{"id":796160,"date":"2026-05-14T16:08:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/796160\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:08:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:08:29","slug":"what-is-an-accutane-nose-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/796160\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is an Accutane Nose Job?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Spot On<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Stories about treating \u2014 and learning to embrace \u2014 our <\/strong>adult acne.\n <\/p>\n

\n Photo-Illustration: The Cut; Photo courtesyCarol Lee\n <\/p>\n

In January 2026, Kendall Jenner publicly denied the nose-job allegations that had followed her for years. Instead, she claimed that Accutane (also known as isotretinoin), a popular oral retinoid used to treat severe acne, had shrunk her nose. Other public figures, including Alix Earle, have also claimed that the medication changed the appearance of their noses, causing interest in the so-called \u201cAccutane nose job\u201d to skyrocket.<\/p>\n

According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Mona Gohara, the term is a misnomer, since the retinoid doesn\u2019t actually affect bone or cartilage the way a surgical rhinoplasty does. However, it does treat acne by shrinking sebaceous glands and reducing oil production. \u201cThe nose has a high density of these glands, so when they quiet down, the skin can look less thick, less shiny, and less congested,\u201d Dr. Gohara says. \u201cThink of it like deflating a puffy jacket \u2014 the structure underneath is the same, but it looks sleeker.\u201d Dr. Chelsea Hoffman, another board-certified dermatologist, adds that \u201cclearing active acne and associated inflammation on the nose reduces swelling that may have been contributing to a bulkier nasal appearance.\u201d Some doctors, like board-certified dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss, even prescribe Accutane to individuals who have undergone nose jobs to mitigate oil levels and help with swelling.<\/p>\n

But be warned \u2014 due to its long list of side effects, isotretinoin is often seen as the last resort for those with acne. Patients are likely to experience dry skin, lips, and eyes, and some report aching muscles and joints, thinning hair, headaches, and changes in mood. Rarer, more significant risks include severe birth defects if the medication is used during pregnancy, blurred vision, and changes in cholesterol levels or liver enzymes. \u201cSerious side effects are less common, but they are part of why this medication needs to be monitored carefully,\u201d says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Kate Kleydman.<\/p>\n

The Cut\u2019s beauty writer Carol Lee got on Accutane at 22 years old after dealing with acne for over a decade. At the tail end of her treatment, she noticed that her nose had started looking different. Here, Lee explains why she took the medication and how it felt to see her face change in more ways than she\u2019d anticipated.<\/p>\n

I had no idea Accutane would change my nose. I had harbored insecurities about it here and there but never enough to fantasize about a rhinoplasty \u2014 even though a relative did suggest that I get one when I was 8. (Not surprising, if you\u2019re familiar with South Korean plastic-surgery culture<\/a>.) And I do remember asking my mom once or twice why I couldn\u2019t have inherited her small, svelte nose, which my aunt once called \u201cthe best nose in our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

But by high school, I was dealing with debilitating acne, and that was all I could think about. I woke up at 5 a.m. every morning to plaster over the red, inflamed bumps with thick layers of foundation and powder before racing to catch the school bus. I didn\u2019t care about my nose anymore \u2014 in fact, I liked it. But because of the pimples splattered across my face, I rarely saw the features beneath them. I couldn\u2019t stand to look in the mirror without makeup on. When I did, I bargained with myself. I vowed that I would love my face with all my heart if only my blemishes would go away.<\/p>\n

But they didn\u2019t leave without a fight. Acne was my constant companion for nearly a decade, and I had at least one \u2014 if not dozens of \u2014 pimples on my face every single day from age 12 to 22. I didn\u2019t feel like I could meet new people, put myself in new situations, or even go to early morning classes without makeup on. When I was at sleepovers, I\u2019d sneak into the bathroom to reapply concealer after we had all washed our faces. <\/strong>I was hyperaware of every sensation in my skin and could anticipate a breakout a day or two before it appeared. Just by touching the spot, I knew exactly whether it would be a surface-level whitehead or a cystic pimple, and I could predict how long it would stay. Call me the acne forecaster. There were stretches of time when my skin looked more clear than others, but it was never 100 percent clear. After a few years, I couldn\u2019t remember what it felt like to have clear skin and to not feel bumps under my fingers when I washed my face.<\/p>\n

