16 replies to this topic

[HolisticJane]

Seeing as I've suffered with acne since I was 20, I've pretty much tried everything. I've had periods where I was relatively clear and times when I couldn't leave the house. I've had all types of acne. Cystic, Pustules, papules etc. Recently the cysts have been very bad. In December I had a Chem peel and it seemed to trigger a huge breakout. It was very bad. Not only did I have acne but severe irritation and redness, scaling the whole 9 yards. So I had to get this monster under control. First I spent 2 weeks calming my inflamed skin. No acne meds what-so-ever. No scrubs, no masks. Just an oil cleanser and a light moisturizer. once my reness and irritation was under control, it was time to go back to the derm. In the past I've been on Clindagel, Differin Cream, Spirolactone, 7 different types of BCP's, Retin-A micro. Since the last time I went to the derm, Tazorac was introduced as well as the Differin Gel which is better than the cream. So the Derm prescribed. Differin Gel .3%, Doxy 200 mg a day, Clindagel with a BP wash. My initial breakout was horrible. Differin really did a number on me but I did begin to see a clearing in week 6. It happened to be the week I went back to the derm. I had also been on doxy for 9 weeks with little results.

So now I'm on Minocycline 200 mg a day, 1 doxy in the afternoon 100 mg, Clindamyacin 1% gel in the day, Tazorac .5% at night.

So using my past knowledge of topical use and what to expect, I'm going into my Use of Taz with an open mind. I hated Retin-a micro. I was red a the time. I'm worried that Taz wi do the same. So I've been on Differin .3% gel. It was not irritating at all, but still breaking out mostly on my cheeks, around my mouth and chin. Differin did makes stuff come and go quickly and didn't really make me red or flakey, so that was a plus. I just didn't think it was strong enough. So the Doc gave me Tazorac cream .5%. She gave me enough samples to last until my next derm appointment. Taz is expensive without insurance. Ridiculously expensive. $268 for large tube here in America. Same tube cost $60 in Canada. Go figure.

So I'm on Day 3 of using Tazorac at night with a moisturizer and doing 30 minute Short Contact therapy in the afternoon (I have weird hours). I seem to handle retinoids pretty well.

So Thursday when I went to the derm I had about 6 acne acne spots, The Differin rid me of cysts, so they were pustules. I had a bad IB with Differin and I'm hoping that Taz doesn't give me one since I was using Differin twice a day without a problem. So it's Sunday and everything on my face has completely dried up. I am flaking and I'm peeling a bit on my forehead and near my mouth where I had a pustule. No new active acne today. So taz is drying stuff up. But I'm peeling. I guess that means it's working properly.

I've decided to also use short contact therapy. I put the pea sized amount on my face, no moisturizer. leave on for 20-30 minutes and then rinse off. I'm doing this in the afternoon and early evening. I'm an artist, so I have the luxury of being home most of the time and I'm taking advantage of the fact that I have time to do things in the day.

One thing that may help me is the use of mino twice a day with a doxy kicker at lunch. My doc suggested it. I'm a gastric Bypass patient and I absorb medicine different that most folks. For one thing I don't absorb all my meds and sometimes it passes through my system quickly. Let's put it this way. I probable absorb half of my meds. I know that Percocets only work about 2 1/2 hours on me. As opposed to 4-6 for most people.

So my routine is in my signature. Except the extra dose of Doxy at lunch. My doc gave me permission to to that, I don't want people thinking that it is normal to be on two types of antibiotics at the same time. I'm special...lol.

So day 3, No active acne, Drying up places, flakiness not too bad. Redness minimal. Kinda happy so far. I hope taz works on scars. Cause mine are bad, bad, bad. I cannot go out without makeup. Heck, I wish I could wear it to bed....sigh.

