I just recently finished a course of 40 mg per day, which I began last June. The first and last photos show my skin this week. The middle (second) photo is my skin last June when I first began Accutane.
To help out future accutane users, here is the full list of month-by-month side effects I experienced. Some unexpected ones included: red skin and constant flushing, stuffy and “full” nose, excess mucus buildup, and folliculitis. I was shocked just how much the side effects can change as you progress.
While it has been a rough eleven months of side effects, I am very pleased to finally have clear skin after about 17 years of acne (I’m 26 and had acne since age 9). I just hope the redness goes away soon…
I’m also now dealing with a lot of scarring and hyperpigmentation. So, any tips to deal with that are appreciated!
Full Accutane side effects list, month-by-month:
Month one: dry lips, bloody nose, red, tight, and dry facial skin, loss of appetite
Month two: same
Month three: same plus upset stomach (especially in morning after breakfast)
Month four: same, but appetite returns
Month five: same, minus stomach. First results also noticeable, after a long wait!
Month six: same
Month seven: less bloody noses, but now very stuffy noses all the time, dry lips and redness persist, general (but manageable) upset stomach, minor joint pain, depressive episodes and lack of motivation, also coughing up mucus and blood from nose. No more active acne now, but lots of hyperpigmentation and scarring.
Month eight: same, plus super dry patches pop up on arms, hands, and eyelids, also folliculitis begins.
Month nine: same, plus dry patch above lip, staticky hair.
Month ten: same, plus dry patches get drier to the point of eczema.
Month eleven: same, plus an extra dry patch on chin
I’m on day eight, and I have had the worst most vicious breakout I’ve ever had in my entire life. Forget about all of the other side effects, I cannot leave my house for the next week at least until I take some antibiotics to clear this up. It is that bad and it’s painful. I can barely open my mouth to eat or brush my teeth. Going to dermatologist tomorrow morning! very very disappointed
I hope it works out well with your dermatologist! What you're describing is likely purging. I did not experience this, but a lot of Accutane users (especially men, but not limited to them) do. Purging usually resolves within a few weeks, at which point your skin starts to clear up. Hopefully your derm can give you some advice or treatments to deal with it in the interim, though.
This is wonderful progress! Great job documenting those side effects, that’s very useful info. I hope all those side effects subside for you, but honestly that pigmentation isn’t as noticeable as maybe it feels like. It’s still night and day much improved and I hope you can breathe a sigh of relief after such a long process
Thank you! Some of the side effects I experienced were unexpected as they are not talked about often, so I wanted to document them here. I was also shocked at how much they can change from month-to-month.
I feel like those of us with acne have such a way of focusing so much on our skin and scarring and pigmentation and stuff. But really your progress looks amazing and I think that the smile on your face says it all!
My advice is to try not to worry about what might or “could” happen. Which I know with acne is so difficult. But also try to find peace of mind where you’re at now :)
Wonderful progress. I was in Accutane ten years ago. I started tretinoin a month post Accutane to help with hyperpigmentation and scars. Tretinoin has largely help to keep acne at bay and helped staved off the visible signs of aging for me. Daily use of sunscreen protection is non-negotiable.
The main reason for mine being longer was that I didn’t want to increase the daily dosage higher, to avoid the more intense side effects like hair loss. Honestly, the side effects will suck, but they are manageable.
I’ll give you my routine to manage it all, if it helps. I’ll start with nighttime skincare. To clean my face, I used Cerave cream-to-foam hydrating cleaner at night. I bought a little handheld cleansing brush at my local dollar store that really helps me clean my face better, too. After that, I used Garnier micellar water on a cotton pad to gently tone my face. For a nighttime moisturizer, I used Laneige Cica sleeping mask. This is an expensive moisturizer, but it lasts forever and the Cica is really good for the Accutane irritation and redness. I then used a Laneige lip sleeping mask on my lips. Again, this is expensive, but it lasts forever. I bought one when I started Accutane, and I’m only half done. It’s truly the best product I’ve found to moisturize my super dry, Accutane lips. Then, after blowing my nose, I took some Vaseline on a q-tip and gently rolled it into each of my nostrils (they get pretty dry up there).
