A study published in Dermatologic Therapy depicted that in people having acne vulgaris, extending oral isotretinoin therapy for one additional month after attaining complete clinical improvement, regardless of the cumulative dose, improves the success of therapy. Researchers undertook this cross-sectional study for determining the factors that impact relapse following isotretinoin therapy in 212 people (female-to-male ratio 3.15, mean age 23.5 ± 6.2 years) having acne.

The study recruited people using 0.3-1 mg/kg/day oral isotretinoin for at least four months. Participants were retrospectively examined regarding the relapse frequency and factors that impacted the relapse. The relapse rate was reported to be 37.3%, and the median time to relapse was ten months.

In younger people (age ≤ 20 years), macrocomedone-type acne, and people having residual lesions at the end of the therapy, the relapse rate was reported to be greater. For preventing relapse in acne people using oral isotretinoin, it is of great importance for continuing the therapy until complete clinical improvement and extend the therapy for at least one more month irrespective of cumulative dose.