Online Acne Treatment Services Compared: Curology, Nurx, Hers and More
Curology, Nurx, Hers, Musely and Agency compared: custom cream or pills, insurance, age rules, compiled prices, and when to see a derm instead.
Online care · adults 18+
Online acne treatment: how it works and who it's for
Online acne services let adults get prescription treatment from home. Here's how they work, what they can and can't do, and how to tell whether one fits you.
What online acne treatment is
Online acne treatment, sometimes called acne telehealth or teledermatology, means getting acne care from a licensed clinician without an office visit. With most services, you complete a health questionnaire and upload photos of your skin. A physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant reviews them, usually without a live video call, and if treatment is appropriate, writes a prescription that a partner pharmacy ships to you. You then message the clinician with questions and for adjustments.
It's designed for adults with mild to moderate acne, especially people who haven't done well enough on over-the-counter products, can't easily get a dermatology appointment, or want the convenience of treatment by mail.
What a clinician can prescribe online
Online clinicians generally work from the same evidence as in-person dermatologists. The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology guidelines strongly recommend benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids such as tretinoin, topical antibiotics and, where needed, oral doxycycline, and they support combining treatments that work in different ways. Depending on the service, you may be offered:
- A custom compounded cream that combines several ingredients, often tretinoin with clindamycin, azelaic acid or niacinamide, in one product.
- Standard individual prescriptions, such as a tretinoin cream plus a separate topical antibiotic, which can often be billed to insurance.
- Oral medicines at some services, such as spironolactone or birth control pills for some adult women with hormonal acne, or a short course of an oral antibiotic.
One difference to understand: the FDA says compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, meaning it doesn't review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they reach patients. The individual ingredients are well studied, but a particular custom blend hasn't been through the approval process.
What online care can't do
- Examine you in person. Photos can miss things, including conditions that only look like acne.
- Treat painful cysts on the spot, for example with a steroid injection or drainage.
- Treat scars, which needs in-office procedures.
- Usually, prescribe isotretinoin. It can only be prescribed through the FDA-required iPLEDGE program, with pregnancy testing and regular follow-up, and we did not find it offered by the services we compared.
Does online acne treatment work?
For mild to moderate acne, the evidence is encouraging. In a randomized trial published in 2010, 151 people with mild to moderate facial acne had their follow-up visits either online or in the office. Both groups improved by a similar amount, and patients and dermatologists were similarly satisfied. That trial studied follow-up care with dermatologists, not today's subscription companies, so it shows the approach can work rather than proving any particular service does.
Whatever route you choose, expect acne treatment to take time. Most treatments take 4 to 6 weeks to show some improvement and two to three months or longer to clear acne, and retinoids often cause dryness at first.
The main online acne services
We compared five services still operating in the US. They're listed alphabetically, not ranked. Compiled on September 23, 2026 from the providers' own pages as they appeared in search results; not yet re-confirmed against the live pages. Prices and rules change often, so confirm on the provider's site before you sign up.
| Service | What you get | Listed cost | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | Custom anti-aging cream (tretinoin-based) | $80 every 2 months (about $40/month) | Cash-pay subscription. |
| Curology | Custom cream (e.g. tretinoin, clindamycin, azelaic acid); spironolactone | From $29.95/month, billed $59.90 every ~60 days | Cash-pay subscription. |
| Hers | Custom cream (e.g. tretinoin, clindamycin, azelaic acid) | Not confirmed; reported ~$25–$29/month | Cash-pay subscription. |
| Musely | Set-formula cream (e.g. tretinoin, clindamycin, niacinamide, azelaic acid) | $30/month + $20 visit fee | Cash-pay. |
| Nurx | Individual Rx: tretinoin, topical/oral antibiotics, spironolactone, birth control | $40 consult (1 year) + meds from $25/month | Bills most private insurance for medicines; does not accept Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare. |
Read the full comparison of online acne services
Hims & Hers Health announced in March 2025 that it was shutting down Apostrophe, the online dermatology brand it bought in 2021, and folding dermatology care into its Hims and Hers brands.
