How I Cleared My Acne

Joe Fazer recounts how obsession with his looks led him to take Accutane for mild acne, causing severe depression before he restarted it and saw his skin clear.

Key Takeaways

Appearance-focused obsession can drive people toward risky treatments for mild conditions.
Accutane carries serious psychiatric risks, including depression and suicidal thoughts, that warrant careful medical supervision.
The purging phase can make acne temporarily worse, which may be distressing without preparation.
Long-term commitment to a prescribed course can produce significant improvement, though the experience is hard.

What the video covers

Joe describes his worst mental health period, driven by severe depression and social anxiety tied to his acne.
His skin was generally good until summer 2022, when a mild flare-up triggered obsessive concern about his appearance.
He sought the strongest available treatment and was prescribed isotretinoin (Accutane), despite his acne not being severe.
He notes Accutane's side effects, including dry skin and lips, joint pain, nosebleeds, and a serious link to depression and suicidal thoughts.
After about three weeks he entered the purging stage, where his skin worsened and his mental health deteriorated sharply.
Around August 18, roughly two months in, he quit the drug, but his acne became cystic and worse off medication.
He restarted Accutane on October 7, 2022, committing to a six-to-seven-month course despite expecting it to be hard.
Weekly progress videos showed gradual improvement, and by around week nine his skin was visibly clearing.
Improved skin restored his confidence and mood, which he credits to the treatment.
He concludes with mixed feelings, acknowledging the drug brought both the worst and best periods of his life, and leaves the recommendation open.

Chapters

Why did Joe Fazer start taking Accutane?

He became obsessed with his appearance after a mild acne flare-up in summer 2022. Despite his acne not being severe, he sought the most powerful treatment available and was prescribed isotretinoin.

What is the purging stage Joe mentions?

The purging stage is a period early in Accutane treatment when skin temporarily gets worse before it improves. Joe found this period especially hard on his mental health.

Does Joe recommend Accutane?

He gives mixed feedback. He says the drug brought some of the worst and best times of his life, so he does not give a clear recommendation.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

about arguably the worst period of my life. A period where severe depression and social anxiety controlled me, and it was all because of a little thing called acne. Okay, so let me take you through the journey of how my skin went from looking pretty good to it going absolutely out of control, and what I did to sort that and regain my confidence again. And the best way to tell this story is to go from the very start.

Speaker A

pretty good so it's going absolutely out of control and what I did to sort that and regain my confidence again and the best way to tell this story is to to go from the very start um so growing up my skin was always on and

Speaker A

Um, so growing up, my skin was always on and off. In general it wasn't great, but it was never that bad where I think about it much. I didn't really care. Now, about a year ago, my skin was looking pretty decent, still the odd spot here and there, but it looked good. At this point in my life I was the best looking I'd ever been, and my confidence levels were really high.

Speaker A

but it looked good at this point in my life I was the best looking I'd ever been and my confidence levels were really high foreign s went downhill at the start of July 2022 I got so obsessive with how I

Speaker A

Foreign. It all went downhill at the start of July 2022. I got so obsessive with how I looked. I was so addicted to trying to be more attractive. I don't know if this was the reason, or the blazing hot heat that summer, but my skin started to flare up a bit. The acne was getting a little worse and I couldn't stand this, even though the acne genuinely wasn't that bad. Because I was so obsessed with how I looked, I would go to any lengths to fix this. So I went online and tried to find the most powerful, the most extreme acne cure there is. Many options came up: skincare routines, acidic products, medication. There was tons to choose from, but one product stood out from the rest. This was the product. It's a drug called isotretinoin, or better known by the public as Accutane.

Speaker A

worse and I couldn't stand this even though the acne genuinely wasn't that bad because I was so obsessed with how I looked I would go to any lengths to fix this so I went online and tried to find

Speaker A

Last September, a new drug was released for use in the United States. It's one of the most effective medications for acne, but there are some risks. After taking the medication, he took his own life. He hung himself. The drug is called Accutane. This is one of the most controversial drugs. The side effects are endless: dry lips, dry skin, joint pain, nosebleeds. But the more serious one is that Accutane is linked to severe depression. Many people have taken their lives on this drug. Suicidal thoughts are common. And while this is a very controversial topic, one thing is for certain: my acne was nowhere near extreme enough to even consider this. But as I said earlier, I was so obsessive with how I looked that I didn't listen to any of this, and got myself prescribed it.

Speaker A

isotretinoin or better known by the public as Accutane last September a new drug was released for use in the United States it's one of the most effective medications for acne but there are some risks after taking the medication he

Speaker A

Okay, here we go. My Accutane journey starts today. Little did I know, things were about to get much worse.

Speaker A

many people have taken their lives on this drug Suicidal Thoughts are common and while this is a very controversial topic one thing is for certain my acne was no way near extreme enough to even consider this but as I said earlier I

Speaker A

[Music]

Speaker A

[Music] as the weeks went on I noticed the classic again but there was one side effect which was really getting to me I've been on Accutane for three weeks I think my skin is broken out a bit uh that's normal apparently this is

Speaker A

As the weeks went on, I noticed the classic side effects again, but there was one side effect which was really getting to me. I've been on Accutane for three weeks. I think my skin has broken out a bit. Uh, that's normal, apparently. This is called the purging stage, where your skin gets worse before it gets better. This really affected me. As the weeks went on, my skin was getting worse and worse. I had never in my life seen it this bad, and it really started affecting my mental health. Today's the 5th of August, and today's been one of the worst days of my life. The thing is, I've never had mental health problems ever in my life. I've always been a happy, full of life guy, so this was a weird feeling for me. It was [ __ ] I [ __ ] hate how I look.

