42 replies to this topic

[gingergirl22]

Hi guys,

I went and got a facial and totally forgot until the morning that I also had a follow up doctors appointment (opps!).

The aesthetician gave me some good advice. She said that I am getting some blackheads because, from her perspective (and close up mirror), that my skin is too dry and the skin is flaking off and getting stuck in my tiny pores (because they are so dry, their openings are smaller than usual). She recommended I use tazorac every other day or take a break after every two days to relieve my skin. She also recommended not washing my face with water in the morning - but using a micellular solution and then spritzing with a mineral water (like avene, vichy, evian, etc.), patting dry and then putting on a heavy cream which will keep the moisture at a good level. She also pointed out that moisturized and oily are different things - that if even people with oily skin treated there skin like this they would probably have better results as well as when properly moisturized, ones skin is a "self cleaning machine" and needs a proper PH balance which is messed up by cleanser. Anyway, I thought that was interesting. I think I will certainly give it a try

Definitely recommend getting a facial at this stage too - my skin today looks fantastic. And it hasn't felt this smooth since I started taz.

From the doctors perspective things are going well. I was threatened with Diane 35 bc if tazorac doesn't completely clear me up by the end of month four. I am a little freaked out about that potential, so I think I will keep plugging along and hope for the best!

What is a micellular solution? Did she recommend not using a cleanser at all or just not in the morning?

[northerngal100]

What is a micellular solution? Did she recommend not using a cleanser at all or just not in the morning?

A micellular solution is basically water with some oils suspended in it. It is a version of the oil cleansing method I suppose. It cleans all makeup and dirt/oil off of your skin without stripping your skin of moisture or irritating it. You just put a bit on a cotton pad and wipe it around. It doesn't leave a film or anything. I use Avene, though Vichy has really good reviews on Makeup Alley (just google "micellular solution makeup alley reviews" and you can read about the best ones). She recommended using it in the morning since your skin is really already makeup and pollution free and you just need something to wipe off the morning grime. I think finishing it with a bit of spray water feels better because it is a bit weird not to "wash" your face in the morning. It also works as a makeup remover. So after you wash your face with soap at night, you can give it a swipe with some the solution to make sure you have removed everything. Honestly, after doing this my skin is MUCH more moisturized. I actually haven't experienced any flakiness since doing this except exactly where an old pimple is drying up. I think I will continue this even after tazorac.

I just finished up week ten and have started week 11. My skin is better and healing from the temple breakout session last week and even though it was a set back, I think I am on track for my breakouts dropping off by the end of week 12. Again, it will probably take until week 16 to totally get rid off all my hyperpigmentation and blackheads. I am planning on going for another facial after week 12. ALL of my crazy chin hyperpigmentation is gone - 100%! I can't believe it considering that area was the main battleground for a solid 2 months. I haven't had a breakout there in a long time

[gingergirl22]

Thanks. I had never heard of that solution. Those facials must be wonderful!

[northerngal100]

Hey! No problem - even though acne treatment is terrible, its nice that everyone has a place to share possible solutions!

I have really been struggling with this slight relapse on the temple area. Arg. Still clear everywhere else - it's like a tease! I have been once again reading a bunch of posts, etc. and some people have mentioned something I would never have tried before: I am going to try a night of taz with no moisturizer. Crazy right?

Some people have said their derms suggested it when they didn't think it was super effective and it worked. Since my skin is much less irritated (thanks to the micellular maybe?), I am willing to give it a shot. Not something I plan to do every night at the moment - but just as an experiment.

I will report back and let you know how it goes! Wish me luck!

PS. 1.5 weeks to go

[northerngal100]

Hi everyone,

So I am finished up week 11 - ONE WEEK TO GO!!!! I thought this day would never come (especially in the bad IB stage, when everyday seems like a week). My temples have stopped breaking out and flaked off - its just the marks now. I don't want to speak too soon though, just incase it comes back! Otherwise, smooth sailing. The rest of my face is incredibly clear and STILL no breakouts on my chin - this is honestly some sort of record. I usually get one at every 3-4 days surrounded by a million flesh coloured bumps - and now its like baby skin. All the hyperpigmentation there is gone too. I might have mentioned that before - but I can't believe it so I might just keep repeating myself.

