Chemical Peel or Laser Resurfacing after Accutane treatments

I am done with the 6-month Accutane treatment, and now I am desperately waiting to get either a Chemical Peel or Laser Resurfacing for severe acne. Which of the two is better, and when can I get started with the treatment?

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7 answers to “Chemical Peel or Laser Resurfacing...”

A: You need to wait 6 months to a year...

By Sirish Maddali, MD - Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

It is great that you are done with Accutane. However, Accutane can significantly inhibit healing. Therefore, you should wait at least 6 months after finishing Accutane before considering a peel or a laser treatment. In my practice, I prefer patients to wait one full year. The complications from treating a... more

A: One should wait a minimum of 12 to 24 months.

By Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD - Los Angeles Oculoplastic surgeon

Accutane or isotrentinoin is a profound drug. It is very effective for the long term control of severe nodulocystic acne. Accutane affects the oil glands and stem cells of the skin and inhibits angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels. Some of these changes appear to be permanent... more

A: Laser better for acne scars - wait at least 6 months post accutane and up to 2 years

By Jason Pozner, MD - Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

Ablative fractional lasers are currently the best treatment for deep/severe acne scars. My preference is fractional erbium but fractional CO2 or YSGG are also excellent. Resurfacing post accutane is safe when the oiliness returns to the face - the scientific literature (of which I wrote some of!!) suggests to... more

A: 2 years

By Felix Kuo, MD - Long Island Dermatologist

If you've had a full course of Accutane, my recommendation is to wait 2 years until getting a deep chemical peel or ablative laser resurfacing. Better to be safe. It sounds like you are hoping to start treatments for you acne scars now and you can. Depending on the type of scarring, other... more

A: I recommend waiting 6 months.

By Bryan K. Chen, MD - San Diego Dermatologist

Some guidelines suggest waiting 1 year after discontinuation of accutane. If you have a resurfacing procedure too soon after accutane, the risks are that the healing may not occur as quickly, and there is an increased risk of scarring from the procedure. You ought to have a face-to-face... more

A: Skin resurfacing after Accutane

By Stella Desyatnikova, MD - Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

In general you need to wait a year after Accutane treatment before you can do any kind of resurfacing treatment on your skin, otherwise you are risking severe scarring and damage. Once you wait, you might want to check out Active FX and Deep FX laser treatment. We have been really happy with the results for... more

A: Wait 6 months after Accutane before laser skin resurfacing

By Brooke R. Seckel, MD - Boston Plastic Surgeon

Dear Hope613, The best results for correcting Acne scars are now achieved with a new combination laser therapy using first non-ablative then ablative fractional laser resurfacing. The non-ablative laser treatments go very deep into the skin to ceate new collagen in the depths of the acne scar to plump the scar... more

Comments

breker
18 posts
22 Jan 2009

Because the skin is extremely fragile after using accutane, it needs time to rebuild. The usual waiting time is 6 months to a year after stopping. In the meantime though, it would be advisable to see your medical skincare specialist who will make recommendations for treatment and homecare which will assist you with this. The stronger your skin is, the better your peel or laser treatment will be.

ssanders
20 posts
22 Jan 2009

Depending on the severity of your acne scarring, laser resurfacing or Fraxel would definetly give you a better result than a chemical peel. The good news is eventually you will have a better complexion. The Bad news? You must wait a year after Accutane to begin any type of Chemical or laser treatment. Be patient, if you jump the gun you may create worse scarring than you already have.