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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 the skin.
Tazarotene is usually applied once a day around bedtime.
Used Tazarotene? Rate It:
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July 6, 2012
Cons:
Expensive
Potent - hence you must be very careful applying (tiny amount for whole face)
Doesn't do much for oilyness or blackheads
Sun sensitivity
Dryness, so moisturize (about 30 mins after applying) at night
Look, I've been wanting to write a review for this product for a while. I've been suffering from moderate acne for about 6 years (I'm 22) and have been through the ups and downs of MANY different products. I've researched extensively and I've seen 6 different dermatologists from 4 different facilities over the last 6 years. If you're a young person with moderate acne/oily skin, 90% of you should listen to me and do this: For starters, use Cetaphil Daily Face Wash 2x a day.
Mornings - use either an antibiotic (clindamycin - topical worked great for me for 1 year) or Aczone 30 mins after washing your face.
Evening - Tazorac .1% gel (pea sized amount) 30 mins after shower. Wait another 30 mins and apply moisturizer as needed (meaning chin, around mouth, near nose, maybe even upper cheeks), but don't apply to areas that are naturally greasy.
Other useful and true tips:
Avoid greasy foods, excessive sweets, and cheese.
Change your pillow cases 2x a week (minimum).
After sweating (working out, sun bathing, etc) shower ASAP.
Most importantly, if you live in a sunny region, ENJOY THE SUN. So many derms advise against sun tanning because of skin damage; but trust me, if you have oily skin, the risk of burning, wrinkles, or even permanent scarring is minimal to nonexistent.
Derms hate the sun - Why?
Because it provides Vit. D, drys the skin, and blends blemishes for FREE!....They can't compete with that.
The risks associated with drugs are FAR WORSE than skin damage from the sun. Case and point: Took minocycline and doxycyline on different occasions - both resulted in blue teeth/nails, migrains, and stomach pain.
And we all know the numerous detrimental side effects of Isotretinoin/Accutane..... Eat healthy, keep your face clean, try topical products only (less systemic absorbtion of rx drugs), change pillow cases often (if you have oily skin), and enjoy the sun. Don't let derms fool you into believing th
April 20, 2012
Pros:
- Less Oily Skin
- It seems as if it is shrinking my large pores
- Skin feels softer where it isn't purging
Cons:
- The so called "purge period" and not knowing how long it will last
- Dry, spotted areas of flakiness and somewhat dull complexion
I'm happy to have come across this review site because my dermatologist did not tell me anything about this "purge period" so I was freaking out that something was wrong as I started breaking out with cysts and white heads for no apparent reason! So since I am purging, I cannot yet rate the product for its acne improvement as I've yet to see and appreciate these expected results. Will post again in a month. If there is anyone with advice on how to get this at a better price vs +$450 USD, as my insurance will not cover it and it's very expensive even at the Club Stores (i.e. Sam's, Costco).
April 18, 2012
Pros:
cleared my acne
free samples from derm
Cons:
leaves skin oily
takes two months to start clearing
doesn't remove blackheads or oil
doesn't minimize pores
pricey
I am 21 years old.most of us can say we have all tried everything! this was the first product to clear my face out of 8 years suffering from acne.This is the clearest my face has been since I've started having acne. I have been using tazorac for about 8 months now. The only problem is I believe my skin is becoming immune to it which is making me nervous. I never want to go back to my old skin and I read another review saying it works for 6 months so now i am worried. My skin looks good now but it did not help minimize my huge pores or help with my excess oil issue. The tazorac cleared my back, chest and bum though, which made me more than happy. TRY THIS! I am not sure if I have become immune to it or if I am just stressed from school. This product made me the happiest I've been in a long time. Even if it only clears us for 6 months or so, hey, that's 6 months of clear skin!!!!!! I've been so happy!!
April 13, 2012
Pros:
*Decreases oiliness, blackheads, and milia
*Strongest topical acne treatment out there
*FDA approved to reduce the appearance of wrinkles
Cons:
*Amount of time it takes to show a significant difference
*Skin eventually builds up an immunity to tazortene
I've read a lot of reviews on this website and I think the majority of them are unfair and irrelevant. I have been on Tazorac on and off since I was 13 years old, I am now 19. I have EXTREMELY oily skin that can take a lot harsh products with little to no sensitivity. Basically, I have been on Accutane and experienced no facial dryness (just perfection)!
