Still have some remaining cysts after Accutane treatment.

Question

I have finished my Accutane treatment for acne on my back. Although I am not getting any new breakouts, I still have some of the cysts remaining from when my acne was going away while on treatment. Is it normal that I finished Accutane and still have these cysts leftover? Will it just take time for them to fully go away? Does this mean the treatment was not effective since it did not COMPLETELY clear my skin?

A. David Rahimi, MD · Answer

A normal course of accutane is 5 months. Occasionally I extend this to 6 or even 7 months in patiensts with persistent and deep cystic acne. 
Even after taking he last pill, accutane will continue to work and improve the skin.

Some cysts still need to be injectd with knelog or even excised. Please review this with your Dermatologist. I hope this was helpful. Dr R.

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

Hi there, and thank you for your thoughtful question.

It’s actually not uncommon to still have some residual cysts or nodules after completing a course of Accutane, especially if your acne was severe or deep to begin with. While Accutane is highly effective at stopping new breakouts, it doesn’t always resolve every lesion immediately, some deeper cysts can persist for weeks or even months as your skin continues to remodel and heal.

This doesn’t mean your treatment was ineffective. In many cases, the remaining cysts will flatten and resolve on their own with time. However, if they’re persistent, painful, or inflamed, they can sometimes be treated with:

A low-dose topical or oral anti-inflammatory

A steroid injection (to rapidly shrink the lesion)

Surgical drainage or removal in rare cases

Also, if you’re prone to scarring or hyperpigmentation, early intervention on these leftover cysts may be beneficial cosmetically.

I always recommend following up with your prescribing dermatologist to determine whether further treatment or observation is best.

Wishing you clear, healthy skin,

Health Now Medical Spa - Centennial · Answer

Hello, sometimes you have to takw a second round of Accutane and that is OK. You might need to restart it and be on it just a little bit longer as long as you have your liver enzymes monitored and cholesterol monitored. As long as your moods are also OK, you will be fine to do another round.

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Still have some remaining cysts after Accutane treatment.

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