‘Bachelorette’ Star Hannah Brown Reveals She Uses Controversial Acne Drug Accutane

Hannah Brown has gone on record as saying she’s obsessed with “being perfect,” but the newly crowned Bachelorette star is dealing with some real beauty struggles behind that picture-perfect smile. The 24-year-old Alabama beauty queen recently revealed that she has an acne problem that is serious enough that she needs to use a controversial medication to help control flare-ups, per Refinery 29.

In a Q&A session on her Instagram Stories, Hannah B. revealed she recently went on Isotretinoin—which is commonly referred to by one of its former brand names, Accutane— for her severe acne.

“I was on it during the show, but I was in the purging stage. I had a lot of blemishes during that time, so I have to be really careful about what I use on my skin.”

The controversial oral prescription, which the Food Drug Administration first approved more than 35 years ago, is known as an acne wonder drug that can permanently cure the condition. But over the past three decades, the Isotretinoin/Accutane product has also been the target of numerous lawsuits, according to CBS News, with critics linking the controversial drug to depression and suicide. Accutane is also believed to cause serious birth defects, and female patients must take a pregnancy test before they can take it.

Since Accutane’s debut in 1982, the FDA has received complaints of serious depression and suicide reports allegedly linked to the drug. The manufacturer, Roche, pointed out that there was no scientific proof of the links and maintained the drug was safe when taken as directed. The original Accutane brand was removed from the market in 2009, but the controversial drug is still available today under names like Absorica, Claravis, and Sotret.

Hannah Brown has been open about her past struggles with depression and anxiety, so her use of Accutane is a bit surprising to some fans. The reigning Miss Alabama previously took some time off from the pageant circuit to focus on her mental health, People reports, but when she returned to win the Miss Alabama title, she used her platform to help others suffering from depression and anxiety.

In her new Q&A, Bachelorette star Hannah Brown told fans that in addition to Accutane, she uses a gentle cleanser from Alastin, SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel, and a vitamin C serum, as well as Aquaphor to soften the acne drug’s drying effects around her mouth.

Of course, as she starts her journey on The Bachelorette, Hannah Brown will have access to a personal skin care professional so she may be introduced to some new products. When he was The Bachelor, Colton Underwood used a seven-step skincare routine that consisted of $575 worth of products, the show’s makeup artist told Popsugar.

Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette debuts in May on ABC.