Posting this to give people struggling some hope. Finished my accutane course in October 2025 and this is July 2026. No where close to completely smooth as I struggle with scarring, but so much better than it was. Thank you accutane for giving me confidence back

I’m 17F on about month 4 of 60mg Accutane and my lips have just been hell. Cracking on the corners, peeling, bleeding… You name it. Last week, I was out of town and realized I forgot my Aquafor! Tragedy, I was done for.

I went into a Dollar General to see if I could find some Aquafor and I couldn’t find any. So, I bought this Aveeno lip care stuff. Tried it thinking it’d just be mid a 5 day solution. And oh. my. gosh. It is so hydrating. It felt like it sealed together all my peeling bits. It felt so good on my peeling lips. The moment I put it on my lips feel as smooth as they did before I was on Accutane AND MORE!

If you are struggling with Accutane lips, I couldn’t recommend this more. While it didn’t fix already blistering cracks, it is so soothing and helps prevent future cracking. It’s 40% Glycerin, as well as Shea butter, a tripple oat complex, and Dimethicone. It is free of fragrances, petroleum (which surprised me), lanolin, dyes, and parabens. I’m not being paid to say this xD, just love this product.

TLDR: If you’re struggling with Accutane lips and Aquafor isn’t doing enough, try Aveeno Skin Relief Healing Ointment. It is amazing.

ignore how silly i look but need help. been one month post accurate and my skin is moving weird again. nothing has changed at all since beginning of treatment product wise (vanicream and sunscreen). derm put me in azalaic 2 months ago (1 month before last dose) to transition and skin loved everything till about 2 weeks ago, what do i do?!!! help pls!!

I’m a 2027 bride and planning to do accutane leading up to my wedding
I currently workout 4/5 times a week and am worried if I will still be able to after being on accutane. Are there any supplements that will help me to do atleast a low impact workout

TLDR; head numbness, headaches, severe suicidal thoughts, anger, depression, hair loss, vision changes and becoming distant from things and people I love.

Three months ago I (M/30) started on accutane. I recently had gone through a traumatic life event before hand where I basically lost everything (job, house, friends, partner, pets). After this my skin started breaking out like never before. I was sad but just kept going and tried to get my life back together. Topical treatments used to keep my acne away but they seamed to stop helping.

I decided to go on accutane because I was so tired of dealing with on again off again acne. I knew some horror stories about it but didn’t really care because I saw all the success stories too.

About 3 days into the course I developed huge cysts all over my neck and chin. Accompanied by acne all over my face 110% worse than before. I thought I got unlucky, purged really bad and kept on treatment.

3 weeks in I stared getting very depressed. Not leaving the house, avoiding people, and serious thoughts started about self harm. Soon after I started noticing pretty significant hair loss. Ive always had thick hair and being able to see my scalp only made me more depressed.

About 2 months in my acne started to clear, leaving behind excessive redness, PIE, and a damaged skin barrier. Around this time is when I started noticing some vision changes, headaches and head numbness at the top of my head.

The head numbness was weird for me. I had hit the top of my head 3 years ago that broke skin and concussed me but I fully headed and my head was fine. But now it was numb and felt strange on touch.

I just kept pushing through as much as I could. I couldn’t get out of bed without being dizzy and hating myself. I threw a towel over the mirror and wouldn’t even look at myself. Once I started punching random stuff and being in such an angry state all the time I decided to call it quits.

I am 2 weeks off accutane now and my skin is the same as when I was taking it, just PIE still. Maybe it’s a placebo but I am actually feeling a bit better. I can wake up and not immediately hate existing. I still get headaches and numbness but my temper has improved. My hair is still thin and I hope that gets better with time as well as the PIE.

The only real good thing this experience has gave me was being sober. I don’t think I’ve gone 3 months without a drink since I was 21.

Right now I am focusing much more on my diet, only greens. No other b/s at all. I am going to get bloodwork done soon and I also want to get a hormone test as well.

