Tazorac Users???
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free skin care · Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:50 am

Mimyx is also a prescription med that's great for redness and irritation, and as a barrier before moisterizing. It's a newish drug used for eczema. My Dern told be to use it if Tazorac was causing peeling and/or redness.

free skin care · Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:55 am

yogi wrote:

Mimyx is also a prescription med that's great for redness and irritation, and as a barrier before moisterizing. It's a newish drug used for eczema. My Dern told be to use it if Tazorac was causing peeling and/or redness.

Excellent - thanks, Yogi! Funnily enough, I never considered prescription options to counteract the ill-effects of Tazorac...I'll definitely check this out!
Puds

Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:42 pm

my experience with Taz has been mixed. I feel all it does is make me peel. I guess there are benefits. Usually I use it for a week or two when I feel really dull and luckluster. Once the molting has stopped, I look like I got a chemical peel. Maybe I'm using too much.
My derm has told me to use short contact method, but it just takes too much work. The other problem I've experienced is is red crusty patches OR a burning sensation when I put on something else like moisturizer with sunscreen. Although I have to say that those patches are basically poreless now and I don't have problems with them anymore.
For right now. I'm fed up with it and have been using Murad acne complex kit. I hardly do all three steps regularly at the same time--Use step2 every other night and sometimes replace the skin perfecting lotion with Decleor essential balm. This seems to work the best. No peeling, no redness. Pores look smoooth and small. When climate becomes less severe (I live in Massachusetts) I might try tazorac again. I can't risk it while the air is so dry and cold.

free skin care · Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:01 pm

Pudoodles wrote:

waffle wrote:

see if your derm will give you a round of oral antibiotics for the purging stage. That got me through it. It can be frustrating, but keep using it every night, it WILL be worth it.

also to those that are experiencing redness and irritation, Niacinamide 4% has been studied to reduce retinoid irritation and improve tolerance (ask your derm for samples)

Hi Waffle - I'm intrigued by the notion of using the niacinamide.. I'm using Tazorac right now - but I got it from my regular doctor - I don't have a derm....I could ask my doctor for it though...is it expensive?
Thanks!
Pudoodles

miss pudoodles,
the niacinamide is about $25 for a tube that will last you the rest of your life. It feels a bit greasy going on but sinks in quickly and is matte. very good for toning down redness -- it's an antiinflammatory. The brand I use is nicomide-T cream 4%. I beleive it is a "behind the counter" type of thing where you don't have to have a prescription -- I originially got mine from a scrip but last time bought it online here: http://www.zuckermanpharmacy.com/product.cfm/hurl/797951.html

free skin care · Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:47 pm

Emilee_ann_143 wrote:

When did you guys start purging? And was it really nasty? I have only mild acne and its on my cheeks. It is actually due to white heads that get inflamed! I'm trying to prevent whiteheads and get rid of them with tazorac. I'm on my second week and notice a lot more white heads. I'm very nervous because Im afraid they are going to erupt and give me cheeks full of bumps?! Can you guys tell me what to expect? Thanks =)

PS: my aunts a derm but she just gives me samples. she doesnt really tell me what to expect.....bc she lives thousands of miles away.

HANG IN THERE! I totally know what you are going through and let me tell you, it's worth it after the "flare up" subsides. Your skin is bringing up a lot of the "gunk" that was deeper into the skin and you've got to let it finish bringing it up and out. Try the aspirin mask- I found that it really helped me.

Pudoodles wrote:

waffle wrote:

see if your derm will give you a round of oral antibiotics for the purging stage. That got me through it. It can be frustrating, but keep using it every night, it WILL be worth it.

also to those that are experiencing redness and irritation, Niacinamide 4% has been studied to reduce retinoid irritation and improve tolerance (ask your derm for samples)

Hi Waffle - I'm intrigued by the notion of using the niacinamide.. I'm using Tazorac right now - but I got it from my regular doctor - I don't have a derm....I could ask my doctor for it though...is it expensive?
Thanks!
Pudoodles

I've heard of this niacinamide. It comes in a topical application (non-Rx) and oral tabs (Rx). It seems to me the that topical application isn't too expensive.... but I can't remember. Sorry. And if you can't find it online, I guess you can have your pharmacist special order it for you.

free skin care · Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:53 pm

I have used Avage (taz) for two years and love it! Retin A is too drying. Avage is stronger yet not as drying.

