I have read on this newsgroup that Acutane may be useful in combating my oily scalp and face.  What is this substance, what are its side effects, and how can I get it? I hate this oily skin thing.  It is a major inconvenience, and kind of embarrasing too.  I have been taking finasteride for almost two years now, which has my hair loss under control (or so it appears), but the greasy, nasty forehead marches on. When I first started on Proscar (1.25 mg), there seemed to be a great reduction in the amount of oil on my skin.  This effect has vanished though.  What can I do? Mike

I hate this oily skin thing.  It is a major inconvenience, and kind of embarrasing too. Having this problem probably doesn't justify taking such a powerful drug, which would only provide temporary relief anyway. 6 months after you are done with the drug, you will have the same problem you have now: a greasy forehead. For that, you will have spent a lot of money, taken major health risks, and risked further (permanent?) hair loss. snip... You should see a dermatologist if this problem really bothers you. Kevin Davis (who currently uses Accutane)

I have read on this newsgroup that Acutane may be useful in combating my oily scalp and face. It can, but it would be only temporary. The sebum/oil will return to normal levels when you stop taking the drug. not true, please don't post unless you know what you are talking about.   Ohmy457

When I first started on Proscar (1.25 mg), there seemed to be a great reduction in the amount of oil on my skin.  This effect has vanished though.  What can I do? Have no idea, but have you ever thought of increasing the finasteride dosage?   How long has this increase in oil been present? Is the amount of oil more than it was before you started finasteride? Any increase in beard/body hair growth along with it? If the answer to the last two is yes, then I'd actually kind of wonder if you should decrease the finasteride dosage slightly. Also, I seem to remember someone saying that using head and shoulders a few times a week had aleviated this symptom for him.   Don't know why that would work, but you might try it,.  Although I guess it would mean letting sit on your forehead for a few minutes, which could be a bit of a pain to pull off.   Albert

I was on acutane for six months beause of acne. I would never use it again, to many side effects. The worst side effect I had was major hair loss so don`t even think about useing acutane unless you have severe acne. John