I am here to defend Tazorac because I'm getting the feeling that Tazorac was the wrong topical prescription for them. First of all, Tazorac is a very harsh treatment but if you actually took the time to do research on it, you would know that it is best to dilute it with a moisturizer. Also, if you are on the sensitive side, don't take it everyday! Every other day or every two days is fine! Tazorac has also worked wonders for my eye milia. My dermatologist recommended that I dilute my Tazorac with a rich eye cream, this has saved me money from buying a separate retinol eye treatment.
Yes, Tazorac is an intense treatment. If you don't have oily skin, do not use it. If you do, it could be the right product for you.
My only complaint is that the skin can eventually become immune to the effects of tazorac (after about 8-12 months). The solution with my skin was to integrate other medicated products into my regimen while on Tazorac. One time out of the 6 years I've been on Tazorac, I only used Tazorac and face wash as my regimen (after about 9 months I had quite a bit cystic breakouts). It's always good to take a break from Tazorac and use something else, once you go back on it everything will be good again after 1-2 months!
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.
April 4, 2011
Pros:
??
Cons:
Not practical for backne
I was perscribed this for my embaressing back acne but could never use it because I couldnt apply it and didnt have anybody I could ask. I think this may work because I have friends who have used it on their faces with luck but you have to think about where you will need to apply it
October 10, 2009
Pros:
Easy to apply, perfect solution to get rid of acne forever, not noticeable on your face, WORKS.
Cons:
Makes acne get worse at first, (about 1 month it will be worse but not to much worse), but then it starts clearing.
I don't know why everyone says it dries their skin, they obviously didn't read the instructions. You must apply only a PEA SIZED amount to your face, and only in the areas that are affected. YOU MUST ALSO USE LOTION BEFORE PUTTING IT ON. Basically, if you know how to read, this medication is right for you. There should be no dryness, these people just put way to much on or didn't use lotion before putting it on. Or both.
September 27, 2009
Pros:
Sort of clears up acne
Cons:
Makes me super oily!! HATE THAT!!!
Well, I supposed this has helped a bit. I've been using it for almost half a year now. Still have some terrible cystic acne though. Not really happy with this though. Ready to quit and try something else. UGH
June 14, 2009
Pros:
It has brought pimples to the surface.
Cons:
It does not seem to make any noticeable improvements.
I have been only using it for a month recently. I am 25 now with acne, and had used Tazorac during high school when my acne was similar to how it is now. I had stopped using it before when I went to Hawaii for vacation and never used it again because it didn't seem to help reduce the acne.
Since my acne flared up a couple months ago, my dermatologist put me back on it even though I told her it didn't really work for me before.
I am wary or the pore stretching that I have read from other Tazorac reviews though. I have noticeable blackheads on my nose and under my eyes, the pore size is not huge. I have to be a foot away from the mirror to notice some of the open pores and blackheads on my nose and closer to view the rest of the pores.
I am wondering, does anyone have any topical recommendations that have really worked for their severe or moderate acne?
June 13, 2009
Pros:
none.
Cons:
oily skin, makes acne worse even after the first 8 weeks, dries skin like a mofo, did I say super oily skin? too much $$ for the damage it does.
makes your skin oily, really oily. tends to irritate the acne on the skin at the point where it becomes red and inflammated..ive been using it for more than 6 months and it hasnt done anything. the improvements that i had on my skin was thanks to the benzaclin I was using during the day, but it caused me severe colitis in the long run so I stopped using it. My acne worsened like Ive never seen it before and I think it was thanks to the tazorac, I stopped using it 2 days ago and went with Neutrogena on the spot, cause it has benzoil peroxide like benzaclin does minus the clyndamicin, that is what causes the colitis, and my skin is MUCH MUCH better, I can see improvements in just 2 days. Amazing. I used the gel 0.1%
Pros:
Clears acne when combined w/ anti-inflammatory (i.e. antibiotic - topical or pill, or products like Aczone)