Claravis and Dry Lips: What Users Say

• Pro...
• July 7, 2019

For Acne "My 16-year-old son will take his last dose of Claravis today. It has been a game changer. He started on Bactrim at age 13, but it made him too sick to continue (nausea). We tried Minocycline for a couple of years, but the results were minimal, and then it just stopped working. In October of 2018, his dermatologist was worried about the increased scarring he was seeing and suggested Claravis. I was very reluctant due to internet horror stories about the history of Accutane. My son was desperate, so I agreed to let him try. Luckily, he had very few side effects (dry skin, chapped lips, occasional nosebleeds, and some fatigue, as expected). Today, his skin looks amazing. He has some residual scarring, but hopefully that will fade with time. As a worrier, I have to say I am so grateful that we tried this. The cost was ridiculous, and the blood draws were stressful, but the results have been amazing. It takes time, but don't give up."

• smc...
• December 21, 2007

For Acne "I started taking Claravis two months ago. I have this acne on my chest, and everything I used just didn't work. I finally went to see a skin doctor, and he started me off with just 20 mg, which, reading about all the side effects, scared me a little, but so far, so good. Right now, I am on 40 mg twice a day, and the only problems I am really having are the chapped lips (Aquaphor will become the love of your life). I am already seeing good results from Claravis, and I still have 4 months to go."

• Nat...
• February 16, 2015

For Acne "In junior high, all of a sudden, my face just erupted in acne. You could tell people were staring. I hated looking in the mirror. It's remarkable how fast all the acne disappeared. This medication was a real lifesaver. My dad didn't have access to this medicine, and from 12 to 25, he was absolutely covered in acne. So grateful I have this stuff. Side effects to note: VERY dry lips, dry skin, back pain."

• Vba...
• February 2, 2020

For Acne "After 3 years of trying every possible acne product and visiting multiple dermatologists with no results, I hesitantly allowed my 15-year-old daughter to go on Claravis. She is heading into month 3, and her skin is definitely improving. The cystic acne has almost disappeared, and some scarring is beginning to subside. She still has minor non-cystic type acne outbreaks, but nothing like she was experiencing. As for side effects, there have been some, but nothing too bad. The worst has been the sides of her mouth getting cracks from dry lips and then getting mildly infected. She uses Aquaphor constantly, which helps. She has experienced some backaches, but she plays sports, so that probably doesn't help. I constantly tell her that if things get too bad, she should end the meds, but she loves the results after years of being made fun of at school :( or feeling self-conscious about her acne, so she says she's not giving up. Eager to see how much better her skin gets in the next few months."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2016

For Acne "I've had bad acne since I was in middle school. I didn't do anything about it until around the summer of 10th grade because I started to get cystic acne on a regular basis. My dermatologist put me on Doxycycline. At the time, I was not always regular with taking pills, and when my acne did get better and started to go away, I thought I was fine. The acne just kept coming back, and I took antibiotics and creams like retinol and Epiduo and all sorts of benzoyl peroxide washes, but nothing worked. So my dermatologist finally convinced me to get on Accutane. As of right now, I'm 5 months in, and my skin has never been better, it's amazing. My side effects were dry eyes (I have contacts), dry face, dry lips, and nosebleeds. I honestly wish I did it sooner!"

• Meg...
• May 23, 2016

For Acne "When I turned 30, my acne became much more cystic and spread to my neck, chest, and back. My bacne was so bad it hurt to take a shower. Within 3 weeks of starting Claravis (30 mg daily), I started to experience dry skin and lips. Over the months, I developed rashes on my hands and arms due to dry skin. I had several nosebleeds and dry eyes, but was able to remedy all the dryness with lip balm, saline solution, and various lotions/moisturizers. I also became thirsty all the time, but this began to subside going into my 4th month. The dryness was a very small price to pay for the AMAZING results. My face, neck, chest, and back are almost 100% CLEAR!!! I didn't have any other side effects, and my ONLY regret is not taking this medication sooner!"

• El ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2014

For Acne "I have struggled with acne for so long. I started getting it in the 6th grade. I got cystic acne in 8th grade and it was horrible because I went to a kindergarten through 8th grade school. Every day a little kid would say something about it, like 'Oh my God, what happened to your face?' 'Ew, what's on your face?' I was so embarrassed, and I had tried almost every acne medication out there. I never wanted to try Accutane because I was scared of all the side effects, but it was worth it. I'm a sophomore in high school now, and my skin is completely clear, and the only side effect I noticed was that my lips got badly dried out, but it wasn't a huge problem."

• Pat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 22, 2020

For Acne "A month after finishing Claravis, it was hard to imagine that I had giant red spots on my face for 3 years straight even when I tried every topical in the pharmacy. My face feels so smooth, I keep expecting new breakouts, but it just never happens. My social and emotional stresses have noticeably lessened, and it was all thanks to this. It's so worth the 6 months of chapped lips (just use Vaseline and a hydrating cleanse to mediate the dryness). Miracle drug, you'll be glad you took it!!"