I am not going to try anything else for the marks, tazorac seems to take care of it, it just takes time. I think 2-3 weeks to completely clear marks is better than 2-3 months without - so not complaints here.

I guess I really don't have anything else to add right now.

If anyone else out there is reading this who has been using taz, I would love to here about your experiences.

Best of luck fellow taz users and I will post again after week 12!

[northerngal100]

Also! I forgot to add something about how my tazorac only experiment went.

It worked out pretty well. The next morning I didn't have a breakout and haven't had one since. It is very drying though, so I have now started applying tazorac first then putting cream on top. This seems to work just as well. I definitely couldn't have handled this a month ago even - so maybe my skin is finally starting to "get used to it" a little - or the new morning routine has helped.

[northerngal100]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to say, I still have officially one more night to go before 3 months - but I am sooooo happy with the results.
I have absolutely no whiteheads or blackheads (that I can notice). I have just some marks clearing up - so when I put on makeup my skin looks 99% perfect - even up close because it isn't ruined by unevenness and bumps.

I am definitely going to keep going as usual until the end of month 4 and then I will start to experiment with maintenance plans.

I am soooo glad I kept it up through the tough times, the frustrating waves of breakouts, the embarrassment of having more breakouts than ever, the peeling - you name it. It was definitely definitely worth it. I can't believe three months has passed!!!

My judgement today is that tazorac was an excellent choice and I hope it keeps getting better!

[northerngal100]

So - I finished week 13 and I think really this is the results week. My skin is healed! I have been going out without makeup and not feeling self conscious at all - it takes me way less time to get ready because I am not fussing over my skin. 99% of my red marks are gone. I just couldn't imagine my skin would look like this a month ago. I haven't had a single breakout.

Anyway, stil sticking it out as usual for 3 more weeks before trying to alter my regimin.

KEEP GOING EVERYONE! IT GETS BETTER!

[northerngal100]

Just checking in after completing week 15 - only one week to go until 4 months!
Still looking good. I haven't had a single inflammatory bump...still! I did get a few flesh coloured bumps on my chin (tiny, tiny - like pin prick!) this week - but they cleared up pretty quick. I have a doctors appointment in two weeks to reassess my regimin - so I will let you know what we come up with. I think I am going to suggest trying the .5% gel.
I'd love to hear how others are doing!

[shadylee]

hi northerngal! i just got tazorac.1% cream yesterday, havent applied it yet bc i'm going away with the girls this weekend and dont want to "upset" my skin..i've enjoyed reading your updates, very informative..making me less scared of starting! i hope you keep updating and hope things continue so well for you! you've actually made me excited to start, so ty!!

[Brownilocks]

Hey guys! I was on tazorac for 5 years and can offer off any advice you need about this med. I've been on all strengths and formulations. I started at .05% cream then .05% gel (at.5% for about 2 1/2 years), then .1% cream then .1%gel then back to the .1% cream because the gel is stronger and irriated my skin too much. It got on it for adult, hormonal, cystic acne. Like anything else, it takes a while to work and you will see new spots while you use it. Eventually though, I had about 95% clearance. The only bad thing was I could never get rid of the small blackheads on my forehead, nose, and jawline, but they were microscopic anyways so I didn't worry about it. The whole time you are on it, your face will be SUPER sensitive to the sun and burn and peel if you lay out or anything without high SPF sunscreen (and I'm Italian and have naturally dark and tan skin, never need any sunscreen anywhere else and never have til this).

I would get a few new cysts every 3-4 months but nothing major and they went away much quicker than before. I did well on this med for 5 years and had a beautiful complection but beware that it is NOT a cure! Your acne will return if you ever quit using it and for ladies it is a category X drug so no getting pregnant on it.

