Accutane and Dry Lips: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Job...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2024

For Rosacea "This review is for rosacea with the treatment of Accutane. My doc put me on a low dose of 30-40mg a week. I am a 31-year-old, 190-pound male. My rosacea has always been a problem for me ever since about 20 years old. As I age, it seems like it gets worse. My rosacea seems to be different than most as it is more of a 'sunburn' type rosacea and not a pustule or lesion type. The Accutane was a lifesaver for me. The first month or so, the Accutane seemed to crust up my cheeks with skin and almost 'scab' over to the point it was itchy and skin was flaking off. Once the skin flaked off, there was healthy, clean skin underneath. It's almost hard to explain just how amazing Accutane worked for my rosacea. My flare-ups are now gone, and I don't worry at all about how my skin looks. I get blood work done once every few months and haven't had anything out of the norm. Dry lips and mild sleep disturbance are the only side effects. If you are thinking of starting Accutane, please do!"

• Lin...
• February 26, 2010

For Acne "Accutane is wonderful. I first started the medicine when I was 15. I am now 21, and still to this day, I do not have any acne! I had horrible acne, and after I took Accutane, it was all clear and still is! Within the first week, all my pores cleared out and all the blackheads on my nose would literally peel off. The side effects I experienced were very dry lips, my skin on my back would peel and shed, depression and crying spells, backaches, and migraines. When I look back, I wouldn't change it for anything. I have not had to be seen by my dermatologist in 7 years, because my skin is still super clear, and it's been 7 years since I've been on Accutane. Would highly recommend it!"

• Ani...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2019

For Acne "AMAZING results!!! I had bad cystic acne for 5 years. Tried antibiotics, Retin-A cream, diets, and the only thing that worked was Accutane. I still have scarring, but at least it's healing (finished Accutane 2 months ago). I would recommend it, but do your research, it can cause serious side effects. Fortunately, I just had the usual dry lips, dry nose and skin, and it went away when I stopped taking the pills."

• Jua...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 26, 2023

For Acne "PLEASE READ. For anyone out there suffering greatly from this painful and humiliating condition, don't let bad reviews deter you from taking control of your life. I had terrible cystic acne for nearly 15 years. Reviews that all seemed terrible and life-threatening caused me to try everything available without success, ignoring Accutane/Isotretinoin. At the age of 28, I could no longer deal with cystic acne on a daily basis. I spent hours in the bathroom daily trying to heal my acne naturally, with topical creams, etc. After 3 months of my 9-month treatment of Absorica (another brand name like Accutane), I was fully healed. I had only two symptoms: dry lips and pain in my joints, which I resolved by taking four gel capsules of high-quality cod liver oil, which lubricates joints well. Please do not waste any more time. Take control of your life and take this medicine. Nothing else works. The medicine does not cross the blood-brain barrier, so it won't affect mental health."

• Bra...
• July 15, 2013

For Acne "Accutane worked great for me. When I quit smoking and started working out at the gym, I broke out on my cheeks and my back. Took Accutane for 4 months (80 mg daily) and had dry lips, dry eyes, dry face (moisturizer daily), very red and sensitive skin, and peeling hands. Made it through with a little bit of suffering, and I must say my face is 100% clear and it had been 2 months without it so far, and my back is about 80% better. Might consider another short treatment in the winter to try and combat my back a little more, but so far very satisfied with my results. I know I was worried sick and contemplated taking it for weeks after reading reviews and then finally took the plunge. Don't regret it for a second. A million times happier."

• Cel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2015

For Acne "I just started Accutane two weeks ago, 10 mg a day, and this is a miracle in a pill!! I had large, painful, inflamed acne along my jawline. After the first day, the inflammation was GONE! The second day, my acne basically fell out of my pores. I do experience dry lips, itchy skin, dry eyes, and hair loss, but it's worth it. Also, it is giving my skin a chance to heal, and I don't know why, but some report SCARRING, but for me, it made my scars and even stretch marks diminish. I think I'm the perfect candidate for the drug. If one has inflammatory acne, this is the drug to take."

