Isotretinoin
For severe acne (deep, painful cysts and nodules), isotretinoin genuinely works, and dermatology guidelines strongly recommend it when acne scars or won't respond to other treatment. But it's serious medicine: prescription-only, with monthly clinician check-ins through an FDA safety program called iPLEDGE. If your acne feels like this, that's not a shopping problem. Talk to a parent and a dermatologist. Never buy it online without a prescription.
what the evidence says
Strongly recommended in the AAD 2024 guidelines for severe, scarring, or treatment-resistant acne; dispensed only through the FDA iPLEDGE program.
can you use it with…
- Strong acid peels (glycolic and friends)Not together
Isotretinoin skin is off-limits for peels
- Gritty face scrubsNot together
Fragile skin, meet sandpaper. Please do not.
sources
note:Skinformed is general education, not medical advice. It doesn't know your skin, can't diagnose anything, and is no substitute for a clinician. If something on your skin hurts, spreads, or worries you, that's a doctor visit, not a product search.