Cosmetic Procedures and Isotretinoin Use

A taskforce of cutaneous surgeons in India suggests that performing several common cosmetic procedures, from laser hair removal to fractional laser treatment for aging and acne scarring, is safe in patients currently or recently on isotretinoin. That’s despite widespread recommendations to avoid doing many common cosmetic procedures in these patients, unless the acne drug has been discontinued for at least six months.
The concern for more than two decades has been that isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid), a retinol derivative of vitamin A commonly used to treat severe acne vulgaris, has pharmacological actions that affect epidermis, sebaceous gland and collagen formation. This has led to questions about whether isotretinoin use might lead to poor wound healing, keloid development and hypertrophic scarring after common cosmetic and dermatologic procedures, according to the review, published online February 2018 in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery.
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