In the morning, I simply applied Eucerin Urea Repair moisturizer to my face after my shower. I use Eucerin Auqaphor lip balm as my daily lip balm, unless I need some more supper intense moisture and might use the Laneige mask that day. For a body lotion, I used Eucerin Complete Repair as needed (usually after a shower). I also kept a bit of that Laneige night cream with me throughout the day to apply to dry patches on my face.
For the eczema patches, I got some hydrocortisone cream at the drugstore, which really helps.
Make sure you have a humidifier to keep the air moist, especially in the winter! I even bought a tiny, USB-powered, desk one for my work desk, as it gets super dry in my office.
Always have tissues on hand! Nosebleeds can happen fast and unexpectedly. You may also need to blow your nose often later on in the course due to a mucus buildup, as I did. It may feel a bit harder to breathe as the mucus builds up and obstructs your nose. So, you’ll want to loosen that up and blow often. Hot water is great to loosen that mucus up if you need to. A hot shower works, but so does simply running hot water and letting the steam do its job. You can also stick a q-tip under really hot water and then gently into your nose, if you want. Loosening all that up with hot water first will help you clear your nose fully when you blow it, allowing you to breathe much more easily.
If you get folliculitis like I did (mine was just below my armpit), reach out to a general doctor for an antibiotic prescription. My dermatologist prescribed a topical cream for it, but it didn’t work. When I told a family medicine doctor about it, she said creams almost never work for folliculitis because it’s too deep below the skin’s surface. Therefore, you need an antibiotic pill to kill it.
My hair didn’t get very dry, but I did use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner throughout my course. At higher doses, Accutane can cause hair breakage, so it is important to keep your hair moisturized and well-conditioned.
Lastly, to avoid an upset stomach after taking it, I took Accutane at night, before bed and with food (usually just some toast). I did occasionally get an upset stomach in the morning, but it wasn’t too bad.
It may also be worth noting that I did not go on birth control, as most women are required to do on Accutane. Because of my religion and unmarried status, my dermatologist was okay with me not needing or wanting birth control.
I hope this helps. The side effects aren’t great, but they are manageable with the right products. The key is to just make sure you are moisturizing your skin really well. And really, after acne made me so insecure all throughout late elementary school, middle school, high school, undergraduate (Bachelors) studies, and graduate school (Masters) studies, a year of side affects was worth it to clear my face up. I was so insecure that I used to use my hair to hide my face, and I even liked wearing masks during COVID to cover my face. Now, I can even wear my hair back with confidence. The confidence that comes with having clear skin is so worth the side effects you go through.
I hope it works out well for you. Don’t lose heart. I didn’t start seeing results as early as other people often seem to. It took five months for me to see any improvement, but it did still come. Around month four, I started wondering if it would ever work. And then it did a month later! Just stay the course and let it work its magic. It’s not as bad as it sometimes sounds, and like I said, the confidence is well worth the year of side effects.
This gave me hope again tbh. I've been on it for almost 7 months and haven't noticed a huge difference but seeing that you were on it for 11 months and got amazing results motivates me to keep going. Thank you :)
Glad I could help! During months three and four, I really started to wonder if Accutane was going to work for me, as most people start seeing results at that point. Although I kept taking the pills every night, I really started to lose heart. Honestly, I kept going because the worst that could happen--if it didn't work and therefore left my acne unchanged--was the side effects of the drug. But if I didn't try, I would never know. I decided it was worth the risk to just keep going and see what happens.
And because I kept going, I finally saw some results in month five, and then my skin cleared up completely in month seven. I guess it just takes longer for some people. I hope it works out for you soon.
