Apostrophe Review: Online Dermatology for Acne and Rosacea

Apostrophe was a legitimate online dermatology service that connected people with board-certified dermatologists for prescription acne and rosacea treatment, starting with a $20 consult. Hims & Hers bought it in 2021 and discontinued it on March 7, 2025, canceling all subscriptions and pointing customers to Hims and Hers. As of October 2026, apostrophe.com redirects to the Hers skin care page, so you can't sign up for Apostrophe anymore.

Below we cover what Apostrophe offered, what changed after the acquisition, what to check if you're considering its successor for acne or rosacea, and which alternatives cover the same ground. This review is based on company announcements, news coverage and medical sources; we did not use the service ourselves.

Is there a better alternative?

For a prescription, you need a clinician, and no app replaces that. For understanding and tracking your skin, Pori is a free-to-download iPhone app that reads a selfie in about 10 seconds and returns a 0 to 100 skin score with breakdowns for Pores & Texture, Pigmentation & Tone, and Hydration & Moisture, plus a skin diary for sleep, stress and diet. Its ingredient scanner (Pro) flags label ingredients as beneficial, use with caution or avoid for your skin type. Pori is not a medical device and won't diagnose acne or rosacea. Its before and after photos and progress charts can show whether a prescription is working. For prescriptions, the closest current options are covered below and in our list of Curology alternatives.

What was Apostrophe?

Apostrophe was a teledermatology startup co-founded by Ben Holber and Ryan Hambley. TechCrunch described it in 2019 as a company that makes it easier to get prescription acne medications, after it raised a $6 million seed round led by SignalFire. When Hims & Hers announced the deal in 2021, MedCity News reported that Apostrophe offered prescription acne creams and pills plus treatments for wrinkles, rosacea and hair loss.

The model, as TechCrunch described it, worked like this:

1. You answered a questionnaire and uploaded photos of your skin.
2. A board-certified dermatologist from a contracted physicians group reviewed them and wrote a personalized treatment plan. Apostrophe did not employ the doctors directly.
3. You messaged the dermatologist asynchronously, by text, with no live video visit required.
4. Apostrophe's own mail-order pharmacy filled and shipped the prescription. That pharmacy was how the company made its money.

TechCrunch also noted that the app organized the visit but did not perform any diagnostic analysis itself. The dermatologist made the call.

How much did Apostrophe cost?

The initial consult cost $20, and TechCrunch reported that the $20 was credited toward the suggested prescription plan if you bought it. Treatment prices varied with the prescription. By mid-2021, MedCity News reported Apostrophe had three pharmacies, in Arizona, California and Colorado, and the Hims & Hers announcement said its affiliated pharmacy was licensed to fulfill orders in 29 states. Those details are from 2021 and describe the old Apostrophe, not today's pricing.

How did Apostrophe change after the Hims & Hers acquisition?

It stopped being a separate consumer brand. Hims & Hers announced the purchase on June 24, 2021, saying it would accelerate its dermatology business, offering highly personalized dermatology treatments at scale, and closed the deal on July 7, 2021. The completion announcement said the whole Apostrophe team, including its dermatology experts, would join Hims & Hers to run its dermatology business line, with Holber as that line's CEO. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The brand itself didn't last. Cosmetics Business reported that Apostrophe was discontinued on March 7, 2025: all subscriptions were canceled that day, patients kept access to their provider team for 30 days, and customers were directed to Hims and Hers, with help transferring prescriptions to a pharmacy of their choice.

What you see today reflects that. Visiting apostrophe.com sends you to the Hers skin care section. The Hers app on the App Store describes treatments for "stubborn acne" and "minimizing fine lines and wrinkles," lets you message a licensed provider, and as of October 2026 shows a 4.6 out of 5 rating from about 14,000 ratings. That rating covers the whole Hers app, including weight loss, hair and mental health services, so it says little about the skin care side.

