Is it safe to have vascular laser treatment while on Accutane for acne scars?

Question

Hi, Basically acne destroyed my life and I'm desperate for any solution so i went to my dermatologist and he decided to put me on a 6 month course of accutane and a vascular laser session every 3 weeks. I'm concerned because i heard it's not recommended to do any laser treatments during isotretinoin? So what should i do ? I doubted him because he didn't tell me that and it's all over the internet that it's very dangerous to do both simultaneously !!!

Lenore Sikorski, MD · Answer

Accutane or Isotretinoin (the generic drug name) yields very effective rates of controlling moderate to severe cystic acne. If you are dealing with severe acne, developing acne scarring, and have failed other alternative treatment options I would recommend starting Accutane. By controlling the acne with Accutane, you will also start to see an improvement in the redness and inflammation that was caused by the acne.  You are correct in your research in that any laser procedure or elective surgical procedure is not recommended until 6 months after stopping Accutane. This is because Accutane can cause altered healing and potential to scar more from any procedure. It also causes the skin to be more sensitive to light and any laser's light energy. If you are doubting your doctor's recommendations it is always good to get a second opinion from another dermatologist that has experience treating acne with Accutane and also experience with lasers.

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

I often treat patients with lasers while they are on low doses of Accutane. I have them stop taking Accutane 2 days before a procedure because the half-life of Accutane means it leaves your system very quickly. Did your physician suggest this? "This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and 
cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person 
treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

Is it safe to have vascular laser treatment while on Accutane for acne scars?

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Is it safe to have vascular laser treatment while on Accutane for acne scars?

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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.