Tazarotene
Results
Side Effects

Tazarotene is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover and reducing inflammation in...

Tazarotene is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover and reducing inflammation in the skin.

Tazarotene is usually applied once a day around bedtime.

 [more]
3.4
822
Read All About Tazarotene
Compare To Other Treatments
5
20.2%
4
33.6%
3
24.2%
2
13.5%
1
8.5%

Used Tazarotene? Rate It:

Choose from 1 to 5 stars
Sort by: Most Helpful
Order:
January 10, 2012

Pros:

smoother, softer skin
acne scars and fine lines fading
acne cleared
Free samples from my derm

Cons:

horrible peeling
initial mass of breakouts
redness
burns
Very expensive

I had developed lots of cluster acne on my cheeks and a moderate amount on my chin as well as tiny little bumps all over my face after having a facial with dermaplaning. Apparently it caused the bacteria from some of the pimples I had to spread to the rest of my face. I tried peels and facials to try to get rid of the problems but it all made it worse. I finally went to the derm. I was placed on a pretty hardcore regimin. Tazorac, Doryx and Spironolactone. I started at the end of Oct 2011. I am in absolute shock with how well I've responded. Prior to the facial I had been getting more breakouts than usual and blackheads which I never had before. Most likely hormonal changes since hitting my 30's. The first month on the Tazorac was so awful. My face peeled terribly and my breakouts were so bad that I didn't even want to leave the house. I'd smile and my face would crack by my mouth and start bleeding. After about 5-6wks I started seeing some improvement. I decided to make an adjustment to my regimin. Again, I started peeling and breaking out but I stuck with it. I'm about to go on my 11th week of treatment and I can't even begin to describe how happy I am. I have to admit that I picked at them which of course led to scars but the med is helping to fade them and my skin is so incredibly smooth and soft. Yay! In case you'd like to know here is my regimin: am: Wash with Panoxyl with my Clairisonic brush (ok'd by derm to use) Moisturize with Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Soothing Lotion SPF 15. pm: Wash with CeraVe foaming face wash. Very important: Be sure to dry your face completely before applying Tazorac. If you do not wait then you apply it will burn your skin which will cause terrible peeling for at least a week on top of the regular peeling. After the Tazorac I used the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Soothing Cream. Patience is the key!. Good luck to you all and thank you for all the posts. This really helped me to continue the med when all I wanted to do
This Was Helpful

Report
January 7, 2012

Pros:

Clears up acne faster
Smooths out skin
Fades acne marks
Helps wrinkles

Cons:

Bad IB
Very slightly burning/itching
Peeling
Redness (short lived)
Takes at least 12 weeks to see results

I haven't used it the full 12 weeks but I'm on week nine and seeing results. I do feel as though my skin is softer and more even toned. The breakout started a little over a week and it was pretty bad. But if you suffer from moderate to severe acne you may not even notice. I had always been prone to cystic acne and with the IB I did get a few but the cleared up much faster than they normally would have. It has taken me a little longer to see results but I think that's just because my pores were so clogged. The redness and burning was mild and only lasted a few weeks 2 at the most. The odd thing about this medication is that my derm had been prescribing it to me for years on and off so I pretty much always had a tube in the cabinet. But what they never told me was how to use it. I always thought I had to lather it on and when it Burned or irritated my skin I always stopped bc I thought. It was just too strong. No one ever said start slow or use a pea size amount. No one ever said moisturizer or even GIVE IT TIME!!! It wasnt until i say an esthitician that i knew the propper way to use it. This medication does take at least 12 weeks to work and at nine weeks i have almost no new acne just clearing up the IB. When I tell you I have used everything and spend a DISGUSTING AMOUNT OF MONEY AND TIME OBSESSING OVER HOW TO GET CLEAR I'm not kidding. If I wasn't spending money and time looking for a cure it was spent looking for a way to cover it up (tinted moisturizers makeup etc) Just know that this medication is very possibly going to make you look worse before better.If you are using this or even consider it know that acne does effect most of us emotionally as well as physically and you have to prepare urself for both. Be ready for the IB and think "patience" also I have been on every antibiotic for acne and have gained a tolererance so I didn't have the option of using one to help with the IB. BEST OF LUCK TO ALL. THIS FORUM WAS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME A
This Was Helpful

3 user(s) found this helpful

Report
January 2, 2012

Pros:

At first faded hyper pigmentation
Feels lightweight on skin

Cons:

Dryness
Peeling
New/reoccuring hyper pigmentation
Still have new acne forming after using for a month

I think I'm just going to go on accutane like my dermatologist reccomended. I have a lot of pussy acne and some under the skin cystic acne. This isn't working. Ive been on solodyn 80mg for three months, epiduo for two but switched to tazorac. I had a bad breakout initially and I still have new acne every day :( I'm 16 and have had acne for years. Ive tried everything topical and have given up.
This Was Helpful

Report
December 30, 2011

Pros:

Very effective
Relatively fast acting
Only needed to be used once per day

Cons:

VERY expensive
Causes a lot of peeling for the first few weeks
Causes a lot of redness for the first few weeks

After trying many different medications, this is by far my favourite. If you don't have excellent insurance, you'll have to deal with a massive co-pay, but take it from me, it is quite worth it. I have been taking this medication for four months now, and it's simply a miracle drug. One should expect to see some results after about three weeks, and completely clear skin after three months. I've been taking this medication along with Aczone, and Neosalus as a moisturizer. I don't reccomend this drug as a first try, simply because it's so powerful, but for those of you that have tried many others, with unsatisfactory results, this may be the right medication for you.
This Was Helpful

