probably water but...
You already know it.
Pretty much everybody that clicked this thread already knows the answer: Isotretinoin (or Accutane/Roaccutane)Before you click away and say "muh dangerous chemical", read the whole thread acnecel
What is Isotretinoin?
Isotretinoin is currently the strongest retinoid/vitamin-A-derivate. It comes in capsule-form and is consumed oral, optimally with about 10-20g of dietary fat due to Accutane being lipophilic.It is used in treatment against strong and or therapy-resistant forms of acne, mainly acne conglobata, cystic acne and papulopustular acne.
Every dermatologist will tell you that it is the currently best way for fighting acne long-term, or even getting rid of it permanently.
How Isotretinoin works
Accutane still has all of the effects of regular retinoids like retinol, adapalene, tretinoin etc.This means that skin cell turnover gets normalized, leading to the infamous starting purge with every retinoid, but later preventing dead skins from clogging pores and creating whiteheads/blackheads.
That said, what makes Accutane different from other retinoids is instead of it being applied topical via serums or creams, it is consumed oral.
This leads to it being able to make changes systematically, main purpose being shrinking the sebaceous glands, which are responsible for producing sebum.
Due to the sebaceous glands being shrunken in size by about 90%, your skin will produce about 80% less sebum than usual. This in term, will prevent pores being stuffed with sebum and bacteria infecting it, due to it thriving ON the sebum itself.
Now some may ask "Why do people not want to use it?"
What are the side effects?
There are many side effects listed for this drug, including:
for most:
-dry skin
-dry lips
-dry eyes
-dry nose
-sensitive to light
sometimes:
-temporary slight hair loss
-aches in muscle and/or joints
-increased liver values in bloodwork
-sleep issues
very rarely:
-gastrointestinal issues
-depression
-suicidal thoughts
etc...
But to be honest, the only things you will notice when taking normal dosages are dry skin, lips and possibly eyes and nose.
Everything else is extremely unlikely to happen and mostly fearmonger.
I am on my second round of Isotretinoin and have only noticed the dryness sides, noting else, just like everyone else I know was or is on Accutane.
And to be truly honest with you, if you are not ready to take in these or possibly maybe some other sides (which all disappear after quitting btw) to fix your acne, you don't want it enough and don't deserve it different.
Acne is one of the very few failos you can control that doesn't require genetics or invasive and expensive surgery, so do it.
Important information when taking Isotretinoin
The dosage and duration always depends on how bad your acne is, for most it will be somewhere between 10-40mg for a minimum of 4-6 months and up to 12 months. For me personally the first round has been 20mg for 9 months, and the second just started with also 20mg for at least 4 months.
The bloodwork will usually be done before the start, one month after, sometimes during the therapy and at the end.
As already said try to consume it after a fatty meal with optimally 20g of fat, it increases bioavailability by almost up to 50%.
Avoid alcohol, sarms and oral steroids as they will impact your liver harder than usual, possibly causing your dermatologist to end the therapy when after seeing bloodwork.
What is also very important to use is sunscreen (SPF50+). Like with every retinoid, hey make you UV sensitive which will cause sun damage, loss of collagen and so on. Be sure to only use very light cleansers that don't dry out your skin, as the drug already does that enough.
Avoid every other skincare product, no BPO, no vitamin C, no niacinamide, no zinc and especially NO ADDITIONAL RETINOIDS OR VITAMIN A PRODUCTS. Your skin is already very sensitive and adding retinoids will only damage it further and cause it to break out. Best thing you can additionally use are moisturizing creams and oils, that's it.
How to get Isotretinoin?
If you live in any third-world-country or a country that doesn't really care for regulations, get it at any pharmacy. If you live in the west or a more developed country, you will probably need a prescription. Easiest and most common way is just to make an appointment at your dermatologist, or making an online request, and ask for it specifically. If they decline try at another.
If you really tried every single one in your are you either really don't need it, or your dermatologists are pussies. The alternative way is buying it from a gray market supplier, meaning buying official medical drugs, just from an not so official way.
I got mine prescribed but from what I have heard you can either get it from India Mart, online Indian pharmacies or from your typical steroid shops.
And regarding the bloodwork if you are doing it unofficial: If you have had no liver problems in your life so far, you will most likely be fine if you stick to regular dosages.
HM: Dutasteride
Dutasteride blocks both DHT Type I and II (unlike finasteride) which passively causes your skin to produce less sebum, therefore helping you keep acne away, especially when using gear. But Fin/Dut is a topic for it's own thread.Ending
Most of you probably knew all of this, but this is for the people that are completely new and have no idea how to fix their pizza skin.Too lazy to search out sources, basically studies on ncbi, regular google search and own expierience and knowledge.
