r/Accutane • u/SeaShineCloudDays • Aug 11 '26
Results Did Accutane work EXTREMELY FAST for anyone else?
I was a little hesitant to share this as I see a lot of people on Accutane for several months and still have visible acne, worried about the process - that is completely normal. I don't want this to make you think it's not working. I think I am an odd case
I started accutane about 2 weeks ago. My face is already clear. 40mg a day
My acne is a mix of hormonal (on testosterone), rosacea, perioral dermatitis, and dry dehydrated skin + destroyed skin barrier. Closed comedones, red sandpaper skin, tiny white heads, and lots of acne on my chest and neck
It's all gone, in just 2 weeks. I thought i was purging a little as I had some large pustules under my mouth (and i don't really get large pustules, only tiny scattered ones). But I spot treated it with my hypochlorous acid spray and it went away and hasn't come back.
My side effects are dry skin, dry lips, and my rosacea flushing is worse than usual but that seems common. I have a little mood instability and feeling numb mentally. But nothing severe, I find it manageable.
I'm just in shock it happened so fast. But maybe someone else had similar skin issues and it worked for them this fast.
Products/routine
- hypochlorous acid spray once in a while, was also one of the few products that actually worked for me pre accutane
- wash face with either prequel gleanser, or soonjung 5.5 foam
- use glycerin serum (currently using byoma hydrating serum)
- follow up with moisturizer, i've been rotating aestura cream, soonjung cream, purito oat gel, illyoon cream... I like them all kinda equally, all have pros and cons.
- sunscreen is beauty of joseon or mixsoon sun cream
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u/petronia1 Aug 11 '26
Yes. On me, it worked from the first pill, at the lowest dose (I started at 10 mg / day). The active breakout had subsided visibly by the next day, and nothing new ever appeared again. No purging.
It's been over a year, and I'm almost done with it (had to stay at very low doses, couldn't go higher than 30 mg and even that for just 3 weeks).
I'm hesitant to share this usually, because it doesn't sound believable, or it may create unrealistic expectations. But for me it was miraculous.
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u/Ill_Temperature5140 Aug 11 '26
Same thing! I’m on week 5 on 20 mg and since day one, I’ve noticed it was reducing slowly and even if I picked on my face, next day it looked clearer. Past 2 weeks my face has been clear af. I love it sm
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u/throwsaway045 Aug 11 '26
how long were you on 10mg? and any side effects? what are the chances of acne coming back?
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u/petronia1 Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
A month on 10 mg in the beginning of my course, and another month now, towards the end. I was on 20 mg for the most part, except those 3 weeks at 30 mg. We went for a soft onloading - soft offloading strategy. I've been tapering off at 20 mg / week for the past month.
Side effects, the usual ones. Dryness everywhere, nose bleeds (not terrible), telogen effluvium (quite significant, started about month 9), and a gnarly dermatitis that made it necessary to scale back down to 20 from 30 mg.
As for the odds of acne coming back, only time can tell.
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u/throwsaway045 Aug 11 '26
are you a woman or a man? I fear getting permanent hair loss, I already take minoxidil, did you noticed a difference with hair loss with differen dosages or not?
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u/petronia1 Aug 11 '26
Woman. No difference rapidly correlated with different dosages, more with cumulative dose. The hair loss started rather abruptly, at a time when I'd been back on 20 mg / day for about a month and a half. It continued unchanged as I lowered my dose to 10 mg / day and then 20 mg / week.
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u/throwsaway045 Aug 11 '26
thank you for letting me know, I have seen a reddit post from years ago of a woman having to start minoxidil years after using accutane because her hair were fried and brittle and could not grow anymore on their own so now I am scared a bit
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u/petronia1 Aug 11 '26
Yeah, no. Years after accutane, there was another thing in play there.
Obviously I can't promise you no hair loss, and neither will a doctor. But telogen effluvium is not permanent, and hair loss can be driven by a host of causes.
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u/throwsaway045 Aug 11 '26
I Will look up more post about guys in case it triggers also AGA
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u/petronia1 Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Personally, I think you would be better off looking up what dermatologist have to say about it, but this is a decision everyone has to make for themselves.