[HolisticJane]

Today I woke up with smoother skin. Some of the Redmarks from my Differin Initial Breakout have faded too. Last night I applied the Tazorac before my moisturizer. Normally I would moisturize first. a little Flakey this morning. I must have gotten some on my eyelids cause they were a bit red and irritated. I have one little pimple under my nose, that's it. A month ago my face was covered. # months ago I was cyst city. So I'm so far very pleased. I'm cautious though. I'm still worried about getting an IB from the TAZ despite the fact I've been on Differin. I'll post before and afters at the end of the week.

[HolisticJane]

Day 6 on Taz/Mino. One zit. Yep. How the heck did that happen. I'm really pleased with this combo. My redmarks look remarkable better too.

Only downside of Tazorac.....Dryness. I'm like the Sahara desert. I'm moisturizing 5 times a day. This morning I even put on a moisturizing mask left it on for 3 hours. then I carefully exfoliated, slathered on Clinique moisture Surge and within three hours had dry flaky skin again. I guess it's the price I have to pay for clearer skin. I wish the derm but me on this stuff to begin with.

I do have some slight redness in my eyelid area. A little irritated where my worst breakout were.

I decided that I'm not ready for TAZ under moisturizer and will continue putting it on after moisture. It's seems to help redness and irritation. This stuff rocks and I've decided to chuck Differin completely. I just wish taz was cheaper.

[HolisticJane]

Looks Like I am gonna get a little IB from the Tazorac. I have two on my right cheek and one I can feel on my left cheek. Not happy about it, but I guess I should expect it. I also got a little too much taz on my nose area and I was peeling there today. the good thing is that when stuff comes up it goes away fast. The clarity of my skin is much better, as well as the texture. I noticed that all the blackheads that were on my nose are completely gone.

I am fighting dryness right now. The Yonka Moisturizing masque seems to be working very well. I was using Clinique Extra thirsty skin relief which is really good, but now I'm out of it after applying the stuff three to five times a day.

I could also be breaking out from sweating. It's been in the high 80's past couple of days and humid too. I've been working in the yard landscaping, so maybe the sweat and sun have contributed to my current breakout. Still on the minocycline but I missed a dose the other day. I fell asleep without taking it. So Is it the taz or the mino keeping me relatively clear? Not sure. I guess when I stop Mino in 5 weeks, I'll have a better idea of what is working for me.

Oh, and if you use antibioics or Tazorac, please use sunscreen. I had spf 50 on allover, wore a hat and did ok. But I forgot to put SPF 50 everywhere and ended up burnt where my shirt was riding up on me. It's real easy to get burned on this stuff, so be careful. Small price to pay for clear skin.

[HolisticJane]

Still getting a little IB from the Taz. It's not bad but my skin is reall dry and the scarring from the differin on my cheeks makes not wearing makeup difficult. I ordered some HQ and some Vit C serum today to help with scars. I really need help in that dept. My makeup looks like crap. No sun today and since I'm home today I'm going to wear the Taz all day and see how I do. So far no redness from Taz like with Retin-a which tore my skin up. I am on the hunt for a new makeup. So far the only thing that works with all this dryness is the Clinique Moisture makeup but then I end up greasy. I gess I have to find a fine balance between oil-free and moisture. I do find that the Clinique extra thirsty skin relief is great for use with Taz. Not greasy but still moisturizing.

I went away this weekend and forgot my minocycline/. I did have a little breakout so I guess I'm not ready to weaned off antibiotics just yet. I hate being on that stuff but what can you do? At least I'm not on accutane.

[sid99]

Hopefully this goes well for you. I got a derm appointment and may try out retin A. My acne is mainly comedonal with the odd infected pimple which leaves a mark. By the way should the Taz not help get rid of the red marks by speeding up skill turnover? Keep us updated!

[HolisticJane]

After 3 weeks on Tazorac and mino combo (I quit the Clindamyacin gel, too drying) I can honestly say that I've had a significant clearing. In February I hd papules , cysts under my eyebrows and pustules on my cheeks. I was a mess. Embarrassed to go into public. Doxy and Differin worked to a point but I needed something stronger and the Taz/Mino combo seems to be doing it.

