The answer to this question is not as straightforward as you may think.
Accutane has helped hundreds and thousands of people with acne. Some
people can go through one round of the drug and be cured. Others find
little or no relief. There are also what I call serial Accutane users;
people who continue to go back to this medication after its effects have
worn off.
In defense of Accutane (or any other treatment for problem skin), if you do not take away the cause of problem skin, then Accutane or any other treatment is compromised as to its efficacy. If you keep bumping into a door, you can treat the bruises with ointments to help them fade, but unless you determine that bumping into the door is causing the bruises in the first place, you can see how ineffective any treatment might be.
Do
some investigation and try to find out the source of your problem skin.
This can take time and definitely requires patience. You may not have
either of these to spare. But if you decide to go on Accutane
treatments, or any medication, please be well-versed in the side effects
and take whatever precautions recommended by the drug company. That
information will be found on the long list of contraindications and drug
interactions provided with all prescription medications.Although Accutane is supposed to be prescribed for stage IV, nodular acne—the most severe cases—I have found that many of my clients who didn’t have such severe cases were readily given a prescription. From the experiences of my clients coming in and relating their stories to me, I have also found many people have been on Accutane more than a few times, without even having major problems with their skin.
There is a lot of information about Accutane on this blog. I hope these articles provide you with sufficient information to make an informed decision on whether or not to go on this drug yourself or to have your teenager start taking Accutane. Do more research, find as many answers to your questions as you can. If you’ve read anything here, you know I am not in favor of using Accutane to “cure” problem skin. There are many who are believers, I’m just not one of them. Good luck on your search!
To understand how going on Accutane isn’t always a cure for your problem skin, please read:
Here are a few articles you could start with to understand the relationship to food and skin issues. There are many more articles on this blog that can help you understand why you are breaking out as well as help to keep the breakout to a minimum:
- Problem skin profile: Donna—constipated with problem skin
- Help for Breakouts
- Sugar & Skin Problems
- YONKA Problem Skin Helpers + more