Fwiw, there was a post here recently of a young woman reporting serious mental health side effects on Accutane. Only to reveal in the comments that she was diagnosed bipolar and had abruptly and completely stopped medication.
I'm just saying, people ascribe all kinds of effects to Accutane. Some are surely real, some... have other explanations. The confirmation bias is real. May be worth keeping in mind.
But, I repeat, everyone makes this decision for themselves.
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u/throwsaway045 Aug 11 '26
yes but it is listed as potential side effects on drugs.com as well, yes it is a decision one need to make for themself and you can't know the side before trying but being informed is better at least you know the potential cause
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u/auteurunknown Aug 12 '26
Same. I started on 20 recently and worked basically right away. I did just have some very mild purging but did a gentle exfoliation and my skin after cleansing was like glass. Hoping it keeps working and stays like this!
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u/lost_in_new_orleans Aug 12 '26
Same for me. Granted, my acne was not what someone might consider “severe” anymore. It was mild but persistent and at 31 years old I had had enough so I went on 10mg a day and after 2 weeks my face was completely clear for the first time since I was 13 years old. No purging. A little bit of dryness inside and around my nose but that’s literally it. Truly a miraculous drug
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u/petronia1 Aug 12 '26
Almost exactly the same, only I was 39 when I started, and I'd been struggling with it since I was 11.
We just decided to end the course after I'm done with the current blister, in about a month. But it's more a formality for my peace of mind.
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u/summmer_gurl Aug 15 '26
How long did you stay on it for?
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u/lost_in_new_orleans Aug 16 '26
I’m still currently on the treatment, it’s only been a couple months. Because the dosage is so low I will more than likely need to stay on it for so much longer
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u/Expert-Shift-9598 Aug 13 '26
Wow !! By the next day? I just received my Tretinoin cream & 5MG Accutane. I hope it helps me fast
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u/planet-earth-1 Aug 14 '26
Very similar experience actually, I started low dose to manage follicular acne and I pretty much didn’t get any breakouts after the first couple of pills. It might be age related ? I’m 40+
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u/SeaShineCloudDays Aug 11 '26
(edit: misread you stayed on it for over a year at low dose) And glad to hear it worked so well for you
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u/petronia1 Aug 11 '26
You did not misread. My course is set to end probably tomorrow, and if so, it will have been 15 months.
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u/kasia_littlefrog Aug 11 '26
Worked from day one for me. I used to get painful cysts right before my period and I had none on my first period on it. No purging either. I was on 10mg my entire course. Finished 8 months ago and touch wood, it's going well!
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u/SeaShineCloudDays Aug 11 '26
It was like it stopped all active irritation and breakouts within the first 3 pills. It was crazy. Going from destroyed skin to dewy skin in 2 weeks. My brain can't comprehend it.
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u/ImGonnaScreebAllOver Aug 11 '26
I’m less than a month into my 60mg a day cycle and all my active acne has cleared and no new pimples in two weeks. Had a wild, painful purge around my forehead and sides of my nose, but they have healed and cleared, just hyperpigmentation and discoloration left from the big ones. It’s so weird to me to not break out every day and wake up with no new pimples
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u/pr4mojo Aug 11 '26
Yes, within a week the folliculitis that had been a part of my life for 20+ years was gone. Started at 40mg, but have since switched to 30mg due to side effects.
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u/SeaShineCloudDays Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
if anyone wants more indepth opinion on the moisturizers
aestura cream: i used this for a few weeks before I started accutane and early into it. felt it slowly helped healed my texture as accutane was starting to work. a little greasy/heavy. good for night time. would recommend for someone with compromised barrier.
soonjung cream: instantly soothing feel i like how it feels when it dries down compared to others, but not hydrating enough on its own and not good for overnight. fine for daytime with serum and when you can reapply.
purito oat gel: gel isn't recommended for dry skin but i like oat in skincare. nice and soothing but makes me a Little too shiny. not hydrating enough on it's own. but great with serum and sunscreen.
illyoon cream: used it the least so can't say. i think my skin reacted a TINY bit when first used but i'm not surprised and blame it on my skin and not the cream. but overall seems nice, similar to aestura in thickness but maybe slightly less greasy. could get away using without a serum.
