I've had acne for about 14 years or so. Not the worst, but I was never without about 3 or 4 pimples on my face.. Or chest, or back, or all three. Usually all three. It was a case of the good 'ol "nothing worked" cliche, and the "i don't even remember all the creams and pills i've been on" cliche. Finally last year, both my dermatologist and I were fed up and decided I should take accutane. When I went to get my birth control perscription, my gynecologist put me on orthotricyclen, for the added acne fighting bonus.

A month later when I went back to my dermatologist to get my accutane perscription, my skin had responded so well to the orthotricyclen that she decided we'd skip the accutane and see how things went. After a year of nearly perfect skin, my perscription is up. I'd rather not be on birth control if its not absolutly necessary, which, at the moment, it's not.

So my question is: is there a treatment out there for acne that is like orthotricyclen, but is not birth control? Or is it the hormones (or whatever it is) that makes it birth control what makes it calm my acne?

It's been almost a month since I took my last pill, and so far, my skins been okay, but i'm worried about my acne coming back. Anyone have any suggestions for something that might give me the same results?

Thank you so much!