Claravis and Dry Skin: 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."

• 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."

• ACN...
• October 31, 2013

For Acne "I was on this drug for 6 months, the process was horrible. I had dry skin, muscle aches, and the worst thing, no visible improvement. The very last month, I noticed my skin was a little more clear than usual, but still not acne-free. Then, in the last week of my medication, I cleared up, and after I stopped the medication, I was pimple-free. It has been a year now, and I hardly EVER have a pimple! I went from severe acne to nothing! Stick with it till the end! Your self-confidence will thank you in the future."

• 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!"

• 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!!"

• 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."

• leh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2018

For Acne "45 yo male on Claravis for 6 weeks so far. Face is completely cleared up from severe cystic acne suffered the last 5 years. Took minocycline for 3 years, then started having severe side effects. Claravis has been a lifesaver! Side effects for me so far have been dried, cracked lips and dry skin from the neck up."

• 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."

• Ric...
• March 24, 2017

For Acne "Mild to moderate persistent acne. Male, 20s. Got prescribed this drug. Almost completely cleared up. Dry skin is my only side effect. The first month takes some getting used to with bringing lotion/chapstick with you places. The first 3 weeks is kind of fun watching everything get pushed out of your skin. I was hesitant after horror stories, but you'd be wrong not to try it."

• luc...
• June 22, 2017

For Acne "(2017) completely cleared my skin. I've had acne since I was 15, and I'm now 26. I did a 6-month course. Side effects: dry lips, dry skin, and hair. I took 40 mg daily. It certainly did wonders, and I am very satisfied!"

• 272...
• February 28, 2011

For Acne "Claravis cured my severe acne by 98% within 6 months of use. I had bad, red, swollen, and under-the-skin pimples, as well as blackheads, whiteheads, and little pimples all over for 4 years through middle school and some of high school. The only reason I didn't rate this a 10 is because of the side effects. To me, it was well worth it. I had SEVERE dry skin on my face and burned easily in the sun. The worst side effect by far was dry lips and nose. My lips were constantly dry and cracking to the point of bleeding, I had to use vitamin E oil and finally found that Aquaphor worked well for lips and nose. Nostrils were dry, burning, but only rarely cracked and bled. That was 6 years ago. I'm 21 now, and my acne never came back."

• 17j...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 24, 2012

For Acne "Skeptical, difficult to believe that this would work with my severe conditions. Sure enough, after five months (20 weeks), my acne on my shoulders, back, and chest was 85% healed. Once the treatment was finished, there was accelerated improvement. So within about 27 or so weeks after my first dose (2 pills per day), I was healed almost completely. However, you WILL get chapped lips and dry skin. It was extremely frustrating, the side effects were. There were also bad muscle aches every time I took a running step. The healing that the medicine provided much outweighed the side effects. You must know, I could not take off my shirt, it was so bad. However, with the help of Aquaphor, my new best friend, this WILL work, and you'll make it through."

• Anonymous
• December 18, 2011

For Acne "Claravis is a miracle. Sure, it ravaged my body for 5 months (very dry skin, sore body), but now my skin is clear. My skin is like that of a Japanese geisha woman, and I am a dude! The other reviewers that said it gets rid of blackheads they never knew they even had are all correct! Seriously, my acne cysts used to hurt, and now I am pain-free."

• Anonymous
• January 6, 2010

For Acne "I have a mild stubborn case of acne. After trying many medications, I finally tried Claravis. My acne immediately cleared up. It is the 11th day, and my skin is flawless, the dry skin is pretty bad. I HIGHLY recommend plain petroleum jelly. You can get a big bin of it in a drugstore. As long as you apply it all over your face at night, when you wake up, your skin will be very smooth and not dry. I recommend this medication to anyone who is looking to heal acne for good."

• Lin...
• January 18, 2011

For Acne "I am 20 years old, and I'm in my 1st month of treatment (4 months left). After the first week, I noticed a difference in my skin (no exaggeration). Something I have noticed is that I can't work out like I used to before the treatment. I lifted weights 4 days ago, and it still hurts to pick up my cellphone. I'm taking a break from the REC center until I'm better, but something like this wouldn't have phased me before the treatment. My skin isn't too dry because I use Eucerin body lotion morning and night. I wash my face with Cetaphil and use the face lotion that came with it. I've been keeping a lean diet and running 3 miles 3x a week to keep my mood from going south (my biggest concern from the side effects)."