free skin care · Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:59 pm

amnis wrote:

Pudoodles wrote:

waffle wrote:

see if your derm will give you a round of oral antibiotics for the purging stage. That got me through it. It can be frustrating, but keep using it every night, it WILL be worth it.

also to those that are experiencing redness and irritation, Niacinamide 4% has been studied to reduce retinoid irritation and improve tolerance (ask your derm for samples)

Hi Waffle - I'm intrigued by the notion of using the niacinamide.. I'm using Tazorac right now - but I got it from my regular doctor - I don't have a derm....I could ask my doctor for it though...is it expensive?
Thanks!
Pudoodles

I've heard of this niacinamide. It comes in a topical application (non-Rx) and oral tabs (Rx). It seems to me the that topical application isn't too expensive.... but I can't remember. Sorry. And if you can't find it online, I guess you can have your pharmacist special order it for you.

Dummy here! Embarassed

I went back and was looking through my notes from back when I was looking for topical treatments for my acne. Well, it's Nicomide-T Gel (non-Rx) that I thought you were refering to. There is also Nicomide Oral (Rx only), The Nicomide-T gel contains niacinamide 4% and costs anywhere from $30-50 I guess. I think the reason why I didn't try this specific gel made by Sirius Labs is that I wasn't too crazy about the inactive ingredients.

I am sure there are other brands out there etc but I just don't know about them.

As far as the Rx Nicomide goes, why couldn't one just take niacinamide supplements instead?

Anyway, just wanted to clear that up.

free skin care · Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:32 pm

amnis --
yeah, the inactives in the topical aren't great, but you don't have to use it everyday, and it hasn't harmed my skin any (I'm pretty sensitive). Some people actually use the topical and oral supplements together. I do take a B complex, but I avoid the heavy niacin supplements because niacin causes flushing, and I blush enough as is. Plus, I don't like putting a billion percent of anything into my body daily, and you have to take quite a bit to get the same result as the topical. Topical is just more efficient and no side effects of oral supplements -- but I hear you on the icky ingredients of the nicomide. I probably wouldn't have tried it if my derm hadn't insisted.
I know some people have tried to DIY to niacinamide creams by dissolving niacin into aloe vera, but I think it would be grainy and hard to get the percentages right.

free skin care · Sun Jan 21, 2007 3:56 pm

waffle wrote:

amnis --
yeah, the inactives in the topical aren't great, but you don't have to use it everyday, and it hasn't harmed my skin any (I'm pretty sensitive). Some people actually use the topical and oral supplements together. I do take a B complex, but I avoid the heavy niacin supplements because niacin causes flushing, and I blush enough as is. Plus, I don't like putting a billion percent of anything into my body daily, and you have to take quite a bit to get the same result as the topical. Topical is just more efficient and no side effects of oral supplements -- but I hear you on the icky ingredients of the nicomide. I probably wouldn't have tried it if my derm hadn't insisted.
I know some people have tried to DIY to niacinamide creams by dissolving niacin into aloe vera, but I think it would be grainy and hard to get the percentages right.

Maybe it's worth looking into making a DIY version by ordering the niacinamide and carrier ingredients... hmm

free skin care · Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:33 pm

I have been using Tazorac (Avage) for two years and have been struggling with oily skin. I just read the ingredients and found that it contains mineral oil. Could this be my problem? Shock

free skin care · Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:37 am

Janie wrote:

I have been using Tazorac (Avage) for two years and have been struggling with oily skin. I just read the ingredients and found that it contains mineral oil. Could this be my problem? Shock

well if your skin is still oily when you don't have the tazorac on, then no. Plus I'm sure it's a minute amount in there. Your skin could be becoming oily for a number of reasons, and one of them could be that the tazorac is drying to your skin and your skin is producing more oil to compensate. But a tiny amount of mineral oil in a product will not make your skin become oily out of nowhere.

free skin care · Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:46 pm

Has anyone used both Taz and Retin-A Micro? What are the differences in these two products. I think the Retin-A Micro comes in only one strength.

I'm trying to decide if I should go back to topicals.

