Will Acne Return if I Stop Taking Accutane?

The majority of patients who complete a course of Isotretinoin will be acne free but there are some who may need to repeat after a year if scarring cystic acne returns.  To reduce risk of treatment failure, a patient who completes the full course can use a topical retinoid for preventive maintenance. It is best to be under the supervision of a board certified dermatologist for the best results and safety. 

Thank you for your question!There is a chance of your acne returning after you stop using Accutane, however, it depends on how long you were taking the medication for and if you were combining it with any other acne treatments.Acne requires a combination approach to get long-term improvement. I recommend a combination of Cosmelan, salt facials, peels, lasers, microneedling with PRP, blue light, radiofrequency and isotretinoin. I suggest getting a formal evaluation with an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Acne is influenced by genetic, hormonal, environmental, stress, and possibly even food related factors. Accutane can do little to treat any of these multifactorial causes. Thus, depending on your variant of acne, it is unlikely to 'cure' your condition. 

Thank you for your question!
It all depends on the dosage of Accutane that you have already taken. There is an appropriate cumulative dose that your doctor prescribes according to your weight. If you have reached that dose your chances of getting a good outcome are high. Eighty percent of the patients who take accutane are cured from their acne or at least have a very significant improvement with respect to their baseline acne. Twenty percent have a chance of relapse and might need to take another course. So all you have to do is to take the appropriate dose and then wait and see. 
Hope this helps!

It usually takes 5 months to completely clear severe nodulocystic acne with Accutane therapy. 80% of cases will never have acne ever again based on my experience. 20% will experience some form of acne down the road usually needing milder treatments.I hope this is helpful.Steven Greene MD, Advanced Dermatology and Laser Institute of Seattle