• Eoj...
• September 27, 2015

For Acne "Super happy with the results. I've had acne for so long, and no dermatologist ever recommended it. This is the best thing ever! At first, of course, it got a little worse. One thing that bothered me through the whole process is that my lips were extremely dry. Other than that, I'm just writing this review for people to know it works 100%!!! It's amazing, I couldn't be any happier with my skin now. Definitely do it. I was reading reviews when I was considering it and was kind of scared."

• Luc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2015

For Acne "I just finished my second month of 20 mg/daily Accutane. I am starting 30 mg/daily this month. I have had 3 episodes of severe cystic acne throughout my life and acne always. I am 37, and I can't remember a time when I didn't have pimples on my face. As I got older, my acne moved to my chin and jawline, chest, and back. My acne began to clear right away on Accutane. Just going on to my third month, and my chest, back, and face are smoother than I've ever felt. I do have mildly chapped lips, and I changed my cleanser to CeraVe for normal to dry skin. I use a moisturizer day and night and sometimes even coconut oil on my face. My doctor wanted to get me up to 40 mg daily, but I requested to be more conservative, and he was agreeable."

• Dam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2013

For Acne "I had severe acne, rosacea, and had tried tetracycline antibiotics, Duac, Differin, and Dianette to get rid of it with no results - it was that bad I had stopped going out! Referred to a dermatologist and prescribed isotretinoin at 40mg per day. Within 7 days, my face had cleared completely. This is like a miracle. My skin is still slightly red from the rosacea, but nothing I can't cover with concealer. Side effects so far are blurred vision, muscle pains, and dry skin and lips - been through 4 tubs of Carmex in the four weeks I've been on Accutane. Using Cetaphil moisturizer and E45 emollient cleanser. Cannot recommend this enough - side effects are annoying but well worth it in the short term, in my opinion. Wish I'd insisted on this 4 years ago."

• Xev...
• July 29, 2016

For Acne "I've been taking Oratane (off-brand Accutane) for nearly 6 months now. My dosage was 20 mg during the first month and then 40 mg for the remainder of my cycle. I'm a 24-year-old male (I was 23 when I began taking the drug) with mild (but irritating) facial acne and moderate acne on my upper back. I found that my acne cleared up towards my second month of treatment. The only side effects I've encountered are dryness - dry lips being the main one, but easily remedied with chapstick. My skin (particularly on my face) and eyes also occasionally get dry, these can be tackled with moisturizer and eye drops. Aside from that, everything has been smooth sailing. I recommend Accutane to anyone with severe acne or stubborn acne that won't go away."

• Tat...
• August 6, 2016

For Acne "Worked for me! Five years of GP-prescribed acne treatments did nothing but make me more and more frustrated. I went on Accutane, despite being dubious due to the severe side effects I'd read about. Did nothing at first, but gradually, after maybe three months, less and less spots were appearing. Now, after five months and with one more on Accutane to go, I have maybe one active spot, compared to a face full. Symptoms: I found it pretty easy. Dry lips were an annoyance, but just got into the habit of always carrying a lip balm. Dry skin was there but resolved by a good moisturizer (Cetaphil is good). My main issue was regular nosebleeds, I got one nearly every day, which was very disruptive. This was sorted, though, by slightly reducing my dose."

• Emi...
• November 2, 2014

For Acne "I'm up to my 4th month of Accutane, and overall I'm happy with it. My advice to people thinking about trying it is just give it a go! You won't know until you try it, and the biggest piece of advice is to know your body's limits. If you're on a high dose and, for example, your lips are dry enough that it's affecting your daily life, just lower your dose! Easy as that. Talk to your dermatologist and tell them how you're feeling about it, and they'll be happy for you to stick to a dosage that both improves your skin and keeps the rest of your body happy."

• Cai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 16, 2023

For Acne "My brother was on this medication for 5 months, and his only side effects were dry skin/lips, and his acne is clear. Now onto my review… I’m a 30-year-old woman who started suffering from cystic acne in my late 20s. After trying for 3 years with creams and antibiotics, I finally gave in to trying Accutane. I was on 30 mg for 10 days. The first 4/5 days I was fine. Around the 5th day, the headaches started. I tried to push through, thinking it would get better, but it got so much worse. I have had a migraine a few times before, but nothing like this. I felt like I couldn’t even speak. It was like my head was going to explode. I Googled and was convinced I had pressure on the brain. I’m still not convinced I don’t… I ended up at A&E on day 11 after I began uncontrollably shaking. All of my blood work came back normal, but I was given fluids/anti-sickness. A month later, I am still suffering from migraines with aura and I can’t work because my job is on the computer."