Fast forward to now. I never stopped using this or even skipped a dosage in 5 years. In terms of oiliness like someone mentioned above, its weird that you say that because starting about last spring (march/april) I started to get massively shiny. Like so shiny I couldn't get rid of it. Not with any kid of oil-control makeup, powder, or even blotting sheets. And when I didn't wear makeup, same thing, face looked wet even. Since about the same time I've slowly been developing more pimples than usual. Still manageable though until this September. Then BOOM! all of the sudden within a couple days I have the WORST acne of my life!!! In the same spots as before but much larger, redder, both pustular and cystic, painful, and so itchy its like poison ivy! It also burns like battery acid if it pops, which it does on its own sometime, especially if I'm eating. My doc diagnosed it as acne conglobata. Only had moderate acne before, now I have a severe form! Not saying the tazorac caused it but maybe it controlled my hormonal facial only acne for the last 5 years and let it build up a resistance and get strong since, like i mentioned before, this med is not a CURE only a fix. I am now on accutane after thinking it was the worst thing ever for years and trying to avoid it, but my acne is soooo bad this time around I basically have no choice and by this point I'm okay with it since it is more likely to work for good and doesn't require such long term use. Speaking from experience, if you are getting hormal cystic acne now and using the 2nd strongest med to accutane (my doc said thats what taz is) then just take the plunge and do the accutane now instead and save yourself years off being on a med that only keeps acne at bay... good luck!

[northerngal100]

Hi guys,
Just checking in.

I had a bit of a breakout this week, just some small flesh coloured bumps popping up - I think it is because my skin is getting SUPER sensitive and irritated now that winter is here full force. I will probably be switching to the .5% next week though - so until then I have been taking it easy. As a super fair person, I am pretty used to being sensitive to the sun and winter months, but this stuff definitely makes my winter suffering much much worse. My skin still looks better than it ever did in the past, but the 4-5 little bumps kind of annoyed me. The things I complain about now. Sheesh.

Shadylee: Let me know how it's going! Hopefully you get some good results.

Thanks for the interesting story Brownilocks. I wonder if us folks with mostly non-inflamatory bumps will have the same experience. I have also read about people who have been on taz long term. Ideally, I would like to ween myself off of it - like get down to twice a week or something (to use alongside glycolic for maintenance).

[shadylee]

hi northern gal! so it took me some time to finally try it..but i finally did! yayyy, bc i'm actually loving it, i wish it didnt t take me so long to use it. i was just so scared of it irritating my skin, etc, and with the holidays coming up i was nervous. i finally took the plunge on tuesday, dec 18th, so only 4 nights so far, but i really like the way it makes my skin feel. i've tried retin a before and it really irritated my skin and never felt like it soaked well into my skin..well i really like the way tazorac goes on, i'm really excited. right now my skin is pretty clear except for a whopper of a healing cyst, it was brutal. i actually had it shot 2 times with cortisone and theres still a slight bump and its gonna take awhile for the redness to go away....but besides that my skin is doing well..i dont suffer from all around acne, i get 1 or 2 cysts a month, but they are HUGE, so i'm really hoping the tazorac either stops it or at least slows them down, or make them not as big..keeping my fingers crossed! hope everything is still going well with you!

[northerngal100]

Hey!
GReat to hear things are off to a good start

Happy to report things are all good over here. I have been using the .05% gel for a few weeks now and really like it. I only use it every other night and it seems to be doing the job - however, I still peel sometimes! So I take two or three days off every now and then. My skin has been really clear except for the last day or two when I got four to five pimples . I had an infection and had to go on antibiotics and it seems to have really thrown me off in many ways! Oh well, it will heal up I am sure.

Let me know how its going for you.

PS> This is more than 6 months now - which is crazy! I never thought I would make it...

