Severe, cystic acne can be hard to eliminate, and can leave your skin with permanent scars if left untreated. This type of acne can appear over your face, neck, back and chest like wildfire, and often spreads under the skin to create giant pustules and nodules. Although mild to moderate acne breakouts can be successfully treated using over-the-counter acne creams and lotions, cystic acne does not always respond to these treatments. However, many people can find relief from cystic and nodular acne by taking prescription acne treatments, such as Accutane acne medication.

Accutane is a powerful acne medicine for severe acne that is actually a derivative of vitamin A. While seemingly natural, Accutane actually packs quite a punch in the body and can cause many unwanted side effects. For example, Vanderbilt University suggests that if you are a woman and take Accutane while pregnant or nursing, the medication could cause serious health risks or deformities in your baby. There also might be a connection between depression and long-term Accutane use, although the results from different studies are inconclusive. At any rate, if you are prone to depression already, you might not want to risk your condition worsening by taking this type of medication for your skin problem. This makes it very important for you to discuss the health risks of taking Accutane acne medication with your dermatologist, especially if you have a pre-existing health condition or are wanting to have children in the near future.

If you still want to try using Accutane for your nodular acne after carefully considering the side effects, you might wonder how it works so fast to heal such severe acne breakouts. Since Accutane is a derivative of vitamin A, it works in a similar way as retinoids by increasing skin cell turnover and helping your skin maintain a more normal oil production level. Accutane can take up to five months to completely clear your skin, but many people start to notice a significant difference after just a month or two. One of the best parts about using Accutane for severe acne is that the results last for a year after treatment stops.