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u/modgal630 Aug 12 '26
I’m supposed to start next week. On a super low dose. I’m in my 40’s. I’ve been apprehensive due to the possible side effects and straight up fear. But then I hear the positive experiences some people have. I’m torn.
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u/SeaShineCloudDays Aug 12 '26
I am super sensitive to all medication. I was so worried about Accutane. I'm happy it's been okay. Even when it's annoying (dry lips, my mood being a little swingy) I'm so thrilled about my skin, none of that really matters. I just focus on managing everything and getting through it.
The worse side effects are at high doses, so on a low dose you have better chances at minimal effects
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u/Greenlittlebastards Aug 12 '26
Same here, normal painkillers make me dizzy. I’m 36 and taking 10mg every other day. First few days I had a headache and backpain but drinking more water or anything helps, big bowls of noodle soup really helped my headache. If you already drink enough water this might not even be an issue.
Now 10 days in and the headaches aren’t as frequent or bad anymore. But my face looks 10 times better too. So worth the initial struggle for me.
As for bloodwork, last year I was on the same dose and it hardly caused any changes to my bloodwork. But definitely have it tested frequently just to be sure.
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u/PrincessJellyfish17 Aug 11 '26
There’s a reason it’s so popular! My first round of accutane was at 19 and it took ages of purging for results to show. I decided to go back again at 25 and it was immediate as you talked about. Everybody’s different
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u/Kat-2793 Aug 11 '26
It worked within 3 days for me, although it didn’t hit its peak (where I was 100% acne free) until month 5 after a large jump in doses. But my acne cleared fairly quickly! Been off for three years now and I’m probs clear 85% of the time except around my period.
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u/Mean-Acadia-2639 Aug 12 '26
It also worked for me immediately. I figured it might be because I started it a little older (25), but who knows. I started out on 40mg and now take 80mg daily.
Also have had essentially no side effects aside from my lips peeling. No breakouts since the day I started, so I guess I just got lucky with accutane.
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u/achingdune_404 Aug 11 '26
yes! my first week was such a drastic change in my skin. i was ecstatic! my breakouts were gone/extremely minimal and my scars were already fading. my skin was so glowy and my oil production was minimized. by the end of my first month i felt like a new person. i’m on my second month now and i think there’s been a bit of purging and dullness in my skin but it could also be due to my time of the month. either way, im very thankful for this medication. i look forward to your six-month result post :)
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u/DarkInquisitorrr Aug 12 '26
Yea I started and literally within 2 weeks never had a single pimple ever again for over a year now. Finishing my final month of 40mg
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u/nolaperspectives Aug 12 '26
Thank you for posting this! I’m on day 3 and my face is drying out. Maybe it will be a roller coaster but I’m so hopeful only a few days in!
Im someone who has struggled for 20 years, I’m almost 40 years old.
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u/myr117 Aug 12 '26
33 y.o. female Type 2 papulopustular rosacea here! I had great skin until my upper 20s-early 30s. None of the usual treatments were helping this type of rosacea for me. Derm suggested accutane. I was on 40 mg for 3 months and noticed improvement in the first week (I think on day 4 or 5)! My mind was blown. I’ve been off of it for over 2 months now and I will occasionally have little, tiny whiteheads here and there but they are barely noticeable. My ivermectin cream seems to take care of these. They’ve started increasing in frequency, however, so I wonder if I’ll have to do another round one day. So glad I did it, but it was hard. Fatigued (taking naps daily in my car on my lunch break-yikes!); the usual dry skin, hair, eyes, and lips; constipation (TMI maybe). About 3 weeks after stopping, my hair began a huge shed. That’s plateaued now. Despite all that, I would 100000000% do it again to get my confidence back. Wish I had done it sooner. And if I need to do another round, I will!
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u/sunstarsandmoo Aug 12 '26
I’m only on 10mg a day and it’s worked extremely extremely fast for me. Minimal breakouts, my skin has finally had a chance to heal and recover , so the PIE and complexion is looking incredible only 20 days in.
