Topical Retinoid
Reviews
3.4
969 Reviews
Topical Retinoid
Efficacy
51%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
1
2
3
4
5
Topical Retinoid
Side Effects
Low-Medium
Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Produces similar results to the two other topical retinoids, tretinoin and adapalene, which means only partial clearing, and comes with far more sensitivity and side effects when you first start using it. It probably won’t be a total game changer and don’t be surprised if it’s too much for your skin to take.
Topical Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Read All About Tazarotene
Compare To Other Treatments
5
18.7%
4
32.9%
3
25.3%
2
13.9%
1
9.2%

Used Tazarotene? Rate It:

Choose from 1 to 5 stars
December 17, 2015
Worse acne after 12 weeks
After 3 weeks of the medication, I experienced worse acne than I've ever had in my entire life (I'm currently 21, and I've had moderate-severe acne since age 17, but this was HORRENDOUS). Thought it was just an "acne purge"... but it lasted and worsened all the way up until week 12 of the medication. It was SO painful, itchy, and made me not want to leave the house. If you are still experiencing worse acne around like week 7-9, call your doctor... don't finish the course like I did. Now I'm going to try Spiro and Retin-A micro. Here's hoping this nightmare is soon over.
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February 3, 2017
Did the different treatment help you?
July 23, 2015
Used for 8 months
Before I was 16 I would only get acne on my forehead and pimples, but once my hormonal acne started my cheeks were covered in painful bumps. I am 19 now and thankfully with much clearer skin due to using clenziderm face wash by Obagi, the pmd system, the buffering lotion by mario badescu, and tazorac. I used the buffering lotion on my larger cystic breakouts and tazorac on my more red inflamed whiteheads. I don't think I experienced purging, but to be honest my skin was so bad that an extra five or even ten blemishes wouldn't have even phased me that much. I wore makeup all throughout high school and what tazorac did for me was reduce the size of the blemish (the height of the bump), which was a big deal to me because makeup can mask the color but it can't hide the texture of your skin. Now my general concern is just fading my discoloration, which I still use the pmd for. I still have an unopened 30 grams of tazorac but I am glad to say that I don't feel like I don't need it anymore so I am selling it on mercari. I wish my skin didn't peel for the sake of my makeup texture, but I am glad it did...I felt like a new person underneath lol
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June 8, 2015
Good, but not on its own.
Story- Im a 16yo girl and used to have severe acne on my forehead for a couple years and have constantly been switching prescribed medications because they either didnt work, or my skin adapted to them. I have been using acanya in the morning, tazorac at night, and cera ve face products for about 6 months. Im using two products so that my skin cannot adapt to it so quickly. My skin has been slowly clearing up all through the months ,sometimes getting really bad (never worse than my original problem) , and sometimes really good. Now I will get only a pimple or two a week. Cons of Tazorac - oily but it was a night treatment so didnt matter, works slowly on its own, occasional severe redness and flaking.
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November 23, 2013
spot treat only!!

Pros:

helps deep acne

Cons:

dries out skin
leaves skin red

I have moderately severe acne, which had been (mostly) taken care of by some bactrim and spironolactone, but now that I'm in grad school and stressed, it's back. I use tazorac sometimes to spot treat deep acne. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. If I spot treat for more than a few days I will get really ugly dry skin lines around where I put it on. I recently made the mistake of putting it all over my chin and nose area (the gel seemed to be less harsh than the cream) and did that for a few days and yesterday my face was dry and peeling and red. I tried putting on some sensitive skin lotion and it BURNED like CRAZY I had to wash it off right away. Back to very small area spot treatments for me...
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April 9, 2013

Pros:

Nothing

Cons:

dry's our skin bad!

breaks you out
itchy
makes face red and sensitive

The bottomline is this. This did NOT work for me. I am 27 and have been dealing with adult acne for the past few years. I have tried everything you can think of. I understand this is a 12 week course and after that you skin should be amazing. That was not the case for me. In fact my skin has never looked so bad. I have been on this medicine for about 14 weeks. I just stopped it, did my research and have been using tea tree oil. TRY THIS STUFF. my skin has cleared up so fast and it has only been a week of using it on my face. Tazorc brings everything out in your face, it doesn't do much to clear it up, or stop it. Tea tree oil cleans out your pores and kills acne.
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March 16, 2013

Pros:

Clears up acne
Did not hurt for me
No side effects so far

Cons:

Takes a while to start clearing up
Gets worse before better.
Does not clear up in one day, takes weeks of tiny improvements

I switched off Benzoyl peroxide and needed a new solution. I was put on Differin and a antibiotic but it did not work after about 2 months. I then went on Tazorac for about 2 weeks and did not see improvement. That was a huge mistake. After assuming Tazorac would not work I gave Differin a second chance for another month before giving up again. I read reviews that said Tazorac took a while so I have been on it for about 7 weeks using at night Aczone in morning along with Bactrim. Clears up slowly but I am almost completely clear! Defiantly
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May 7, 2012

Pros:

Makes your skin renew itself SUPER quickly
Tightens your pores

Cons:

Caused many whiteheads, which I NEVER have
Made my skin super oily
Broke me out like crazy!!

I kept using this product for like 4 months. When I started using it, my skin was getting worse but I just thought that it was "purging", like my dermatologist had said it would. I was getting a lot of inflamed pimples and whiteheads, which I usually never get. I kept at it, but after 4 months, it couldn't be that my skin was purging. Maybe a month, maybe 2, but not 4!!!!!!! As soon as I stopped using it, my skin got SO much better. Within 3 days, the whiteheads were gone and the red pimples were reducing in size and were less angry. Within a month, my skin was back to normal, which for me means maybe 2-3 active lesions on the chin/jawline. During the Tazorac nightmare, I had like 30 and all over my face!! Try it if your dermatologist thinks it can help, but stop using it after 2 months if your skin doesn't get better!
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November 19, 2011

Pros:

fades acne scars
makes skin softer
makes a blemish/pimple go away in 2 nights (2 uses)

Cons:

skin peels
causes an occassional pimple but that will go away when tazorac is used for another day or two
costly if insurance doesnt cover

its a very good product, my skin really cleared up and my acne scars are fading however i do still peel and get an occassional pimple or two
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August 21, 2009

Pros:

It made the 3 big pimples I had on my face better

Cons:

It smells funny, it made me break out on places I never get bumps on and it made my ski oily when I applied it on

I haven't really seen any improvements but I've only been using it for 3 days so far=]
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July 28, 2009

Pros:

None yet

Cons:

Redness,peeling,dryness

Im on week 3 and so far all it has done is dried out my face and made me break out. I dont know if i should stop using it or not
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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.

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.