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
April 20, 2012
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!
April 9, 2012
Pros:
Gets rid of acne, leaves skin soft and helps to reduce acne scars
Cons:
VERY EXPENSIVE if not covered by your insurance, dry skin, stings, takes a while to work
I started using tazorac with benzaclyn and it's the first time since I got pregnant that I don't have a breakout for more than 4 weeks. The first couple of weeks were hard, my skin was very sensitive to the tratment and was red like a tomato. I felt like my face was burning. After 2 weeks feeling terrible, my face started to clear out. I got less breakouts every time and now I feel pretty. It takes time (I'm in month 4) but it works. Be patient
March 30, 2012
Pros:
-Softer skin (good if you're a girl I guess)
Will pull out many (but not all) of your blackheads
Cons:
-Stinging and intense itching for the first few weeks of application
-If you have mild, non inflammatory acne, this will give you inflammatory acne that will last a long time
-Gives you unbelievably oily skin
-Can cause pitting scars
I started tazorac for mild, mostly non-inflammatory acne. Tazorac caused many of my blackheads and whiteheads to become extremely inflamed for weeks, and the longer they stayed inflamed, the more scarring they caused. My skin type never pitted in the past, even with the occasional monster zit that I would squeeze and squeeze. However tazorac caused one area of my cheek to form a noticeable purple pit from a blackhead that it caused to stay inflamed for 6-7 weeks. The plug popped out when I was rinsing, and it left a gaping purple pit from how long it was inflamed for. I have a few red lesions now, several purple and pretty nasty skin that really wasn't all that bad prior to starting. Tazorac also caused my skin to seep with oil, within 20 minutes after washing with even bar soap. It might be better for your skin if you have a drier skin type that would cause the inflammation to dry out quickly. But many of us get more oily on retinoids and that's when it becomes counter-productive. If you have severe acne, this may be for you. Otherwise, stay the heck away from this stuff. It'll take your mild acne and cause the plugs to come out too violently to do any good. Better to just get some microdermabrasions for the black/whiteheads. What good is getting blackheads out if you'll just be left with a bunch of scars and pits? Tazorac is for the serious acne sufferers who don't really have many other options. Just read other reports like mine where people with mild acne ended up regretting using it.
March 17, 2012
Pros:
Acne clears up fast and usually stays away for a month.
Cons:
Peeling, itching, and dryness
I've been using this stuff for years and out of everything I've tried, tazorac was the only thing that helped. Since I've been using it for so long that after a while I can go a month without touching the stuff. My skin does peel at times and I know that's something a lot of people have a problem with but my docter said that your skin is suppose to do that. Bottom line-tazorac works.
March 14, 2012
Pros:
May help people with more severe acne like cystic acne.
Cons:
Severe reaction to this product!! Severe dryness and irritation!! Made my skin peel and left me with open sores on my face!!
Not good for individuals with light to moderate acne. This is the topical form of Accutane.
February 19, 2012
Pros:
Makes skin smooth, clears up existing acne, shrinks pores,gives skin a healthy glow
Cons:
Drys skin, inital breakout is horrible!
Ive had acne since the age of 14, i am now 41, ive tried everything and have even been on accutane twice in my lifetime. 12 years ago my derm perscribed me Retin-a 01% gel and it worked wonders but unfortunetly it stopped working, my derm has now given me Tazorac .05% cream which i have been using for 6 weeks and its working!!!! The inital break out in week 3 was aweful but knew i had to stick with it to see results and so far im happy with the results! Now into my 6th week my acne is calming down and my skin has a nice healthy glow. Tazorac will bring all the acne to the surface but i find that the pimples heal much faster. I use it at night only and havent used any moisturizer before applying it but i do however moisturize my face before applying my makeup in the morning. Seriously i never imagined having acne at my age and believe me when i say acne has taken its toll on me emotionally so im hoping that tazorac will keep working for me years to come. Good luck to everyone!
February 8, 2012
Pros:
CLEARS BLACKHEADS
helps with pore size!
Cons:
drying !!!
I used Tazorac gel 0.05 for 1 month and my really SEVERE blackheads were almost all gone and my enlarged pores were also significantly reduced. However, my skin was really really dry and peeling. It even cracked because of all the dryness!!! Just juse a good cream with it to combat the flakes (like CeraVe).
January 28, 2012
Pros:
CLEARS SKIN AFTER THREE MONTHS
MAKES COMPLEXION FLAWLESS
LIKE YOUR WEARING MAKE UP EXCEPT FOR PARTS THAT ARE PIGMENTED
Cons:
STOPS WORKING AFTER 9 MONTHS
PURGING PERIOD SUCKS
EXPENSIVE W/OUT INSURANCE
NO GENERIC
I LOVED THIS PRODUCT AS SOON AS IT FINALLY BEGAN TO WORK. MY DOC GAVE IT TO ME WHEN I HAD LIKE 4 HUGE I MEAN ENORMOUS CYSTS SEPT. 2010. THE CYSTS TOOK A COUPLE MONTHS TO CLEAR UP THEY WERE SO BAD BUT THE REST OF MY SKIN WAS REALLY NICE AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OF USING THE PRODUCT IN COMBINATION WITH ORAL ANTIBIOTIC AND CLINDYMAYCIN LOTION WHICH IS AN EXTERNAL ANTIBIOTIC. IT WORKED AMAZING FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS BUT THEN MY ACNE BEGAN TO FLARE UP GRADUALLY STARTING IN JULY 2011 AND BECAME MORE WORSE UNTIL I JUST ENTIRELY STOPPED USING IT IN OCTOBER 2011. I ALSO CHANGED MY FACE WASH FROM AVEENO TO MURAD BIGGEST MISTAKE WHICH COULD OF WORSENED MY ACNE TOO AT THE TIME OF SEPTEMBER 2011. IM DISAPPOINTED TAZORAC STOPPED WORKING. IF I DIDN'T LOSE MY INSURANCE I WOULD SWITCH TO .1% FROM .05% WHICH WAS THE TAZORAC I INITIALLY USED TO CLEAR UP. NATURALLY I BUILD TOLERANCE AND I WOULD DEFINITLY STAY WITH THIS BRAND IF I UPGRADED THE DOSAGE BUT RIGHT NOW I CANT
Pros:
- Less Oily Skin
- It seems as if it is shrinking my large pores
- Skin feels softer where it isn't purging