Today I have one little pimple under my chin and two that are drying up. I do find that Tazorac makes your skin very thin and fragile. Squeezing and or picking is not a good idea. Sunscreen is an absolute must. The taz is helping with remarks somewhat. But the indented scars are going to need more help. I think after I do the full 12 weeks of Tazorac, I'm going to look into Collagen injections in the indented scars.

One word of advice to others starting Taz, Do not get this stuff near your eyelids or your lips. Skin is already thin there and you can peel like mad if your not careful. Normally I keep it away from my eyes but I was so tired last night that I jsut slapped it on without really thinking and woke up to peely eyelds. Not attractive...lol.

[HolisticJane]

I skipped the Taz the other night and just moisturized and used Estee Lauder's night repair and Dermaquest Vitalight (skin Lightener with Kojic Acid). My skin looked great the next day. The redmarks less apparant and my fine lines more plump. So last night I washed as usual. applied Taz, the Serum, the Lightener and then moisturized as usual. My skin looks amazing this morning. I had a horrible obtrusive redmark on my right cheek. Makeup even would not cover it. I dabbed a little extra taz on it over my moisturizer. I feel like I have almost normal skin for the first time in years. The real test will be next week when my hormones will play havoc with my skin.

As for the mino, I think I'm going to have to stop it. It's discoloring my teeth. Almost to the point that I may have to have some professional work done to correct it. The problem with tetracycline drugs is that they discolor from within. No teeth whiteners can help. I already use the GoSmile line which helps, but now I'm worried that I've traded one problem for another. I'm scared to stop th antibiotics but I will slowly cut down. I'm on 200 mg a day and I'm going to cut it to 100 mg a day and see how I do. I actually think it was the Doxy that I was on previously, since I was on that for 9 weeks. UGH.

[HolisticJane]

My skin looks awesome this morning. I mean really te best it's ever looked and it's that time of the month!!! I had one tiny pimple near my chin a few days ago. It's already a memory. I am cutting back Taz to once every other night. I am starting my skin lightening program on the nights I am not using Taz to get these redmarks to dissapear. So far they are diminishing daily. I'm using a potent combo or natural essential oils and Kojic acid. I also switched my cleanser to Olay Age Defying which has a gentle lower concentration of Salicylic acid in it that does not irritate me and leaves me with more moisture. The SA should help with redmarks too. I'm also using Helichrysium Essential oil mixed with Rose Hip Seed oil as a scar reducing. I know it works well, slower than some scar reducers but it does work. I have a surgical scar that I used it on for 3 months and you can barely see it now. So it's good stuff. I wat to post pics of my face before taz and after, Having problems posting. Once I figure it out, I'll put them up for all to see. It's unbelievable.

Ona side note. I went from 200 mg of mino to 100 mg of mino in order to wean myself off. It's staining my teeth. I may have to get veneers or bonding o cover it. I have an appointment with my dentist next month to see what I cna do about it.

[HolisticJane]

My skin is 100% clear for the last week. No new zits and it's that time of the month. Freaking miracle. I do find that if I miss a dose of mino that I feel something coming up underneath. So I guess I'm not ready to stop it. I'm going down to 100 mg a day. I missed one day completely (I was at my boyfriend's and forgot my meds) and I had a small whitehead come up. So I guess I'm not ready to completely come offof it. The good thing about mino is that it does not hurt my stomach or make me as photosensitive as the Doxycycline that I was on. But I am noticing discoloration marks on my teeth that don't go away with whitening products. I see veneers in my future.... oh, the money I spend on looking good. Getting old sucks people. Battling wrinkles and acne is no fun. Tazorac is the bomb. Even my wrinkles are diminishing.

So, now I'm working on the damage done after these bad breakouts. Scars, spots, hyperpigmentation. They bother me. Even a good concealor can only do so much. So I'm forming a battle plan.

Vitamin C 1000mg a day by mouth. It worked great when I was recovering from surgery, so why not for my acne?

