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.
Used Tazarotene? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
November 19, 2007
Cons:
I just started using it and I'm burning/peeling and it hurts.
Acutane is the best prescribed medication for ACNE.
September 18, 2007
Pros:
none so far
Cons:
making my skin worse and very dry.
I just started using this cream and I have been getting very depressed because my acne keeps getting worse. I have been on it for aprox 3 weeks now and dont even want to go out because I hate the way I look. I don't know if I should stick with it or if it's making things worse and I should get off of it! HELP!!:(
August 27, 2007
Pros:
Cleared up body acne initially after Differin and oral antibiotics became ineffective.
Cons:
Caused extreme peeling on my face, which actually led to an increase in my blackheads. It lost effectiveness on my back after a few years. It is also very expensive, even with fantastic Rx drug coverage.
I began using the 0.05% strength about 7 years ago and increased to the 0.1% strength about 5 years ago. I have used it on and off since then. It works best for body acne, particularly on the back and shoulders, as these areas are least susceptible to Tazorac's harsh side effects. I used it in combination with clindamycin, and it worked fairly well in clearing up and preventing future acne. However, it must be used EVERY day to maintain the difference. I was hoping to wean myself off of Rx acne medication after almost 10 years of using it, but I've never been able to.
It is a poor choice for facial use. Unless you have extremely oily skin that never flakes, I wouldn't recommend this product. It made my skin oily, extremely sensitive and flaky. Makeup would flake off my skin and lotions mixed with flakes to create an unsightly paste. The excessive flaking and oil made blackheads much worse. I stopped using it on my face about a year ago, and my skin improved dramatically.
August 26, 2007
Pros:
none, so far
Cons:
Seems to worsen acne, seriously irritates the skin, increases susceptibility to sun burns, causes massive peeling/flaking.
I'm sure that effectiveness varies from person to person, but Tazorac had definitely not worked for me. I've been using it consistently for more than a year and I've finally decided to give up because it only seems to worsen the acne on my face and back and it makes my face peel horribly.
August 12, 2007
Pros:
made some acne scars fade
Cons:
takes too long to work, makes face really red and flaky. sunburns REALLY easily. the acne that occurs in the "gets worse before it get better stage" leaves even MORE acne marks you have to worry about.
i recentley was in the hospital with bacterial menigitus and i was put on steroids to keep my brain from inflammtion. it had HORRIBLE side effects. it made me break out so much. my derm put me on tazorac and doxy but im starting school in 2 weeks and im too unpatient to wait and see the outcomes of tazorac. i dont want to go to school looking bad. so im going to use benzaclinl...its works very fast and i used it a long time ago and i had fantastic results. i strongly recommending getting off tazorac. im still using doxy oraly. :)
July 14, 2007
Pros:
Some improvement
Cons:
Horrible dryness of skin. Very Expensive.
Been using for 1+ years. The severe dryness has never gone away. My morning routine consists of applying 2 to 3 seperate coats of moisturizer to mask the fact that my face is flaking off. As a side effect, I would say dryness is pretty horrible. Its bad enough where i have to skip using about one day a week because my face cant take it. For effectiveness, I still get acne, but maybe a little less?
July 10, 2007
Pros:
It made my skin smooth and clear in the first 2 weeks of application.
Cons:
My skin had never been that dry before. I had red, itchy dry skin all over my face. My chin was really red and flaky and i stopped using the product after 9 weeks.
I would talk to your doctor about this product first. Do your own research and learn about other topical medications. I would ask your doctor to start you out on differin which is not as irritating and still just as effective. Your skin will still get dry when using differin but its not as severe. When using any of these products try not to pick your FACE. Your pimples will really get BIG.
July 3, 2007
Pros:
None that I can discern (in my case, anyway)
Cons:
Itching, flaking, incredible dryness, redness, swelling, increased acne, increased sensitivity to UV rays, expensive
Tazorac was a complete nightmare for me. My derm instructed me to use 0.5% topical every night and I did - for months and months, 6 in total. My acne never improved and toward the end of my use only got worse (which is what prompted me to quit using it). Throughout this period my skin was so dry as to be almost more embarassing than my acne, red as if I had rosacea and itchy! Used a Cetaphil wash every night and morning as well as Cetaphil moisturizer w. 15 sunscreen in it. Moisturizer did almost nothing to help. Normally I have dry to normal skin, nothing a simple moisturizer can't fix. After Tazorac, I have oily red skin that is uneven in tone and texture. Sigh.
April 28, 2007
Pros:
It does seem to kill the cysts very quickly, like, 1-2 days.
Cons:
Red face, scars look much worse, peeling, stinging, itching, dry, flaky skin,
I have been using this product for about 5 years and was wondering if it works any more for me. So, I logged on here to see what others think, and conclude that other than oral antibiotics, it seems to be the best topical product out there. It is expensive, but 1 tube lasts me about a year. I only recently started to use moisturizer on top, can't believe I just figured that out. This helps with the redness etc. The red face is just so ugly and embarrassing. So I cover it up with a lot of MAC powder which works fine (I'm female). I just recently started to put the Tazorac on my chin/neck at morning time too, since my neck/chin is the worst. The humid climate here is so bad for my acne.Well, after reading the posts, I guess I will stick with the Tazorac. Thanks guys!
March 15, 2007
Pros:
Cleared all my acne and now clearly the scars.
Cons:
The first week I was scared of the soarness, burning, more acne and lots of white heads. After only 2 months of use it's great.
This product is great, I had really bad acne, I was so embarassed but now I'm so happy, my skin never looked better. I'm confident with my new clear skin and I can't wait to go foundation free this summer. You have to use it every night to get the results.
Pros:
Affordable