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Is It Safe To Use Accutane For Acne In A Teenager?

My son is 13 years old and already has pretty bad acne. His father had it (and has the scarring to prove it) and I also had cystic acne. In my 20 s I finally went through a course of Accutane. Is my son too young to consider Accutane? There is a history of depression on his dad s side and I am most concerned about that side effect.

posted on Mon, 4 May 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 4 Dec 2022 Answered on

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 Last reviewed on

Post as: Anonymous Non Anonymous

Keep me posted

Anonymous's Response

Hi,

Yes, I would consider it safe to start Accutane treatment. While Accutane can indeed cause depression, having severe cystic acne severely effect a young teenagers quality of life and - in of itself - cause depression as well. Consider Accutane, but keep an eye out for signs of depression. If it does indeed develop, it is possible to discontinue the treatment and pursue other treatment options like Tetracycline.

Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Maria Riechel-Sarup, General & Family Physician

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Is It Safe To Use Accutane For Acne In A Teenager?

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