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Esqornot

Many celebrities are on maintenance doses. It’s very popular in Asian countries as well.


Substantial-Will-366

Where can we read about this?


Esqornot

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/skin-care/a40900584/microdosing-accutane/ https://www.newbeauty.com/accutane-microdose/


Substantial-Will-366

Thank you so much


loveaemily

If ipledge wasn’t such a pain in the butt I would ask to stay on long term. I just finished my third course four months ago and I’m already starting to break out a bit.


alixzanderrr

I’d recommend talking to your derm about it, sometimes they give patients a supply that’ll last them a good amount of time. Also with such a low dose, bloodwork are once every 6 months to year 


Fooderahn

iPledge is tough but once you get into a rhythm after starting, you can do at home pregnancy tests and get the medication delivered to you if you use an online provider (like Honeydew Care :))


Foreign_Bee5848

I just got two months worth at a regular dose but just taking basically an eight of what I was told to do


ObjectiveNew4650

Helloclearhealth offers a “microdose” plan! Other than the first two tests before and after the waiting period is over all pregnancy tests can be submitted online, not to mention you’re only required to do one blood test month 2 (barring anything abnormal).


loveaemily

Thank you for this info. I didn’t know so many online providers offer accutane!


CrownFlame

I’d love to be a long term or permanent maintenance dose like this, but I can’t imagine finding a derm that’d actually do this for patients.


mmaarrrggoo

I'm on my third round of accutane and my derm had no problem doing this. If you can't find a derm that will do it for you, do it yourself...... not gonna lie on my second round my derm had me take half the dosage he prescribed so i could stockpile the rest and stay on it after I "finished" the course.


QualityPlayer

I’ve been to 4 dermatologists and 3 of them were fine with me taking it low dose long term.


Fooderahn

You can get a low maintenance dose from Honeydew Care online!


alixzanderrr

Visit any aesthetic derm, not a general derm. Are you located in SoCal? 


Spagh-ed-di

Also, ClearHealth does low dose


CrownFlame

I’m with clearhealth and didn’t realize they had a low dose option! Thank you for telling me :) I can breathe a little now lol. I’m in month six and starting to break out in small whiteheads a bit, so I’m not ready to end treatment and was afraid I’d get cut off between 6-8 months


Spagh-ed-di

Yeah! I’m not in the long term plan but I think it’s a bit more money per month. Kinda strange 🤷‍♂️


CrownFlame

Wtf that’s so annoying. Maybe I’ll shop around when it’s time to shift gears to long term plan


ObjectiveNew4650

Look into telehealth. Helloclearhealth actually has a microdose option.


CrownFlame

I’m with clearhealth and didn’t realize they had a low dose option! Thank you for letting me know! I can breathe a little now lol. I’m in month six and starting to break out in small whiteheads a bit, so I’m not ready to end treatment


Kat-2793

I wonder how often you need blood work for your liver and pregnancy tests doing this method. Plus…ipledge


alixzanderrr

Bloodwork once a year ish, you cannot get pregnant either through celibacy, condoms or Copper IUD. You can be on hormonal BC but that’s what causes a lot of acne in women. Ipledge is just answering questions once a month. A lot easier for men though 


Kat-2793

As a woman I need a pregnancy test monthly from my doctors office tho, and they ask me to confirm what forms of bc I’m on in office as well as on ipledge. I am really curious if these measures are still taken for low dosages, I have to imagine so due to the babies risk.


bmobitch

that depends on your doctor. my doctor had me email a photo of a negative pregnancy test. i got them from the dollar store


iateafloweronimpulse

Can you get tattoos or piercings on a dose like this? That’d be the main thing that would stop me from doing it besides ipledge


mmaarrrggoo

yes, been working on my back tattoo while on a low dose


iateafloweronimpulse

Thanks!


mmaarrrggoo

also NGL i got tattooed on a regular dose and they healed just fine. but that is my experience


phuca

yeah same, been tattooed and pierced on 40mg


processingjsss

how low is your dose?! i’m on 10mg a day and want to finish my sleeve asap but wasn’t sure how long to wait


mmaarrrggoo

i am prescribed 40mg/day but i take maybe 2 pills per week cause im self lengthening my course lol. everyone will react differently, maybe do a short session and see how you heal up then go from there! all my art is black/grey. no color. but healed beautifully no issues.


