Thinking of Taking Accutane for Your Acne?

Acne

Acne is a painful condition of the skin affecting both adolescents and adults.

If's pain is not limited to the physical skin condition, but also has serious impact on a sufferers social and career life.

Nodular acne and cystic acne are some of the most painful forms of acne possible.

Nodular Acne

Nodular acne appears as solid, domed lesions that occur very deep in the skin, surrounded by redness and inflammation.

Cystic Acne

Cystic acne occurs when the sebaceous glands in the skin have a sticky lining that prevents easy cellular shedding. The dead cells block the glands which swell with oil secretion and eventually break into cysts. Both these types of acne can be extremely painful, and both pose the threat of scarring if left untreated. When severe acne has been treated with mild to moderate medication without a positive response, many dermatologists recommend Accutane.

Accutane

Accutane (or Isotretinoin) is a derivative of vitamin A that is taken orally by acne patients, generally over a period of 16 to 25 weeks.

The immediate effect of this drug is a quick and dramatic (though short-term) reduction in sebum production by the sebaceous glands.

Without sebum creating pressure on the pore or gland, the nodules and cysts stop forming and the skin can start to heal.

Accutane is also thought to decrease skin bacteria and help reduce inflammation in the skin follicles.

Although acne may get worse before it starts to improve, the results generally start to show by the third month, and once the initial course of Accutane is finished, studies show that approximately 90% of patients have clear skin for at least a year.

Acne does reoccur in some acne patients. A second course of Accutane, may be given after an appropriate recovery period from the first course. This follow up treatment is usually very effective, often ridding nodular or cystic acne altogether.

Side Effects of Accutane

Accutane has shown many positive results, however, taking this drug to treat acne is also known to have serious side-effects. Accutane is very hard on the skin and on the body organs.

Dermatologists often suggest that non-emergency surgeries be put off until long after a course of Accutane in order to give the skin time to bounce back from its frail and delicate state.

Should you decide to approach your dermatologist to begin Accutane acne treatment, there is a process you must go through before you will even get considered for a prescription. Blood tests will be performed to determine pre-treatment liver and kidney function, as well as to monitor blood count and blood fats.

Women in particular are at serious risk of birth defects should they be pregnant during Accutance treatment of become pregnant during or shortly after taking Accutane.

Both male and female patients, should be continuously monitored during treatment by psychiatrists or therapists to ensure that depression doesn't become a problem.

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