Topical Serums- I've used Estee Lauder Night Repair in the past and it made my redmarks and hyperpigmentation dissapear. It's good stuff. Been around for years. I'm not sure what's in it that works great but it does work. Within a few weeks I normally see a 50-70% reduction is discoloration. Even Hydroquinone doesn't do that for me. Besides, that stuff is toxic for long term use. I was using Kojic acid lightener. didn't do a damn thing, so it's Estee Lauder to the rescue. I ahte forking over $75 bucks for a bottle, but it lasts a long time. 2-3 drops for the whole face is all you need. I even use it during the day. It helps your sunscreen work better. Call it an insurance policy for your skin. I'm also using Helichrysium, a essential oil used since biblical times for scars and skin damage. USed in wound healing, it seems to work rather well on newer scars rather than the old ones. It's kid of stinky too. But I've smelled worse.

I switched my cleanser back to MD Forte III Glycolic. IT makes your skin brighter and softer. I like it better than SA Cleansers. It helps get rid of the dead skin cells on your face and keeps them from clogging your pores.

One thing I've noticed since being on Tazorac is that the pores on my face are huge. I guess it clean them out so much that I'm left with bigger pores. Every single freaking blackhead that's been on my nose and forehead for the last year was expunged, leaving a small crater. Makeup is not working to well. I think I'm going to have to search for a good primer. I am happy that I can now wear a less heavy makeup to cover up my mug. I'm going for a light to Medium coverage makeup. So I'm going to Sephora this weekend and see what I can find.

[HolisticJane]

I've had two zits this week. I think it's my skin reacting to the AHA's that I have introduced. They are annoying but clearing fast. the good news is the Brightening cleanser and the DDF Fade Gel I am using is working very well at brightening the redmarks. I have some stubborn ones which will take months to heal but I'm hopeful. I'm still happy with Taz and mino. I've tried backing off the mino but I'm worried that I might start breaking out again. The teeth staining thing has me kind of pissed. Veneers are definitely in my future.

So for lightening:

Tazorac
DDF Fade Gel 4 (Azelaic Acid, Glycolic Acid and HQ)
DDF Brightening Cleanser with AHA
Estee Lauder Night Repair Serum
Alpha Hydrox Souffle 12% Glycolic acid.

My skin is smoother and brighter. My mom even told me it has a glow to it. Still have to use a good concealer. I'm hoping that liberal amounts of sunscreen on top of the fade gel will enable me to wear less makeup which is kind of my goal.

[jaybin2]

do you find the taz helping the scars at all?

[HolisticJane]

I've had two zits this week. I think it's my skin reacting to the AHA's that I have introduced. They are annoying but clearing fast. the good news is the Brightening cleanser and the DDF Fade Gel I am using is working very well at brightening the redmarks. I have some stubborn ones which will take months to heal but I'm hopeful. I'm still happy with Taz and mino. I've tried backing off the mino but I'm worried that I might start breaking out again. The teeth staining thing has me kind of pissed. Veneers are definitely in my future.

So for lightening:

Tazorac
DDF Fade Gel 4 (Azelaic Acid, Glycolic Acid and HQ)
DDF Brightening Cleanser with AHA
Estee Lauder Night Repair Serum
Alpha Hydrox Souffle 12% Glycolic acid.

My skin is smoother and brighter. My mom even told me it has a glow to it. Still have to use a good concealer. I'm hoping that liberal amounts of sunscreen on top of the fade gel will enable me to wear less makeup which is kind of my goal.

Taz is now starting to work on my scars, not on the redmarks so much. But the peeling effect that it has seems to be making my shallow scars dissappear, including a few I've had for many years. It takes time, but I'm not the patient type of person. I took out the EStee Lauder, I think it was not doing me any good. But the Brightening Cleanser the fade gel at night and Alpha Hydrox combined with Taz every other night has allowed me to chuck my minocycline completely. I'm now finally off antibiotics of any type. My scars are lookingbetter, my skin tone is more even and I even left the house without any kind of makeup this week which I don't think I've done in 10 years.

