Accutane Acne Treatment
Accutane or Isotretinoin is a powerful drug used to combat the
most serious and complicated cases of acne. Acne forms when the
sebaceous glands (inside hair follicles) become overactive creating
an abundance of Sebum. The Sebum then clogs the hair follicle creating
swelling and irritation. Normally, sebum is excreted through the
skin and washed away, however when the sebum builds up and clogs
the hair follicle, bacteria is trapped, and really what you have
is a localized infection. With acne, you may have numerous sites
of infection. This is not like a normal pimple that may appear and
clear up in a few days. Acne is a serious condition due to the fact
that it can lead to permanent scarring and takes a serious toll
on the patient’s self-esteem.
Accutane acne treatment is recognized for being highly effective
at treating acne cases that don’t respond to other treatments.
An accutane treatment not only treats the acne at its root cause,
its results may be permanent after just one treatment. The treatment
consists of taking accutane by mouth for four to five months. The
treatment is so successful that results are usually seen up to a
year after stopping the treatment. Also, accutane is greatly beneficial
due to the fact that it helps prevent scarring.
It is important to realize that accutane has many side effects
and some of them are very serious. Because of this, your doctor
will need to ensure that this course of treatment is absolute necessary
before it is prescribed. Also, you will be given a small sample
of treatment to determine if you are having negative reactions or
side effects before beginning the course of treatment.
One of the most serious complications of accutane is its effect
on pregnant women and their unborn fetuses. Accutane is so dangerous
to babies in the womb that no amount of accutane should be taken
by a pregnant woman. Some of the most common birth defects caused
by accutane include: Heart Defects, Mental Retardation, Microcephaly
(unusually small head), Hydrocephaly (enlarged fluid filled spaces
located in the brain), and deformities of the face and ears.
Some of the most common side effects associated with accutane include:
chapped lips, extreme fatigue, thinning hair, drying of the skin,
nose, and mouth, and red, itchy, and irritated eyes. Additionally,
some patients have reported developing severe cases of depression
while taking accutane, and this has also been linked to psychosis
and in some instances, suicide. It is very important that you consult
with your doctor immediately if you develop any negative side effects
while taking accutane.
Due to the fact that accutane has many negative side effects, it
is important that you read all of the literature that you are given
when beginning your course of treatment. You will also discover
that there are certain activities that you should abstain from or
use caution with when taking accutane. Some of these include: donating
blood, using laser or hair removal procedures such as waxing, and
night driving.
In conclusion, it can be said that accutane is one of the most
effective treatments for persistent acne, however it must be used
under the direct supervision of a physician or dermatologist.
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