• Kas...
• September 18, 2009

For Acne "Accutane was one of the best things that ever happened to me! Until I started taking Accutane, I had the lowest self-esteem imaginable. Didn't like looking in the mirror because it seemed like every day there was a new pimple. It was hard not to pop them, but when I did, they'd leave awful scars that are still on my face to this day. After Accutane, which took about a month to kick in, the bumps didn't come nearly as bad. While I was on the medication, I had no acne whatsoever. My face was BEAUTIFUL. I'd recommend it. Chapped lips and dry hair are a SMALL price to pay for you to gain confidence to show people your face."

• Anonymous
• February 22, 2016

For Acne "I've been on Accutane for about 6 days now. I didn't really have zits/pimples, mainly blackheads that got irritated easily. Within just 6 days of using this, my skin has gotten so much better. It was really bad around my cheek area, and it cleared up right away. I'm super comfortable with my skin as of right now, and I can't wait for it to be completely clear. The only real side effects I've had are dry lips (carry ChapStick at all times), really dry skin, and my skin is somewhat peeling, but honestly just massage moisturizer onto your face twice a day and you'll be fine. I haven't had any back pains, etc. Definitely worth it."

• liv...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 26, 2018

For Acne "It honestly changed my life. My skin was so bad, and I was embarrassed to even go to school. I had cystic acne on my forehead and cheeks, and it was so ugly. But after 5 months on Accutane, my skin was completely clear, and my skin type went from extremely oily to normal. It boosted my self-confidence, and I go makeup-less all the time, whereas in the past, I wouldn’t be caught dead without a full face of makeup. I had dry skin and lips, but nothing that chapstick and moisturizer couldn’t fix. Don’t be scared off by all of the side effects, most of the time, they aren’t very intense."

• Gaw...
• May 30, 2018

For Acne "I went on Accutane in 1982. I had chronic acne on my shoulders and back. My lips and nose immediately dried up, cracked, and bled. My eyes got so dry I constantly had to use drops. My joints started to ache constantly. My thick hair and eyelashes started falling out. My arm hair, underarms, and legs stopped growing. My eyebrows decided to almost disappear. My hair on my head never returned to its original thickness, nor did my eyelashes or eyebrows. The hair on my arms, legs, and underarms all but disappeared. I got extremely tired for a full year. It did clear up my acne issues. My biggest complaint is joint pain! I still have it 36 years later. I would joke that I felt like a cancer patient going through chemo, so tired, losing hair. I never knew it was originally for chemotherapy treatments until 2016. I discovered others were having joint pain 20 to 30 years later also. Wish there would have been some kind of recognition that joint pain is a permanent side effect from Accutane."

• OJa...
• October 21, 2019

For Acne "I have bad closed comedones all over my face. A LOT of them. I first tried Retin A cream and tried Tazorac, it didn't work. I brought up Accutane to my new derm and told me it would go away on a 6-month course. I started 40 mg a day and had bad headaches the first couple of weeks, but it stopped. The side effects of dry skin aren't too bad, I had oily skin prior, so no oil now - the dry lips suck! My corners crack and are always peeling. I finished month 2 a few weeks ago. I do believe in the purging process. I never had red bumps often up until last week, they are coming up about every day. I have found 1 other person on the internet with this issue. You cannot just cover these with makeup. The wrong lighting can make them look 100x worse, and you should not pick at your face while on it. Your skin is highly sensitive, and it will be red for weeks or leave scarring. But I never had depression and don’t really have it now, other than getting upset about my face not clearing. Symptom-wise, it is good right now. Hope to update with a clear face in a few months."

• ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

For Acne "I am currently on this for the second cycle. I did a 5-month treatment in 2018 and I'm on it again because after I was off, it started coming back. It is distressing at 25 years old and seeing girls with clear faces, and me, I'm still dealing with acne and stressing over it. I am doing it all over again. I'm on the 3rd week of taking the pills, and I'm breaking out really bad, but all I get is super dry lips. My moods do change, but I try and maintain. Hopefully, my acne does clear up and is the last cycle I have to do, but I asked the nurse how many times can someone do this, and they said as many times as you need. So, I am guessing acne does come back for some of us, which sucks."

