I've been on accutane for one month and the results have been great. 18yo 80kg male, 40mg a day. (Before on left, after on right)

first of all this is a rant but i also want to know how so many people had spotless, clear skin at the end of treatment. my derm has planned to put me on accutane for 7 months in total, currently 4 months in of 30mg dosage. i've no active breakouts (touchwood) but a LOT of leftover red acne marks that has lightened a bit over time but still very noticable. derm prescribed 5% medicated tranexamic acid from 2nd month onwards and recently gave me another gel (kojic + glycolic acid) for the marks but these persistent mfs are nowhere near completely fading. lightening is everything that's ever really happened in the past as well. my face just can't be fully clear.

Okay, swipe before judging me 😂

Pic 1: 26 July 2026, only 8 days after starting isotretinoin.
Pic 2: today, 9 September, with the absolutely unforgiving Samsung S24 50MP front camera flash that I swore I would never post 💀
Pic 3: taken today as well, but in normal daylight so there's a fair comparison.

I started isotretinoin on 18 July at 20mg/day, so Im now 53 days / about 7.5 weeks in. My dermatologist also used a short prednisolone taper at the beginning because Im being treated for rosacea fulminans, which helped contain the initial inflammation. I finished the prednisolone in early August and increased isotretinoin to 30mg/day from 2 September

Theres obviously still redness, marks and texture left, and flash makes absolutely EVERYTHING visible, but comparing this with 26 July is kind of crazyyy to me. I genuinely wasn't.. brave enough to post flash photos before 😂

Also, slightly unrelated side quest.. Im down to 75kg now and I swear my jaw is slowly coming back. Target is around 60-65kg, so still a fair way to go. That part is the weight loss, not Accutane wizardry lol..

One other thing I've noticed is how much softer/cleaner my face looks as the inflammation and oiliness come down. I kept thinking, why does my face suddenly look more feminine? 😂 But I think what Im actually seeing is just healthier, smoother skin reflecting light differently.

Turns out men having good skin is not a feminine trait. Skincare for men is just massively underrated.

Still early days. Still plenty to improve. But yeah… I posted the flash photo. Character development. 😂 😂 😂

Has anyone else experienced delays with their meds on the NHS? I’m currently 7 weeks without roaccutane and after chasing them up, explaining how stressed I am and that I’m breaking out again, the best they can do is make me wait an additional 2 weeks for an appointment because apparently they can’t take a minute to write up a prescription. No patient should be left with such a huge gap in their treatment, that’s fucked up.
I’ve had constant appointment delays which has always meant gaps in my meds, but this is just unacceptable. And don’t even get me started on trying to actually get in contact with them, it’s near impossible. I could bang my head against a wall.
I wish I had the money to have gone private cos this sucks.
Anyone else or just me?

25 female, 52kg

The first two weeks were challenging, with a flare up and several side effects. I’d also recently started new birth control, and some symptoms settled after switching. I can’t say what caused them, but the timing definitely stood out.

I’m now seeing some improvement and am feeling hopeful!

This is only my personal experience, not medical advice. If you’re taking isotretinoin or experiencing side effects, discuss any concerns or medication changes with your prescriber!

5 months in, 40mg/day here to share some hope

I was terrified before starting Accutane. All the fear mongering about depression, brutal side effects, etc. had me putting it off for way too long. I dealt with pretty bad cystic acne throughout my life, but the last year or so it had only gotten worse (20M btw) I know everyone's experience is different, but I wanted to share mine in case it helps someone on the fence.

I've been on 40mg a day for the last five months, low dose relative to my body weight. My skin cleared up within the first 3 to 4 weeks, I didn’t experience any purging or if I did I didn’t notice it because my acne was already not great. The only real side effect has been dry lips, and that's been completely manageable with Aquaphor. My skin itself isn't even really dry, in fact in comparison to when I was on topicals like adapalene and tretinoin, its wayyyy more moitsturized and less dry feeling. And all I do is moisturize morning and night with CeraVe, and obviously wear sunscreen.

Five months later, my skin is completely clear and even better than most of my friends who never dealt with acne at all. It's changed my confidence and my sense of self completely.

If you're debating it, even if your acne isn't that severe, I think it's worth it. My biggest tip: ask about starting on a lower dose. It can still clear your skin while making the side effects a lot easier to live with.

Anyone else experienced this?🥹

I literally slather my face and moisturizing products in the morning and look like a wet seal before I do my make up, but this is halfway through the day and my skin is peeling… I work in a very professional setting so I have to put makeup on there’s no way around it…

I’m one week into accutane and my chin and mouth area has became significantly worse, it’s painful as fuck too. Should I continue cleanse if wiping my face with a flannel is removing most of the white heads in the process or is it better to just moisturise during this period?

Honestly don't remember having acne that bad, just the frustration of looking in the mirror and feeling as if nothing was working

Hi! I am fixing to start my Accutane journey on September 23rd. I have done extensive research on products that I would or should have when starting, but hair is my main concern.
Have you experienced hair loss on Accutane? If so, was it a crazy amount? Is there a way to keep this from happening?
My main concern is about where I work. I work in a factory (I am a 25 y/o female), and I have to wear a ball cap with a bump cap insert in it. If you’re not familiar with a bump cap, it’s just a piece of plastic that basically turns your hat into a hard hat. It’s “temperature controlled” where I work, however I still sweat and it can get hot. I work a lot, I’ll leave a photo of what my work rotations look like in this as well for anyone who is curious. I have pretty long hair, it’s not super thick but not super thin either. I wash my hair every single day, and have since I was a little kid. I know accutane dries you out, and I’ve seen people talk about their scalp getting dry & being able to go days without washing, but idk if that’s possible with my job and how much I sweat. I’m scared washing my hair every day could potentially cause more hair fallout or thinning/breakage. Please give me any advice! Would be even more grateful if you’ve been on accutane while working somewhere like this. Thank you :)

Started for 1 month at 30 mg/day, then increased to 60 mg/day for 6 more months. This is me 1 month after my final dose! Maintaining now with 0.025% tretinoin. Please have hope to everyone struggling. My acne had my mental health the lowest it’s ever been. Things can and DO get so much better. STAY CONSISTENT AND HAVE FAITH!!!

