Tazarotene
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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.

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1
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May 2, 2011

Pros:

Does a great job of clearing skin.
Not Greasy to use.
Does not burn/irritate skin

Cons:

Does cause slight peeling to start with, but goes away after about a week.

This product is a great tool in helping to fight acne. My dermatologist put me on this drug after many trial and errors of other topical retinoids including Retin-a, Differin, Epiduo, which did not seem to be very effective. My dermatologist was adamant that I be on a topical retinoid because she feels that they are one of the most effective medications to treat, and prevent acne.
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April 20, 2011

Pros:

cant think of any

Cons:

horrible intial breakout
takes forever to work (if it will even work...)
very greasy
rubs off on pillow at night/doesn't sink in skin
-only will work if you never stop and start again...if u start again..you will get another inital breakout. the reason youll want to stop is because of the breakout/not working. its just a bad cycle

this product has done the one thing us acne sufferers want the least from a product that is supposed to help us get rid of acne: IT MAKES YOU BREAKOUT LIKE CRAZY. i have been using this website for advice FOREVER, but i just now joined because i wanted to share my experience with Tazorac. for months i waited and waited and waited...saying to myself its just an initial breakout...my skin is purging. remaining hopeful. but nope..never got better. if it did i hardly noticed and my acne was still unbearable anyways. over some more months my skin was getting better...not due to the tazorac though...but then i noticed i was breaking out pretty bad again (like 4 huge pimples on cheek plus a bunch of little ones) so i was like what the hell i just put some of this on (i think the high price psychologically convinces me its really good stuff) and the next day bam. my face now has like 50 pimples. i hate my life. i cant even leave my house.
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April 17, 2011

Pros:

clears up acne after 2 weeks
use with cleoticin phosphate 1 percent lotion
and neutrogena acne body wash

Cons:

dries skin
cause alot of flaking amd irritation
causes an initial break out

i have had bacne since i was 12 it was disgusting and finally a few years later i went to my regualr doctor who prescribed tazorac along with cleotcin phosphate 1% lotion i used one in the morning and one at night in the begininng it cause a horrible outbreak but within 2 weeks it totally cleared up but i added neutrogena acne body wash whatever its called as a claner which totaly worked but now i have mild acne scars
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March 28, 2011

Pros:

Lifts dead skin cells to brighten skin
Fades marks away
Smoother skin
Smaller pores
Makes pimples smaller

Cons:

Takes a LONG time for it to work
Greasy
Initial breakout (maybe a few weeks into the treatment...skin might look worse than before)
Flaky skin
Doesn't work well by itself

I've been using Tazorac since November,but it took my skin a long time to show REAL improvement. Your skin will breakout after a few weeks with Tazorac,but that's supposed to happen(it seems awful,but it gets better.I promise). You're only supposed to use a pea sized amount, but that wasn't working for me so I use a big dollop and dot it onto my cheeks,nose,chin,and forehead. For some reason my skin wasn't getting any better until I used a large amount...this is just my experience so you might not want to take any chances with your skin. A good moisturizer is necessary to get rid of the annoying flaky skin. It's almost April,and I must say that my skin looks way better. I use Tazorac at night,Dr.Sheffield's ClearZit in the morning, and I wash my face with a paste of baking soda and water. This product works,but you need a lot of patience with it.If you give up on this product,it won't be as effective. My skin is brighter,my scars have almost completely faded away,my pores are a lot smaller,and my acne...words don't even explain how much better my skin is! My acne is pretty much nonexistent,but I still use all these products to maintain my current skin condition. Good luck to all of you!
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March 20, 2011

Pros:

-smoother skin
-smaller pores
-softer skin
-clears up larger pimples

Cons:

-extremely dry and flaky skin within the first two weeks.
- some redness
- breakouts get worse in the beginning.
- greasy and oily
- expensive without insurance

I had acne since I was 12 years old, and now that I'm 25 its not nearly as bad but I have a lot of white heads and the occasional pimple here and there. I used many products and next to NeoBenz Micro this is my favorite by far. It made my skin extremely dry and flaky which was to be expected, especially my nose, chin and above the eyebrows. But after about a week or so my skin started looking shiny and greasy. Just another reason why I didn't use moisturizer. I also had some redness around the nose. After the flaking stoped my acne got worse and I almost gave up, dropping the tube into the drawer with the rest of failing acne medications. I've been using a pea sized amount for a month now. After washing and applying CeraVe I wait about 15 minutes before I apply Tazorac. I also only use it at night. It has helped my skin tremendously. I don't have breakouts or redness anymore. My skin looks even, and the redness is gone as well. I occasionally have a white head here and there but its invisible I can only feel it when I touch my skin. You really have to wait it out. Be patient and give it some time to work wonders. Also always apply moisturizer, even if your skin looks greasy! Another thing that might have helped clean my skin is a Colon cleanse. I used Dr. Natura's Colonix. Besides acne I also suffer from Eczema. I finally did a colon cleanse and it helped my Eczema a lot. Maybe it helped my acne as well.
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February 18, 2011