• 40...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 9, 2019

For Acne "I struggled with cystic acne and oily skin since my teens. I was on Accutane in my early 20s, and it worked. Seventeen years later, I still haven't outgrown it, so I decided to go on it again. Six months, 40 mg every other day. Other than the dry lips, dry and sore joints, and maybe some low moods, my skin cleared up after four months. I'm now off it and still bracing myself for the next breakout. I don't regret it and I'm glad I did it. I recommend using Cetaphil for washing and heavy cream (Vaseline) at night to alleviate the dry skin. The dryness only lasted the first two months out of the six months. Good luck!"

• Kds...
• September 16, 2015

For Acne "I had struggled with severe acne ever since I was in 6th grade. It was all over my face and even my shoulders. Of course, as you would suspect, I got bullied big time for it. My dermatologist put me on so many different types of pills that helped a little, but my acne was still horrible. Then she put me on Accutane. Accutane is a miracle process, is a pain, and the side effects made me want to just quit. I struggled with very dry skin and lips, sensitive to the sun, and soreness. I went through 6 months of the pill. I am now a sophomore in high school, and I have perfectly clear and smooth skin. Yes, I still have battle scars, but they are tiny. I have never been so happy with myself. I recommend it to anyone and everyone."

• Sun...
• October 4, 2015

For Acne "I'm going into my 5th month on Accutane at 60 mg. The first 4 months yielded minimal, if any, results, and I got the biggest cystic lesion in my history of acne in the 3rd month. Now, my skin is cleared of acne lesions and congestion. My skin is red, sensitive, scarred, and hyperpigmented. My eyes are dry, and my lips require Aquaphor frequently. Overall, this medication has brought me confidence that I forgot I had. My derm said, 'Wow, look at your skin, it looks wonderful.' It made me emotional to hear. If you are considering this drug for persistent acne, then my recommendation is to make this decision with your doctor. You will not be disappointed. Nothing else worked for me, and I tried every med out there, topically and orally, hormonally."

• Jay...
• June 22, 2016

For Acne "I am 17, and I have had pretty moderate acne since I can remember, and pretty severe acne on my back for the last four or five years. I asked my dermatologist to start me on Accutane as I've had two friends who swear by it. The first month I was on 40 mg Claravis, my side effects were dry lips, skin, and scalp, nosebleeds out the wazoo, and weird rashes around my elbows and hands. But the results were incredible. All of my back acne was gone within the first week. The blackheads on my chin vanished. Although it made my face break out slightly worse, I was warned that would happen. I am now on month two, 60 mg Myorisan, and the side effects are slightly worse this month. Also, it is a bit pricey. But still, very happy with this medication."

• Ben...
• August 2, 2016

For Acne "Accutane is amazing for severe acne. I had back acne for around 2 years. It wasn't too bad for the first year, but then it started to get very bad and embarrassing the second. I was pretty depressed, and I tried everything. So I did some research on some medication. That's when I was told about Accutane. I knew about the risks, but I needed to have my confidence back, so I decided to start it. The first month, nothing happened. Second month, a little bit of a change, and the third month was incredible. I only had a little bit of pimples on my back, but mostly just scars. I am going on my fourth month soon, and I hope that I will be perfectly clear. My side effects were dry skin on my face and chapped lips, and that is it. No depression."

• Ano...
• July 13, 2013

For Acne "After dealing with acne for my entire life, I finally took my doctor's advice and started Accutane. I was a little skeptical at first because of all the side effects, but every other cream/oral medication had failed. The first month, I didn't see much of a difference, so then he upped my dosage from 20 mg to 30 mg. The second month, I was completely clear, and he put me on 40 mg. The third month, my face was terrible, it was like I wasn't even taking Accutane, but that only lasted like 2 weeks, and then I went up to 80 mg a day, and wow, did it work. I am currently on month 7, and my face has never looked better. I don't have to wear any makeup before I go out, and I feel 100% confident. The chapped lips are bad, but I use Dr. Dan's hydrocortisone chapstick."