[sheraz]

I am not a doctor, but I am close to people who have undergone this.

Accutane works, but it is far more complicated for women in the US. They must sign a pledge stating they understand the risks associated with Accutane treatment and pregnancy. In fact, they require women on Accutane to take birth control concurrently.

If you are a guy, no problems. 6 months and you are done, usually.

That, and monthly blood tests as they want to make sure your liver take take it.

[xk_id]

I can stand behind Accutane (isotretinoin). It really, really works. And in my case, it was the only thing that worked.

But the leaflet of possible side effects is likely to intimidate you – anything goes, from falling of the nails and hair, to bone damage, depression and suicide.

In my case, the only serious side effect I remember having was that throughout the treatment my skin was exfoliating badly, regardless of any creams I was using. It's really quite an aggressive substance.

However, one day, my acne entered remission. And after it went away, it never came back. I had perfect skin ever since.

I don't know if Accutane was worth it – it certainly worked, but I don't know what price I actually paid. When I took it a few years ago, specialists weren't even sure why it works; I don't know if this changed since then.

But it definitely does the trick.

Edit: 1) I read someone suggested washing your pillow – it made me chuckle. Seriously, I don't know what kind of acne you have; but trust me, when I had mine, I tried EVERYTHING. You must know what I mean – acne is annoying, and Google is handy. But in my case, nothing worked; besides Accutane.

Accutane actually cures acne; it's not like Aloe Vera or washing your pillow.

2) I remembered one peculiarity about Accutane: you finish the treatment (and acne starts entering remission) once you have ingested a certain amount of it, calculated per body weight. Doctors prescribe that you take a small quantity every day over the course of 6 months; I used to disregard that, and take a bunch of it every day, so I could finish the treatment quicker. One downside is that the side effects (i.e, exfoliation of skin) become more aggressive in the process.