Stuff people ask.

You pay your Clear Course total at checkout. Clear Courses run $177 to $780 for the initial prepaid term: Month to Month ($59/mo, $177 total, 3-month minimum), The Full Course ($49/mo, $195 total, 4 months), and Year of Clear ($29/mo, $350 total, 12 months). Accutane® care runs the same three terms at $297, $316, and $780. The exact amount is shown before you submit payment. Prescriptions are billed separately by the partner pharmacy, which runs your insurance. Free Rx shipping every month.

Yes. The partner pharmacy runs your insurance on every Accutane® (isotretinoin) prescription, including the iPledge-required birth control if you need one. Some eligible insured patients pay as low as $0 through the partner pharmacy; coverage and copays vary by patient, insurance plan, prescription and pharmacy. The Clear Course itself is cash-pay — what you're paying for is the dermatologist, the iPledge concierge, and the dashboard.

No hidden fees. Here is every charge, in order. At checkout: your Clear Course total for the initial term (Month to Month $177 / The Full Course $195 / Year of Clear $350 — Accutane® care $297 / $316 / $780) — nothing higher, and no fee you were not shown before you paid. After your initial prepaid term, your Clear Course automatically continues month-to-month at $59/mo (general acne care) or $99/mo (Accutane® care) until you cancel from your dashboard. Free Rx shipping every month. Lab work (liver and lipid panels for Accutane® patients) is billed separately. Prescription costs are separate and run through your insurance via the partner pharmacy. No per-message fee, no per-visit fee, no auto-add upsells.

The Clear Course is HSA- and FSA-eligible. TGIC doesn't process HSA or FSA cards directly — you pay with a regular card, and TGIC provides a submit-ready receipt you can hand to your HSA/FSA administrator. The Clear Course, dermatologist visits, prescription co-pays, and lab work all qualify as eligible medical expenses under IRS rules for acne treatment.

Birth control through TGIC can be as low as $0 at the pharmacy. The partner pharmacy runs your insurance on every BCP prescription, and most plans cover oral contraceptives at no cost under the ACA. Coverage and copays vary by plan and prescription. Cash price is available if you're uninsured — the pharmacy quotes before you commit.

Yes. Accutane® (isotretinoin) is available online through TGIC in all 50 states plus Guam, prescribed by a board-certified dermatologist licensed in your state. Every Accutane® patient gets an iPledge concierge who tracks the monthly window, pregnancy testing cadence, refill timing, and every iPledge deadline for you.

Dryness is nearly universal. The FDA label lists cracked lips, dry skin, dry eyes, raised triglycerides, raised liver enzymes, back and joint pain, and mood changes among reported reactions. MedlinePlus adds nosebleeds, hair thinning, and tiredness to the common list, and names headache, blurred vision, chest pain, trouble swallowing, and yellowing skin or eyes as reasons to call your doctor at once. Severe birth defects if taken during pregnancy are the reason iPledge enrollment is mandatory. A lower dose does not remove the dryness: in a published 20 mg study, 98 percent of patients still had cracked lips, while raised lipids showed in 6 percent. Your dermatologist orders and reads your labs through the course and adjusts the dose if a number moves.

Sources: FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed), MedlinePlus, isotretinoin, Rao et al., Indian J Dermatol 2014

A standard Accutane® course runs several months, with dose and length set by your dermatologist based on weight and severity. Low-dose protocols can run longer at a smaller daily dose. Most patients reach clear skin during the course and stay clear long-term; some need a second course or a maintenance topical. Your dermatologist tracks progress monthly.

Yes, when you want it and your dermatologist agrees it fits your case. The FDA label sets the standard range at 0.5 to 1 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, with food, for 15 to 20 weeks. Low dose means less than that per day over a longer stretch. One published study followed 50 patients with moderate to severe acne on 20 mg a day for three months and recorded very good results in 90 percent, with 4 percent relapsing over six months of follow-up. It was one small study at one site. A 2025 study of 19,907 patients found the daily dose was not linked to relapse once patients reached a conventional total dose, so the total over the course matters more than the speed. Your dermatologist sets your milligrams from your weight, severity, history, and labs.

Sources: FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed), Rao et al., Indian J Dermatol 2014, Lai and Barbieri, JAMA Dermatology 2025

For most people one course is the end of it. The FDA label states that complete remission occurs in many patients after a single 15 to 20 week course, and that retreatment may be needed if severe acne persists or returns. The largest recent study followed 19,907 patients for at least a year after finishing isotretinoin: 22.5 percent needed prescription acne treatment again, and 8.2 percent went back on isotretinoin. Roughly three in four did not. A higher total dose over the course was linked to a lower chance of relapse, which is why your dermatologist wants you to finish the full course rather than stop when your face looks clear. Individual results vary.

