Health Tip of the Week, sponsored by Baton Rouge General: Accutane users report ‘free nose job’ as possible side effect

Social media is full of before and after photos of people claiming that the acne drug isotretinoin, or Accutane, gave them a free nose job. What you should know about this claim is that sebum is an oily, waxy substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands. Accutane may lower sebum production by up to 90 percent, which can decrease the size of the gland. The nose has the highest concentration and most active oil glands on the body, so an Accutane user would theoretically see a difference in the thickness of the skin on the nose, and it might appear smaller.

Learn more about the Accutane nose job