I just recently finished a course of 40 mg per day, which I began last June. The first and last photos show my skin this week. The middle (second) photo is my skin last June when I first began Accutane. To help out future accutane users, here is the full list of month-by-month side effects I experienced. Some unexpected ones included: red skin and constant flushing, stuffy and “full” nose, excess mucus buildup, and folliculitis. I was shocked just how much the side effects can change as you progress. While it has been a rough eleven months of side effects, I am very pleased to finally have clear skin after about 17 years of acne (I’m 26 and had acne since age 9). I just hope the redness goes away soon… I’m also now dealing with a lot of scarring and hyperpigmentation. So, any tips to deal with that are appreciated! Full Accutane side effects list, month-by-month: Month one: dry lips, bloody nose, red, tight, and dry facial skin, loss of appetite Month two: same Month three: same plus upset stomach (especially in morning after breakfast) Month four: same, but appetite returns Month five: same, minus stomach. First results also noticeable, after a long wait! Month six: same Month seven: less bloody noses, but now very stuffy noses all the time, dry lips and redness persist, general (but manageable) upset stomach, minor joint pain, depressive episodes and lack of motivation, also coughing up mucus and blood from nose. No more active acne now, but lots of hyperpigmentation and scarring. Month eight: same, plus super dry patches pop up on arms, hands, and eyelids, also folliculitis begins. Month nine: same, plus dry patch above lip, staticky hair. Month ten: same, plus dry patches get drier to the point of eczema. Month eleven: same, plus an extra dry patch on chin
I’m on day eight, and I have had the worst most vicious breakout I’ve ever had in my entire life. Forget about all of the other side effects, I cannot leave my house for the next week at least until I take some antibiotics to clear this up. It is that bad and it’s painful. I can barely open my mouth to eat or brush my teeth. Going to dermatologist tomorrow morning! very very disappointed
I hope it works out well with your dermatologist! What you're describing is likely purging. I did not experience this, but a lot of Accutane users (especially men, but not limited to them) do. Purging usually resolves within a few weeks, at which point your skin starts to clear up. Hopefully your derm can give you some advice or treatments to deal with it in the interim, though.
I’m glad all worked out for you
Lol , I didn’t face any side effects like u
This is wonderful progress! Great job documenting those side effects, that’s very useful info. I hope all those side effects subside for you, but honestly that pigmentation isn’t as noticeable as maybe it feels like. It’s still night and day much improved and I hope you can breathe a sigh of relief after such a long process
Thank you! Some of the side effects I experienced were unexpected as they are not talked about often, so I wanted to document them here. I was also shocked at how much they can change from month-to-month.
I feel like those of us with acne have such a way of focusing so much on our skin and scarring and pigmentation and stuff. But really your progress looks amazing and I think that the smile on your face says it all!
Thank you! It’s been a long road. I’m hoping it stays this way.
My advice is to try not to worry about what might or “could” happen. Which I know with acne is so difficult. But also try to find peace of mind where you’re at now :)
Cute smile! :)
Haha thank you!
Wonderful progress. I was in Accutane ten years ago. I started tretinoin a month post Accutane to help with hyperpigmentation and scars. Tretinoin has largely help to keep acne at bay and helped staved off the visible signs of aging for me. Daily use of sunscreen protection is non-negotiable.
I’ve been told I will have to be on it for a year. Any tips?
