Isotretinoin Slows Growth Rate in Teens, But Final Height Unchanged

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Isotretinoin treatment in adolescents is associated with a temporary decrease in height velocity, new data indicates.

• Researchers reported no significant differences in final adult height vs antibiotic-treated controls.

• The authors cautioned that the results were limited by small sample size.

Adolescents treated with isotretinoin for acne may experience temporary reductions in height velocity, but the medication does not appear to impact final adult height, according to a new retrospective cohort study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Using data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, researchers looked at 1,405 adolescent participants who initiated isotretinoin (n = 226) or oral antibiotics (n = 1,179) before age 15. Final adult height was measured at age 18.

After adjusting for age and sex, investigators found no significant difference in final height between the isotretinoin and control groups (−0.67 cm; 95% CI: −2.21 to 0.87). However, isotretinoin-treated patients showed slower post-treatment height velocity (−0.12 cm/month; 95% CI: −0.21 to −0.04; P = 0.005) and a greater reduction in growth rate from pre- to post-treatment (−0.31 cm/month; 95% CI: −0.54 to −0.07; P = 0.011). Dosage was not associated with a difference in outcomes.

"The study was limited by sample size, potential unmeasured confounders, and a predominantly non-Hispanic white population," the authors wrote. "While isotretinoin may reduce height velocity, it is not associated with negative effects on final adult height among adolescents treated for acne."

Source: Xu K, et al. JAAD. 2025. Doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2025.08.009