depends what you mean by "success":

- higher mg per day is not correlated with higher/faster clearance rates

- higher mg per day will increase sides

- it is not a case of "less is more" or "more is more" though (because you need a decent cumulative dose overall to keep acne permanently at bay)

- the dose is also not just related to the severity of acne but

i) your bodyweight

ii) how long the course duration should betaking into account patient lifestyle/weather etc.

iii) with respect to the overall cumulative dose, that is, the overall mg you ingest over the months of the treatment

iv) your blood work and the sides you personally experience

v) how old you are

vi) your gender

40mg is a pretty routine starting point, 0.5-1mg/kg of bodyweight is pretty standard for the course with a minimum overall cumulative of say 100-150mg/kg for permanent clearance.

so 40mg for someone weighing 55kg is a lot more than for someone weighing 80kg. the studies and research behind isotretinoin are of an embarrassingly low quality anddon't take into account body composition, severity of acne, age differences etc. so a lot of it is guesswork by the dermatologist.

x your bodyweight by 120, ensure you get that dose over the course of the treatment. relapse rates are correlated particularly with moderate to severe acne with lower than 120/100mg/kg. you'll be wanting to continue treatment at least 2 months after full clearance of acne as well for a higher chance of long term clearance.

Hi, I've been on 20mg a day for 11weeks....taking accutane to treat very oily skin and startedto notice my pores shrinking and skin producing less oil after about 4-6weeks.....I'm going to stay on a "low dose" treatment of 20mg a day for the complete course of treatment. Every treatment is different and there isnt really one rule for all but recent studies have shown low dose can work just as well as high dose treatment. Someone on the low dose might be on treatment for longer to meet the overall amounts needed (I'm likely to stay on 20mg for about 8-10months instead of 6months on a higher dose)but both options seem to work just as well and side effects on low dose should be alot milder.I took a higher dose over your standard 6month course about 7years ago and my skin improved alot but my very oily skin returned about 12months after treatment and now, after years of using creams etc that dry my skin (Benzoyl Peroxide), I was fed up of putting so many chemicals on my skin so my Derm agreed a"low dose" over a longer period would be best optionfor me....As my blood tests came back great and on a low dose, I dont even need to go back to my derm for 3months.....after 11weeks on accutane I'm now mostly just washing with Dove soap and waterwhich is a great feeling after almost20+ years of having to use creams/gels etc......Again, everyone is different and the treatments needed are different but from my experience I'd recommend "low dose" (which can always be increased if needed later in treatment). Very best wishes for your treatment...