Accutane and other Vitamin A options

Most of you have probably heard about the drug Isotretinoin, which is believed to be one of the most effective treatments for the most severe cases of acne. Still, if you don't know much about the drug, and didn't take your time to see what it is, in short it is simply a synthetically produced Vitamin A, which acts just like the natural substance we can get from natural products.

And you probably know that the majority of synthetic drugs and vitamin supplements deliver certain side-effects along with the benefits they are created for. Isotretinoin is not an exception. Of course, there's no doubt about the effectiveness of this medication as it’s supported by numerous tests and case studies. Still, the mere fact that you have to have a prescription for it and sign a special liability waver is just enough to make us think that something us suspicious here. The majority of acne medications require prescription and strict supervision by the doctor during the course of treatment. Of course, this doesn't mean that taking these drugs will inevitably lead to any harm to your body. However, it's still safer to go with natural options that don't have any side effects than to take synthetic derivatives and hope that you won't experience any unpleasant reactions.

Vitamin A is responsible for the maintenance of the eye and skin condition. This was the reason why pharmacists have developed isotretinoin, a synthetic form of Vitamin A, which is the main active ingredient in the highly popular anti acne drug Accutane. However, the main difference is that the natural forms of Vitamin A, namely alpha and beta carotene, which are widely spread in different foods, don't have the toxic potential of the synthetic form. Which makes the natural form superior to that found in Accutane.

Natural and organic forms of Vitamin are widely available as separate supplements and multi-vitamin solutions as well, which can be found in nearly every store and purchased without a prescription. The best part of it is that a bottle of 100 beta-carotene capsules will cost you about $10, which is only a fraction of what you would pay for Accutane. Moreover, such supplements have a lower risk of intoxication if you are taking additional products containing Vitamin A.

In most cases Vitamin A supplements have about 5000IU (international units) of the active element per capsule. This amount is enough to help in mild and moderate cases of acne, and the results will be observed sooner than with the synthetic medication as the natural form is better tolerable. Still, if the situation is more severe, you may need about 2-3 capsules in conjunction with specific anti-inflammation drugs a day.

Besides the cosmetic benefits of this Vitamin A form, a recent study on beta-carotene has confirmed that this compound helps prevent mental disability and the development of such disorders as sclerosis with age.

The choice of which form of Vitamin A to choose for treating acne is yours in the end. You can go with the branded medication, and ask for a prescription to treat your acne. And you can deal with it on your own, by simply taking vitamin supplements on a regular basis. It's up to you to decide.