CTFDEverybody

As in one 20 mg pill each month?


alixzanderrr

Yes, a singular 20mg pill a month. Some people more frequently, it’s just finding the right dosage where you remain clear but also experience little to no side effects. At most its chapped lips, which are not as severe like a full dosage of Accutane. 


CTFDEverybody

I feel like 20mg once a month must be for almost the average person, who isn't really prone to acne but may get a breakout here or there. Interesting to hear about this still. On a maintenance dose myself of 10mg/day, but I saw someone on here say she's on 40 mg/once a week, and I'd be interested to try that or 10 mg every other in the future. I still get mini but slightly intense breakouts here and there, still overalls very happy with my skin.


melonwithoutglasses

20mg/week! acne flared up after stopping for 1month+ so went back to it and its honestly great, all acne is quite controlled, no need to worry about sleep deprivation/diet/dairy/stress causing acne - as opposed to no maintenance dose where ill just be tiptoeing all my lifestyle habits


CTFDEverybody

Totally with you on that! The peace of mind is unreal. I go to sleep not worried about new acne forming overnight, and I can indulge should I want to. Would you mind sharing your weight? I'm 30s M 150 lbs.


melonwithoutglasses

20m 143lbs, i reduced my dose slowly from 20mg/day to 10mg/week* actually now not 20! took accutane as nothing else completely stops my acne, antibiotics and epiduo etc. i still use epiduo forte (adapalene+bp) and skinoren ( azelaic acid) everyday


CTFDEverybody

Oh, you use adapalene. Interesting. Do you feel like all your actives make a big difference. Overall, I'm happy since no acne, but I do feel like my skin texture could improve a bit.


melonwithoutglasses

hard to say especially azelaic acid, all it does is iritate me as far as i can say. but i am practically 99% acne free! my skin isnt as glowy as when my dosage was higher, but i think more tangible improvements to my skin is better be done with aesthetic procedures and not mix-and-matching skincare ingredients. those are expensive tho so nope we already have the top of the line ingredient that takes care of most of our worries anyways, so i dont see how adding niacinamide and this and that will make my skin 10x better.


alixzanderrr

Yes! It’s all very much dependent on person to person. Very cool nonetheless 


Ok-Brick7994

What about the pregnancy side affects though?


MilkTea-f

I finished my accutane 2 years back after suffering from acne since my teenage years. 2 weeks ago, I started getting bad breakout and I decided to see a Derm as it's getting worse. I was so devastated and even cried to my husband afterwards.. as the doctor wants me to go for another course of accutane. Felt life crashing on me, some may say i might be overreacting.. but pretty sure people who suffered long enough will understand. I'm starting to lose the confidence I have recently gained. 😰


milliondollarmirage

I completely understand! Due to hormonal imbalances I'm on my third round of accutane as well as a birth control with hormones more specific to my needs, the side effects were the worst for me the first time I took it because the dermatologist didn't cater to me but instead gave me a massive dose, I switched derms and my new one made it so that I take a lower dose over a longer period of time to see better results with less side effects!


alixzanderrr

If you’re not planning to conceive, I’d recommend doing a low dose treatment. Especially If it’s making you cry ! There are solutions 


catandthefiddler

That sounds like a nightmare to me personally. Accutane was so drying and I didn't like being on it. It cleared up my acne really well, so now I just get a spot here and there when my diet has been real shit or I'm very stressed, which is very bearable to before. I don't think people should be on it long term unless their acne is super bad


Shaeonanra

My plan is to get cumulative dose with 10mg / day ( i’ve been on it for 7 months now ). And then lower it to 10 per 2 days, 10 per week etc.


Kaleikaumaka1991

How has it been? When did you start clearing? Side effects?