• ral...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2013

For Acne "Just want to say that Claravis worked (40 mg/2x/day). The dry lips were horrid, and the first few months I hid out, but the end was totally worth it. To prevent other side effects, my doctor told me to drink 60 fl oz of electrolyte drink (i.e., Gatorade, Powerade, Smart Water). Good luck!"

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

For Acne "Isotretinoin (Claravis) changed my life. My only regret is not going on it sooner (I started at age 22). If you are on the fence, do it. The only side effects I had were dry lips, some back/tailbone pain, and some depression (though I think this was more so from the birth control). I wasted so much of my life hiding away because of my mild to moderate acne. Be patient, and this will work. It's better than being on antibiotics for long periods of time. I was on it for 4 months, and my skin keeps getting better after. It did not clear up my hyperpigmentation, but I know that will fade, and I can cover it up. Monthly blood work is so worth it to be able to wake up in the morning and not worry about pimples. Use Carmex lip balm (for me, way better than Aquaphor). And go out and live your life!!! If my acne comes back (praying it doesn't), I would be happy to take this again."

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2009

For Acne "This medicine is amazing. I'm 28 years old and have tried a lot of different medications to clear up my acne, but nothing worked until I went on Claravis. I have been taking 40 mg once a day for 3 months now, and my skin looks great. I am experiencing a lot of the side effects, though: blood noses, extremely dry lips, and back pain."

• Sno...
• July 14, 2016

For Acne "I've suffered from acne my whole life. Breakouts and black marks. I've tried everything over the counter, I've even tried Proactiv. Absolutely nothing worked for me. My derm prescribed me Claravis. I've been on Claravis for 2 1/2 months, and my skin has never looked this good. I love the outcome so far. It feels good to look in the mirror at pretty, clear skin. But my lips are terribly dry, and my body aches. But that's the side effects of the meds. At least it's not a lifetime thing like my acne would've been. I love my derm for getting me right."

• Sec...
• November 20, 2013

For Acne "Before starting Accutane, I read through reviews online, and I got to say... most of them scared the poo out of me. Intense side effects and bad reviews. But let me tell you, I have been on 40 mg for 2 months once a day, then 40 mg twice a day for another 2 months, and it is a miracle. My face has cleared up so much; I am so grateful for this medicine. Yes, there are side effects; my lips have never been this chapped in my life, my skin is very dry, and I've had a minimum of 12 nosebleeds (pre-Accutane - never had one before in my life). I do have a month or maybe two to three left on it, my nurse said, but I believe it is all worth it. I have never experienced any horrible body aches or any of the other horror stories. Stick with it till the end!!"

• Avi...
• September 23, 2014

For Acne "LOVE this medication. It worked wonders on my back. I suffered from really bad acne on my back ever since 7th grade. Senior year of high school, the acne started to spread down my arms and chest, acne was becoming a problem too. My self-esteem went down because of how embarrassed I was and resorted to only wearing clothing that covered my back, upper arms, and chest, which gets difficult after a while. After my first visit to the dermatologist, she decided to put me on Claravis, and I was 100% okay with it despite all the side effects. The side effects are not that bad except for dry lips, but Aquaphor has REALLY helped. I'm still in treatment right now and get the occasional 1-2 small pimples on my back, but NOTHING compared to how my back was."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2016

For Acne "I am extremely satisfied with this medication. I took it for 5 months, and at my peak, I was prescribed 40 mg twice a day. It took about 3.5 months to start noticing results. I have now been off it for 3 weeks, and wow! My skin is 100% clear. I've had acne since I was a teen, and after failing other options such as antibiotics, I was placed on Claravis. You will have chapped lips. I had to apply Aquaphor (really good chapstick) every 15 minutes. Other side effects I had were nosebleeds, dry skin, eczema, rashes on my hands and arms, very sore muscles, sore chest, and any scrapes I got took absolutely forever to heal. I felt sluggish, sort of like I had the flu for 5 months. However, having clear skin was definitely worth it!"

• Ljc...
• November 19, 2016

For Acne "I was on this drug for a little over 6 months, and boy, did it work wonders. I had always had bad acne, and nothing had seemed to work before: topical creams, birth control, other prescription pills. I had severely dry lips and skin, it sucked, but it was tolerable. The worst side effect I had from this drug was mood changes. My doctor decided to try to increase my dose, and boy, that was a mistake. I became depressed, suffered mood swings, and had some horrible, almost suicidal thoughts. If you have any mental illness, I would not recommend this drug. I had to undergo monthly blood and pregnancy tests as well. I am very happy with the results, but those were the worst 6 months of my life."

• Anonymous
• May 24, 2011

For Acne "I've been on Claravis for one month. I noticed a smoother complexion within a few days! I had moderate acne starting around 13 years old, I'm 25 now. I consider myself an attractive girl but not without makeup. This is the first time in 12 years I have looked in the mirror and thought I looked pretty without makeup. It's a great feeling! I can see my pores getting smaller and my blackheads disappearing more and more every day. I'm only experiencing 2 side effects: dry lips and a little nauseous anxiety. I have a doctor's appointment today to discuss my side effects. I hope they are normal and don't get worse. I love Claravis."

