OK To Do a Chemical Peel 2 Months After Accutane? Did 3 Month Course.

This is a on-going controversy in Dermatology. Some experts think that patients should wait 6 months, and other experts feel that the period immediately following Accutane is a time of therapeutic opportunity. There is much activity in the skin, many healing cells are in the tissue, and along with them, growth factors. My advice is to ask your doctor if you could have a "test site" treatment. This is where the patient and I select an inconspicuous area and conduct a test treatment.... more

· Accutane seems to alter the skin's healing capacity for the six months following the treatment course. In our practice we always wait 6 months to do fractionated CO2, and most other lasers or treatments that cause peeling of the skin surface. If the chemical peel is extremely mild and won't cause much exfoliation it might be okay but in my opinion it is always better to be safe than sorry, so I would advise waiting... more

In my practice, I recommend patients wait 6 months after finishing isotretinoin (Accutane) to have elective treatments to the face. Isotretinoin makes the skin very sensitive and impairs healing. It is especially important to stay out of the sun and to avoid laser treatments.