a bit bleaching and stinging, and I ruined a few towels and pillows by bleaching the fabric but that's expected. However, it also makes the "red scars/spots" go away faster.

So there's no downside if I am already depressed?

depression (extreme case of tfw no gf)
dry joints, went from lmao2pl8 ohp to 1.25 because of the pain
dry skin and lips

other than that, miracle drug

I was on it for 4 months, I had terrible cystic back acne. For the entire 4 months, my acne got worse. Huge, nasty, blood filled cysts formed on my back. At the worst point, I had one rupture and sprayed blood and puss all over the wall behind me. It was disgusting.

After I went off it, my back cleared up completely. It changed my life. I used to be self conscious about going outside with a tank top or my shirt off, even with a good physique, because of my back. It is completely different now, and I am so happy I did it. It might be shitty to go on, but I would recommend it. Can't argue with results.It has been a year since and I have had no long term side effects and my back is still clear.

If you're determined to take it, you should be injecting test-e also. It will counteract some of the side effects slightly.

>dry/painful joints
>dry skin and lips
>loss of appetite
>depression

Injecting testosterone gives the exact opposite of these side effects. It lubricates your joints, makes you hungrier, happier, etc etc.

Just something to consider. It will likely lessen your suffering... However unless your acne is completely life ruining, i'd recommend staying away from accutane.

Red onion

>way too expensive
It's like $2 more than regular milk dude

How does a vitamin A pill even have these side effects

accutane is miracle drug from gross to very nice in 3 months

sounds like fuckin bullshit but i guess there's no way of proving it either way, like most drug sides.

Yes, its safe, and its a miracle drug if you have serious acne.

I shadow a dermatologist who recommends it all of the time. He says the cases of depression associated with it are weak, but something to keep in mind. It seems like the best solution on the market. It is tough, but it is worth it and permanent. You can always stop it if you get any psychiatric symptoms.

Its a vit A derivative.

Im on it right now, 20mg
first week nothing happened
2nd week acne got worst
3rd week back to how it was in week 1
4th week seeing improvements.
few weeks later
Im almost clear only 3-4 spots now although I do have redness around the areas the acne used to be, will be seeing my dermatologist early next year.

side effects wise
I get dry skin, I treat that with moisturizer, which is also a sunscreen as the medication can make your skin sensitive to the sun.
not all the time but I also get dry eyes.

there is more my dermatologist gave me a 4 page handout talking about the medication

So twice the price of milk?

Cleared me for a while. Getting zits again and left me with random days of severe depression and anxiety so kinda bi polar

I took it in HS and my dermatologist literally never told me there were side effects other than skin drying out. Now I come online and keep reading about how it can make people depressed, etc kek.

My only side effect was dry skin/lips. I once got sunburned and it was the worst 2 days of my life, my skin was so dry. I was constantly itchy. Other than that, I had no real side effects

i took it in high school too. tried everything else my dermatologist recommended but accutane cleared me up completely. very dry skin/lips but manageable with chapstick and lotion. i have some scarring but that is probably because i picked at it. now that i'm older and have done some cheap dermabrasion treatments the scarring isn't a big deal anymore. if you want your acne to go away completely and be done with it then go on accutane. you'll be fine. stay hydrated!

ja! anderer Duetscher sprecher?

My friend in college started taking accutane and within a week, was manically depressed. He would just start sobbing, crying, all of a sudden. It was right during finals week too, he was such a mess that he didn't finish any of his papers, had to get a medical extension. The mood change was so severe he had to stop taking it, and it didn't clear up his acne either. Between accutane, SSRIs, and finasteride, I'm not sure which is a bigger meme drug guaranteed to leave you depressed, anhedonic, and incapable of getting your dick hard.

Before accutane I'd try

Keto + fasting + no soap in the shower + no shampoo/conditioner for hair. I only use soap in the shower if I've worked up a funk in my pits and bits. Less pimples, dandruff, and overly dry skin.

They're less drastic than taking accutane (see )

CONT

Also try Benztropine if you have a problem with over sweating/hyperhydrosis. You have to take it before anything else but it works if you have sweat problems.

Yes. It's still not expensive

If I spend 20$ on milk a month, I'm now spending 40$. 480$ a year on almond milk vs. 240$ for regular milk, no thanks.

