A 2017 update: Challenging the cosmetic procedural delay following oral isotretinoin therapy

ABSTRACT

For decades it has been widely accepted that elective procedures should be delayed for at least 6-months following completion of isotretinoin therapy. However, numerous 2017 publications demonstrate the need for change in best practice. The evidence has yet to be succinctly summarized in a single article or in a stand-alone quick reference algorithm for physicians. This article’s review of all 2017 publications confirms that the 6-month delay is not necessary for all procedures and provides a simple algorithmic approach to summarize the updated recommendations for procedural delay of cosmetic procedures following systemic isotretinoin therapy. This is a useful tool for clinicians and allows patients to receive the most appropriate and timely cosmetic therapy to minimize the psychosocial impact of the skin condition.

KEYWORDS:

• Lasers and light sources
• microdermabrasion
• surgery
• isotretinoin

Ethics

Not applicable.

Declaration of interest

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Prior presentation

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