Who should see a dermatologist in person instead
Online services screen patients, but it's worth knowing the situations where in-person care is the better choice before you pay for a subscription:
- Anyone under 18, with a parent or guardian.
- Anyone pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that retinoids, isotretinoin, spironolactone and tetracycline antibiotics are among the acne medicines to avoid in pregnancy.
- People with deep, painful nodules or cysts, severe acne, or scarring.
- Acne that comes with irregular periods, new hair growth, thinning scalp hair or other new symptoms.
- A rash that might not be acne, such as rosacea, fungal folliculitis or perioral dermatitis.
Our guide on when to see a dermatologist for acne explains each of these and how to find a board-certified dermatologist.
Before you sign up for an online service
- Be completely honest on the questionnaire, especially about pregnancy plans, other medicines and past treatments.
- Check how billing works: how often you're charged, whether orders renew automatically, and how to pause or cancel.
- Ask who prescribes: a dermatologist, another physician, a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant.
- Read the privacy policy before uploading photos, and share only what's needed.
- Compare with your insurance. An in-person visit and generic prescriptions may cost less than a year of subscription.
Guides on this topic
What Is Acne? Causes, Types and When to Get Help
Acne starts in clogged hair follicles. What causes it, how to tell blackheads from cysts, what does and doesn't trigger it, and when to see a doctor.
When to See a Dermatologist for Acne: 8 Signs It's Time
Deep cysts, scarring, no change after 2–3 months of OTC care, pregnancy or a look-alike rash: 8 signs to see a dermatologist, and how to prepare.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get acne medication online?
Yes, if you are an adult. Online services connect you with a licensed clinician who reviews a questionnaire and photos of your skin and, if appropriate, prescribes treatment that is shipped to you. Common prescriptions include tretinoin, topical antibiotics used with benzoyl peroxide, and for some people spironolactone or oral antibiotics. Isotretinoin is generally managed in person because it requires the FDA iPLEDGE program.
Is online acne treatment as good as seeing a dermatologist in person?
For adults with mild to moderate acne it can be. A 2010 randomized trial found online follow-up visits gave similar improvement to office visits for mild to moderate facial acne. For severe, cystic or scarring acne, pregnancy, teens, or rashes that may not be acne, an in-person dermatologist is the better choice.
How much does online acne treatment cost?
As compiled on September 23, 2026, the services we compared listed prices of roughly $25 to $40 a month, plus one-time consultation or visit fees at some services. Most are cash-pay subscriptions; Nurx bills private insurance for medicines. Prices change often, so check the provider's site.
Is online acne treatment safe for teenagers?
Some services accept 13- to 17-year-olds with a parent or guardian's consent, but AcneRid recommends that teens see a pediatrician, family doctor or dermatologist in person with a parent or guardian, where the clinician can examine them and follow up face to face.
Sources 12
- A randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of online follow-up visits in the management of acne (Watson AJ, et al.) (opens in a new tab) Archives of Dermatology , 2010
- Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris (Reynolds RV, et al.) (opens in a new tab) Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology , 2024
- Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers (opens in a new tab) U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- iPLEDGE REMS (opens in a new tab) iPLEDGE REMS (FDA-required isotretinoin safety program)
- Is any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy? (opens in a new tab) American Academy of Dermatology
- Hims & Hers shutters Apostrophe in favor of its own tele-dermatology offerings (opens in a new tab) Fierce Healthcare , 2025
- Hims & Hers to discontinue dermatology line Apostrophe (Reuters) (opens in a new tab) Inc. / Reuters , 2025
- Pricing & Products (opens in a new tab) Agency (Curology, Inc.)
- Pricing and products (opens in a new tab) Curology
- Acne treatment: personalized acne medication (opens in a new tab) Hers
- The Acne Cream (opens in a new tab) Musely
- How much does acne treatment cost through Nurx? (opens in a new tab) Nurx
Medical review pending. This page was researched and written by the AcneRid Editorial Team from the cited sources, but it has not yet been reviewed by a licensed clinician. We update this notice when a review is complete. About our review process.