I have been using tazorac cream 1% for a month. I noticed that my scars look much softer, and my red marks are fading very quickly. Meanwhile, my overall skin texture looks better. I have a dewey look and a rosy glow. I do not peel at all. This is the only thing I'm using...no supplements, peels, or other topicals.
I'm very happy about this / I wanted to share.
Has anyone else had their scars look better on tazorac? I didn't plan on this #-o I was using it for acne.
I know it's a vitamin A derivitave, but I didn't expect this at all.
Nancy It was Goldrex. I forgot all about that! He actually sent me an article on it. here it is:
New Skin Cream Reverses Sun Damage
Nov. 22, 2002 -- A new skin cream may help wipe away at least some of the damage caused by too many days at the beach. Researchers say once-daily applications of Avage can reduce the effects of harmful ultra violet (UV) light exposure and minimize wrinkles, discoloration, roughness, and even some forms of skin cancer.
Their findings appear in the November issue of The Archives of Dermatology.
The cream contains 0.1% of a substance called tazarotene, which is similar to vitamin A. Tazarotene-based creams and gels (sold under the name Tazorac) are already used to treat facial acne and some types of psoriasis. In October, the FDA approved a request from the manufacturer to market the cream (sold as Avage) as a wrinkle-fighter.
Repeated exposure to the sun's UV rays without the protection of sunscreen can lead to skin damage such as wrinkling, discoloration, roughness, visible blood vessels, and, in serious cases, skin cancer.
Initial studies showed the cream could reduce the signs of sun damage when applied once a day for 12 weeks, and in this study, Tania J. Phillips, MD, of the Boston University School of Medicine looked at whether using Avage over a longer period of time would produce similar results.
Researchers studied 563 patients with facial sun damage who applied either Avage or a placebo cream to their face once a day for 24 weeks. After 24 weeks, all continuing patients received the Avage cream for an additional 28 weeks. The average age of the participants was 56.
At the 24-week point, researchers found significantly more patients who used the tazarotene cream experienced a more than 50% overall improvement in skin appearance compared to those who received the placebo. The Avage users also reported less wrinkling, mottled pigmentation, and skin roughness.
Even more benefits were seen among those who used the cream for up to 52 weeks. Researchers say the improvements had not tapered off by week 52, which suggests that the skin-improving benefits may continue to increase over time.
Twenty of the 283 Avage-treated patients in phase one of the study dropped out due to adverse effects.
The study was funded by Allergan Inc, which produces Avage and Tazorac.
Hope that's useful for you-- what I found so striking was the 52 week study. They just stopped monitoring them. Researchers, apparently, found no measurable slow-down.
I just noticed a couple of days ago, im like wow. 80% of my acne is gone from where it was worse (on my cheeks) just redness stays but it is not as red as before.
Only thing with taz is that it has broken me out on my forehead, where i never broke out before, its not huge, but its very small blackheads/some whiteheads.
I am experiencing the same thing with Tazorac. I'm using .05% and it's really smoothing my skin out and just improving the overall texture. My doc. said it helps with collagen stimulation and recommended using it when/if I start Smoothbeam treatments. I do peel every few days but it's well worth it!!
This is just my story but I was using Tazorac last year from April til July. The month of April and May were really good, it was getting rid of and eliminating pimples and a few scars but it was also making my skin peel like crazy. I could be rubbing my chin and skin would flake off. I couldn't get my eyebrows waxed when arched because my skin was so sensitive that the wax would take off a layer of skin and then the stuff wasn't working as well to not really working at all. I think my skin became immune to it so in July I just stopped using it cause I couldn't stand how sensitive my skin was. It took a while after I stopped using it for my skin to not be as sensitive too. 
({|=
Hope it works well for everyone else though. Everybody's case is different.
i posted before about this avage cream. i started on it in dec & like i said
it makes me shed like a snake but it "peeled away" 2 of my 6 scars . yeah, i got 6 pin prick scars on my left cheek now down to 4 no kidding.
