How long does Accutane take to leave your system?

Question

How long does accutane really take to completely clear your system? Considering advise is to not get surgery, chemical peels ect for 6-12 months after stopping the medication why is it advised you can safely get pregnant after just one month? I've also read symptoms can persist after stopping accutane, is this because it's still in your body? Please be as scientific with your answers as you like, I would like to know any thoughts in details. Thank you in advance

Alim R. Devani, MD, FRCPC · Answer

The half-life of accutane in your body is 18-20 hours so by 2 weeks, it is completely out of your system. This is why women can get pregnant after 1 month as there is no actual accutane left circulating in your body. In terms  of accutane skin effects, this can last longer then the medication half-life itself. As you get significant thinning of the epidermis from accutane, the risk of injuring the skin is high and it takes 6-12 months for your skin to thicken up again and resist injury from peels and laser. Symptoms and side-effects also persists for months as the biological effects of accutane take a lot longer to reverse even though accutane is out of your system.

How long does Accutane take to leave your system?

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How long does Accutane take to leave your system?

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