I don’t want to fear monger. Just wanted to say that if you are experiencing severe depression it might be in your best interest to quit, it even says that on the packaging. I really can’t imagine going through the rest of this treatment with what felt like the devil inside of me.

i’m just over 2 weeks into taking accutane, 10mg, going well, had some whiteheads come out. dry lips, drier arms/legs.

i finished my period this weekend and had some INSANE itching/burning down there. unbearable even! i thought surely this is thrush/BV?

the sexual health clinic was closed over the weekend and Mon/Tues, so i went today to get tested.

turns out, it’s the accutane drying me UPPPP😭 even getting the swabs in was lowkey weird bc it’s SO DRY!!!! i’m only 25😭🙏🏽 what da heckkkkkk.

the itching and burning has stopped 95% now anyway. but the doctor told me to lube UP! any other girlies had this?!

Been on 40mg for about four months with great results, then started to get recurrent styes in both eyes. Dermatologist said it makes sense as a side effect since styes are related to blocked oil glands but he’s never seen it before as a side effect. Anyone else experienced this?

Took the last pill today! Wahoo!

First month: 40mg
Months 2-6: 80mg

Started finally seeing progress around month 4/5

Here’s a list of the skin care I used to keep the dry skin at bay:

First aid beauty:
-ultra repair hydrating pillows
-ultra repair cream
- hydration serum
- hydrating sunscreen milk 45spf

Not first aid beauty:
-la roche-posay cicaplast B5 spray
-Vaseline jelly (on really bad days I would sleep in a face mask of this)
-Vaseline lip balm
-dr. Dans cortibalm

Hope this helps!

hi all!

i’ve been on accutane for about 7 months now (started in January 2026). i started off with 10mg the first month then progressed to 20mg a day. i didn’t really have the purging stage, but i’ve noticed i lost a lot of hair. the facial puffiness/swelling makes me feel so insecure along with me looking 10x older and dull. i’m only 21, and i don’t look as youthful as i did before accutane. i look constantly tired, dull and almost grey? like the life was literally sucked out of me. my skin is soooo much clearer (thank god, i had SEVERE acne) but i feel almost 10x uglier?

i just look very lifeless, drained, puffy, my double chin got so big even though i’m at a low weight. it made me develop SEVERE facial dysmorphia and everyday i hate looking at my face. yes my skin is clear, but i’m tired of looking like a zombie.

has anyone else experienced this? will it get better? i see some people say that they never returned to their youthful look even years after accutane. really discouraging, almost makes me regret even ever taking accutane even though my acne was severe. feedback from personal experience will be appreciated 🥲

Hello!

The progress pics I’ve seen on here have been inspiring and what led me to finally go on Accutane. I’ve had acne since I was 12 (I’m now 39) and I should have gone on this med sooner! The side effects were what scared me off.

I started May 1st (almost 2 months now) and I’m currently on 40mg. Side effects are mostly dryness (my eyes are killing me) and joint pain. It has been getting more manageable.

Picture with acne is from about 3 months before starting Accutane, clear skin pic is from last week. I still have scarring, PIE, and PIH but feeling optimistic that these will get better.

Hi everyone. I’ve had persistent body acne on my chest, shoulders, and back for over 12 years that’s been resistant to treatments like spironolactone and tretinoin. It’s to the point where I refuse to wear clothing or swimsuits that show my back. My dermatologist has me trying cephalexin for a month, and if it doesn’t work, she’ll recommend Accutane. My concern is that my face is already completely clear, and I’m worried Accutane’s initial purge could cause facial acne. Has anyone taken Accutane primarily for body acne while having clear skin on their face?

Is it okay to take 10mg of accutane after a hair transplant procedure ? , i have a mild folliculitis in the untranslplanted area , and the doctor described me accutane + clindamycin capsules after only one week of the procedure.

I’m obsessed with my results after a year 🥺 after struggling with acne for nearly a decade I finally went on Accutane last August. My course was six months, 30/40/60/60/70/70 mg daily. Twas a journey😭 but I wouldn’t do anything differently. After finishing my course I got engaged and I’m getting married in September and I’m so grateful I finally don’t have to worry about my skin! I finally feel like myself!

