The Risks of Taking Accutane

October 2, 2020

Have you thought about taking Accutane?  Read this first.

You’ve heard us talk about how pimples are formed. But just for fun, here’s a recap – skin cells line the inside of the hair follicles. After a few weeks, those skin cells die off, and instead of freely moving out of the hair follicles to become dust (ewww…that’s true!), they are retained. Retention has to do with genetics (of course!!!!). Once retained, the dead skin cells stick together with oils that are produced by the oil glands at the base of the hair follicles. Once all stuck together, bacteria move into the follicles to break down the oil and the bacteria multiply, causing an immune response from our bodies…and that response is a pimple!

Phew – that’s a long explanation of how acne forms which typically takes up to 4 months.

So how do you prevent new pimples from forming? As you know, here at Ninja Skincare, we offer a treatment for removing the trapped dead skin cells in the hair follicles, getting to the root of the problem. 

There are other treatments people use to treat their acne, to include trying to kill bacteria and stopping oil production on the skin. 

Let’s talk about antibiotics first. Doctors will prescribe topical and internal antibiotics. The goal is to kill the bacteria before it has a chance to multiply inside the hair follicles. Antibiotics by their very nature, whether used topically or internally, are a short term solution. Typically, the type and strength of antibiotics are changed during the course of treatment because eventually the bacteria become immune to the dose being used. Over time, the treatment becomes less effective and ultimately when a person stops taking antibiotics, their acne will come back, sometimes even worse than before. 

There are some common side effects from taking internal antibiotics:

• nausea
• indigestion
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• bloating
• feeling of fullness
• loss of appetite
• stomach cramping or pain
• sun sensitivity (both internal and topical antibiotic use)

Isotetretinoin (Accutane) is prescribed to shut down the oil production of the skin, however there are some potential serious side effects that may include (it’s a long list):

• dry skin
• itching
• rash
• dry nose
• nosebleeds
• cracks in the corners of the mouth
• dry mouth
• dry lips
• cracking or peeling skin
• inflammation of the whites of the eyes
• dry eyes
• joint pain
• back pain
• dizziness
• drowsiness
• nervousness
• changes in your fingernails or toenails

Those are the mild side effects.  The possible big side effects are birth defects, long term depression, hallucinations, liver or pancreas damage, increased pressure inside the skull and stomach damage. In fact, the potential damage to a fetus is so great that in order to be prescribed this medication, a woman must sign an agreement NOT to get pregnant while using the drug in addition to consent to use not one, but two forms of birth control while taking Accutane.

So back to Ninja Skincare‘s approach for preventing acne. Thankfully our topical treatment is very effective because we are aiming at removing the trapped dead skin cells in the hair follicles to prevent new pimples from forming….and there are very few side effects. Once we determine a client’s skin type and possible sensitivity to topical medications (such as benzoyl peroxide) the only side effect is some dry and flaking skin. Using a topical treatment is a maintenance solution. If you consistently do your routine, you will prevent the majority of new pimples from forming, so you will be reliably clear.

Unfortunately, there is no “cure” for acne but you can proactively PREVENT pimples from forming. For every day you do your routine, you are preventing pimples from forming that day. Every day you do not do your routine, you are allowing pimples to form.

So where does that leave us? For guaranteed long-term clear skin, the right combination of topical products will do the trick – with no debilitating and annoying side effects. Are you curious and want to know which products would work for your breakouts? Give us a call or send a text to 925.933.8425 or email us at clearskin@ninjaskincare.com. We would love to help you clear up your skin, once and for all.