Can I Have Laser Treatments While I'm Taking Accutane?

It is wonderful news that your acne is under control with low dose Accutane therapy, but even though you are not having side effects, that does not mean that other Accutane effects are not possible. Oral retinoids like Accutane have a direct effect on the sebaceous glands and result in slower healing of skin wounds like burns. Lasers cause controlled injuries to induce a biological healing response and resulting cosmetic improvement, and they require normal healing responses of the skin.... more

Accutane and laser treatments are not compatible since it can put you at increased risk for scarring or difficulty healing from the laser treatments. I think you would have to stop the accutane for 6 months before considering any laser treatments. Good luck with your treatment.

Accutane therapy effects wound healing.  If you have laser or surgical treatments while on Accutane you are at greater risk of scarring.  Although there are no definitive studies available regarding how long to wait after Accutane before one has a laser treatments, 6 months after therapy is a generally accepted window.  Good luck!

As Accutane affects the healing ability of the skin, it is not recommended to have any cosmetic procedures for six months following the last dose. This includes not only laser procedures, but chemical peels as well.

Accutane, or isotretinoin has an excellent track record of calming down the worse nodulocystic acne, in the hands of an experienced board-certified dermatologist. However, isotretinoin is known to cause exuberant scar tissue growths spontaneously, e.g. pyogenic granuloma, or after laser or chemical peel procedure. Definitely wait for at least 6 months after completion of isotretinoin to minimize complication and potential risk of scarring.

Laser treatment while undergoing Accutane therapy and for several months afterward should be avoided. The accutante would adversely affect the results of the laser and this would have a significant increase risk of complications and negative outcome.