[shadylee]

Hi ya Northern...well its been a little over 4 weeks for me..i thought i had the .1% but i actually have the ..05%...about 2 and half weeks in i had the the worst breakout i've had in a long time..it was brutal!! i usually will just get one or two cysts at a time, i'll get cortisone shots and they will go away, and i'll be fine for a couple of weeks..unfortunately not this time, i'd get a cyst shot, a new one wld come up..i went to the derm 5 times in like a 2 weeks span..it was devastating...I am very happy to report tho..my skin is doing great now..thank god! since then i havent had a new cyst..last weekend got a couple of just normal pimples and they are gone now. My skin right now is clear knock on wood!..i feel a little bump forming on my left cheek, i'm praying it will just be a normal little pimple, as long as it isnt a cyst im happpy!..i wanted to quit tazorac when i had that horrendous onset of cysts, i am so glad i pushed through it..i'm hoping that was the worst of it..keeping my fingers crossed! I'm so happy you're still doing good, gives me hope!! pls keep up with the updates!!

[northerngal100]

Awww. Keep with it. I found mt skin would get way better, then get worse, then better for a month before I really cleared up. Glad to hear things are looking up - those cortisone shots must be terrible though ...

 

The .05% gel has been going ok - but honestly, I can only use it 2-3 times per week because of the dryness. BUT I think it does work better than the cream. I found out the cream has mineral oil in it - which is an irritant and can cause blackheads for some people. Now I have ZERO breakouts. My skin looks really good except when it dries out....I really need to be strict with taking every other night off, only using a tiny amount (it seems to go further than the cream), and not over-washing. So yah, I like it better - but wish my skin was a bit tougher. haha. 

 

Since my first post more than six months ago, my whole regimin has changed - especially since its mid-winter and I need to spend extra time (and products) to make sure my skin doesn't turn snake-like!I have been continuing with the micellar solution in the morning (I switched to vichy and it works way better than avene...aka. doesn't leave any filmy feeling). I switched to a gentler milk cleanser for sensitive skin which I only use at night (though, I totally still recommend the clean-ac cleanser by avene, it is the most gentle thing I have found that is specifically targeted at acne-prone folks which leaves your face without the filmy feeling you sometimes get with cetaphil gentle/sensitive!). I also added a moisture serum into the mix, which has really helped combat the dryness. 

 

So here is a summary of what the regime is looking like now: 

 

Morning: 

Vichy micellar with cotton ball

Spray thermal water (light dab off with towel)

La Roche Posay Intense Moisture Serum

Olay sensitive spf 30 (with cetaphil dabbed over top if I am really dry...)

 

Night: 

Micellar solution to remove makeup

Vichy cleansing milk sensitive - normal to combination (the dry skin one is a no-rinse formula...I don't like it!)

La Roche Posay Intense Moisture Serum

Cetaphil moisture cream with .05% tazorac every other night (with two night breaks as needed)

 

**On nights I am not using taz, I sometimes will also use a face oil for extra moisture in place of the serum and cream. I am liking rose hip oil, vitamin e and evening primrose. I just have a few small jars of caplets from the drugstore I pop open as needed.

 

***I exfoliate once or twice a week with la roche posay gentle buffing cleanser - it walks a fine line between rough and gentle, so as with any exfoliant, be careful - you don't want any microscopic cuts that will just attract bateria.

 

I hope everyone is keeping their chin up! Let me know if you have any questions and be sure to share your story

[northerngal100]

Hi guys, 

It's been a while!

 

I wanted to let everyone how it's been going - I know that people don't tend to come here to report back after they have had some success...