Pros:

Softer skin
Smaller pores
Acne seems to be inproving

Cons:

Can cause additional breakouts
Dry flakes/redness

I have only been using this medication for about 2 weeks and things seem to be improving already. The first week I did experience an increase in breakouts and dry skin, however this seems to have calmed down. I believe the key to this medication is to use it exactly as the directions instruct...wash with a cleanser, apply a moisturizer and then a pea size amount of the Taz. Since I have super oily skin I was given the Taz 0.1 gel. I'm hoping with some patience this will help clear up the acne I have been experiencing for some time now. I will post an update after another 2 weeks.
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February 17, 2011

Pros:

None!

Cons:

Sucks, made me break out worse, irritating, greasy, expensive.

This was prescribed to me by a dermatologist who met with me for about 1.5 minutes. He gave me this and some $100 sulfuric face wash that smelled like dead animals. The Tazorac started making me break out in welts immediately. After a few weeks I couldn't take it anymore - my acne was worse than it had ever been! I looked at the tube and here's why: this cream has mineral oil in it, which is comedogenic. I don't even know why they make it that way, seems like a violation of common sense. As for the sulfur wash, I prefer good old Cetaphil, even a dirty gym sock would be more effective. The Bottom Bottom line is, always make sure you are going to a good, reputable derm. And don't use Tazorac.
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February 14, 2011

Pros:

Makes you more prone to flaking
Stings/irritating esp when you first start

Cons:

Clears Skin
Very effective
Prevents Aging/wrinkles

So, this cleared my skin. The important thing is to use it consistently and to moisturize. I also recommend using water only to wash your face or using a VERY gentle cleanser. You cannot use a harsh cleanser or bar soap with this. Be prepared to get flaky. This is how the medicine works, it makes your cell production speed up. But on the plus side, this also prevents wrinkles from forming. People who use this WILL look younger longer (look into the science, it's basically an anti-aging treatment). So you have to moisturize. Once you use this for awhile, everyday, the flakiness kind of calms down. But if you skip some days it gets pretty bad. It took 2 weeks for this to work and now my skin is clear. A 30gram bottle can last me 2 months. Use a PEA sized amount. I personally use the gel, I can't comment on the efficacy of the cream. My study plan covers this, but I believe it's 60$/tube without insurance, at least in canada. Totally worth it though.
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February 1, 2011

Pros:

clears all pimples and majority of small cysts
leaves skin clear as long as you keep up with regimen. I went about a month without a cyst with Tazorac it is AMAZING

Cons:

Dry flakes/redness (use aveeno ultra calming its amazing trust me)
Sensitive to sun
Takes a long time. Probably 12-14 weeks but its better then accutane.
Doesnt reduce redness in scarring

Its really awesome but once you stop i... it will come back. DONT BE LAZY WITH THIS MEDICATION. I stopped for a week because I thought it was all gone and it almost came all back. BTW with this medication I use cetaphil gentle skin cleanser/ aveeno ultra calming cream/ and monodox to reduce swelling and redness.
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January 27, 2011

Pros:

it works

Cons:

takes a long time to work

I have been using the 0.05 taz and I've just upped to 0.01. The 0.05 worked well for me. As opposed to many users on this board, my skin tolerated the medication extremely well (no flaking, no burning, nothing...)After about two weeks of applying a heavy cream to my skin first before applying the taz, I realized that I didn't have to , so I applied the taz directly to my skin for about 2.5 months. Everyone else is saying my skin is clearing up and I have to admit that is it is. Right now I mostly have acne scars that are fading away. I broke out like usual (not more or less) for the first couple of weeks but now when I break out the pimples aren't as big. So here's my regime. In the morning i use apricot scrub and an over the counter benzoly perioxide wash (PanOxyl). After drying my skin, I apply over the counter benzyl peroxide medication. And lastly, I apply neutrogena or Oil of Olay lotion for the face. The nights, I just apply taz(no cream or lotion) and go to sleep. Disclaimer: I'm also on birth control so that may be a confounding variable.
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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