I remember both my cousin and I, who were only two years apart in age, each suffering through adolescence with fairly severe acne problems, dreamt of a day when we'd find a miracle cure for a smooth and beautiful complexion. I, on one hand, had been on everything from Retin-A to Tetracycline and Erythromycin for my acne. She had also been prescribed these drugs and even additional topical treatments which would work for a little while, but then become ineffective.

That was fifteen years ago. At this time, there were no serious and effective alternatives to agressive acne treatment. Accutane was pretty much it.

I remember feeling envious when she was allowed to go on Accutane, which at the time was practically a "miracle" treatment for those with stubborn and persistent breakouts. The drug was not without it's warnings back then though. I remember the biggest warning was to not get pregnant while on the medication. It was actually mandatory to be on birth control if you were being treated with Accutane, since the medication drastically increases the likelihood of birth defects.

Other than that, I was oblivious to any other warnings and I didn't care about them quite frankly. When you're fifteen and you have severe acne, you would do almost anything to have a clear complexion, especially when your peers can be cruel about physical imperfections!

Green with envy, I tracked my cousin's progress eagerly, and hoped to talk my parents into allowing me to go on this agressive medical treatment. Her skin did break out much worse at first - to the point where she did not want to go out in public due to the large and painful inflammations. This was a known drawback, so I took heart in knowing she would clear up later. Then, as promised, her skin did clear very nicely, and all that was left was the old scarring.

Looking back, I am glad I never took this serious drug. Especially now, hearing about the new allegations of serious depression and even suicidal tendencies that some Accutane patients have experienced. You can't search the net for Accutane without coming across stories of litigation, and advertisements for lawyers who exclusively represent Accutane patients.

Not only are the potential side effects scary, the drug also permanently dries up your primary oil-producing glands, which are the mechanism responsible for acne. While this is good in acne prone adolescents, what about when your skin starts aging? You WILL need that oil as your skin ages, to replenish and protect the moisture in your skin, and help prevent the signs of aging and progression of wrinkles.

My cousin now has some regrets too, since her skin seems to be chronically dry and flaky. She blames the medication for some of her premature aging signs as well, and hypothesizes that had she not undergone Accutane therapy, her skin may have maintained more of it's elasticity in later years.

You should know, there are some excellent natural alternatives on the market today that will prevent and fight acne internally just as well as Accutane can, for a fraction of the cost, with no adverse side effects and excellent, long-lasting results. You just need to know where to look!