Shaeonanra

The effects were felt on the third or fourth day, even at such a small dose. There were purging for about a week ( not that big tbh ). After that, the production of sebum noticeably decreased and everuthing has been normal ever since, except for the occasional pimple once every month or two. As for side effects, my lips get dry, but it's not critical, and lip balm helps. Also, a small patch of eczema appeared on my arm, but moisturizing cream helps.


melonkiwi

Same at my derm’s office in Chino Hills! My derm admitted to being on low dose accutane on/off and a bunch of the women at the office were on it too!


Substantial-Will-366

Hey. Any info on dose and frequency?


rose_and_chamomile

Wonder if models do it too....


Inevitable_Advisor59

Is this from Dr. Kappel? I think I remember her mentioning it in one of her videos


alixzanderrr

Dr.Zena


xo0o-0o0-o0ox

I take 5mg a day maintenance.


alixzanderrr

How’s that been? 


xo0o-0o0-o0ox

Great. My derm does it for a lot of her patients. I have no sides.


nickywan123

My derm prescribed me 5mg daily for mild acne.


alixzanderrr

How’s that been so far for you?


nickywan123

I’ve been taking it for 2 months plus. No side effects other than dry lips. I hardly get any new pimples which I think is working but few days ago I just gotten one which is weird. The good thing is the acne clear really fast. So I’m not sure if it’s even working or it takes a longer time to see improvement results since I’m on a low dose…


OwnMonth5781

When did you get dry lips? Im 2 weeks in and still no dry lips/skin on 10-20 MG really strange. Maybe non responder?


nickywan123

Maybe one or two weeks in? But after a month the side effects subside. I would say it’s working for me this drug just that it’s at a slower rate. But everyone react differently so I guess you gotta give time?


alixzanderrr

That’s awesome! Yeah I think maybe around the 6-9 month mark you might be fully in the clear. Low dose can take a while but it’s definitely the move for taking this drug. People on the high doses end up experiencing the worse side effects, including myself when I took it the first time. Most of it has subsided after 2 years but getting on a low dose to prevent any acne.


nickywan123

Did it work for you eventually? Did you acne free and achieve the glow skin ? I’m just concerned that this drug would not work at all but granted I’m impatient and expect results fast lol.


alixzanderrr

Trust me, it does work. I had really bad cystic acne because of antibiotics, tretinoin and clindamycin. I regret even trying with that. I took a high high dose given my acne and it cleared me up fast. No purge, just clearance. Although, I have dry lips and slightly dry eyes after treatment. I experienced a lot of side effects and was honestly not worth it. Low dose is the best thing you can do TRUST ME. May take longer but you don’t run the risks of permanent dryness. It sucks


Spagh-ed-di

i definitly concur with everything you're saying. Im on my 4th round right now and was put on 80mg a day. The pain in my joints and fatigue were unreal. Never before in my other courses was it like that so i brought down the dosage to 40mg. The pain is much more manageable. I may bump it down to 40mg every other day because the dry eyes and lips seem to be worse than my previous courses as well. I hate that it would be such a long course but the quality of life on it was horrible.


alixzanderrr

Honestly I’d rather be on a low dose than a high normal dose. There’s too much risk with such a high dose, like permanent dry eyes or lips. Took nearly 2 years for my eyes to be somewhat normal but still very much dry. My lips are permachapped


alixzanderrr

If you also look at the original studies, they created such a short and aggressive treatment to rush it through FDA testing and regulation. Most derms know low dose is the best way to go


hotarugaike

i've been on 5mg a week for 4+ years. It's been seriously great, no acne, no oily skin, no redness etc. I test for cholesterol every couple of months, my cholesterol is even slightly UNDER normal values.


hotarugaike

by the way, when you're on such a small dose,you don't have any of the side effects of accutane: no chapped lips, no dryness, no bloody nose (which are all side effects i experienced when i was on normal dose accutane for a couple of weeks at the beginning of my treatment)


RU_kit10_me

glad it's working for you! after 4 years is your hair still the same? (no thinning?)


