Isotretinoin and Hair Loss: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Dai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2018

Isotretinoin for Acne "Female, struggled with cystic hormonal acne on chest, back, neck, jawline, and face for 9 years. Side effects on Accutane: dry lips & small blisters on lips (occasional), extremely dry red eyes (no contacts after 1st month), abnormal hot flashes, face flushing, night vision decreased, nosebleeds, occasional blurred vision, fatigue, joint aches, headaches, fragile dry skin, dry hair, dry nose & throat, stomach pain and cramping (month 6), hemorrhoids, itchy skin & skin rash on hands. Side effects I have now are: dry eyes (I can wear contacts now but took 2 months after stopping meds, and my eyes are still much drier than before. I have to use eye drops at night and in the morning), dry lips (not bad), occasional joint pain in hands, hair loss/rapid hair shedding, itchy skin. All other side effects went away after ending meds. Worth it! 4 months after Accutane, and I have no acne! Not a single cyst! I have normal skin and occasional tiny zits here and there only."

• Win...
• December 20, 2017

Isotretinoin for Acne "Honestly, I believe Accutane is great. I was doubting it at the start, but here is my story. I'm currently 17, 18 in two months, so for the past three years, I had been in severe depression because of acne. I have tried everything: Tactuo, antibiotics, ointments, oh man, literally everything. Then my doctor recommended Accutane. I really was scared to take it after reading the side effects. My mom did not want me to start taking it, but I decided that I should give it a chance. So I did, and it's the best decision I have ever made. Yes, I am facing many side effects, such as minor hair fall, but currently it's very minor hair loss. I get super dry skin, but every morning I put on CeraVe, which I highly recommend. All in all, you should give it a try, have faith."

• Dai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2016

For Acne "Taking Accutane/Isotretinoin was the best decision I made! I had moderate acne and very oily skin, and now my face, back, and chest are clear! My only side effects were dry lips, my hair started to thin my last month of treatment. I took it for 5 and 1/2 months, did not see a doctor, and bought it off the internet. The Depo shot was my birth control while taking it. I figured out my own dosage by how much I weighed, and I started with 20 mg a day just to get used to it. Then I went to 40 mg a day after a month. Then I finished my last 3 months with 60 mg a day, which was the correct dosage for my weight: 130 pounds. I avoided taking Vitamin A and drank plenty of water to help hydrate my skin. The best money I spent as well, compared to the years I spent trying everything else. I was tired of my acne killing my self-esteem, always covering up my chest and back, ashamed to take pictures. I know that depression is a potential symptom, but taking Isotretinoin brought me nothing but happiness! I started seeing results in the first month. My pores shrank, and my oily face and hair dramatically changed too. I have been off the medicine for a month and a half now, still no acne at all, like not even one! My hair is back to normal now too, not as oily as it used to be. Overall, I would strongly recommend it! But of course, do a lot of research to see if it's right for you. But it is possible to take without a doctor or dermatologist and without taking all the pregnancy and blood tests. Anyway, hope this was helpful. Best of luck getting acne free! :D"

• gan...
• March 14, 2011

Isotretinoin for Acne "I used isotretinoin some 5 years back. Acne has vanished, but side effects still persist. I had thinning of my hair and severe hair fall, which is still the case. I have tried everything possible to stop the hair fall, but to no use. Headaches are very common even today, and dryness in the eyes still persists."

• Tee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 13, 2019

For Acne "It's been only 20 days since I started the treatment. My acne has decreased, but my face is dry, my lips are cracked, so I need to use moisturizer several times a day. I experienced a headache twice, followed by vomiting. I started to have joint pain (back and knees). My hair loss is increasing. It's supposed to be a 6-month treatment, but I believe I will only try for 2-3 months."

• Bai...
• March 11, 2018

Isotretinoin for Acne "Four years ago I took Accutane for 5 months. It worked for my horrible acne and I haven't had any breakouts since, but shortly after taking it, I had side effects of hair loss and ingrown toenails to the point it was 1/2 inch ingrown. Now, four years later, I continue to have ingrown toenails, I've had them surgically removed at least twice a year. It seems to be never-ending."