By 2022, my skin was the worst it had ever been. The texture was off the charts, and I was breaking out all over my face. No area was safe. My face felt angry and inflamed at all times, like it was screaming for my attention. Some pimples were tiny, and others large, deep, and painful. Every night, I knew that another one, if not a whole litter of them, would make its shining debut by the time I woke up. A little present to look forward to each morning.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember my skin-care routine at the time, but I also had a feeling that this wasn\u2019t something I could will away with the help of an over-the-counter toner<\/a> or serum<\/a> or ten-step Korean skin-care routine<\/a>. I had also started my first-ever full-time job, which meant that I had my own adult money and health insurance, and I was willing to pay anything to find a treatment.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Lee\u2019s skin with makeup in August 2022.
\n Photo: Carol Lee\n <\/p>\n

So a week before my 22nd birthday, I visited a dermatologist for the first time in July 2022. He took one look at my skin and immediately told me that I needed to go on Accutane. I had heard horror stories about the medication before. But I also knew that the situation must be dire for him to have recommended it, and I was buoyed by the hope that it would cure me, once and for all.<\/p>\n

I came back to the doctor\u2019s office a month after my consultation, and he prescribed me my first dose of isotretinoin (the generic name for Accutane). As part of the process, I had to sign an abstinence pledge (the other option is to use two forms of birth control) to ensure that I wouldn\u2019t get pregnant while on the medication. I also had to visit my dermatologist once a month for check-ins, during which they took my blood to monitor liver function and lipid panels as well as my urine to double-check that I wasn\u2019t pregnant. I also took quizzes that tested me on things like the purpose of a condom and whether or not the pull-out method works. Before I hit my deductible, each visit cost me around $400 dollars, and the medication ranged from about $40 to $120 every month. I was able to afford this only because I was maxing out my HSA, and my employer at the time provided a yearly contribution of a few hundred dollars.<\/p>\n

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\n From left: <\/strong>Lee in September 2022. Photo: Carol LeeLee in December 2022. Photo: Carol Lee\n <\/p>\n

\n From top: <\/strong>Lee in September 2022. Photo: Carol LeeLee in December 2022. Photo: Carol Lee\n <\/p>\n

When I look back on my progress pictures from that time, I can see an almost immediate improvement by September after a brief moment where it got worse. By December, the majority of my breakouts were gone, and I didn\u2019t see any new ones pop up. But to be safe, my doctor kept me on the medication until April 2023 for a total of eight months. As expected, I experienced severe dryness all over my body, which manifested in near-daily nosebleeds, rips at the corners of my lips, and a slight achiness in my joints \u2014 although I did relish only having to wash my hair about once a week instead of every day. La Roche-Posay\u2019s Lipikar AP+ cream and Dr. Dan\u2019s CortiBalm lip balm were my saviors.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

\n From left: <\/strong>Lee in August 2022. Photo: Carol LeeLee in July 2023. Photo: Carol Lee\n <\/p>\n

\n From top: <\/strong>Lee in August 2022. Photo: Carol LeeLee in July 2023. Photo: Carol Lee\n <\/p>\n

I was so relieved to watch my skin heal that I didn\u2019t notice my nose getting smaller. But as a certified Reddit fanatic, I was on those forums weekly, drinking in others\u2019 transformations and reading their testimonies. Some of those posts mentioned \u201cnose shrinkage,\u201d and I got curious \u2014 and to my surprise, my monthly selfies had captured the slow progression of my own Accutane nose job. My nose, once swollen and highly irritated, now had a slightly more refined tip, and you could see the shape of the underlying cartilage. There were no differences in how it felt or functioned, but when I showed my friends my before-and-after photos, even they pointed out the evolution in how it looked.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Lee in January 2025.
\n Photo: Carol Lee\n <\/p>\n

I had no beef with my old nose. Even if I hadn\u2019t done Accutane, I don\u2019t think it would ever have occurred to change my nose in any way. But I do love my \u201cnew\u201d one, even though it\u2019s technically the one I was born with \u2014 just without all that inflammation. This was, as my beloved Bob Ross would put it, a happy accident. But isotretinoin isn\u2019t a guaranteed way to get a smaller nose, so I\u2019d never recommend that someone get on it just to attempt a nonsurgical \u201cnose job.\u201d However, if my acne ever cropped back up, I would 100 percent do Accutane again, despite the months of cracking skin and bloody noses that may plague me once more. I haven\u2019t experienced a single true pimple in the past three years, and most people who see my bare face now are surprised to hear that I ever had such severe acne. (Every time someone tells me that I have perfect skin, I can\u2019t help but confess my past, as if I\u2019ve come into my fortune by illegal means.) Clear skin is priceless to me, and there is not a single day I take it for granted.<\/p>\n


\n See All<\/p>\n

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