[{DC}]

Good to hear things are going well Jane.

I cant believe you can use so much stuff on your skin and it not be irritated?? Has your skin got used to the Taz yet where it is no longer dry and tight?

I have Vit C serum too and it is strongish stuff. I got mine from MAC.

Where do you get your Fade Gel with Hydroquinone from? I want to get a hydroquinone cream/gel, just cant find a good one that ships overseas. Paulas Choice has one, but they want to charge me 45.00 for shipping a little 2oz 17.00 cream...thats insane.

Im looking to mimic the Obagi new derm system. You seem to be doing the same.
Cleanser
AHA cream
Hydroquinone
Retinoid

I switched to Differin cream and am finding it more potent than the gel, which is wierd because ppl say the gel is more gentle. My skin was not really that dry with the gel after about 2/3 weeks. But i have used the cream for about 4 days now and that initial dry/tight feeling is back in full effect. Even had a mild IB again.

all the best

[HolisticJane]

Good to hear things are going well Jane.

I cant believe you can use so much stuff on your skin and it not be irritated?? Has your skin got used to the Taz yet where it is no longer dry and tight?

I have Vit C serum too and it is strongish stuff. I got mine from MAC.

Where do you get your Fade Gel with Hydroquinone from? I want to get a hydroquinone cream/gel, just cant find a good one that ships overseas. Paulas Choice has one, but they want to charge me 45.00 for shipping a little 2oz 17.00 cream...thats insane.

Im looking to mimic the Obagi new derm system. You seem to be doing the same.
Cleanser
AHA cream
Hydroquinone
Retinoid

I switched to Differin cream and am finding it more potent than the gel, which is wierd because ppl say the gel is more gentle. My skin was not really that dry with the gel after about 2/3 weeks. But i have used the cream for about 4 days now and that initial dry/tight feeling is back in full effect. Even had a mild IB again.

all the best

Yeah, I'm also kind of trying to mimic Obagi. It's a good system but I don't have $300 a month to go on it.

The DDF Fade Gel 4 has AHa and hydroquinone in it. Unfortunately I think most countries other thatn the US/Canada have banned it's use of possible toxins. But you basically have to use the stuff for ten years straight to get the kind of levels they say are toxic. I'm not too concerned.

In order to get my skin use to all the stuff I'm using, I only brought in one product at a time, used it for two weeks and then introduced another. The key to using Tazorac is to go slow (start with every third day) and use it with a moisturizer. I don't really need the moisture now that it is summer but I do use one at night with the Taz. I don't get that dry and tight feeling anymore. Took about 3 weeks of continual use. I did switch to .2% and I'm peeling again, which is good. Means it's working. I did have one little pimple from the higher dosage, but it was gone in a day. I ordered my .1% Tazorac from alldaychemist because I can't afford to fill my prescription here. $289 in the US as opposed to $4.25 for a 15oz tube from India. Same stuff, works the same. I bought enough to last me a year for $26.

So I started with the Brightening Cleanser (has 10% Glycolic acid), rinsed well, wait 20-30 minutes for my skin to rest before applying Tazorac. Wait 20 Minutes, apply Fade Gel and then Moisturizer. My skin looks fabulous. Better than it has since I was 20. I still have some scars but they are fading very well. I can even go without heavy makeup. Heck, I think my wrinkles are reduced too. Bonus!!!!

[{DC}]

nice work jane

I am going to check this alldaychemist place.

*** Just checked that website...how on earth are they able to sell products so cheap?? A 30g jar of Hydroquinone for $1.42US???

Your getting a years supply of Tazorac for $26.00??

Have you used any products from these ppl before? Are they legit?

[broccolicat]

Hi Jane,

I just started using Taz/duac combo a month ago. I am getting these nodule/papule type things on my forehead where I never got them before (or anything like them... they're really weird)... did you have any type of reaction like this when you started taz or differin?

Please help if you can!

Thank you....