# Why does Accutane work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-accutane-work/278602
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 7, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-accutane-work/278602 "2004-12-07T19:23:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-accutane-work/278602/1 "2004-12-07T19:23:49Z")
When I was a teenager, I had pretty bad acne. It wasn’t social-career crippling, but it was bad enough that my freshman year in college my parents agreed to fund a course of Accutane.
It lasted about three months. I had some minor side effects (excessive shedding of dead skin), and it was a resounding success. In the 20 years since then, acne has been no sort of trouble for me at all. I’ve had maybe one small pimple a year, tops.
What I’ve always wondered is, how did it work? I can understand if Accutane suppresses the action of the glands that produce zit-related oils, but I’d think that would only be effective while I was actually taking the Accutane. I wouldn’t think the effect would linger.
Unless the Accutane caused permanent damage to those glands, but I wouldn’t think it would be a safe drug if that were the case. I’m sure I need those glands.
So, what’s going on?
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### Author:  [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-accutane-work/278602/2 "2004-12-07T19:38:39Z")
A dermatologist tried to convince me to try accutane, and when he did, he basically said that it worked by permanently disabling the glands that produce oil. I thought I remembered him saying that it actually destroyed those glands, which was one of the reasons I refused to take it. Also, my doctor’s office required all female patients to sign a waiver agreeing to a monthly pregnancy test, and also required all patients to sign a waiver that they wouldn’t sue if there were accutane-related problems further down the road. Scared the crap outta me, so I refused.
Anyway, here’s a link: [How does accutane work?](http://pharma-help.com/accutane) It seems that they’re not really sure how the drug works, but it reduces the size of your oil glands. It’s a retinoid medication, which I think means a really potent form of Vitamin E. I am not a doctor or medical professional, though, so someone else will probably have better info than I do.