• Anonymous
• May 4, 2010

For Acne "I have been on Claravis for a couple of months now. I developed moderate acne as an adult, and it was those difficult ones under your skin that were impossible to get rid of. I tried all the over-the-counter stuff, but I realized that they all have the same ingredients. So, even though they sound amazing on T.V., they're all a waste of money. I was skeptical about Claravis at first, but I was just so frustrated. I'm on my 3rd month now, and I've only gotten ONE pimple since I started it, and it was during the first month. As far as the downsides, I'm only really experiencing dry lips and dry skin in patches. But that could be because I have eczema. Other than that, I haven't experienced anything else."

• Anonymous
• March 13, 2010

For Acne "I just started my 4th month. The first 2 months showed quite a bit of improvement, but after 3 months, my face was the same. I still get 1 or 2 pimples around the end of the month, so I am now on 60mg instead of 40mg. I switched to Cetaphil facial wash and facial moisturizer, as well as L'Oreal Hydrafresh skin toner, since it is alcohol-free, about a month ago and no longer have a huge drying problem on my face. My scars are also looking better. I use Vaseline on my lips and in my nose. In the beginning, my skin on my hands and arms was severely dry and hurt, but after my shower, now I use baby oil and Vaseline body lotion, and I don't have a problem with dry skin anymore either. I have gotten a lot of compliments since I started this pill, I hope it continues improving my face!"

• Anonymous
• November 7, 2011

For Acne "I am a little past a month on it, and I started at 40 mg a day, and after the one-month check-in, they upped my dose to 80 mg a day. For the first week, really nothing happened except for mildly dry lips, after about 7 days, my skin started to dry out, but it wasn't too bad. Before Claravis, my skin was horribly oily, and I always had to worry about it. Now my skin is dry, but I'm not going to complain. It does give you joint pain, so if you have a job where it requires lifting, heads up, your back will hurt. The pill makes my skin less dry than topical creams like tretinoin and adapalene anyway, so I like it. Don't know if this is a side effect of the medicine, but orange juice and many other drinks now have a really strange aftertaste. Overall, it's amazing."

• ExP...
• September 21, 2010

For Acne "I have been using Claravis (40 mg) for 15 days now, and the last 2 days I have been noticing very dry skin, my face is peeling, and my lips are cracked. My doctor gave me CortiBalm for my lips, and it has helped me tons. Also, she told me to use oil-free lotion on my face, and I have been using Purpose Dual Treatment Moisture Lotion with SPF 15 from Johnson & Johnson, it really helped me too! I am 27 years old, and for the past year, I developed really bad acne, nothing has helped me, but this seems to be helping me because I have already seen improvement with only 15 days. 2 of my friends used it, and after 5 months of use, they never had breakouts again. I am looking forward to a life like that. Good luck to all of us!"

• Sar...
• March 21, 2016

For Acne "I have currently been on this medication for the last two weeks. The first week, I was on 30 mg once a week, but I requested to be changed to every other day. These two weeks, I have seen a lot of the side effects that I was told about. Dry skin and lips have been the worst thing so far, but nothing lotion and lip balm can't fix. The only thing I can really complain about is if you are diagnosed with IBS, this medication may increase your problems with IBS. It was the worst for the first week, but switching to every other day has really helped and not as many side effects. I do not see any major changes so far, but at the same time, I have not experienced any major outbreaks, so that's a start!"

• Anonymous
• March 5, 2011

For Acne "This medicine is literally AMAZING. I have only been on it for TWO months, and everything is gone, besides one tiny cyst on my forehead that I picked at too much; but other than that, my skin is completely clear. I had the worst skin ever; cysts ALL over my face, followed by whiteheads. Now it's completely clear. I'm 16 years old and have been dealing with this since 5th grade. I have a little redness on my cheeks, but I'm sure that will go away soon, DEFINITELY. Recommending this. So far, I've had really dry skin, but my dermatologist gave me lotion, which helps A LOT, and Aquaphor for my lips and nose."

• Ale...
• January 1, 2012

For Acne "I started taking this medication once a day at 40 mg. So far, I definitely have seen changes, and some people say my face looks better, but it has only been about 15 days. Some side effects I have are back pain, muscle pain, dry face and lips, and a weird skin infection that looks like ringworm but is just an infection. I hope it all gets better soon, though."

• Sti...
• June 11, 2011

For Acne "This medicine has helped bring cysts to the surface and clear them. Redness persists on cheeks, though. Skin will look completely clear one day, and a large cyst-like pimple will still develop and appear the next day. I have read absorption rate increases by taking it with fatty foods, so need to make a habit of that. Back of upper arms gets very red and dry and needed a steroid prescribed to help with that. Back and chest cleared completely. Dr. Dan lip ointment worked wonders for dry lips."