Accutane darkening my skin 3 months into it. Do I need a higher SPF?

Question

I’ve been on accutane 3 months. The past 1.5 months my skin had gotten darker. There’s a few spots that are my normal skin tone and it makes my face look crazy. I wear spf 30 and I’m not in the sun. The most I’m outside is walking to my car or walking into the store. IS this normal. Do I need a higher spf?

Daniel Navi, MD, FAAD · Answer

Accutane has a slightly sun-sensitizing effect but it may also causing superficial peeling of skin making the skin red, dry and sun-sensitive. Keeping your skin moisturizied with a non-comedongic moisturizer will help with those side effects. Wearing an SPF 30 or higher sunblock and re-applying every 90 minutes is also important to prevent the photo-sensitizing effects. With time and good sun protection measures any pigmentation should resolve. It is important to continue good sun protection measures for at least 1 month after you finish the Accutane course. Good luck!

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Accutane darkening my skin 3 months into it. Do I need a higher SPF?

Answers (1)

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