Will Accutane a second time be beneficial for me? (Photos)

Question

I’ve suffered from acne since I was 11, I am 28 now and have been on abx, countless creams, spiro, birth control, accutane, everything. Accutane I took when I was 21 that seems to be the only thing that ever worked. However over the past couple years my acne is coming back even while being on birth control and spiro. I really want to go on accutane again bc I cannot stand this acne anymore. I’m wondering if a second course of accutane would be beneficial for me.

David P. Melamed, MD · Answer

It is not uncommon for patients to take a second does of Accutane as an adult after completing an initial does as a teenage.  However it is important to not that Accutane is a very toxic drug, and has many side effects.  Therefore it is normally recommended to a patient only if more conservative treatments have failed.Your current picture seems like you have very mild acne. This can be managed with topical antibiotics, topical retinoic acid, and topical benzoilperoxide.  All of this combined with a proper skin care regimen. If this approach has failed then you can consider a new Accutane series.

Will Accutane a second time be beneficial for me? (Photos)

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