Roaccutane is a powerful drug used by many teenagers and children (and some adults too) as a final solution for acne or bad skin. While it has a host of fairly unpleasant side-effects and is fairly potent as a drug, many doctors will recommend it for even mild cases of spots which is perhaps a little gung ho. So is it safe? Effective? And just how pronounced are the side effects?

If you have severe acne and have been to the doctor recently (albeit for unrelated reasons) then chances are you’ve been offered roaccutane – even though there are other more mild drugs available that could be tried first. At least this is the case in my experience, and due to the severity of the drug and the current push it seems to be getting this article aims to outline some of the benefits and costs of undertaking a course in the drug. The reason for doctors advising it’s use is that roaccutane is the most effective form of treatment for spots, though it’s additionally the most unpleasant in many ways. Firstly, roaccutane leads in most cases to severely dried out skin. This sounds like a minor problem but is actually almost as irritable as acne itself and will leave your skin looking red as though sun burned and feeling incredibly itchy causing you to scratch and possibly cause flaking and bleeding on your arms and legs. This effect is most pronounced and visible on the patient’s lips which become cracked and flaky and sore. As a result they also look blotchy and red and again this can be almost as unpleasant to look at as the spots themselves.

An additional side effect of roaccutane is affected mood. Roaccutane is fairly controversial due to claims that it can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts, and while this is probably only really a problem for those prone to depression already, it will certainly leave you feeling down and stressed compared to your usual self and this is particularly problematic as many of those using the drug are hormonal teenagers who already have enough stress in their lives. Personally it lead to feelings of paranoia and dissatisfaction while for my sister who’s normally a bundle of positive energy it lead to deflated self esteem and we believe lacklustre exam results (her grades got worse during the period she was taking it then improved back to her normal standard following her course). For this reason patients who already suffer from mood disorders should not consider roaccutane and a conscientious GP should check for this before they recommend it (though this often is not the case).

Roaccutane has also been known to cause headaches and migranes, though this is rarer than the dry skin and bad moods. Again though, those who regularly experience headaches should consider that it may exacerbate them before deciding to go ahead with the treatment. Furthermore it can cause thinning of the hair (which my sister has experienced) and even hair loss (or alopecia) again making it questionable as an aesthetic solution, and even visual disturbances (rare).

Roaccutane will also affect you in other more subtle ways. Firstly it will prevent you from being able to drink. If you are a youth who has recently become old enough to drink or who has just begun attending parties, then chances are you’ll miss out quite badly by not being able to drink at all. As the shortest courses are typically six months this is something you need to seriously consider if you’re going to commit to the drug (though take note parents – it could be a good way to prevent your children binging and throwing up on the carpet!).

Women taking roaccutane are also required to go for regular pregnancy tests, the reason being that the drug would so deform a potential child (we’re talking ‘Elephant Man’ style) that they can’t take the chance – even if the child isn’t even having sex yet. This can be both daunting for a child and unpleasant and also speaks volumes about the potency of the drug.

So unpleasant mood, painful and dry flakey skin, headaches, thinning of the hair, no partying and regular pregnancy tests lasting six months to a year and with little research into long-term effects. Is that something you want to go through or to put your child through? The good news is that roaccutane does work. After a couple of months you’ll notice even the worst cases of acne disappearing and it can even lessen the effects of scars. At the same time this effect is permanent meaning those spots will never return to that degree.

Acne can be an incredibly unpleasant experience for children and it can severely ruin their childhood if it’s that severe. It can be painful and humiliating and it comes at the worst possible time. However, most kids get it at some point and in many ways it’s character building. At the same time, it teaches children that beauty is skin deep and not to judge a book by its cover. It also teaches kids not to solve every problem with a pill. If the problem is bad enough to warrant treatment and you think it would really help you or your child (particularly if you/they risk permanent scars) then there are milder drugs, facial cleansers and even laser surgery that you can try first. Once you’ve exhausted these options, had a frank discussion with your child or read up on all the issues yourself (and assessed the ability of the recipient to cope) then and only then should you consider roaccutane as a last ditch attempt that at least you know will be affective.

Mack LeMouse

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