I Have Been on Accutane for Three Months And My Doc Says It's Done Its Job. Should I Discontinue Use?

Question

My doctor says my acne is gone and she took me off of it yesterday my questing is after three months is it smart to go off it I'm a 6'1 male 156 pounds and I was taking 40 mg i just don't want my acne to come back I never really had it to bad a pimple here and there but I had oily skin and hair thanks for the help !

Tobi B. Richman-Steinhardt, MD · Answer

Accutane is most successful if continued for 5 months----it takes awhile for those oil glands to respond!  You may seem better now, after just 3 months, but studies show that people who cut off earlier than 5 months may relapse with bad acne all over again---and then require another course.  Based on just your weight, your dose may have been a bit low as well.  If your acne was moderate to severe in the beginning, I may have started you on 40mg in the morning and 30 mg at bedtime---you say yours was not bad, so the lower dose may be fine, but consider a few more months.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

Even though 3 months is a bit of a shorter duration, it really depends on several factors. 1. What level and type of acne you had, 2. The dosage you were taking, and 3. Your weight. There is a formulation that physicians use to determine the appropriate amount of time/dosage a patient needs to be on Accutane to resolve their specific problems. This also has to be weighed out with a patient's tolerance level and environment. Most of my Accutane patients have moderate to severe acne. I normally put them on 20mg 1/day for about 3 months, then increase to 40mg 1/day for 3-6 more months. But we also live in Las Vegas where higher doses are rarely tolerated, so I usually have to go with lower doses for a longer time period due to the environment. There are patients with severe cystic acne whom I keep on Accutane much longer, but with very low doses after the original treatment length, i.e., the dosages above, and then they are on 20/mg 2-3x per week to keep their acne controlled. If your skin is clear, I might suggest seeing how it goes for a bit. If your acne starts to return, then re-evaluate and see your physician again.

I Have Been on Accutane for Three Months And My Doc Says It's Done Its Job. Should I Discontinue Use?

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I Have Been on Accutane for Three Months And My Doc Says It's Done Its Job. Should I Discontinue Use?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Accutane

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.