>The only side effects that I remember were my dry lips,
oh my god my lips would crack every time I opened my mouth when I was on it. It was an extremely painful experience, but, in the end, worth it due to the acne going away

accurate fucking works my skin is fucking spotless. make sure ur insurance covers it. should only cost $15 per month.

just fcuking go to the dermatologist yo

It will get you even more depressed that you will want to cry at random times and suicidal for no reason.
Good luck

former accutane user here.
cleared my back acne right up
no side effects besides the obvious serious dry skin.
10/10 would reccomend

Just make sure to keep hydrated, get cream

I’m taking it right now. Skin gets very dry so make sure to get lotion / always keep chapstick on you. Also make sure to stay hydrated.
Side effects: at first I didn’t stay hydrated and got a couple of nosebleeds. Skin is VERY sensitive. If I get a scratch it will scan and stay there way longer than normal. No mental side effects, other than sometimes I randomly smell peanut butter, desu it’s definitely worth it

*scab

I had pretty bad acne up to 23, acne vulgaris until I was 20 then acne mechanica that faded for 5 years. The biggest variable was always sports and skincare. Here's what worked
>Benzyl Peroxide
works imperfectly, been using it 3x a day for like 10 years. switching brands and ointment types helps for short periods of time, I would do that for job interviews or big dates. I now buy the cheapest 5% ointment on amazon, but you may want something stronger

>Shower wash
The nutrogena shit is best in class. It's really important that you shower as soon as possible after you work out.

>Sun
When I'm tan I get a lot less acne. It's why i got less acne during rugby season than wrestling. Getting 20 minutes of sun on a 70+ day will dry up inflammation and heal red skin. If you get in the habit of it less acne will form.

>Moisturizer
Fucking essential. If you're not using it you have a pretty large potential for better skin just by buying some. I used all the main brands of 30 spf face moisturizers, they're good but getting a nicer noncomedogenic lotion will have your shit glowing. I like the burts bees face moisture a lot. Acne products can make your face really dry which causes flaking and redness and slows down healing.

>Popping pimples
I'm so good at popping zits I feel like I should get paid for it. Develop a protocol for identifying pimple types, timelines and response. Any puss on the skin goes with an outer skin pinch, never pinch tight or you'll break capillaries and cause redness. Subcutaneous comedones are never worth it. A sub that's hit the surface and formed a crusty cap is 50/50, they heal faster if you get them but a failed attempt can cause a cyst. Whiteheads and blackheads are pretty safe, get them after the shower with outer pinches to avoid capillary marks.

Dairy didn't work, antibiotic pills didn't work. Proactiv and competitors didn't work. Just took time for my face to grow up, beard to fill in and my skin to get less oily.

I took accutane at 16 and I got permanently dry lips ever since

Im 26 now

Accutane is a big regret in my life

always sleep with freshly washed pillow case or sheet. Dont touch your face and eat healthy

what is brain fog?

> nuked your liver
Alcohol is worse

I have super bloody boogers, chapped lips and dry, sensitive face

WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT BLOODY BOOGERS

Took it at around 16, Got rid of acne for sure but I honestly would have not done it knowing the effects. Was depressed as fuck for the rest of highschool, feel like its still effecting me desu

op i am 27 years old and i have had terrible acne and pimples since the age of ~16. it was terrible, my entire back was covered in pimples to the point where like, 40% of the time it hurt a bit to sit back in a chair because of a new pimple, and i grew a beard to attempt to cover up as much of my face as possible, even though i dont like facial hair and think clean shaved is patrician. my skin was oily enough that it was greasy to the touch within 40 minutes of leaving the shower.

in my teens i had a friend with a similiar problem who got on accutane and got clear skin, and every year or two i would go to a dermatologist and every year i got denied, they would give me some bullshit excuse like "I dont prescribe that because of the side effects" or "your acne isn't bad enough to warrant that." or "your insurance wouldn't cover it as it is a cosmetic medication so i wont even bother to prescribe it".

over those years i spent hundreds and tried literally everything you can think of, this isn't a hyperbole, i really did try everything. various teas, water intake, sodium intake, dairy intake, dont wash your face, wash your face more often, benzoyl peroxide, zinc, anti androgen supplement, every single vitamin, increased sunlight exposure; these are just the tip of the iceberg, if i made the entire list it would be several pages long

this year after i was brushed off once again by a dermatologist who told me I should "try benzoyl peroxide" i decided if they aren't going to give it to me im going to find another way, and i obtained it illegally, I have been on it 3 months. every day is fantastic, i have renewed self confidence, backne is clearing up and i have gotten a total of 1 pimple in 3 months. the only side effect i have "suffered" is dry skin and dry lips, i just got cerave moisturizer and some chap stick and it's all good.

i can't recommend you do something against doctors orders, but personally i wish i would have listened to myself over the doctors years ago

Just use epiduo cream.

gluten allergy. get checked for it. had a relative with bad acne in teen years, turns out it was gluten all along, 100% not memeing

>accutane
>schizophrenia

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

YOU FUCKING MORON XD