Thanks!

free skin care · Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:15 pm

I've used Retin A Micro (1st was put on the 0.1% strength, then had to go down to .04%), then retin-A cream .05%, then differin (which was actually really good, especially compared to my personal lack of success with Retin-A). I started using Tazorac in September, and it is really by far the best for me personally, but it is more drying than the differin. I think in my case, it is less sensitizing than the Retin-A. That was my main problem with Retin-A, it was too sensitizing, and did almost nothing for my acne (I was on it --with all its various flavours-- for ~ 1-1.5 yrs).
Which topicals have you tried and/or are debating to go back on?
is it for acne or wrinkling?

free skin care · Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:01 pm

Hi, I used Retin A for years, for acne. I used the cream, the gel and the liquid, which is very strong and I don't believe they make it any more. They also had individually wrapped pads at one time which my sis used. They were crazy strong but were amazing for her acne. I stopped using the Retin A gel for a time and when I returned to my dermatologist, he recommended Retin A Micro. I have liked it the best, as it is not greasy like the cream and does not ball up like the gel. I am thinking of going back on it, but I'm at an age where my insurance will not pay for it (because they think its for wrinkles! I mentioned this on another thread.) I'm curious about Taz and Differin because neither of these have been mentioned by my derm and I was wondering if they were stronger than Retin A Micro or just different.

free skin care · Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:25 pm

joani.sp wrote:

Hi, I used Retin A for years, for acne. I used the cream, the gel and the liquid, which is very strong and I don't believe they make it any more. They also had individually wrapped pads at one time which my sis used. They were crazy strong but were amazing for her acne. I stopped using the Retin A gel for a time and when I returned to my dermatologist, he recommended Retin A Micro. I have liked it the best, as it is not greasy like the cream and does not ball up like the gel. I am thinking of going back on it, but I'm at an age where my insurance will not pay for it (because they think its for wrinkles! I mentioned this on another thread.) I'm curious about Taz and Differin because neither of these have been mentioned by my derm and I was wondering if they were stronger than Retin A Micro or just different.

Insurance companies. Rolling Eyes

Don't get me started. Have you tried having your doctor write a letter and/or arguing the circumstances with your insurance company? It can be a hassle but sometimes it's worth it.

I tried Differin way back in high school and college and it really didn't work well for me. I also experienced the extreme irritation with Retin A in high school as well. I've never tried Retin A micro but I can say that when I brought up the micro as a possibility my derm strongly recommended trying the Tazorac gel over the micro b/c (hopefully I am remembering correctly) the mechanism of action differs slightly but mostly b/c the Tazorac is less irritating and just as or more effective. I'm glad I did try the Taz b/c I have seen a lot of success with it. Also, your insurance company may be more likely to cover it since it is used for acne and psoriasis.

free skin care · Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:52 am

Do any of you know what the shelf life of an opened tube of Tazorac gel is?

free skin care · Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:13 am

So I just started using Taz a couple of days ago after increasingly bad acne flare-ups (that I thought I had grown out of after using every acne med under the sun with no results) but am wondering if I should cut out other things that I started recently to try out to let the Taz do its thing and then re-introduce one product at a time. Anyone have any thoughts or want to provide their routine? TIA

Thu Nov 12, 2015 8:22 pm

Wow this is 8 years old, haha. I wonder if anyone will see it! I'm 16 and have had mild acne (had it really bad freshman year, after going to derm it went away for all of sophomore year, now it's back) I have been using the tazorac 0.1% cream for about 4.5 weeks now prescribed by my dermatologist, once a day at night (after cetaphil mouisturizer) along after a sodium sulfacetamide 10% sulfur 5% cleanser & clindamycin phosphate lotion (the lotion is only in morning). I have noticed my skin to definitely become smoother with less bumpy acne... But in my the first couple weeks my skin as been extremely dry. The first 2 weeks my skin was extremely red, dry, flakey, and irritated... In the past 2 weeks the redness and irritation has gone down and now the flakeyness is still there but as well, but not as bad as at first. The tazorac website says it should begin to work after 4 weeks where that is where I am now in the process... I can see smoothing improvement of my acne and definitely less irritation/bumpiness of it, but it's still pretty bad... does anyone know when my acne will clear up? Thanks!!!!

free skin care · Wed Nov 18, 2015 6:14 pm

Tazorac is really strong. I'm not surprised your skin is getting dry. Just space out the use for awhile and moisturize

Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:51 pm

amnis wrote:

Do any of you know what the shelf life of an opened tube of Tazorac gel is?

I'd love to know that as well - I've been using .05% for some time, but I just can't do it more frequently than 2 times a week. It does irritate my face. So, my tube lasts and lasts...

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