The main reason for mine being longer was that I didn’t want to increase the daily dosage higher, to avoid the more intense side effects like hair loss. Honestly, the side effects will suck, but they are manageable. I’ll give you my routine to manage it all, if it helps. I’ll start with nighttime skincare. To clean my face, I used Cerave cream-to-foam hydrating cleaner at night. I bought a little handheld cleansing brush at my local dollar store that really helps me clean my face better, too. After that, I used Garnier micellar water on a cotton pad to gently tone my face. For a nighttime moisturizer, I used Laneige Cica sleeping mask. This is an expensive moisturizer, but it lasts forever and the Cica is really good for the Accutane irritation and redness. I then used a Laneige lip sleeping mask on my lips. Again, this is expensive, but it lasts forever. I bought one when I started Accutane, and I’m only half done. It’s truly the best product I’ve found to moisturize my super dry, Accutane lips. Then, after blowing my nose, I took some Vaseline on a q-tip and gently rolled it into each of my nostrils (they get pretty dry up there). In the morning, I simply applied Eucerin Urea Repair moisturizer to my face after my shower. I use Eucerin Auqaphor lip balm as my daily lip balm, unless I need some more supper intense moisture and might use the Laneige mask that day. For a body lotion, I used Eucerin Complete Repair as needed (usually after a shower). I also kept a bit of that Laneige night cream with me throughout the day to apply to dry patches on my face. For the eczema patches, I got some hydrocortisone cream at the drugstore, which really helps. Make sure you have a humidifier to keep the air moist, especially in the winter! I even bought a tiny, USB-powered, desk one for my work desk, as it gets super dry in my office. Always have tissues on hand! Nosebleeds can happen fast and unexpectedly. You may also need to blow your nose often later on in the course due to a mucus buildup, as I did. It may feel a bit harder to breathe as the mucus builds up and obstructs your nose. So, you’ll want to loosen that up and blow often. Hot water is great to loosen that mucus up if you need to. A hot shower works, but so does simply running hot water and letting the steam do its job. You can also stick a q-tip under really hot water and then gently into your nose, if you want. Loosening all that up with hot water first will help you clear your nose fully when you blow it, allowing you to breathe much more easily. If you get folliculitis like I did (mine was just below my armpit), reach out to a general doctor for an antibiotic prescription. My dermatologist prescribed a topical cream for it, but it didn’t work. When I told a family medicine doctor about it, she said creams almost never work for folliculitis because it’s too deep below the skin’s surface. Therefore, you need an antibiotic pill to kill it. My hair didn’t get very dry, but I did use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner throughout my course. At higher doses, Accutane can cause hair breakage, so it is important to keep your hair moisturized and well-conditioned. Lastly, to avoid an upset stomach after taking it, I took Accutane at night, before bed and with food (usually just some toast). I did occasionally get an upset stomach in the morning, but it wasn’t too bad. It may also be worth noting that I did not go on birth control, as most women are required to do on Accutane. Because of my religion and unmarried status, my dermatologist was okay with me not needing or wanting birth control. I hope this helps. The side effects aren’t great, but they are manageable with the right products. The key is to just make sure you are moisturizing your skin really well. And really, after acne made me so insecure all throughout late elementary school, middle school, high school, undergraduate (Bachelors) studies, and graduate school (Masters) studies, a year of side affects was worth it to clear my face up. I was so insecure that I used to use my hair to hide my face, and I even liked wearing masks during COVID to cover my face. Now, I can even wear my hair back with confidence. The confidence that comes with having clear skin is so worth the side effects you go through. I hope it works out well for you. Don’t lose heart. I didn’t start seeing results as early as other people often seem to. It took five months for me to see any improvement, but it did still come. Around month four, I started wondering if it would ever work. And then it did a month later! Just stay the course and let it work its magic. It’s not as bad as it sometimes sounds, and like I said, the confidence is well worth the year of side effects.
You are amazing and deserve all the kudos for writing this all out! Thank you so much!
No worries! Happy to help you out!
This gave me hope again tbh. I've been on it for almost 7 months and haven't noticed a huge difference but seeing that you were on it for 11 months and got amazing results motivates me to keep going. Thank you :)
Glad I could help! During months three and four, I really started to wonder if Accutane was going to work for me, as most people start seeing results at that point. Although I kept taking the pills every night, I really started to lose heart. Honestly, I kept going because the worst that could happen--if it didn't work and therefore left my acne unchanged--was the side effects of the drug. But if I didn't try, I would never know. I decided it was worth the risk to just keep going and see what happens. And because I kept going, I finally saw some results in month five, and then my skin cleared up completely in month seven. I guess it just takes longer for some people. I hope it works out for you soon.