Acne help??

I’ve experiences really aggravating acne since I was about ten years old. I’m now almost twenty-three, and I’ve tried every product under the sun to deal with acne- including prescription serums and ointments- except for accutane. I’ve been thinking of talking to my doctor about using accutane, but I’m not sure if my acne is technically bad enough to qualify for the prescription. I’m always REALLY worried about the plethora of negative side affects associated with accutane (I’m on an IUD form of BC, so birth defects doesn’t worry me as much as the hair loss, chapped skin, etc...)

Ladies on accutane or post-treatment, at what point did you decide to have that conversation with your doctor? And for everyone else, are there similar but alternative medications your doctor suggested with less scary side affects??