Two practical changes follow. First, the old Apostrophe promise of a board-certified dermatologist is not how the Hers listing describes its clinicians; it says "licensed medical provider," which can include other clinician types. Second, rosacea isn't mentioned in the Hers App Store description. If you're interested in Hers for rosacea, ask before paying whether it treats rosacea and with which medicines. Our Hers skincare review looks at the current products.

Is Apostrophe legit?

It was. Apostrophe was a venture-backed company that used board-certified dermatologists, ran licensed pharmacies and was bought by a publicly traded telehealth company. The real question now is whether its successor fits your needs, since Apostrophe was shut down in March 2025. Be wary of old reviews and coupon pages that still quote the $20 consult and Apostrophe-branded formulas: they describe a service you can't buy anymore.

What prescription options are typical for acne?

Online dermatology services mostly prescribe topical retinoids, topical antibiotics and, for some women, spironolactone. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD):

• Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid that works to clear your pores; adapalene is the version you can buy without a prescription. Dermatologists often suggest applying retinoids in the evening and wearing SPF 30 or higher.
• Clindamycin with benzoyl peroxide combines an antibiotic with an antibacterial to target different causes of acne. Dryness, peeling and burning are possible side effects.
• Spironolactone treats stubborn hormonal acne in women. The AAD warns it can cause severe birth defects, so people who can become pregnant need birth control.
• Isotretinoin is for nodular acne that hasn't responded to other treatments, which can cause scarring if left untreated.

Whatever you're prescribed, the AAD says it takes at least 6 to 8 weeks before you start to see fewer breakouts. Our guide to tracking acne progress explains how to tell if a treatment is working in that window.

What prescription options are typical for rosacea?

Rosacea is treated with different medicines from acne, and it can't be cured, only controlled. The NIH says there is no cure for rosacea, but treatment can keep it under control. DermNet lists these common options:

• Topical metronidazole and azelaic acid for mild to moderate papules and pustules.
• Topical ivermectin for inflammatory bumps.
• Brimonidine or oxymetazoline for persistent redness, often used occasionally, since DermNet notes persistent use may cause rebound flushing when stopped.
• Oral doxycycline for inflammatory rosacea, and low-dose isotretinoin for stubborn cases.

DermNet also advises avoiding exfoliants, alcohol-based products and topical steroids, which can make rosacea worse. If you aren't sure which condition you have, our guide to rosacea vs acne walks through the differences. See a dermatologist in person if your eyes feel sore, gritty or dry: the NIH warns untreated eye rosacea can lead to eye damage and loss of vision.

What are the best Apostrophe alternatives?

For acne and rosacea in the US, Curology covers the most similar ground. Its Custom Formula is listed for acne, clogged pores, rosacea and dark spots, costs $29.95 a month on subscription as of October 2026, and comes with a free 30-day first box for new subscribers who pay $5.45 shipping. Its ingredient list includes clindamycin, tretinoin, azelaic acid, metronidazole and ivermectin, so one bottle can address either condition. Our Curology review goes into detail.

Hers itself is the direct successor if you liked Apostrophe's approach. Other online services are covered in the Curology alternatives roundup linked above.

What should you ask any online dermatology service before paying?

Apostrophe's story is a reminder that these services change owners, names and terms. Before you subscribe anywhere, check:

1. Who reviews your case. A board-certified dermatologist, another physician, or a nurse practitioner or physician assistant? All can prescribe, but you should know which.
2. The full first-month cost. Visit fee, treatment, shipping and what renews automatically, and how to cancel.
3. What is actually in the bottle. Ask for each active ingredient and its strength, which should also be on the label.
4. How follow-up works. Can you message the same clinician if your skin gets irritated, and how quickly do they reply?
5. Whether it treats your condition. Acne, rosacea and melasma need different medicines, and not every service covers all three.

Who should see a dermatologist in person instead?

Online care suits mild to moderate acne and straightforward rosacea. Book an in-person visit if you have deep, painful nodules or scarring, symptoms in your eyes, rapidly worsening redness, a rash you can't identify, or if you are pregnant or planning to be and need to know which treatments are safe. A hands-on exam is also the right step if two or three months of online treatment haven't helped.