Speaker A

this bad and it really started affecting my mental health today's the 5th of August and today's been one of the worst days of my life thing is I've never had mental health problems ever in my life I've always

Speaker A

[Music]

Speaker A

on the 18th of August so it'd been about two months since I first took that Accutane pill at this point my acne was out of control my mental health was on the Rocks so I made the decision to quit

Speaker A

This video I took here, captioned "it's time to end this nightmare," was taken on the 18th of August. So it'd been about two months since I first took that Accutane pill. At this point my acne was out of control and my mental health was on the rocks, so I made the decision to quit Accutane. This made me feel a sense of relief. I felt happier again. Maybe my skin would go back to just being kind of crap, and I could deal with that. I was excited for the future. I was excited to end this nightmare, as I said, and go back to being happy. But unfortunately, that didn't go to plan. In fact, the complete opposite happened. After I came off Accutane, my skin just got even worse. Cystic acne started forming on my neck, big spots on my face, and my mental health was still in the gutter. So I had a decision to make. I could carry on waiting it out and just hope things got better over time, or I could use the drug which started this nightmare in the first place, a drug which potentially was my only option to end the nightmare.

Speaker A

excited to end this nightmare as I said and go back to being happy but unfortunately that didn't go to plan in in fact the complete opposite happened after I came off Accutane my skin just got even worse cystic acne

Speaker A

[Music]

Speaker A

I could use the drug which started this nightmare in the first place a drug which potentially was my only option to end the nightmare [Music] I chose the latter I just said to myself it can't get any worse than this so [ __ ]

Speaker A

I chose the latter. I just said to myself, it can't get any worse than this, so [ __ ] it. So on the 7th of October 2022, I restarted my Accutane.

Speaker A

I hope that I can watch this video next year and I won't have a [ __ ] horrible skin which [ __ ] destroys all self-confidence the starting point wasn't great but I was ready I was ready for the next six seven months to be

Speaker A

It's the 7th of October 2022. I hope that I can watch this video next year and I won't have [ __ ] horrible skin which [ __ ] destroys all self-confidence. The starting point wasn't great, but I was ready. I was ready for the next six or seven months to be tough. I was not going to enjoy it, but I knew if I committed, then I'd hopefully get my confidence back. One week on Accutane. Every week I would take progress videos of my acne. Two weeks, four weeks, five weeks, seven weeks, eight weeks, nine weeks. And finally, as time was going on, my acne was actually improving. I want to update you: I feel [ __ ] awesome. I'll be honest, my skin isn't fully cleared, but the fact that it's getting better is just the best feeling in the world. My general mood, my life, my outlook on the days were improving. I started feeling happier again, and it was simply because I felt more confident again.

Speaker A

week nine we had finally as time was going on my acne was actually improving and I want to update you I feel [ __ ] awesome I'll be honest my skin isn't fully cleared but the fact that it's getting

Speaker A

[Music]

Speaker A

my skin was genuinely becoming clear again it was the best it had ever looked and after 33 weeks on this drug my skin completely transforms and I'm happy to say I'm now acne free today is the fifth of August and today's

Speaker A

21 weeks, 22 weeks, 24, 25 weeks, 26 weeks. My skin was genuinely becoming clear again. It was the best it had ever looked. And after 33 weeks on this drug, my skin completely transformed, and I'm happy to say I'm now acne free. Today is the fifth of August, and today's been one of the worst days of my life. I'm a lot happier now. I'll be completely honest, I still have a bit of the odd scarring, but I am so much more confident. I'm enjoying life again. It was a very tough journey, but I'm glad I went through it. And the question which I'm sure a lot of you are wondering is, do I recommend Accutane? It took me through some of the worst and the best times of my life, so I have very mixed opinions on it. I personally am very happy that I did it in the end, but I'm really not qualified enough to give my opinion on such a controversial drug. Speak to a doctor or dermatologist and get their opinions, and if they give you the green light, then I'd say do it, but with caution.

Speaker A

tough Journey but I'm glad I went through it and the question which I'm sure a lot of you are wondering is do I recommend Accutane you know it took me through some of the worst and the best times of my life so I have very mixed

Speaker A

opinions on it I personally am very happy that I did it in the end but I'm really not qualified enough to give my opinion on such a controversial drug speech or dermatologists get their opinions and if they give you the green

Speaker A

light then I'd say do it but with caution

Topics:Accutaneisotretinoinacne treatmentmental healthdepressionbody imagepurging stageskincarepersonal storyside effects

Get More with the SozAI App

Transcribe recordings, audio files, and YouTube videos — with AI summaries and speaker detection. 30 minutes free.

App Store Google Play

Or transcribe another YouTube video here →

Free tools: TXT to SRT · SRT Validator · Merge SRT · Subtitle to Text · All tools