Before pics are from last July, last two pics are today. No makeup whatsoever, just Aveeno moisturizer, Azaleic acid, and LRP moisturizer + 30 spf. If you’re looking for motivation or a sign to start, let this be it!!! <3

I’m reporting that there’s apparently a shortage in Germany right now. I tried to fill a prescription in Berlin today and was told it’s impossible and likely to remain so for at least a month or two.

Hi everyone,

I've been on 30 mg Accutane (isotretinoin) for about 3 months, and my active acne has improved a lot. I only get an occasional pimple now, but I'm left with a lot of red PIE (post-inflammatory erythema) on my cheeks.

I'm currently using Skinoren (20% azelaic acid) and I've attached my before and current photos.

My wedding is in 3–4 months, and I'm really worried about these red marks. Unfortunately, I can't afford treatments, so I'm hoping they'll fade as much as possible with time and skincare.

I keep getting these rash like things on my hand. I’m not sure if it’s a side effect from the Accutane or it’s just like dry skin or bruise/broken papules? It doesn’t itch or anything.
Not sure what this is or if it’s happened to anyone else or even related to the Accutane. If anyone has any idea - much appreciated this keeps happening. (Don’t think i should be too concerned
?)

I 29F received my first month of accutane a week ago but can’t bring myself to take it because I’m too afraid of the side effects while also not being sure that it will actually fix my hormonal acne. I have struggled with acne for 17 years and never thought I’d see the day where I have accutane in hand and I’m too scared to actually take it haha. My derm has me starting on 60mg a day and I am 91kg.

I ended up having to pay $80 out of pocket for it because my insurance is refusing to cover the prescription. I talked to multiple people with insurance who assured me that they would cover the monthly pregnancy tests and the blood tests even though they are directly associated with the medication that they won’t cover. I am anxious that that is not actually the case and I’ll get denied for the office visits and end up with a huge surprise bill at the end. They said they would cover it if I took a topical and long term antibiotic first. I really don’t want to take any antibiotic long term. I’ve been on spiro for 5 months and adapelene for a year. It seems like the spiro is actually finally helping a little, my face isn’t quite clear yet but the monthly cystic breakouts are much less severe. I just really wanted a cure to my acne, not daily pills.

I also recently started a glp-1 and have been focused on strength training and training for a half marathon. So I’ve been heavily weighing the potential body aches and Achilles pain. I am considering just upping my spiro dose and starting tret in the meantime so I can focus on my fitness journey and then revisiting the accutane once my weight is stable. It would be a dream to start my 30s with clear skin at my goal weight, but it feels like I’m trying to do too much at once.

It feels like the cards are stacked against accutane and at one point it felt like I would pay any price for clear skin but it turns out I do have my limit. This post was meant to be me asking for advice between starting treatment now or delaying until my weight is steady and insurance will cover it. But I think I have found my answer through this little writing exercise. Thanks for reading, I’ll see you all in 6 months! I would love to hear from anyone in a similar situation.

I’m 45 days into accutane 10mg first month. This month it’s 20mg and I’m getting dermatitis. I went to the dermatologist he said oh you may have folliculitis and eczema and ignored the knee pain and all the side effects. Said that the chest lesion I had could be staph or may not be but said that some people develop folliculitis etc and dermatitis on it. He didn’t say if it would go away. I asked him if there’s any reason if it’s bacterial and making me red and dry why it’s worth it. Guy wasn’t cool. Any advice on if this gets better? I don’t have terrible facial acne and am getting small red bumps on my chest and back. A big one on my chest they didn’t even culture and said that it may cause folliculitis. I thought this was supposed to be a cure. Not make my skin red everywhere. Any advice. Should I switch derms. Also the chest lesion another doctor wanted me on antibiotics for but the derm said only take it if after 4 days after the Kellogg injection it doesn’t improve. I’m so lost.

Any tips or supplements for supporting gut and bone health while on Accutane? Have read some accounts of people having side effects like UC, IBS, bone density changes, or joint pain.