• Anonymous
• October 19, 2012

For Acne "I have had moderately bad acne since I was 8 years old, and it was pretty difficult throughout lower and middle school. I refused to go out in public without my shoulders and back covered, even in the summertime. I was really scared of all the horror stories about this medicine, but I had no serious side effects. I had dry lips, throat, and skin all over my body, but that was about it. I could still wear contacts and only needed to moisturize twice a day with Cetaphil. This is truly a miracle drug. I did it for seven months, but in just the first two months, my skin was almost completely clear. I just finished my last dose three days ago and love my skin. I can now start my freshman year in high school with confidence!"

• Dor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2013

For Acne "I got acne everywhere: face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Within the first 2 weeks, my chest was completely clear, my face was a lot less bumpy (pimples not gone yet), and my blackheads dried out completely. I used pore strips to clear those out, and no new blackheads appeared. As far as side effects, I got dry lips, but Neosporin makes an overnight lip balm that really helps a lot. I use it during the day but really slather it on at night. My muscles feel weaker, and I feel physically exhausted a lot faster with a slow recovery when I go to the gym. I've been on Claravis for 5 weeks now, and I'd say the positive outweighs the negative for sure."

• Som...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 28, 2017

For Acne "Before I say anything about this medication, I want to state it is a very expensive process. I knew this is where I would end up, but my dermatologist literally had to try every other option first, none but one worked, yet the side effects were so bad I had to stop. I am the person who always gets the side effects that people rarely get. That is another reason I am writing this review. I have dry lips like everyone else, I'm using all the stuff my dermatologist told me to use, but they still crack a lot and bleed. Not the worst since my skin is clearing up. The worst part is I get migraines, and this seems to make them worse with visuals. I hate to read all the reviews on here saying acne comes back, I will be sure to come back and review how I end up."

• mkg...
• August 4, 2015

For Acne "Had horrible cystic chin acne for 14 years and finally decided to take Accutane in my late twenties when everything else on the market failed. Completed 5 months of treatment about 1 month ago, and my skin is like it belongs to someone else. Not only do I not have breakouts, but my pores are smaller and there is no swelling. I did have some joint pain and chapped lips, but a very small price to pay for such dramatic results. I wish I had taken it earlier in life."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 15, 2016

For Acne "I was on Accutane (Claravis) the first 2 months, my acne actually got worse, but after that, my face started clearing up. The reason I'm not giving this a full 10 is because I had more negative effects than I did good. Granted, my acne did go away, but only for it to come back 2 months after I was done. I didn't experience a dry face, which is a very common side effect, but I did get horribly dry lips. My hair would fall out in clumps throughout the day. I gained 20 pounds while on this medication, made my heart get irregular palpitations, and I also experienced shortness of breath. My cholesterol levels were also all whacked out. Horrible joint pain! All of this for my acne to end up coming back. Think twice before putting your body through this."

• rit...
• May 24, 2009

For Acne "I am a 29-year-old female that started to get acne about 8 months ago. After trying several different medications, including antibiotics and getting no results, my doctor discussed Claravis (isotretinoin). I was a little scared at first after reading about the side effects and the length of time you have to take the medication. But after no results using anything else and my acne getting worse, I started Claravis on May 9, 2009, 40 mg once a day for 5 months. After only two weeks, I have already noticed a difference in my acne and have not had any breakouts since starting it. I had very oily skin before, and now I am dealing with a little dryness around my forehead and eyebrows, and yes, very chapped lips. Overall, good results."

• eri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2017

For Acne "I'm a 20-year-old with severe acne on my face. I took 40 mg for the first two months and am currently on 60 mg. I am on my third month and am starting to see great results. Some of the side effects that I've had are very dry skin near my mouth and nose, chapped lips (especially on the corners), and sore shoulders. All of which I've found relief for, thankfully. Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion for my skin, Vaseline for my lips, and the occasional Advil for when I am sore. I still have a few cysts on my jaw and lower cheek, but they are slowly disappearing. I have a lot of hyperpigmentation and scarring from years of severe acne, but I am hopeful. This medication is very expensive, but I really feel like it has been worth it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 14, 2012

For Acne "Loving it so far. I'm currently on my 17th day and I'm so happy! After the first 3 days, my mom was able to notice results. I didn't trust her though because I thought she was just pumping my head up so I didn't get discouraged about non-instant results. A few days later, I was asked by multiple coworkers if I have makeup on and I proudly say NO with a huge smile. I can't believe it's working so well. I've had acne since 7th grade, I'm now 24, and this has been the only thing to work. My confidence has skyrocketed. Only side effects I'm experiencing are extremely dry lips, neck pain, and a little restlessness. It's well worth it for the results so far!"