Forget Everything You Thought You Knew About Accutane

It ’s the closest thing there is to a real acne cure—so why is it still so controversial? Writer (and former Accutane user) Kate Foster explains.

- Kate Foster

As a teenager, I had 50 pimples scattered across my face at any given time. Yes, literally 5-0. I counted. I tried every over-the-counter and prescription fix available, and while a few of them worked—pretty well, for a couple of years at a time—the clusters of cysts and whiteheads always came back.

Finally, my mom asked my dermatologist to prescribe me isotretinoin, what used to be called—and is still commonly known as—Accutane. I took the pill every day for five months and my acne...disappeared. My skin basically did a complete 180, to the point where I’d do actual double takes in the mirror.

My friend Maggie, 26, also credits isotretinoin for resetting her skin. “I would not be the same person today without it. It was essential for me,” she texts when I ask about her experience. Like me, she has no regrets.

But the thing is, some people do—or at least, they have questions. Many questions. Google “Accutane” and you’ll see what I mean. “Why is Accutane dangerous?” “Is it safe to use Accutane for acne?” and “What are the risks of taking Accutane?” immediately pop up and link to articles about truly scary potential side effects. (If I had already developed my millennial habit of Googling every Rx I’m prescribed, teenage me might have been too terrified to take my first dose.)

Much of the panic started when a former U.S. representative’s 17-year-old son died by suicide in 2000. He’d been on Accutane for six months before his death (a typical course of treatment lasts four to six months), and his dad blamed the drug, igniting years of contentious debate.