Go For Accutane Only As The Last Resort!

If you are an acne sufferer, I guess you will have heard of the name Accutane. Accutane is actually a brand name for isotretinoin which in turn is a powerful oral acne medication.

Why do I say "powerful"? Well, many severe acne sufferers who take Accutane experience significant improvement in their acne condition even though they only take one course of isotretinoin treatment.

By now, you might ask, " If it is so effective, why don't all dermatologists recommend it straight away to treat one's acne? ". For one, it has very extreme and serious side effects. Headaches, temporary hearing loss , nosebleeds, joints pain, dry skin or lips are just a few of the negative symptoms resulting from taking Accutane.

In addition to that, if a pregnant woman takes Accutane, it could cause severe birth defects. Therefore, a woman must ensure that she does not get pregnant while she is on the prescribed medication. Effective birth control method should be adhered one month before you start the Accutane treatment and shall be terminated only 1 month after you stop the treatment.

Why does a woman still have to use birth control method after stopping the prescribed isotretinoin for one month? Because this drug will stay in her body for quite some time! And surely she wouldn't want to run the high risk of having a baby with any birth defect.

For a guy, he is luckier as so far no evidence show that isotretinoin has any serious implication on his sperms.

Isotretinoin, derived from Vitamin A, when taken orally, is classified as a tetratogen which simply means that it can cause defects to one's baby.

By focusing on the root of acne causes, isotretinoin is very effective in putting acne at bay. As acne are caused by excessive oil (sebum) production coupled with dirt and dead cells that clogged the follicle openings (pores), the curbing of excessive sebum production in the sebaceous glands by isotretinoin will lead to the reduction of P. acnes bacteria that play a big role in acne development. These curbings of sebum also causes your skin to be dried after taking isotretinoin.

In addition to the reduction of sebum excreted, isotretinoin also regulates the dead skin cells shedding process. Less dead skin cells would mean that the tendency for a clogged pore is less and hence one would experience significant reduction in one's acne as the treatment is continued.