Anyone who's ever had acne knows very well just how terrible it can make you feel about yourself, but isotretinoin (commonly known as now-defunct Accutane) has long received the blame when people taking it become depressed or commit suicide. Now, researchers from the University of Oslo have conducted a study that suggests severe acne itself, not acne medication, may be the culprit when teens display suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms.
Previous studies have shown that acne increases stress and anxiety, so this isn't surprising. What makes the study a big deal is that it challenges long-held beliefs about how isotretinoin affects its users. Did you ever take isotretinoin, and would you be less scared to try it now given this new evidence?
Recently, another member of Team Bella and I were chatting about how each of our dermatologists had prescribed different brands of tretinoin and oral antibiotics to treat our moderate acne. We also discussed the fact that each of our doctors had also mentioned that if our pimples did not seem to clear up with our almost-identical treatments, we might want to consider Accutane. 