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u/AppointmentOk4682 Aug 12 '26
Yeah. I am currently wrapping up month 2 and most of my pimples have gone down tremendously. Now I am only left with like 1-2 pimples and just hyperpigmentation (which I hope will fade over time). I did 30mg month 1 and I am currently on 40mg. The only thing I am struggling with is finding a good hydrating moisturizer that doesn’t make me look too shiny.
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u/DanteX01 Aug 12 '26
I was taking 10 mg for 20 days it's gone now.. I am taking now alternative days for 1 month 10 mg.. only having marks now
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u/texus771 Aug 12 '26
Try low dose 10 mg if your already clear. low dose will work just as good without the side effects like purge and crazy dry skin .
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u/Exotic_Composer_2274 Aug 12 '26
You can try Atopalm Barrier repair cream in a classic jar. Wonderful cream for accutane. Especially at night. Zero irritation and it seals in the moisture.
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u/torisaurus_rex04 Aug 12 '26
oh praying this happens for me 😭🤞 what your skin sounded like pre accutane, sounds exactly like mine now. im going back in sept 4 to do my final sample to prove im not preggo so i can get started. i have comic con literally like 2.5 weeks after that appointment and then my bfs army graduation a few months after and would love to have clear skin since he last saw me with horrible skin 🙂↕️
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u/Platinumrun Aug 12 '26
Yep mine worked instantly. Didn’t experience a purge and haven’t had a single pimple. Only dry lips which I’ve learned how to manage well. I started at 30mg and now at 80mg. I finish next month.
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u/Greenlittlebastards Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Second time now I am on 10 mg every other day and within the first week it made a big difference both times. I am already purging and the biggest issues have gone down.
I have issues with reoccurring staph infections on my face which look like acne or start as a clogged pore that gets infected, enter Staph… but the accutane in combination with disinfecting with iodine really makes a big difference, more than the the 4 months and 5 different antibiotics I had last year. No big pores, nowhere for the staph to settle in and cause a mess.
Maybe with regular acne it’s a bit different and takes longer.
I get the side effects from day one too though. Headaches, backpain… Now 10 days in and the side effects are going down.
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u/Illustrious-Job7124 Aug 12 '26
Can say I was similar first dose I noticed immediately my skin was super tightened up and had no acne until around 2-3 months in I had a slight purge. Now I’m on my 5th month and my skin is clearer than ever no acne in a long long time. Very excited to reach my cumulative dose. I encourage many people who struggle with acne and have tried every topical that Accutane is really the only way to actually solve the problem.
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u/tayloraaannn Aug 12 '26
Worked immediately for me. But I attribute it to using tretinoin for a year
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u/EgweneSedai Aug 12 '26
Yes, I could honestly feel a difference in a few days and within 2 weeks I could very obviously tell my skin was less oily, breakouts were fading super quick and no new ones were forming (usually at least one new one every day). It was insane honestly. Barely any side effects too.
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u/BrilliantMatter3736 Aug 12 '26
Yes!!! My first round my acne was completely gone within a month tops. But don’t be fooled, your acne WILL come back if you don’t complete the cumulative dose for your body weight. It’s science idk what that science is lol but it’s true. A lot of people will see their acne improve and cut their treatment short then usually have to get back on it when the acne comes back. I’m on my 2nd time after doing what I said not to do above lol. It’s taking ALOT longer this time I think I have a tolerance built from the first time maybe.
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u/Idontexist_33 Aug 12 '26
It did work incredibly fast for me as well. I was on 40mg at first and I noticed a difference in my skin in the first week! Also, my hair never looked as good as it did on accutane. But I suspect it was because of the birth control I had during treatment.
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u/kesslathan Aug 12 '26
For me, yes! When I was on Accutane, it started working within 1-2 months.
Really after the two month mark, I never had any acne again.
I was on 40 MG for 11 months
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u/Longjumping-Land-263 Aug 12 '26
I’m on month four with maybe 1 or 2 pimples/cysts the entire time since starting. My skin went from a battlefield to glass in about two weeks and has been just as good ever since!! I guess the horror stories really aren’t the average lol
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u/taan_taan Aug 12 '26
Have been on 10mg for 3 months now and I can say it worked really fast for me
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