Advanced Acne Services

Booking a consultation with one of our doctors will give you full access to everything that skindoc can offer including 1:1 care with your dermatologist, informational material, personalised clinical letters, a prescription, and extended-hours administrative support.

Isotretinoin (AKA Roaccutane or Accutane) is, however, a highly regulated medicine that requires regular appointments over a period of approximately 5-6 months. It also requires strict blood monitoring and pregnancy surveillance (females only) as well as very careful calculations on medication dosing. As such, we need to keep in close contact with you.

Isotretinoin is also associated with several possible side effects so please read all the available information on this medication before booking in.

A typical treatment course involves 4-6 appointments, 3 blood tests, monthly pregnancy tests for females and daily treatment with medication.

The service works similarly to the Video Consultation Service but with added extras.

Your video consultation will be held online via a video conferencing platform just like Zoom or MS Teams, except you do not need to register or create an account. You will be sent a link to it and will be able to access it on your personal computer (PC), laptop, tablet, or smartphone. It’s super easy.

You can click the link anytime, but we would advise doing so a few minutes before your appointment to check everything is working for you and to get comfortable.

When you click the link, you enter a virtual ‘waiting room’ where you will be held until the doctor is ready to see you. Don’t worry, you may feel like you are all alone, but your doctor will know that you are waiting.

When your doctor begins the video call, expect them to check your ID so please have it ready. All you need to do is hold it up to the camera and the doctor will check it against our records.

Assuming all is well, you and your doctor can start addressing your skin concerns. Take your time explaining what has been happening with your skin.

At the end of your consultation, your doctor will guide you through the next steps.

This service is best suited to those who want to explore all options out there for their acne.

Your video consultation will be held online via a video conferencing platform just like Zoom or MS Teams, except you do not need to register or create an account. You will be sent a link to it and will be able to access it on your personal computer (PC), laptop, tablet, or smartphone. It’s super easy.

You can click the link anytime, but we would advise doing so a few minutes before your appointment to check everything is working for you and to get comfortable.

When you click the link, you enter a virtual ‘waiting room’ where you will be held until the doctor is ready to see you. Don’t worry, you may feel like you are all alone, but your doctor will know that you are waiting.

When your doctor begins the video call, expect them to check your ID so please have it ready. All you need to do is hold it up to the camera and the doctor will check it against our records.

Assuming all is well, you and your doctor can start addressing your skin concerns. Take your time explaining what has been happening with your skin.

At the end of your consultation, your doctor will guide you through the next steps.

This option is best suited for those with mild acne, looking for a quick or gentle treatment option.

You will be asked to complete a comprehensive questionnaire that has been specifically designed to obtain the same information that a dermatologist would typically ask you in a clinic.

Afterward, you will be provided a space to upload photographs of your skin issue. When you log in to your account there are guides available via the Resources section on how to make sure you take good quality photos. Remember, the better the photos the more the doctor can help you.

With your questionnaire answers and photographs, a consultant dermatologist should be able to address your case, create a clinical letter and arrange a prescription if needed. They can also provide you with additional education material.

Occasionally more information is required, and your doctor will reach out to you. Don’t worry, this does not cost extra.

This option is best suited for those with hormonal acne, looking for specific skin therapy. It is for females only.

You will be asked to complete a comprehensive questionnaire that has been specifically designed to obtain the same information that a dermatologist would typically ask you in a clinic.

Afterward, you will be provided a space to upload photographs of your skin issue. When you log in to your account there are guides available via the Resources section on how to make sure you take good quality photos. Remember, the better the photos the more the doctor can help you.

With your questionnaire answers and photographs, a consultant dermatologist should be able to address your case, create a clinical letter and arrange a prescription if needed. They can also provide you with additional education material and you will need to sign a consent form.

Prescriptions typically require renewal every 2-3 months so a 'follow up' will be authorised for you, meaning refills can be requested by booking the same service again. For follow ups, your questionnaire will be much more streamlined than the first time you booked.

Occasionally more information is required, and your doctor will reach out to you. Don’t worry, this does not cost extra.

Appointments:

Most people require the initial appointment and then approximately 3-6 follow up appointments (on average 5-6 for women, 4-5 for men)* but this number can be reduced in certain circumstances.

