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Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.

Accutane: Yes

Otherwise known as the nuclear option for acne, Accutane can be life-changing, says Dr. Graber. “It is the only medication we have that can cure acne,” says Dr. Graber. “Eighty percent of people who take it are cured for good... For someone who has severe acne to go to no acne at all, we know it works better than anything else we have.”



Still, as effective as Accutane (or isotretinoin) is for most people, it’s not an easy drug to take. “There are a lot of potential side effects, especially depression,” says Dr. Zeichner. Dangene, who used Accutane for 15 years, does not recommend its use for this reason. Severely dry skin, itching, nosebleeds, and joint pain are some of the drug’s common side effects.



That’s why Drs. Zeichner and Graber agree that Accutane is best used by people with severe acne — think deep nodules and painful cysts that stick around for months. “It should be used in the appropriate patient with severe, nodular acne that is resistant to other therapies,” Dr. Zeichner says. “However, with proper monitoring and correct use, it is safe.”



Accutane, he adds, is not good for people with mild acne; it also isn’t the right treatment for women who experience hormonal flare-ups, pregnant women, and women who are unwilling to use two forms of contraception. “It has to be [prescribed for] the right patient,” says Dr. Graber, “and it has to be prescribed by a doctor who knows what they’re doing.”



In other words, see your dermatologist.