Nolla Health has launched a service that lets an AI write a first acne prescription after scanning a patient’s face.

Once the program reaches its later stages, physicians review cases after the fact rather than before each prescription goes out. That raises an obvious question about who allowed it, and the answer has some important fine print.

Nolla Health Uses AI Face Scanning For Dermatology

Nolla Health is a digital health company behind the Nolla Derm app, which handles skincare and acne treatment through a smartphone. The company says it is the first organization in the United States authorized by a state regulator to let an AI issue an initial prescription, not just a refill. Utah is where the pilot is running.

The program is limited to adults aged 18 and older who live in Utah. Nolla points to an access gap as the reason. More than 80 percent of US counties count as healthcare deserts, and in Utah roughly 100,000 people have active acne at any given time. Only about 10 percent of them ever see a dermatologist. The average wait for an appointment in the state is 61 days, nearly double the national median, and eleven counties have no dermatologist at all. A single visit can cost up to $300.

CEO Luis Wenus said the company launched the service because it believes “everyone deserves access to high-quality care and personalized treatment at an affordable cost.”

Nolla’s AI Scans Face to Prescribe Acne Medication

Patients start by downloading the app and opting in at a pilot price of $4.99 per month (regularly at $9.99 per month).

They verify their identity, give informed consent, and answer a short intake questionnaire. Then they complete a quick face scan taken from five angles. The whole process takes about 10 to 15 minutes, according to Nolla, and ends with a personalized treatment plan and, if appropriate, an initial prescription, according to Bloomberg.

Nolla says the AI is not a general-purpose tool. It selects from pre-approved topical treatment plans using structured clinical inputs and an assessment of the face scan. The prescription flow has no free text box, so the system cannot wander off script. Severe acne, pregnancy, and other conditions outside the pilot are sent to a licensed physician or to in-person care instead.

Prescriptions arrive by home delivery or pharmacy pickup. Patients can track their progress with daily scans, and the plan is reviewed after every 28 scans, roughly every one to two months. A licensed physician, not an AI, answers messages sent through the app at no extra cost.

Nolla also says licensed clinicians agreed with the AI’s treatment recommendations in 96 percent of real-world cases. Differences were minor, such as the strength of a topical product. That figure comes from the company itself.

Did This Get Approval In Utah?

The pilot received authorization through a regulatory mitigation agreement with Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy and its Division of Professional Licensing. The state’s public pilot record lists it as signed on September 22, 2026. It falls under Utah’s AI Learning Lab, a sandbox program that eases certain state rules so companies can test AI products under supervision.

The Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy states on its authorized pilots page: “Taking part in our AI sandbox does not mean the State of Utah has approved, endorsed, certified, or vouched for the product.” In other words, Nolla received permission to test, not a stamp of approval.

In stage one, which covers at least the first 100 patients and runs at least four weeks, two licensed physicians independently review and approve each AI prescription before it reaches the patient. In stage two, which covers up to 500 patients and runs at least eight weeks, the AI issues prescriptions directly, and a physician reviews every case afterward, at least weekly. Stage three moves to monthly sampling of at least 10 percent of prescriptions, plus every case involving an escalation or side effect.

Moving between stages requires 95 percent agreement with physicians, zero serious adverse events, and written approval from the state. Adverse events must also be reported to the state within 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nolla Health?

Nolla Health describes itself as Scandinavian inspired healthcare, built around a private AI health assistant backed by licensed US physicians. The company is led by co founder and CEO Luis Wenus and operates through entities named Magic Health, Inc. and Magic Health Services, LLC.

Its lineup includes Nolla Derm for skin concerns, a Health Assistant currently in beta for symptoms and next steps, and Nolla Women, a women’s health service listed as coming soon. The website also lists HIPAA and GDPR compliance badges and says every diagnosis and prescription is guided by a licensed US medical provider.

What Is the Nolla Derm App?

Nolla Derm is the company’s AI powered skincare app. It covers acne, hyperpigmentation, rosacea, redness, melasma, and wrinkles, with custom formulas delivered to the user, daily progress scans, and a physician available to message. Outside the Utah pilot, plans start from $9.99 per month.

Nolla says the app has been downloaded more than 175,000 times across 44 states, and that people outside Utah can still use it under clinician guidance. The AI prescribing feature is a separate pilot open only to Utah residents aged 18 and older.

Is AI Face Scanning Legal in Utah?

The face scan is permitted as part of an authorized pilot, and the protection is limited to that pilot. Under the agreement, the Division of Professional Licensing agreed not to bring an enforcement action for unlicensed or unprofessional conduct, or under the state’s telehealth requirements, when the AI issues a topical acne prescription and sends it to a Utah pharmacist under the agreed protocol. The same protection covers the physicians working with Nolla who rely on the system for that purpose. It reaches only the sections named in the agreement and nothing else Nolla offers.

The system can issue first time prescriptions and refills for topical acne treatment to Utah adults with mild to moderate acne, from a short list of creams and gels set out in the agreement. Pharmacists are told the prescription came from AI and are given a physician to contact with questions.

The agreement runs for 12 months, and Nolla must file monthly reports with the state, including how often the AI and reviewing physicians agreed. Quarterly reports are made public by the office. The agreement itself states that it is a grant of regulatory mitigation only, not an endorsement.