There have been quite a few posts as of late regarding acne..... Not just on this board.... but on a few others also. I figured i would just take the time to let everyone know what I do to stay acne free while on and off cycle.....

Lets get a few things straight..... there are different levels of acne. When you goto a dermatologist..... they look you over and classify you. I was considered to have "severe" acne. Just about as bad as one can get. This was also before i even so much as looked at anything anabolic! I was just one of those unlucky kids with HELLA bad acne!

Acne treatments..... Which one do i use? This is a personal choice..... a lot of people say not to jump the gun and go straight to accutane..... while quite a few people condone the use of accutane right from the start. In my honest opinion..... you should decide which treatment/s you are going to use based on the severity of the acne.... and the scenario you put yourself in. By this i mean..... Are you going to cycle AAS? Are you active in sports? Do you naturally sweat alot? You need to look over your situation and decide which route is best for you.

There are many different treatments out there for acne..... ranging from pills to soaps and creams.... While some of you may not know all of the treatments.... im not going to go over them all. There was a rather lengthy post on each treatment so if you want to know the other drugs that i do not bring up in this post..... simply run a search and im sure you can find it.

Now..... lets talk about what you can do to clear up your acne.....

The absolute most effective way to clear up acne is to take Accutane (isotretinoin). I stand by this drug 100%. I know from personal experience and from hearing stories from others... that this drug is truely a miracle. I must caution you tho..... Many users of accutane have claimed to have gotten side effects. The 3 most common side effects are:
1 - Cracked dry skin
2 - Depression
3 - Sun burn (you burn easier while on accutane)

How can we reduce these side effects? WE TAKE A LOWER DOSAGE! The common dosage of accutane from a dermatologist is 80mg's a day. When you goto a dermatologist and get prescribed accutane.... they send you for regular bloodwork. Accutane can be very harsh on ones body..... if your bloodwork comes back not looking soo pretty..... the dermatologist will either cut back the dosage or take you off the accutane all together.

REMEMBER: YOU ARE NOT A DERMATOLOGIST!...... and if you happen to be one..... why the hell are you here? It would not be wise for you to take 80mg's a day since most of you can't read your own bloodwork..... and thats even if your able to get blood work on a bi-weekly/monthly basis.

Will taking a lower dosage effect how the accutane works for me? In a sense.... yes. Instead of clearing your acne up in a week or 2 - it may take just a little bit longer. But this short ammount of time is well worth the moisture in your skin..... and the safety of your liver. Not to mention the money you'll be saving.

What dosage do you recommend i take? No matter how severe your acne is, unless it's not bad at all.... in which you don't need accutane, I suggest taking 1/4 of the Dermatologist recommended dosage. Since the recommended dosage by a dermatologist is 80mg's/day - i suggest taking 20mg's/day. At this dosage your skin will slightly dry out.... but not NEARLY as bad as it would with a higher dosage. I personally don't have any depression problems at 20mg's/day.... but i can not speak for everyone... as everyone is different.

Accutane will work while on or off cycle. I've run 20mg's/day while i was on... and while i was off..... and it just destroyed the acne. The only difference is while you're on cycle..... you might need to stay on the accutane for a longer period.

If im taking an oral steroid..... should i take accutane? NO! Like i said before.... accutane is harsh on your body, including your liver. Many people claim accutane is more liver toxic than Dbol or Anadrol..... I personally do not believe this HOWEVER i would not run 2 orals together in the first place.

What do i do about acne from an oral steroid then? You must remember there are other treatments available to you. Im going to mention 2 that i find effective in reducing acne.

If you are on a liver toxic steroid..... you have 2 options that i recommend.
the first option is Vitamin B5. (pantothenic acid)
Many studies have shown that Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) reduces acne.... and can even get rid of it all together. B5 is great because you can not over dose it either..... if you have too much.....your body will flush it out.

What dosage would you recommend? This is going to vary from person to person..... but here is what i find to be sort of a happy median for everyone.
If your going to cycle AAS: Start running 2500-5000mg's Vitamin B5 daily 1 month prior to cycle. Then once you start your cycle - run 10g's B5 daily all the way through PCT.

NOTE* Acne may get worse for a week or so when taking B5 as it pushes the remaining oil to the surface of the skin. After that tho..... your acne should start to clear up.

Whats the other option? you said you had 2....? The other option is Retin-A. (tretinoin) Retin-A is more or less a topical accutane. It doesn't work as fast as accutane does tho. I would start it 1 month before cycle and continue all the way through PCT. Just rub the cream on the affected area.

LASTLY..... whether you used a treatment that i talked about or a treatment you found on your own..... i suggest taking a daily shower (which i hope you do anyways.....) and scrubing the affected area with an anti-bacterial soap and a wash cloth. Possibly shower 2 times a day..... depending on your daily activities and the ammount you sweat. ALSO REMEMBER: Change your sweaty clothes ASAP.

ooooo wait..... Mr. Acne..... where can i buy these products?
Be still young grasshopper..... i was just about to tell you......

Hazard