Retinol, Accutane and Waxing: When to Wait
Wax lifts skin as well as hair. On retinoids that is a real risk of tearing, and the waiting periods are longer than most people expect.
5 min readBy the Utopia Nails Spa team
The short version. Topical retinoids thin the outer skin layer — stop applying them near the area for five to seven days before waxing. Oral isotretinoin is a much longer wait, commonly six months after finishing, and that timing is your prescriber’s call, not ours.
What wax actually does to skin
Wax grips hair, but it also grips the outermost layer of skin. Normally that layer is robust enough to survive it. When it has been thinned or is turning over unusually fast, the wax can lift skin along with the hair — which shows up as a raw patch, sometimes a graze, occasionally a blister.
This is why the question about medication is asked before a brow wax that takes ninety seconds. The consequences land on the face.
Topical retinoids
Tretinoin, adapalene, retinaldehyde and cosmetic retinol all accelerate skin cell turnover and thin the stratum corneum. Standard guidance is to stop applying them to the area for about five to seven days before waxing.
That includes products you may not think of as retinoids — many "anti-ageing" serums, some acne gels, and prescription creams. It also includes exfoliating acids: glycolic, salicylic and lactic acid all do a version of the same thing.
Oral isotretinoin
Isotretinoin, widely known as Accutane, affects the whole skin rather than one patch, and its effects persist after the course ends. The long-standing convention is to avoid waxing for around six months after finishing treatment, and dermatology guidance generally advises against wax and other resurfacing procedures during and after a course.
There is ongoing discussion in dermatology about whether six months is longer than strictly necessary. That is a conversation for you and your prescriber — we go with what your doctor tells you, and in the absence of that, we wait.
Other reasons we will ask you to come back
Sunburn or a fresh tan on the area. Recent chemical peel, microdermabrasion or laser. Active cold sores anywhere near a lip wax. Broken skin, eczema or psoriasis flaring on the area. Very recent injectables — usually a fortnight is suggested, because pressure and positioning are involved.
None of these is permanent. It is a question of timing, and rescheduling is free.
Getting the best result otherwise
Come with about a quarter of an inch of growth, roughly two weeks after shaving. Too short and the wax cannot grip; much longer and it is simply more uncomfortable than it needs to be.
Afterwards, skip hot baths, direct sun, heavy exercise and tight clothing on the area for about twenty-four hours while the follicles close. Eyebrows are $12 and eyebrow tinting $15; the full waxing menu runs from $8 for a lip to $70 for full legs.
