<p>My biggest regret @ accutane was not seeking a course of treatment for DS earlier. We tried antibiotics, ProActive, etc with no improvement. DS had such large cysts on his back and they were VERY painful. If someone came up and patted him on the back (even gently) it caused severe pain. I had terrible acne in high school and can still remember not leaning back in my desk at school because of pain from infected sites. I took Accutane the year it came out (1982 I think it was) and it literally cured my terrible cystic acne. I do have some scarring, as will my DS. I would recommend seeing a dermatologist if your child has any cysts present.</p>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, my kids had/have great results following the acne.org regime - loads and loads of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide watery lotion massaged very gently into the face twice a day; this after trying most of the stuff mentioned above in post 59. (except DS, of course, did not use the BC pills!!! ;)) DS had some cysts on his back, and also on his face, also lots of regular acne. His face looks great now. DD also keeps clear with it. They also change their pillowcases frequently, avoid touching their faces, and (are supposed to) leave any acne alone. It seemed too easy and basic and simple to work - but I was surprised to find how effective it is. (That being said, only DS had cysts, and not a huge amount of them. I don’t think the stuff they are using now would heal someone with huge amounts of painful cysts. 
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<p>My D took Accutane when she was 14-15. We tried various other treatments first without much improvement and the scarring possibilities were increasing (and she does have a few small areas). Maybe we were lucky, but the only problems she encountered were dry skin and lips and some light hair loss (which she didn’t mind since she has very thick hair). She was just so happy to finally get the acne under control! She had the ugly red cysts and was getting ready to start high school - imagine what that does to a girl’s self esteem. 4 years later her skin is still (knock on wood) quite clear, with only the occasional modest pimple.</p>
<p>She is convinced it changed her ability to tan - her face just doesn’t seem to anymore. I don’t know. She’s very fair skinned.</p>
<p>She was under the care of a very knowledgable dermatologist. Absolutely no regrets. This is obviously not a drug to be considered unless all else has failed, but it really can work miracles for some. Close monitoring and honest communication with a good doctor are the keys to proper usage.</p>