*Disclaimer: We are not suggesting you take any drug. Please consult your dermatologist before taking any prescription skincare medications.
If you have acne, chances are you’ve heard of Accutane (or Isotretinoin). If you go on Youtube or Google, you’ve probably noticed that the general sentiment around the drug is extremely polarizing: people either love it or hate it. So what do we think about it, being advocates of natural ingredients and a holistic approach to skincare?
In general, we believe Accutane should be avoided if you can, but for those with severe acne brought on by hormonal and genetic links, Accutane is a much better option than going through rounds of topicals, lasers, or antibiotics.
What is Accutane?
Isotretinoin is a drug used to treat severe acne, typically when all other medications fail. “Accutane” is actually the first brand name that Isotretinoin was marketed under, until it was pulled off the market for lawsuits by several users claiming that the drug contributed to inflammatory bowel disease. Isotretinoin is a derivative of Vitamin A, and when taken in large enough quantities, causes side effects consistent with Vitamin A overdose, one of them being the clearance of acne. It’s the only drug that can actually cause pores and oil glands to shrink, while also reducing inflammation and the amount of acne bacteria on the surface of your skin.
The drug affects the whole body, and can be especially dangerous for pregnant women as it can cause severe birth defects. In both men and women, it can cause permanent damage to your intestines, potentially cause depression, and also potentially cause long term health damage. Needless to say, Accutane is a serious drug, requires careful consideration, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Why take Accutane?
With all this frightening stuff, why take Accutane in the first place? Because for SOME PEOPLE, it can cause permanent clearance of acne symptoms. Not a temporary fix. We’re talking like permanent. A cure. No pimples ever again.
Sounds great right? Not so fast. The key here is that only for SOME PEOPLE is the drug a permanent solution. The official percentage in test studies is somewhere around 66%, but we think that estimate is a bit bullish for several reasons:
a.) many people take Accutane in their teenage years, since that’s when androgenic hormones are raging and where acne is most common. It’s hard to determine whether or not the clearance of the symptoms was entirely attributable to taking the drug, or just peoples’ oil glands maturing.
b.) what constitutes “clear skin” is subjective. What is medically considered “clear skin” may not coincide with the results that a particular person is seeking. Some people think clear skin means having a complexion like Beyonce. Some just consider clear skin as not having large, inflammatory nodules, but are okay with blackheads and small whiteheads.
c.) when you take Accutane, you stop bombarding your face with topicals because your skin will become extremely sensitive. You’ll stop using all that Retin-A, Benzoyl Peroxide, and Salicylic Acid Wash. At Nefaire, we actually believe that this minimalism in routine contributes a large portion to getting clear skin.
Our Thoughts
So when do we think people should take Accutane? We think there are two scenarios where Accutane can be a viable option:
1.) If you have severe acne that can be disfiguring from scarring
2.) If you’ve had chronic acne that hasn’t responded to good skincare maintenance (facials, non-irritating products, and diet and lifestyle changes). This means TRULY trying these options out consistently. Try cutting dairy and sugar out. Try meditation to destress. Get regular sleep. Do not use products with irritating ingredients. And get regular facials.
If you’ve suffered through bad acne and tried these above steps, we actually think skipping the initial rounds of topical retinoids, antibacterial medications, and concoctions of topicals can actually be beneficial – AKA go straight to Accutane. We have clients who come to us who are/have been on topical retinoids and antibacterials, and find our facials and recommendation of a holistic approach through diet and lifestyle changes to be more effective. This means that if your acne is bad enough that our professional skincare isn’t helping, we are actually not opposed to Accutane as an option as long you are working with a dermatologist you trust, and are aware of the risks.
Of course, we believe the natural and more non-invasive route is always better, and severe acne has been cured in many people through this approach. We recommend checking out Youtubers such as Cassandra Bankson, who was featured on The Doctors TV Show. She struggled with severe acne as a model for years, and through a lifestyle and natural product-based approach as recommended by an esthetician, had a pretty dramatic transformation in her skin without the use of Accutane. One of our missions at Nefaire is to use data to find the perfect combination of these lifestyle, product, and professional skincare based approaches to create as dramatic a result as this (on par with Accutane).
What do you guys think? Accutane, yay or nay?