These unwanted effects — particularly skin dryness and acne breakouts — are widely referred to as the “tretinoin purge.” While they don't affect everyone, many tretinoin users experience some degree of purge effects during the first several weeks of treatment.
Before your first month of treatment ends, you may experience the “Accutane purge.” Skin purging looks like acne exacerbation. That is why you hear some Accutane patients saying, “It gets worse before it gets better.” But this is when the pilosebaceous units shed abnormal cells and replace them with better ones.
Generally speaking, dermatologists say purging should be over within four to six weeks of starting a new skin care regimen. If your purge lasts longer than six weeks, consult your dermatologist. It could be that you need to adjust the dosage and/or frequency of application.
Skin purging typically looks like tiny red bumps on the skin that are painful to touch. They are often accompanied by whiteheads or blackheads. It can also cause your skin to become flaky. The flare ups caused by purging have a shorter lifespan than a breakout.
Unfortunately, when you first start using it, your acne may get worse before it gets better. Some of the more common side effects include dry skin and chapped lips. You may also have dry nasal passages, which can make your nose bleed.
During the first 3 weeks you are taking isotretinoin, your skin may become irritated. Also, your acne may seem to get worse before it gets better. Check with your doctor if your skin condition does not improve within 1 to 2 months after starting this medicine or at any time your skin irritation becomes severe.
Take with food: Isotretinoin absorbs twice as well if you take it with meals. Isotretinoin is a lipophilic medication. One study showed 1.5-2 times greater absorption in the fed (large breakfast with 28 grams of fat) versus a fasting state. This difference in absorption is not a trivial concern.
Maintenance Dose:
1mg/per kg per day can be used after 2-4 weeks bearing in mind that the caps are 10mg and 40 mg each. The most common dose is 40mg alternating with 80 mg per day for the averaged sized person and 80mg -120 mg for larger patients.
Accutane Side Effects:
Before your acne can get better, it will likely get worse at the beginning stages of taking Accutane. Called purging, the drug will push out all dead skin cells, oil, and debris from underneath the skin causing inflammation and more acne. Once this stage is complete, acne will begin to subside.
For best results, you should take the Accutane capsule at the same time every day with a full glass of water immediately following a meal or snack high in fat content. This ensures the medication is absorbed well and works properly.
The results are where Accutane® treatment really shines. Peak effect is visible at the 8-12 week mark, and patients see a difference in their skin within 2 weeks. ZENA Medical is so confident in your Accutane® protocol that we guarantee your face will be 100% pimple-free after 3 months of Accutane® therapy.
Sexual function and fertility
Accutane does not appear to affect fertility.
Isotretinoin can cause pain in your bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments. It can also stunt the growth of long bones in teens, which could have permanent effects.
Experience suggests that females with acne limited to the face are likely to respond to isotretinoin treatment within three months. Males with acne on their trunk or back may take five to eight months to respond to treatment with isotretinoin.
Use of isotretinoin should be considered in mild to moderate acne also, in low doses; 20 mg, alternate day seems to be an effective and safe treatment option in such cases.
Zenovia: After getting off Accutane, it's very important to continue being diligent about skin care. Incorporating an effective spot treatment, lightweight moisturizer, sunscreen, and retinol into your routine will help keep the skin balanced and healthy.
Decrease in AMH levels following exposure to isotretinoin may suggest that it has a detrimental effect on the ovaries.
Hormonal acne is more likely to come back after a course of Roaccutane (Accutane) has successfully cleared it. Besides being stubborn to treat, hormonal acne causes redness for prolonged periods, scarring and pigmentation.
Accutane works well for acne, but some people may want to avoid it due to side effects or other reasons. Alternatives include topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, hormonal medications, and steroid injections.
While you are taking Accutane, the medication actually shrinks oil glands and dries out the skin. But when you stop taking it, your pores will return to their original size. Chemical peels can improve the skin's texture and minimize the appearance of pores by peeling off the old layer of skin.
Results: All patients treated with oral isotretinoin noted improvement in wrinkles, thickness and color of the skin, size of pores, skin elasticity, tone, and reduction in pigmented lesions and mottled hyperpigmentation.
Swallow the capsule whole with a full glass (8 ounces) of water or other liquid. Accutane® and its generic products should be taken with food.
Blood tests for Isotretinoin are done when fasting in order to be able to assess the Triglyceride levels properly. Fasting means nothing to eat or drink other than water or black tea or coffee for 8hrs before the blood test.