• Suk...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 16, 2021

Isotretinoin for Acne "I'm 55 years old and have always had issues with acne. As I hit menopause, my acne became cystic. I tried antibiotics and creams, but nothing worked. My dermatologist finally put me on Claravis. Within a month, my skin started clearing up. The side effects I got are super dry skin, my face started peeling. I used to get acne on my scalp, face, chest, and back. It did affect my depression and anxiety. My blood work showed my triglycerides high, so I'm stuck at 30 mg so they won't get higher. At this point, I've been on it going on my 9th month, and I'm still going to be on it till October. Side effects aside from dry skin are my face peels, some body aches, I'm always tired, and I've had lots of hair loss. I use Jack Black's intense therapy lip balm for my lips so my lips don't crack. No bloody nose. I'm still purging a little, so I do get a few tiny pimples here and there. I'm hoping that will stop when I'm done."

• NoO...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2022

For Acne "Started to take Curatane (which, by the way, I can't find this exact brand anywhere on Google, it's kind of worrying me), so I started to take it 4 months ago. Started with 40 mg (94 kg weight), and after 1.5 months and blood tests, started to take 60 mg. 1.5 months later, we were supposed to go up to 80 mg, I just couldn't do that. I said that I'm barely moving, so it is postponed for 3 months, from what I understood. For now, 60 mg. In 2 months from now, it will probably go up to 80 mg. As is, at first, it got worse, but now I already see how my skin changes, and I get much less acne-not even one active right now! I have lots of lower back pain and ankles, which I'm struggling to move or even get up from my chair smoothly (basically, I'm 26 years old acting like a 70+ since I started the treatment). Also, I have noticed hair loss, but I'm not sure if it's directly tied to the treatment, as my period was late this month, it could be both together, which made it worse than usual. Also, I'm suffering from vision issues."

• Chl...
• October 7, 2019

For Acne "I have been on isotretinoin for 2 months now. My acne has only gotten worse. I can feel my lips cracking and peeling even with the amount of Vaseline I put on them, and my skin is insanely dry. My skin is now so fragile, and it cuts and bruises easily. I get painful nosebleeds almost every day. My arms have developed yellowish scabs, are super dry, and crazy itchy. I put Cetaphil on twice a day, and I wash my face and moisturize with CeraVe twice a day as well. My eyes get so dry that they sometimes distract me from my work in school. My hair is now falling out. I always feel sleep-deprived and have to take naps during the day. I get muscle aches that have never happened before. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the medication, but I read that someone else had ingrown toenails when on Accutane, and I have them too. I tried doxycycline and many topical creams before this, none of which worked. I do NOT recommend this medication to anyone who doesn’t have cystic or severe acne."

• Nor...
• August 10, 2009

For Acne "I began isotretinoin in November 2008 and finished my last dose in March 2009. My acne consisted of small pimples on my chest and back and mild to moderate acne on my face, no nodules or cysts. After one week of treatment, my acne was completely gone. I was amazed at how powerful the drug was. My side effects consisted of hair shedding, headaches, dry lips, and face. I used Aquaphor on my lips about 8 times per day and Aveeno Ultra Calming Moisturizer on my face twice a day. I never used a facial cleanser throughout the course, rather a warm face cloth morning and afternoon. My pores completely closed, and my skin was flawless. After being off of it for six months, my face is producing a little oil but is still acne-free."

• Pum...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 22, 2022

For Acne "For me, this medication was phenomenal. I spent years refusing it because I was so afraid I would have severe, life-changing side effects. Finally, in my 30s, I accepted this was really my last choice to try and treat my acne. I did get dry lips, dry skin, I lost a bit of hair, my eyesight suffered a bit, also dry, lower back pains, but these all felt tolerable. After a few months without results, I was starting to second-guess my decision. Right at the end, my face transformed drastically. For the first time in my adult life, I don’t wake up with a new pimple every day. I do still have a pimple on rare occasions, but compared to where I was when I started this medication, I wish I had done it years ago. I have nothing but good things to say about it. I have no long-term negative side effects from this. I was on a low dose for nine months in combination with spironolactone (50 mg)."