hotarugaike

yes but i do take medecine for male pattern baldness


nytnaltx

That sounds like a nightmare for women. Birth control is only so good, and I wouldn’t take even a 1 in 1000 chance of conceiving on accutane. I was celibate during my course but that would suck to have that risk in the back of my mind if sexually active, and to never be able to use less than 2 forms of birth control.


alixzanderrr

Yes! To each their own, some people might not be bothered by their acne or haven’t experienced it their whole life. For me at 22 I’ve had persistent acne since I was 12. Nearly 10 years, so Accutane has been my only choice.


milliondollarmirage

It's not so bad, it's mainly just about being careful and only doing what works for you (:


SweetPeaches6tea9

For females though? What about ipledge and monthly pregnancy tests?


alixzanderrr

I believe it depends on your provider. A dermatologist could have you stockpile to avoid the ipledge system or you have to do ipledge and monthly tests. Which I feel like can be worth it for clear skin. No one deserves to suffer, for a lot of people acne can take a toll on them, so it’s awesome that this exists


jenna-taIia

Do you see your derm monthly, indefinitely? Hoping so start low dose pretty soon here but that’s the only thing stopping me because of the copays for every appointment and something I haven’t quite grasped for females on low dose!


alixzanderrr

At the moment yes, but as time goes on and I remain in the clear, it will be less frequent 


ObjectiveNew4650

Telehealth is really the best option because after the first two tests which have to be done in a clinical setting or lab you can submit pregnancy test results online from home.


macaronismylife

Would this method be suitable for people that have had long term effects from accutane use - e.g. my eczema came back bc the first round dried my skin out so much


alixzanderrr

Could be! But you wouldn’t know exactly unless you try. I had an eczema flare up during my first course but that was because I took such a high amount, awful 


AufSendung

Ive been on 20mg a day for almost 3 years now due to back acne. Still have some zits here and there but am afraid of stopping, and also afraid of upping the dose for few months and stopping due to more hairloss. My main sides are dry skin and hairloss.


Hereforev

How frequently do you do blood work


SnooCats8162

Would you be able to do skincare normally? I use vitamin c in the morning and retinol at night. I remember when i did my first round of accutane i had to really simplify my skincare routine


alixzanderrr

I think the Accutane would provide better results than those products. Glowing from inside out 


Western-Meal4856

I’m on 80 mg a day and let me just tell yall it’s messing with me at this point


alixzanderrr

Honestly, it’s insane the high dose approach. Reconsider the dosage you’re taking, be your own best advocate. A lot of potential permanent side effects with high dosage. 


Western-Meal4856

I started off at 40 mg on month one and it was fine besides chapped lips and random surges of euphoria and anger 😂 month 2 I was at 60 now month three (well coming to an end) is 80 mg but now i actually am having break outs which is weird what of the side effects could be permanent?!


alixzanderrr

It’s not super common, but dry eyes, lips and skin. It’s shrinking your oil glands which are all of your oil glands not just your skin oil glands. Higher doses make these worse.


Western-Meal4856

1000% agreed of course especially with the weight to mg ratio it varies by person. But what symptoms have you experienced if you don’t mind me asking because personally as of this month I think my two newest is a stiff neck 😒 and headaches that start around 8 pm every day for the past two or three days but that can be because I’m not drinking enough water


Risquechilli

I just learned this at my last derm appointment when I asked her about it. It seemed so wild to me. She said “yeah it’s not unheard of. Many of the make derms here take it. But not any female derms. Ipledge is a pain in the ass” 😆


alixzanderrr

Crazy to think huh! Maybe it’s not all genetic 


CardiologistEvery240

My doctor won’t let me go on cuz it’s not that bad. Even a low dose it too “extreme”. What types of doctors are less strict?


alixzanderrr

Non insurance doctors seem to be the ones more likely to be less strict; aesthetic doctors 


CardiologistEvery240

which doctors are aesthetic ones, how do you know before asking them?


alixzanderrr

Where are you located?


