Accutane is a trade name for a powerful acne drug known as isotretinoin, and is a member of a group of drugs known as retinoids, which are related to vitamin A. It works by instructing oil glands in your skin to produce less oil. Accutane acne treatment can be extremely effective – taking it for only five months or so can not only clear up your acne, but also leaves you fee of acne for up to a year after you stop the treatment. This is different from most other medicines for acne treatment, most of which are antibacterial and only work during daily use. So why doesn’t everyone use Accutane acne treatment? Probably because of the many side effects.

Accutane Acne Treatment Side Effects

The most common side effects of Accutane acne treatment are dry itchy skin and chapped lips. Up to ninety percent of people using Accutane experience chapping of the lips, and almost as many have dry skin and itching. You can take alpha hydroxyacid medications to help with this. This dry skin often extends to the inside of the nose and eyelids, causing nosebleeds and eye irritation including pinkeye. Other side effects that some people experience are joint and muscle pains, rash, and thinning of the hair. Night vision sometimes becomes quite bad when taking Accutane. It may cause depression as well.

There are some people who can’t take Accutane at all, regardless of the side effects. You must not take Accutane if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, as it is dangerous to the unborn baby and can cause severe birth defects. Women who wish to take Accutane acne treatment must use two forms of birth control at the same time.

While using Accutane acne treatment, you must never take vitamin A, or even multivitamins containing vitamin A. Because isotretinoin and vitamin A are chemically similar, taking them both at the same time is a lot like taking an overdose of vitamin A. You should also not take tetracycline antibiotics at the same time as Accutane.

With all of these side effects and more, you can easily see why Accutane acne treatment is not for everyone. However, if your acne is severe, it may be worth it. Despite all the side effects and warnings, the fact remains that it does work to clear up skin. Accutane acne treatment is certainly effective.

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