8 user(s) found this helpful

Report
December 30, 2011

Pros:

Clears scars Non sticky Clears existing pimples

Cons:

Makes skin peel. And burns

I started to use this with benzefoam and yea it makes your face peel but beauty cost! It fades scars and you get new skin! Also clear existing pimples and doesn't irritate with makeup! I have free bottles thanks to my dermatologist !
This Was Helpful

Report
December 29, 2011
So I don't know? I've been using this for about four months now. i had HORRIBLE BOTTOM line horrible acne . my face peeled burned and still and looked red. around the 3 month it cleared my face for about a day and then about three weeks ago my face broke out EVERYWHERE even my neck where i had never broken out before. but starting three days ago i started using clean and clear spot treatment along with tazorac.(THIS is not for people who can't tolerate burning/pain higher than 6) because it burns SOOO BADD. but in these 3 days my face AND NECK are completely clear now. idk what to give the credit to but I'm not about to stop one of the and break out again. cause its just embarrassing i can finally put my hair up again!! yayy.
This Was Helpful

7 user(s) found this helpful

Report
December 26, 2011

Pros:

AMAZING at fading hyperpigmentation (brown, red marks)
Destroys pimples and prevents them.
Recreates your skin

Cons:

Absolute HELL for the first 2-4 weeks of using it. Will cause intense peeling, burning, stinging, and itching. I'm not exaggerating, it really is hell.

Does nothing for deep pitted ice pick scars.

Amazing topical. It is no wonder this is the strongest retinoid available, it really does an awesome job of destroying acne, preventing it, and plus removing any acne marks you might have. Notice I said marks, not SCARS. This does not at all work on those ice pick ones that look like holes on your face, nope just red and brown marks. I've been using it for 1 month and it's been doing great things for my skin. Not going to lie though, the first few weeks were terrible. I would wake up in the morning to wash my face and want to cry due to looking like a peeling monster. There were also a few nights, where I could barely sleep due to the itching on my face. But see, that's how it works since it's literally peeling away all those marks and pimples and stuff from your skin...it's like a constant exfoliation or something I don't know. Applying moisturizer BURNS too during the first few days so that does suck too. ONLY USE A PEA AMOUNT, for christ sakes listen to them. Using anymore might seriously damage your skin. Anyway, STICK WITH IT. I can't even imagine what my skin will look like after a year on this stuff to be honest. Flawless, I'm hoping.
This Was Helpful

23 user(s) found this helpful

Report
December 26, 2011

Pros:

Works very well, and fast
No initial breakout period
Helps heal scars
Fades wrinkles
Not only clears acne, makes skin look radiant

Cons:

Causes very sensitive skin
Redness
Peeling
Painful for the first month or so
Expensive

I've been on tazorac and benzoyl peroxide for about 7 months and my skin has never looked better. Because tazorac works by peeling the top layers of the skin, your skin will be red and flaky when you first start using it. When your skin is peeling it can be hard to cover with makeup. I use a gentle sugar scrub on my face before applying moisturizer and makeup, and that usually works great.
This Was Helpful

15 user(s) found this helpful

Report
December 17, 2011

Pros:

Clears up acne Over time
easy to apply

Cons:

Takes a long time
Gets worse before it gets better
DRIES OUT FACE
your skin will peel
makes skin red

I've been using this for about 7 months and so far have not seen any improvements.I apply lotion with this and my face is sitll dry, flaky, and peeling no matterhow much lotion i will use.
This Was Helpful

Report
December 14, 2011

Pros:

Gets RID of pimples, sometimes overnight
Works way faster than anything I've tried
makes scars fade faster
reduces swelling and pain
shrinks pores

Cons:

makes me peely and flakey if I use it more than one night in a row
makes my skin ashy, so putting on powder makes my skin look extremely dry
During the first few weeks the drying is intense

I have had moderate acne since I was 13 and I am now 21. I get swollen, pussy ones on my cheeks and jawline and I have countless tiny flesh-colored bumps all over my forehead. I also have fairly large pores. I've been using this stuff on and off for about three years. I've used essentially every other prescription topical they can give you for acne. Benzol peroxide in particular wouldn't work, no matter how persistent I was with it, so I was extremely frustrated and having this work for me was a huge relief. There was no intitial break-out. It worked as well for me on day 1 as it did on any other day. The only real issue I have with it is it takes your skin a long time to adjust to it, and until then it will be intensely drying. Flaking, peeling, stinging dry. Once you persists for about 1 - 2 months, it will stop making you dry and it will just destroy your pimples. This is the ONLY one that worked for me, and it works really well. If I put it on a big, swollen, inflamed pimple at night, it will often be completely gone the next morning with just the red mark that goes away gradually. It makes them stop hurting overnight, unless they're really big. No other product actually makes the pus go away from within. Other products bring the gross stuff to the surface, while this actually gets rid of it. And if I don't pop, there's no scarring. This is MAGIC cream. I love it. I sometimes get my friends to spot-treat with it when they complain about having a really bad pimple, and all of them have been blown away. It is absolutely 100% worth dealing with the dryness to get the satisfaction of obliterating painful pimples in a night. If you really slather on moisturizer on top of the medicine, it can often prevent the dryness and it still works just as well. It's absolutely worth a try, if it means it might work as well for you as it did for me. Note: If you're a girl, I highly recommend spironolactone pills as well.
This Was Helpful

14 user(s) found this helpful

Report
Previous
1 … 8 9 10 11 12 … 57
Next

Relevant Article(s):

Relevant Review(s):

Relevant Forum(s):

Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website