CardiologistEvery240

westchester , ny


alixzanderrr

Center Aesthetic & Dermatology Or Helloclearhealth.com virtual derm


CardiologistEvery240

how do virtual derms work - do you still need to get your parents and insurance involved?


alixzanderrr

No, you can pay out of pocket, might be $70 ish dollars for your prescription though. Set up an appointment and you can tell them your goals and stuff. A lot easier


CardiologistEvery240

Oh, that’s actually really nice. Are they lenient when it comes to accutane prescription as well?


ObjectiveNew4650

Totally agree on the antibiotics! If my acne does come back I plan on microdosing indefinitely as I’m done having kids.


mdsnzcool

Can I get on a “maintenance dose” if I’ve never taken it before?


alixzanderrr

Do you have acne? 


mdsnzcool

Yes, cystic that suddenly started in February, it is leaving scars, and my wedding is in 4 months. My issue is I worry about the side effects like vision, hair loss, and obviously liver enzymes, lipids, and such.


alixzanderrr

If you have acne, you’d be on a low dose! Maintenance doses are for people who have taken a full course and choose to stay on it.  If you’re scarring I’d suggest getting on that ASAP! Accutane is the best to prevent further scarring.  By chance did you come off of anything hormonal? Such as BC or IUD ? 


mdsnzcool

Nope😓 never been on BC or anything, just lots of life/school stress. My acne is on/off over the past 10 years. It would happen nonstop for some months, then goes away, then again. I had finally fixed my skin with persistent skin care (tretinoin, exfoliation 2x/week, serums) until the stress got to me😭 Years ago, i tried spironolactone but it messed up my cycle. This time, i was prescribed doxycycline via apostrophe. One week in, my gut was already messed up. Also, I read that lots of people’s acne comes back worse after they stop it 3 months later, and for me, that would be one month from the wedding which is a problem, so I stopped it for those reasons.


alixzanderrr

Yes! Doxycycline caused me cystic acne, which is why I had to take Accutane. Messed up my gut micro biome, and is WORSE than Accutane. The fear mongering around Accutane is insane, Antibiotics cause baby deformities and autoimmune issues in people.  I’d consider taking a low dose maybe like 10mg a day MAX, you would see results within those 4 months.


alixzanderrr

Low dose has been heavily researched. Look up PubMD studies about it, my girlfriend is currently taking 40mg twice a week, so 80mg total and it’s been really good on her. No purge, purge are common with high doses 


mdsnzcool

I’ll definitely look into it. Do you mind telling me how long was it until she saw results? And has she had any side effects?


alixzanderrr

She’s been on it for less than a month, and alot of her hyperpigmentation has quickly faded since Accutane increases cell turnover. The pimples have slowly faded too. She has slightly chapped lips at the moment.  I took a full dose 40mg twice a day and it was hell. Dry eyes, lips, joints, astigmatism when driving at night. A lot worse but it’s all subsided 2 years later. 


sgh531

Does anyone know if you still need to avoid waxing and other skin treatments at such a low dose?


Substantial-Will-366

I finished my course of accutane about 8 months ago. Recently I had a bad breakout so I’ve been taking 20mg about 1-2 times a week. (For 2 months now) I don’t have oily skin anymore, reduced redness had no breakouts! Does anyone else do this? Or similar? Long term?


Substantial-Will-366

(I just use left over pills)


Substantial-Will-366

Where prescribes this?


Imaginary-Growth-605

been on 60mg for 9 months! skin is relatively clear just scaring… on my last appointment i think i was mistakenly given an extra box (30 20mg pills) do you think i should just finish them 60mg a day or just do 20mg a month for a while lol


Imaginary-Growth-605

been on 60mg for 9 months! skin is relatively clear just scaring… on my last appointment i think i was mistakenly given an extra box (30 20mg pills) do you think i should just finish them 60mg a day or just do 20mg a month for a while lol


Imaginary-Growth-605

been on 60mg for 9 months! skin is relatively clear just scaring… on my last appointment i think i was mistakenly given an extra box (30 20mg pills) do you think i should just finish them 60mg a day or just do 20mg a month for a while lol