A typical full treatment takes on average, 5-6 months to complete. A new appointment is priced at £189 and each subsequent follow-up appointment is at the reduced price of £149.

Blood Tests:

Everyone will require a ‘screening blood test’ before they commence isotretinoin. This involves a Liver Function Test (LFT) and a Fasting Lipid Profile (LP). If you have known kidney problems you may be asked to book a Renal Function, also known as Urea & Electrolytes (U&E).

These blood tests will then need to be repeated 4-6 weeks into your treatment course and every three months thereafter, while on treatment.

Blood tests are available via a few routes:

1. Home blood test kits (over 18s only) - We can arrange for these finger-prick style tests to be delivered to you. We use a laboratory called Forth to run all our tests. These are priced at only £74.99. They also have an option where you can have your blood test taken by a healthcare professional in a clinic near you for only £119.99.
2. Private Clinic - You may decide to have a healthcare professional perform these for you in a designated clinic. Most clinics will charge £200-300 but if you live near Fulham, London we can do them for you for just £95.
3. Your GP - we can request your GP undertake your blood tests on your behalf although they are under no obligation to perform these as your treatment is being delivered in the private sector and not via the NHS.

Pregnancy Tests (women of child-bearing potential only):

FREE! Skindoc do not believe women should have to pay extra, so we send you a pack with everything you need.

Medication:

We are connected to an amazing online Pharmacy called Phlo Pharmacy. They are not part of skindoc, but they handle the majority of our prescriptions and have one of the lowest prices for isotretinoin in the UK. They also deliver your medication directly to you! Please note, that high doses are usually more expensive as more tablets are required, but the average is £25-100 per month.

A quick summary of costs would be:

• Initial appointment: £189
• Follow appointments: £149 (x5 on average i.e. usually monthly)
• Blood tests: Free via GP or approx. £225 privately (price based on 3x home test kits)
• Pregnancy tests: Free (if applicable)
• Medication: Approximately £25-100 per month (depending on the pharmacy) (5-6 months is the average for a complete course)

Costs vary depending on how many appointments you need, if you get blood tests done privately, your dose of medication and which pharmacy you use but all in all a rough estimate for a six month course of 1:1 consultant-led treatment for a woman is in the region of £1200-1500 and £1000-1300 for men. Please note treatment courses for other conditions such as rosacea, folliculitis etc. can often last over six months.

*The reason women require more appointments is due to strict monitoring and pregnancy prevention, as dictated by guidance produced by the British Association of Dermatologists. Isotretinoin is a highly regulated medication, and we must abide by this guidance.

Isotretinoin (Roaccutane / Accutane) typically starts to show noticeable improvements in acne within 1 to 2 months of starting treatment. However, full benefits are usually seen after completing a course of treatment, which commonly lasts between 4 to 6 months. Some patients may experience an initial worsening of acne before it gets better, but significant and lasting improvement is generally achieved by the end of the treatment period.

Isotretinoin (Roaccutane / Accutane) generally stays in your system for about 7 to 10 days after the last dose, based on its elimination half-life of 10 to 20 hours. However, due to its lipophilic nature, small amounts may persist in fatty tissues for several months. It is crucial to avoid pregnancy during treatment and for at least one month after stopping the medication due to its high risk of causing severe birth defects.

Yes, Isotretinoin (Roaccutane / Accutane) can help get rid of blackheads by reducing the production of sebum, shrinking sebaceous glands, and promoting the turnover of skin cells, which helps prevent the clogging of pores that leads to blackheads.

Choosing to stop treatment is your choice but it is highly advisable to inform your doctor before you do as it is well known that stopping early is associated with a higher chance of your acne returning just as bad as it was before.

Your doctor will review your blood test results as soon as they have been received and if there are any significant abnormalities, they will contact you with advice. Occasionally there will be minor (insignificant) changes but if you have concerns, please contact us.

Once you and your doctor decide that the treatment course is almost over then you may need one more appointment, but usually not. It would depend on how much treatment you still need and how much can be safely prescribed to see you to the end of the course.

There are plenty of other options including a wide range of topical agents and antibiotics. Some females may also be eligible for the off-licence treatment Spironolactone depending on their type of acne. The appropriateness of alternatives will need to be carefully discussed with your doctor in your consultation.