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Acne

AviClear vs Accutane in Houston: Which Acne Plan Fits

The decision guide before the booking page. AviClear, Accutane, or a routine: which conversation to have, and what this clinic will refer out.

October 11, 2026ZO Skin Centre Houston
AviClear model beside the acne laser device; model, not an actual patient

The AviClear page is the series: the visits, the $3,500 price, and who treats you. This page is the choice that comes before booking. Active acne usually opens one of three conversations.

Pick a path

Three conversations.

Laser series

AviClear

Three in-office visits aimed at the oil glands that feed active breakouts. About 30 minutes each, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. The series at this clinic is $3,500.

See the AviClear series

Prescription course

Accutane

Oral isotretinoin, prescribed and monitored by a dermatologist. The course runs for months, with labs and pregnancy rules. This clinic does not prescribe it.

Ask at the consult

Care you repeat

Routine

Topicals, peels, and facials for congestion, a short flare, or marks left after breakouts. These visits manage the surface while you keep using them.

See acne treatment

Side by side

The same five questions.

What it is

AviClear

An FDA-cleared 1726 nm laser, delivered in the clinic.

Accutane

A systemic medication. The brand name is Accutane. The drug is isotretinoin.

Routine

Products and visits you stay on: cleanser, prescriptions, peels, facials.

Where it acts

AviClear

Oil glands in the treated skin.

Accutane

The whole body, because it is a pill.

Routine

What is already on the surface of the skin.

Time

AviClear

Three visits, then months of watching how the skin settles.

Accutane

A course of months, with check-ins the whole way.

Routine

A repeating schedule. Stop the visits and the surface care stops with them.

After you leave

AviClear

Redness, swelling, or a flare can follow a session. There is no daily pill and no lab draw for the laser.

Accutane

Dryness, bloodwork, and strict pregnancy rules travel with the drug.

Routine

The skin is calmer for a while. The gland that feeds the next breakout is unchanged.

Money

AviClear

$3,500 for all three sessions at ZO Skin Centre Houston. Financing is on the series page.

Accutane

Medication, dermatology visits, and labs for the length of the course. This clinic does not publish a price.

Routine

Priced per visit. Less than a series, and it keeps recurring.

The $3,500 series is itemized in the AviClear cost guide. The visit-by-visit calendar is the AviClear series guide.

Calendar

How long each one actually takes.

The laser series

  1. 1Session 1 opens with photos, then about 30 minutes of treatment.
  2. 2Session 2 is 4 to 6 weeks later and starts with how the skin recovered.
  3. 3Session 3 closes the series. You leave with a written home plan.

The prescription course

  1. 1A dermatologist decides the dose and the length.
  2. 2Labs and pregnancy prevention run beside the pills.
  3. 3The course is judged while it is happening, not on a single visit.

The repeating visit

  1. 1A peel, a facial, or a tightened routine handles what is visible.
  2. 2The next appointment is already on the calendar.
  3. 3Booking one every few weeks just to stay level is the signal to compare a source treatment.

In the room

What the consult is allowed to say.

A complimentary consultation can end in a laser plan, a referral, or a smaller visit. Dr. Mark Khorsandi medically oversees the plans delivered here.

  • What has already been tried, and for how long.
  • Whether spots are scarring quickly.
  • Every medication, including isotretinoin and birth control.
  • Recent sun, a tan, or irritated skin.
  • Which path belongs in the written plan: the laser, a referral, or a smaller visit.

Before anyone books

Timing and skin tone.

During an Accutane course

AviClear does not start while isotretinoin is being taken. When a series can begin after the course is a medical timing decision.

Birth control

Birth control by itself is not a reason to skip the laser. The pregnancy rules that belong to Accutane stay with that drug.

Darker skin

The 1726 nm wavelength is aimed at oil glands rather than pigment. Recent sun, a tan, or irritation can still pause a session.

Questions

What people ask before they choose.

How much does AviClear cost compared with Accutane in Houston?

AviClear is $3,500 for the three-session series at ZO Skin Centre Houston. Financing is described on the series page. Accutane cost is the medication, the dermatology visits, and the labs for the whole course. This clinic does not publish an Accutane price because it does not prescribe the drug. Compare a finished series with a full course.

Can AviClear be the plan when Accutane is off the table?

It can, when the acne is active and oil-driven and a real trial of topical care has already happened. Severe nodulocystic acne that is scarring quickly still belongs with a prescribing dermatologist. The consultation is where that line is drawn for a specific face.

Can AviClear start during an Accutane course?

No. AviClear is not started while isotretinoin is being taken. Timing after the course ends is decided by the prescribing dermatologist and the treating provider together.

What if the acne is mostly congestion?

A routine, a peel, or a clarifying facial is usually the smaller and better first job. Those visits do not change the oil gland. If the same facial is the only thing keeping the skin level, bring that pattern to the consult.

Next

Unclear path, or ready for the series.

The consult can say the laser is the wrong tool. The series page is there when the laser is the path you want to read in full.

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