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.
Most patients don't see an appreciable difference until the third month of treatment. But first comes the “purge,” when all the old skin cells start rising—at an accelerated rate, with a potent retinoid—from the bottom layer of the epidermis up to the surface. “It gets worse before it gets better” is the adage.
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.
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.
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.
In the first two weeks, your skin's oiliness will start to decrease. Before your first month of treatment ends, you may experience the “Accutane purge.” Skin purging looks like acne exacerbation.
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.
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.
How to treat skin purging. “If the skin barrier is compromised when you see purging then start ingredients which help with barrier repair, such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a non-comedogenic formulation. If you are using a treatment or product continue with a slower approach.”
Accutane, or Isotretinoin, is an oral medication used to treat moderate to severe, nodulocystic acne. It is a derivative of Vitamin A, and helps to improve the blocked-up material within whiteheads and blackheads. It has become a mainstay in the treatment of acne, and is one of the most effective treatments available.
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.
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.
Skin purging is when your skin is adjusting to the new product. Spots appear where you frequently get them and they go away faster than a normal pimple. Purging is a sign that the product is working and you should continue with the treatment as prescribed.
Additionally, if you experience any itchiness, redness, burning or pain immediately after applying a new product, these are clear signs you're experiencing an allergic reaction and it's best to wash it off carefully and stop using it altogether.
Accutane "cures" about half of those people who take it so that they never need to do anything else for acne. In the first few weeks of treatment, about one in five patients gets a little worse, and one in 500 patients gets much worse.
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.
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.
Sexual function and fertility
Accutane does not appear to affect fertility.
Conclusion: This study showed that oral isotretinoin can increase the level of serum LH and cause changes in menstrual cycles.
This is usually due to purging, in which the isotretinoin pushes out dead skin cells and debris. Because your skin can become red and dry, the medication sometimes makes acne look more inflamed and obvious.
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.
Though some people do report experiencing irritation and breakouts after using the ingredient, niacinamide is unlikely to cause purging. That's because it doesn't affect the skin in a way that usually triggers purging.
What does it look like? Distinct, acne-like bumps may be purging. However, if you're noticing welts, diffuse redness, or anything resembling a rash, stop what you're doing. Inflammation is a sign of reaction and generally appears as all-over redness rather than individual, blemish-like spots.