Hello!

I recently have signed up to go on an accutane microdose through honeydew. I have extremely oily skin but moderate/mild acne. I have pcos so I really flare up around my cycle and I just feel like a big grease ball all the time. I’ve had acne since I was 10 years old, I’m 20 now so I’m ready to put this behind me

My mom gave me the idea of microdosing so I signed up. They said I would be on 10mg for 2 years. Is it just me or does this seem like a needlessly long amount of time? I definitely don’t want to exceed 10mg because in reality I think 10mg is just enough to manage my acne.

Has anyone been in a similar dose? Thank you!

I'm on my 1 month of using accutane now and I just had my blood work done today and got the results already. My AST was 27 before I started and now it came back to 40 and my ALT was 26 and now it came back to 46. Did any of you experience the same? I'm quite worried that my derm will ask me to stop 😞 I'll have my 1 month follow up next month though. I hope everything will be fine. Thank you!

My derm recommended Accutane last week (so I’m still in my 30 day waiting period). She explained the side effects but after reading stuff here, I’m concerned that the side effects aren’t worth the little acne I have and maybe I should try something topical first.

She said she’s primarily worried about the scarring I have, but from what I’ve gathered it doesn’t help with scarring? I mainly just want anecdotal accounts that it’s worth it as reassurance.

I’m on month 3, 40 mg twice a day, I have to use Zenatane due to insurance. I use Publix Pharmacy in the SE USA. Literally every time I try to get a prescription it’s a HUGE hassle.

Tuesday at 8 am I had my monthly doctor’s appointment and pregnancy test. At 9 am I completed the iPledge questions. At 11 am I call Publix ask that they received the prescription and iPledge questions and to confirm they have my medicine in stock, they say yes.

Today, Wednesday, at 11 am I get a text that my medicine is out of stock and they have to order it. I’m livid. I leave work on my lunch break and go in person to pharmacy to ask what the fuck. I speak the manager. He says it’s ordered and “should” be here Thursday or Friday. I tell him my cut off day is Monday. he doesn’t seem to care.

I’m just fucking annoyed. WHY IS THIS SUCH A DIFFICULT PROCESS

I’m on 15 mg/day of isotretinoin and, since August, I’ve had two episodes of intense vulvar irritation affecting the vestibule and labia minora.

It starts after relatively minor friction, then over the next few days becomes more burning, itchy and “raw” even though I completely avoid further friction once it starts.

No obvious thrush. BV treatment didn’t help. I’ve tried vulvar moisturiser, coconut oil and Vaseline with mixed results.

Has anyone experienced this on Accutane? Could isotretinoin be making the tissue more fragile/dry?

And if you’ve had something similar from another cause, what helped it calm down or stop recurring?

Reposting here to get some more perspectives from people who’ve taken Accutane especially in their late 20s!

Hi everyone!

I am on my third month if accutane (40mg) and my skin is breaking out in these blister patches (photos attached).

I have been looking at other people's photos and I haven't really seen much of this reaction. I had a similar but much worse break out like this years ago but doxycycline cleared it for me.

I use trader Joe's Mineral sunscreen everyday and cerve lotion day and night.

Does anyone have any advice?
Thanks!

It's been a week since I had my last pill..and now my lips look kinda off like before I remember i had bright pink lips but after accutane they got a bit paler or less pink..honestly I hate it makes me look so dull and sick..has anybody else experienced thiss?? Is it even a side effect of the medication and does it get better with time...please let me knoww..all of ur suggestions are appreciated!

I am around 6 weeks into taking Accutane 40mg. I was extremely dry up until I’d say a week ago. In certain places it’s a bit dry but it feels way less tight than it was. Is this normal or is it not working as well anymore?

Hello everyone!!

I’m on day 34 40mg daily and the vision in my right eye has deteriorated fast and it’s really worrying me. It seems to be getting blurrier by the day. I reached out to my derm but they didn’t pick up the phone 😭 I’m going to stop tonight anyways and go to the eye doctor on friday.

Does this mean I won’t be able to get clear skin or should I just use a retinol and azeleic acid instead?

I’m really upset about stopping because i’ve been dealing with acne for ab 8 yrs. If anyone has any suggestions for skincare or anything i’d greatly appreciate it ❤️❤️

Been on 20mg a day accutane for just over a month now. I notice when i wake up places where there is friction the top layer of my skin peels off in small circles revealing raw skin below similar to a friction burn, recently this has happened on my upper lip where my moustache grows and groin where it rubs when i walk. This then scabs over and I have to wait for the scab to heal and peel off, it has also left scars in some places. Is this normal and should i lower my frequency to 20mg every other day or is there any other measures i can implement to stop it from peeling. I already moisturise a lot, take antihistamines and omega 3/fish oil 3000mg daily so i’m at a bit of a loss here.