Sources: FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed), Lai and Barbieri, JAMA Dermatology 2025

Tretinoin is a topical cream used long-term for mild-to-moderate acne and skin texture. Accutane® (isotretinoin) is an oral pill used for moderate-to-severe acne in a defined course. Tretinoin works gradually and is used indefinitely; Accutane® is a one-time treatment that can produce long-term clearance. Your dermatologist picks based on severity, history, and previous treatment response.

Plan on months, not weeks. The FDA label describes a course of 15 to 20 weeks, and MedlinePlus describes typical treatment as four to five months. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that some people see their acne worsen when they start, for one to two months, before it begins to clear. Week five with new breakouts is not a sign it has failed. Your dermatologist watches your progress through the course and can adjust the plan if the early flare is severe. Questions about antihistamines or other add-ons for the purge belong in that conversation, since the answer depends on what else you take.

Sources: FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed), MedlinePlus, isotretinoin, AAD, isotretinoin side effects

Less is the whole routine. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, squalane, and aloe, and advises against retinol, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, salicylic acid and other exfoliants, and vitamin A supplements while on the drug. Broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every day, because the drug makes skin burn faster. Hair removal has a hard rule: the FDA label says to avoid waxing and skin resurfacing procedures such as dermabrasion and laser during treatment and for at least six months after, because the skin can scar. The label does not address shaving or makeup, so ask your dermatologist in the dashboard, with a photo of the product.

Sources: AAD, isotretinoin side effects, FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed), MedlinePlus, isotretinoin

Take it with food. The FDA label specifies doses with food, and MedlinePlus describes taking the capsules with meals. Swallow the capsule whole. The label sets no rule on dairy. The American Academy of Dermatology says to skip vitamin A supplements, and MedlinePlus bars donating blood during treatment and for the month that follows. Alcohol is a dermatologist question rather than a label rule: the drug is monitored for liver enzyme and triglyceride changes, and your dermatologist sets your line based on your labs. Omega-3, collagen, B12, cannabis, and any other supplement or substance go on your intake list so the dermatologist can check them against the drug.

Sources: FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed), MedlinePlus, isotretinoin, AAD, isotretinoin side effects

“Only for cystic” is out of date. The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology guideline strongly recommends oral isotretinoin for acne that is severe, or that causes scarring or psychosocial burden, or that has failed standard oral or topical therapy. The test is what the acne is doing to you and whether other treatments have worked, not the label on the cause. Under those criteria, hormonal acne that keeps returning after topicals or antibiotics can qualify, in men and women. So can acne on the back and chest; the FDA label does not restrict it to the face. Blackheads alone, large pores, milia, and folliculitis are a different question the label and guideline do not cover, and the dermatologist may point you elsewhere. Your dermatologist decides from your photos and history within 24 hours.

Sources: AAD acne guideline, JAAD 2024, FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed)

Accutane® is an acne treatment, not a scar treatment. It stops new scars by stopping the acne that causes them, which is part of why the 2024 dermatology guideline lists scarring as a reason to recommend it. Scars already there are a separate question. The waiting rule matters here: the FDA label says to avoid dermabrasion, laser, and other skin resurfacing for at least six months after your last dose, because the skin can scar in that window. Scar procedures, retinoids, azelaic acid, and brightening serums for dark marks all belong in the conversation with your dermatologist near the end of the course, so the plan for after starts before the last capsule.

Sources: AAD acne guideline, JAAD 2024, FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed)

iPledge is the FDA's risk-management program for isotretinoin (Accutane®). It exists because isotretinoin causes severe birth defects if taken during pregnancy, so every U.S. patient — male or female — must enroll before starting and check in every month of treatment. iPledge tracks pregnancy tests, monthly authorization windows, and prescription deadlines.

How long the iPledge monthly window runs depends on your patient category. If you can get pregnant, it is a 7-day prescription window and the draw date of your pregnancy test opens it. If you cannot get pregnant, it is currently 30 days, counted from the office-visit date your prescriber enters, and that window is removed on November 15, 2026. Either way the prescription has to be filled before the window closes. During treatment, patients who can get pregnant do one negative pregnancy test each month; patients who can't get pregnant have no monthly step of their own, and until November 15, 2026 their prescriber confirms counseling in iPledge each month before the prescription is released. Before your very first prescription the timing is stricter: the second test is a lab test taken at least 30 days after your dermatologist confirms your screening test in iPledge, and it has to fall in the first 5 days of your period. If you don't get a period — amenorrhea, irregular cycles, or birth control that stops withdrawal bleeding — your dermatologist confirms the exception and you can test any day once the 30 days have passed. Miss your window and the prescription resets. TGIC's iPledge concierge tracks every date for you.