 

Anyway, I have been using .5% gel, but I am switching back to the 1% cream. Although the .1% is a higher level of active ingredient, I think the carrier (i.e., the gel or cream) really makes the difference in terms of how your skin reacts to it. the gel is WAY too drying for me. I basically ended up using it only once and maybe twice a week - anything more made my skin extremely dry, irritated, and occasionally I would get this little rash of tiny pimple like bumps. They weren't pimples though, they looked like goosebumps and would go away after I stopped using the gel for a day or two. I even tried only putting it on for an hour and washing it off. This was better, but I could still do this only 2-3 days in a row before I was irritated and peely. Arg. Honestly, after trying both - I think the cream is just a smarter choice. It is a bit greasier (but who cares you are sleeping) and works differently. I find my skin doesn't PEEL like it does with the gel. It just flakes. It is never raw.

 

Now - because I was CONVINCED the gel would be better (the cream tends to be recommended for wrinkles and the gel for acne), I changed my routine a bunch of times to try and get more moisture. I then tried the oil cleansing method or OCM as users like to call it. IT basically consists of washing your face with a carrier oil like Jojoba or Almond and then steaming and wiping the warm oil off your face. In theory, it makes sense that oil dissolves oil. I paint with oils, and you can only clean your brushes with another oil. Water basically just mashes the paint around and makes a mess. So I washed my face with Almond oil for 3 weeks.

 

I can now tell you for a fact that THIS WAS THE WORST SKIN CHOICE I HAD EVER MADE! DO NOT TRY THIS NO MATTER WHAT!!! After three weeks I started getting maybe 20-30 bumps all over my cheeks. The next day, I literally had 100 blocked pores all over my face. the OCM people were like "oh, its an initial breakout". This is absolute crap. I had pretty much perfect skin with tazorac. I NEVER breakout on my forehead. Ever. This stuff just completely blocked every single pore on my face.

 

Fast forward to now, my doctor gave me clamindacyn (?) topical for the disgusting infected mess I created (As a side note, this stuff is a miracle - it stopped my breakouts the very next day, four days later, I my skin is better and healing). I am using the taz cream again. My skin is getting back to normal after a month of ABSOLUTE HELL. 

 

Fewf. I think the point of this story is don't believe all that holistic crap on some of these threads. I am all for a healthy diet, exercising, drinking enough water, etc. but some of these things have absolutely no science backing. Even countries which have traditional healing as part of their medical care (Ex. Thailand) have SCIENTIFIC TESTING to back up any natural remedies. 

 

The other point is: I need to be happy with 99%. Once you find something that works - stick with it and enjoy life

[chevelle17]

I have been using this for about 2 weeks now every night and it gave my skin a burnt look. Hyper-pigmentation to be exact. It sucks. I think i should cut back the use of this to 2 days a week. Also in the meantime what should i do about this hyper-pigmentation?

[northerngal100]

Honestly, I got that a few times in the beginning - I think see week 6 or so when I went a bit overboard and got some chemical burns. 

The only thing that made that hyerpigmentation from the chemical burn go away was cutting the taz for a few days and using it more sparingly from then on. I moisturized the chapped skin several times per day. It went away in about two weeks completely. Just don't pick at it. This is the most important thing.

 

Taz does help with hyperpigmentation quicker than it healing on its own, so after the burn is healed up, I would start to gently apply taz on it. Over moisturizer of course - and skipping days.

[aug817]

Hi NorthernGal100,

 

Thanks for sharing with us your experience, very helpful!

I just started on Tazorac (we call it Zorac in Australia) last week together with Minocycline. I only use it every other day (as per derm's advice), so I have only been using it 3 times. On nights when I don't use the Taz, my derm told me to use my glycolic acid by peter thomas roth which I showed to her during my derm visit. I feel like my skin is getting worse with more clogged pores in all areas on my face, particularly my forehead, temples, lower cheeks and jaw. Note I don't really have cystic acnes, just those small flesh coloured bumps that later turn in red pustules.

You said your skin became dry, flaky, but I am experiencing the opposite. When i put on taz, in the morning when I wake up, my face gets really oily (note I already have really oily skin). Do you experience this at all, or do you just experience dry skin?  

Also I don't feel like my skin is peeling at all. When did you first experience the peeling?

Would appreciate your response!

 

Thanks