PS: my 6 scars formed a perfect circle no shit like those aliens when they
come to earth & do art work on a lawn at night. anyways, this woman derm mentioned that avage is 2 steps up from retin A but i got NO idea what she meant & since she cost me $300 i figured wtf do i know anyways?
I remember when i went to my derm a couple of years ago she gave me benzaclin (source of BP) Taz and Doxy. I dont have a derm anymore, but im not using any BP, instead its clindagel,doxy,taz. I have been real curious lately whether to take a BP solution but i'll have to stick with the clindagel for a while before i jump at the BP I guess.
My face has been getter better, alot better, red marks are turning softer, dont know if its the doxy, clindagel, or taz, so if the clindagel isnt working i wouldnt know cause my face is getting better so im better off sticking with it cause its working =), even tho im tempted with the BP wash.
Thanks for the nfo.
I am not sure if this has already been posted:
Topical Tazarotene Gel, 0.1%, as a Novel Treatment Approach for Atrophic Postacne Scars A Randomized Active-Controlled Clinical Trial
JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2019;21(2):125-132.
full paper below with pics
https://www.metroatlantaotolaryngology.org/journal/apr19/Afra_tazarotene-microneedling.pdf
My question is this: how the heck does one apply taz 0.1% gel every single day?
Has anyone been able to do this in the long term?
I get red and irritated if I apply it two days in a row.
Adapalene 0.3% is also apparently showing promise as a topical to soften acne scars.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-018-0231-8
I have started using it twice daily. I had been using high-strength Tretinoin for some time, so have had minimal irritation. Im hoping this will boost results of other treatments.
Burrito, I am skeptical that adapalene can do the same thing. In my mind, more irritation = more efficacy. But if I am wrong about this it would be so great!
Have you tried other adjuncts to help reduce irritation, like snail mucin, propolis, galactomyces ferment, mugwort, or cica/centella? I'll use just about anything if it will help me use taz every night without looking like a beet at work.
7 hours ago, superburrito said:Adapalene 0.3% is also apparently showing promise as a topical to soften acne scars.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-018-0231-8
I have started using it twice daily. I had been using high-strength Tretinoin for some time, so have had minimal irritation. Im hoping this will boost results of other treatments.
please keep us updated
4 hours ago, arug said:Burrito, I am skeptical that adapalene can do the same thing. In my mind, more irritation = more efficacy. But if I am wrong about this it would be so great!
Have you tried other adjuncts to help reduce irritation, like snail mucin, propolis, galactomyces ferment, mugwort, or cica/centella? I'll use just about anything if it will help me use taz every night without looking like a beet at work.
My understanding is that more irritation is not better, as irritation can lead to issues like acne breakouts which make new scars. I am using Adapalene twice a day, which I think is the key difference, as most people use it only once a day nightly. My insurance also does not cover Tazarotene, so I don't have much of a choice.
Also, for me, Adapalene is not 100% irritation free. I still have somedryness, even after using retinoids for quite some time.
I mainly just use a Niacinamide-based moisturizer to the counteract dryness. My signature below includes my usual full routine of topics.
In
Safety and Efficacy of TretinX Compared With RetinA in Patients With MildtoSevere Acne Vulgaris
Skinmed.2006 May-Jun;5(3):114-8.
Taz 0.1% reduction in mean total number of acne lesions was much greater for 0.1% than 0.025%.
I don't think it's unreasonable to expect higher efficacy for scar revision as well.
They use 50-100% TCA or phenol for CROSS. Lower strengths don't have the same effect.
I believe that higher strengths are more effective. The problem is that people will use such formulationsonly to tolerance and most people don't tolerate the stronger formulations every day.
On 1/9/2020 at 10:08 PM, superburrito said:Adapalene 0.3% is also apparently showing promise as a topical to soften acne scars.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-018-0231-8
I have started using it twice daily. I had been using high-strength Tretinoin for some time, so have had minimal irritation. Im hoping this will boost results of other treatments.
I second this. I've been using adapalene 0.3% for over 3 weeks and noticing already improvements with the scars and light red marks. I used Differin 0.1% before the 0.3% (less than a month), and I also use Retin-A 0.05% here and there some mornings.