Already taking in lots of water, multivitamin, glucosamine w msm, and fish oil.

i’ve been on accutane for a month, i’ve been using this serum twice a day, and i can confidently say this has become my holy grail skincare product!! i was so so nervous about keeping my skin hydrated and this peptide serum from DOLLAR TREE has been a game changer. i apply one drop to each cheek, my forehead, and my chin morning/night and rub it in before my moisturizer, and together they've completely transformed how hydrated my skin feels. (bonus trick i’ve learned from my derm is that if you get a little spray bottle and spritz your skin with water beforehand, it helps the hyaluronic acid absorb better because it needs water molecules to pull moisture from so that’s been a huge plus too!) my skin stays soft and plump throughout the day and i’ve had so little new breakouts it’s mind blowing to me after soooo many years of acne.

most important thing i attached here is the first half of the ingredient list and unlike so many serums where the "star" ingredients are buried at the very bottom, this one actually has hyaluronic acid and carnosine (scar healing!) high enough on the list that they're doing something.
i've tried products that cost 40x more that haven't impressed me nearly as much. if you're dealing with dry skin on accutane omg please give this a try! this has become my best kept skincare secret but i have to share in here how amazing it works! 😭🤫

I’m a 33M. Currently going back and forth whether or not I want to start Accutane. I was prescribed 30mg daily, partly due to my choice as my Derm asked what I would like to do next. Currently, my face is pretty clear. I maybe get 1-2 small pustules every couple days.

I’ve had mild to moderate acne since puberty. I’ve gone through year stretches of great skin, but I’ve also gone through stretches of acne. I’ve been having good results with Curology formulated with tret, clindamycin phosphate, and Azelaic acid. I’ve been on 2 rounds of doxycycline when my acne flared badly on two separate occasions over the last 2 years. I’ve had chronic scalp folliculitis, which has been pretty controlled the last year or so, but it’s starting to resurface.

I would say my acne is currently controlled, but stubborn. I’m worried that it may flare at any point, which is why I asked for accutane. But now, I’m getting cold feet, mainly due to the potential for side effects. I’m finishing up my last year of med school and expecting my first kid in a few months, so that is also a factor due to stress and other unknowns.

I guess I’m just asking if anyone else has started accutane when they had very minor acne when starting, but possibly a history of recurrent, stubborn and unpredictable acne?

Hi, everyone! I’d like to share my journey with Accutane over the years

I did my first cycle when I was 13/14 years old, on a dose of 20 mg/day for about 2 years. At that time, my acne mainly consisted of a lot of pustules—it was hard to treat with topical products, but I didn't have deep cystic acne or scarring. The low dose was enough for that stubborn acne (despite taking 2 years of treatment), and it completely cleared up my skin.

At 20, I took Accutane again because my cystic acne came back with a vengeance! This time, I did 20 mg/day for 1 year, which also completely cleared my skin.

Even though I never reached the full cumulative dose, the acne-free gaps between my two rounds of Accutane were pretty long, and I was satisfied.

At 25, I started noticing acne all over my face again, which kept getting worse and wouldn't respond to topical treatments. So, 3 years ago (I'm 28 now!), I started using low-dose Accutane completely off-label for "maintenance" to keep my skin looking the way I like it.

Currently, I take about 10 mg per week! I’ve been doing it this way for many years now, and I’m super happy with my skin! Sometimes I take an extra pill when a rogue breakout pops up (usually pre-menstrual or during trips when my diet is worse), but it's rare—and when I do, my skin quickly goes back to its baseline, completely clear of acne lesions.

My skin is much drier than it is without the medication, but it's nowhere near as dry as it gets on a full-dose treatment. I don't need to reapply moisturizer throughout the day, but I usually use rich/hydrating sunscreens during the day and go heavy on hydration in my nighttime skincare routine (a lot of Cicaplast, Cicalfate, and even Vaseline). My lips don't require much care either—sometimes I go days without applying lip balm, and there are no cracks or anything like that.

I get liver function blood tests every 6–7 months or so, which is roughly how often I need a new box of the medication, and I use an IUD as my birth control method

I used to have a lot of questions about how low-dose treatments work, so I wanted to share this great experience with you all. Ask me anything!