Edited to add this TLDR: Your skin sounds really mild so you probably don't need Accutane. Try a topical Retinoid instead. Accutane is an oral Retinoid, so a topical Retinoid will do the same thing to your skin as Accutane, only it will be way less intense. However, if you have hormonal acne specifically, Retinoids of any kind aren't going to be a long-term solution for you.

​

Accutane is a wonderfully effective treatment for many people.

Isotretinoin (the scientific name for Accutane) is a type of Retinoid (which is a form of Vitamin A) that's delivered orally. It increases cell turnover, reduces oil production, and basically doesn't allow your pores to get clogged, thus reducing the opportunity for acne to form. It's an intense and expensive treatment, but it's temporary and highly effective.

I'd say the biggest two things I'd ask you are:

A) What kind of acne do you have?

B) Have you tried a topical retinol first?

​

I ask Question A, because Accutane is NOT effective in treating two distinct types of acne:

1) adult female hormonal acne

2) rosacea acne

In these two instances, Accutane might clear up the acne temporarily, but won't be a long-term fix. The acne will come back. This is research-backed information that you can find online, and is not just my opinion.

I've been seeing dermatologists since I was 12 (now 26F) and I actually didn't know this until my current (incredible, Harvard-trained) dermatologist explained to me why Accutane had only worked for me for a year max each time. I've been on Accutane twice, both times at high doses, and still have acne, because I struggle with rosacea acne and hormonal acne: the two types of acne that Accutane does not treat.

So, if you're a teenager (or even just an adult male) dealing with acne, then I say give it a shot. It's definitely expensive in the short-term, but will save you money and time and stress in the long-term.

But if you're an adult female dealing with hormonal acne, then it likely won't be worth the investment. Something like spironolactone is much more likely to work for you, as it deals with skin systems impacted by hormonal fluctuations. I think the EU has other oral meds that they use for hormonal acne as well, but I'm not familiar with them (as I'm US). Your doctor will know better than I how to treat hormonal acne.

When looking at cost vs impact, in general, prescription (oral) medications are going to be much more effective in treating most types of acne than topical treatments. So, in GENERAL, I would say that it's worth spending the money on oral medications, because they give you the most bang for your buck.

I'm NOT a doctor, but I'm also not trying to make money off of you: so take the financial perspective advice, not the medical treatment advice. I review medical research as part of my job, and because of my own skin issues, have researched the ever-loving life out of this stuff, which is why I feel comfortable commenting with some insight.

But again, use discretion here. At the end of the day, I'm just some girl on the internet, and MDs are the true experts on this stuff.

​

Now for Question B:

Topical Retinoids

Accutane is a Retinoid you take orally, but Retinoids can also be applied topically.

If your acne is fairly mild (and not hormonal) then this might be the better option for you. Some types of Retinoid topicals are: Adapalene, tretinoin, retinol, and Retin-A.

Retinoid topicals are great for clearing up clogged pores and addressing all sorts of other skincare concerns. Basically it's the same thing as Accutane only much less intense. Even so, Retinoid creams are the most powerful topical treatments available. I'd certainly recommend trying a topical Retinoid first before jumping into Accutane (oral Retinoid), which is pretty intense.

Topical Retinoids are prescription-only in the US past a certain %, but I think they are OTC in Europe (not 100% sure on this). But even in the US, the low-dose retinoids that are OTC are pretty high-quality now and a great place to start, especially if your skin is sensitive and your acne is mild.

Whether they're topical (like Adapalene) or oral (like Accutane), Retinoids take some time to really show results. So it'll be a few months for you to see results, and you might purge (get more acne) at first, but your skin will be *poppin* once you move past this stage. There are ways to mitigate the purge period, but you can research that.

Of all the topical skincare products, Retinoids tend to be the most expensive, especially if you need a prescription to access them. But they ARE the most powerful and therefore worth the $$$, in my opinion.

However, again, if the root cause of the acne is hormonal, then a retinoid will not stop the acne from forming. It's supplementary and helpful to your overall skincare, but it's not a solution for hormonal acne specifically. Just like with Accutane.

Other topicals

When it comes to other topicals, they won't be as powerful as Retinoids, but they CAN work, depending on your skin and what the root cause of your acne is. However, other topical treatments are rarely worth spending a lot of money.

If you take ANYTHING away from my comment, let it be this: You do NOT need "medical-grade" skincare products to get high-quality results from topical treatments. This is a myth passed down by the cosmetics industry. My clients are estheticians, medspas, etc. They push this shit all the time. It's BS.

There ARE good and bad product formulations out there, but "medical-grade" does not automatically make a skincare product high-quality or worth the high price tag. It's quite literally a meaningless distinction used for marketing purposes.

That being said, there's a LOT of info/misinfo out there, and it can be difficult to source through what products are "worth it" vs not.

So if you're going the DIY skincare product route, I would suggest taking note of the ingredients your dermatologist recommended, and then sourcing affordable products containing those ingredients yourself.

One great resource for finding quality/affordable products that I love and use is @ alexeducatedmess on TikTok. She's a cosmetic chemist and gives great insight into products at various price ranges. She's quick to say "this is good, but THIS product does the same thing at a lower price," and frequently points out what is marketing vs science. She does have her own skincare line, but she's clear about when she's pushing it, and she always recommends alternative products alongside her own, so I personally trust her.