Trade name of prescription-only anti-acne drug that is taken orally. Active ingredient is isotretinoin, which is derived from vitamin A. This drug works by essentially stopping oil production in sebaceous glands (the oil-producing structures of the skin) and literally shrinking these glands to the size of a baby’s (Source: Dermatology, 1997; volume 195, Supplemental 1:1–3, pages 38–40).
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This prevents sebum (oil) from clogging the hair follicle, mixing with dead skin cells, and rupturing the follicle wall to create an environment where the bacterium (Propionibacterium acnes) can thrive, which can result in pimples or cysts. Relatively normal oil production resumes when treatment is completed; although the sebaceous glands may slowly begin to enlarge again, they rarely become as large as they were before treatment. “Because of its relatively rapid onset of action and its high efficacy with reducing more than 90% of the most severe [acne] inflammatory lesions, Accutane has a role as an effective treatment in patients with severe acne that is recalcitrant to other therapies”
(Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, November 2001, Supplemental, pages 188–194).