If you miss your iPledge prescription window (7 days from your test draw date if you can get pregnant, currently 30 days from the office-visit date if you cannot), the current prescription voids and you wait for the next monthly window to open. You don't lose your spot in the program, but you lose that month of treatment. TGIC sends window-open alerts, refill reminders, and a heads-up before the window closes — keeping the chaos out of the program is the whole reason the concierge exists.

Yes — and the timing recently moved. The FDA approved changes to the iPledge REMS program in February 2026 (including elimination of the 19-day wait a patient who can get pregnant now serves after missing that first prescription window before treatment starts, removal of the prescription window for patients who cannot get pregnant, and home pregnancy tests after the first dose at the prescriber's discretion), but in June 2026 the FDA delayed implementation to November 15, 2026 to allow more system testing. Until then, the current rules apply. TGIC's iPledge concierge tracks both rule sets and switches automatically on the implementation date — you never have to keep score.

This is federal law, not a clinic policy. Isotretinoin causes severe birth defects, so the FDA boxed warning requires anyone who can become pregnant to use two forms of contraception at the same time, at least one of them a primary method, starting one month before the first dose, through treatment, and for one month after the last dose. The label names three exceptions: continuous abstinence, a hysterectomy or removal of both ovaries, and medically confirmed menopause. iPledge also requires pregnancy tests before the first prescription, one every month before each refill, and after the course ends. If you cannot get pregnant for one of those medical reasons, iPledge puts you in a different category with no monthly tests or contraception rules. Until November 15, 2026, your prescriber confirms counseling in the program each month instead; after that date counseling is documented at enrollment only. A tubal ligation does not qualify for that category. If you can become pregnant and will not use contraception, abstinence is the path the program allows, and your dermatologist documents it. Planning a pregnancy afterward: the two-forms rule runs for one month past your last dose, so that month is the earliest to start trying. TGIC's iPledge concierge tracks every test date and prescription window for you.

Sources: FDA Accutane® prescribing information (DailyMed), MedlinePlus, isotretinoin, iPledge REMS program

TGIC serves all 50 states plus Guam for The Clear Course — topical acne treatment, hormonal acne, rosacea, and eczema. Board-certified dermatologists are licensed in every state. Accutane® (isotretinoin) is available in all 50 states plus Guam. State eligibility is confirmed during intake.

Yes. Patients age 13 and up can use TGIC with a parent or guardian's consent — including Accutane® care, where the parent signs off on enrollment. The quiz walks the teen and parent through the consent step, payment, and intake. Parents stay in the loop on billing and care decisions; the dermatologist communicates with the teen directly in the dashboard.

TGIC treats acne, rosacea, and eczema with topical and oral treatments. Psoriasis, severe eczema requiring biologics, and surgical dermatology conditions are not in scope. Your intake quiz routes you to the right treatment track or flags you to in-person care if needed.

Yes. Spironolactone is part of TGIC's treatment library for hormonal acne in adult patients who can use it. A board-certified dermatologist evaluates whether spironolactone is appropriate for your case during intake — factoring history, other medications, and lab needs. Spironolactone often pairs with topicals or birth control depending on the case.

TGIC is built around iPledge and Accutane® as the operational core, not as an add-on. Most online services route Accutane® patients elsewhere or limit iPledge support to email; TGIC's iPledge concierge tracks every window, pregnancy test, and refill timing for you. Every case is reviewed by a board-certified dermatologist licensed in your state, the partner pharmacy runs your insurance, free Rx shipping is included, and the dashboard is built for the program — not a generic patient portal.

Yes. Every TGIC case is reviewed by a U.S. board-certified dermatologist licensed in your state. You see their name, photo, and state license number before treatment starts, and you can message them directly through your dashboard — a real person reads every message. TGIC does not use nurse practitioners or physician assistants for acne diagnosis or prescription decisions.

Most patients see noticeable change in 6 to 12 weeks. Acne treatment works gradually — topicals turn skin over, oral medications reduce oil production and inflammation, and visible change follows the underlying biology shift. Accutane® patients typically see steady clearing across the course.

Cancel directly from your dashboard — click “Manage billing or cancel” to open your secure billing portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current term, so you keep every month you've paid for. Each plan has a minimum commitment: 3 months (Month to Month), 4 months (The Full Course), or 12 months (Year of Clear). After the minimum, no lock-in.

Yes. TGIC operates under HIPAA. Protected health information — intake, photos, messaging, prescription history — is shared only with the providers and business associates who need it to deliver your care. TGIC does not sell, rent, or share your information with third parties for marketing or unrelated purposes.

After the quiz, you upload two photos, check out through secure billing, and a board-certified dermatologist reviews your case within 24 hours. If approved, your prescription ships with free shipping from the partner pharmacy (insurance run automatically) and your dashboard takes over for messaging, refills, lab orders, and — if you're on Accutane® — iPledge check-ins. A real person reads every message.