• Naf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2022

For Acne "I just started on this medication. The first month was on 20 mg, but because of experiencing very bad abdominal pain, I was put on 10 mg. Almost 2 months complete being on this medication, and the side effects are starting to kick in: back pain, hair falling out, dry eyes, dry lips, itchy scalp, abdominal pain, and my skin texture has started to feel a lot different, a lot thinner, not only on my face but everywhere else."

• Anonymous
• March 11, 2012

For Acne "I had suffered from a rather bad acne case since the age of 14. For the next 22 years, I tried all kinds of topical solutions and diets, but nothing really worked except that salicylic acid reduced the severity. I picked at my face, and my acne has left lots of scars. Finally, at age 36, I tried isotretinoin, 40 mg daily for 5 months. It was almost magical! The acne cleared permanently! I still have slightly oily skin, but I have 98% less acne! After one year, I used a touch-up treatment of 1 month for 40 mg. Over 5 years passed, and my skin is 98% clear. The only side effect was dry and possibly thinner hair, which mostly went away once I was off the medicine. I only wish I had started it when I was a teen!"

• Gir...
• October 19, 2015

Isotretinoin for Acne "I finished my treatment 2 weeks ago and I still have a few pimples on my face, but it's not a big deal. I did 5 months of Accutane. Before starting the treatment, I had pimples all over my back, my arms, and my face. Oh! And my chest too. It was terrible! I started with a 50 mg, 10 mg in the morning, and 40 mg in the evening. After 1 month and a half, I had so many side effects. My back was hurting me so much. I lost so much hair, even my eyebrows a little. I was ashamed because of my chapped lips. I had a bad reaction one day, I just woke up with many little pimples (it's like water inside) all around my mouth and on my lips too. I could get rid of it 4 days after. I went to a clinic, they gave me a cream. I'm a sensitive person and got depressed."

• Kim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2022

Isotretinoin for Acne "I recommend you stay away from this toxic drug. I stopped birth control pills after 20 years and got cystic acne as a result. After months of dealing with stubborn acne, at a weak moment, I decided to give this drug a go, which I really regretted. In only 5 weeks of taking this medication, I lost around 50% of my hair. It also got really dry and looked terrible overall. Some hair also fell out from lashes and eyebrows. Horrific experience. I then lived with anxiety around the clock, not knowing how much more hair I was going to lose or if I was going to go bald. My scalp is still itchy and painful months later. The doctors did not warn me about this side effect, but many people go through the same experience I did. I consider myself lucky because there are even worse side effects than losing hair with this drug. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this drug!"

• Tri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2018

Isotretinoin for Acne "This treatment is not worth it in the long run. My case was pretty severe when I was about 19. I decided to try this, and my acne reduced quite insignificantly. While at the same time, my skin was so dry I could peel it off in the morning. It also made it itchy from dryness, and I would involuntarily scratch myself in my sleep, which made me look like I was attacked by cats the next day. Also, your skin loses elasticity, and if you frown a lot, you may develop wrinkles on your forehead. I lost hair density by about 20%, which I never regained back, and I would get unjustified mood shifts on a few occasions as if I was taking some anabolic steroids. I've stopped one month before the end of my last cycle, but I wish I never started. Eventually, my acne went away naturally when I was a fully grown man around the age of 22. You can't defy nature, or it will mess you up. This is in your genes, you just have to stick it out."

• Rus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 12, 2018

For Acne "Side effects are worse than the acne. If you want to go bald, use isotretinoin. The higher the dose, the higher the balding rate."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 22, 2018

Isotretinoin for Acne "Horrible dry lips, hair loss, and joint pain still after 6 years off of the drug. Don’t take this poison."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2021

Isotretinoin for Acne "I'm on a 40 mg dose and into my 4th month, skin still breaks out in spots, but no cysts yet, and my hair has broken off dramatically."

• ukh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2018

"I took this for hidradenitis, and it did nothing except make my hair fall out, which continued for months even after stopping it."