Have you ever used Tazorac? How did it go?

September 27, 2007 11:01 AM

Do the side effects of Tazorac ever go away?

I'm 39 and female. Have had some form of acne almost my entire life. I've been on antibiotics before (didn't really help), Retin-A (sorta helped but really thinned out my skin), Accutane (worked really well but effect didn't last), benzoyl peroxide (can't stand bleaching all my towels by accident), and lately sprinolactone/aldactone (worked like a charm - I was thrilled with the results).

I've been on the spironolactone for about 4 years now. I used to take it every day but started taking it less frequently and my skin still seemed to be okay. Last time I saw a dermatologist, he suggested trying to take me off the spironolactone, and suggested I try Tazorac. He won me over by suggesting that the Tazorac would improve skin texture and I figured not taking an oral drug every day was probably desirable and if I could get even BETTER skin, well, why not?

So now I've been applying the Tazorac (0.1% cream) every other night for about 3 weeks after washing my face and applying the moisturizer I've used every day for like 10 years (Kiehl's Sodium PCA - love it). I also mix in a little moisturizer with the Tazorac (as suggested by the doc). I've had insane amount of peeling and flaking and generally really gross dry skin every since. It has gotten slightly better in the last week but it's still pretty awful. I generally have to reapply moisturizer a couple times a day and still end up looking like my face is peeling from a sunburn quite often. I have a follow-up appointment in about 2 months.

Does this scaly, peeling dryness ever end? Will I adjust? I've been reading some accounts online and reviews seem mixed so I thought I'd ask the good folks here. What's your experience with Tazorac been?

posted by otherwordlyglow to health & fitness (12 comments total)

call your doctor. you might be having a bad reaction to the medication, or s/he may be able to adjust the dosage or concentration of it. don't wait for the appointment.
posted by thinkingwoman at 11:21 AM on September 27, 2007

tazorac is really extreme, it will get better eventually, but if it keeps bothereing you 6 - 8 weeks out, you should try something else.
posted by stormygrey at 11:28 AM on September 27, 2007

hmmm - is there a lower concentration of tazorac? I don't remember which strength I tried but while I found it drying, I didn't experience the same peeling reaction you describe. But I never found it to be not drying... and I didn't like my skin texture on it.
I have great things to say about Klaron though. That really has worked great with spironolactone for me.
posted by chickaboo at 11:31 AM on September 27, 2007

Tazorac comes in a 0.05% strength as well. I had the same issue with the 0.1%, so I went to the 0.05% and life (and my face) was so much better.
posted by kellyblah at 11:36 AM on September 27, 2007

You're using sunscreen, right? Retinoids are extremely photosensitizing; in other words, you can get a sunburn in much less time than it would ordinarily take if you're using retinoids like Tazorac.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:41 AM on September 27, 2007

I have used Tazorac gel in combination with oral antibiotics. The gel helped with my acne but I don't remember my skin ever peeling. If I remember correctly, it actually left my skin kind of moist. Perhaps you might have better luck with the gel over the cream?
posted by puffin at 11:44 AM on September 27, 2007

Hmmm. Yes was considering asking about the gel but might stick it out for another week or so and see if things improve.
Yes, am using sunscreen - always have and always will. I'm very fair so I'm very careful.

It's not peeling in the sense of big sheets of skin (i've had that plenty in the past from actual sunscreen) but it's still very similar to the effect of a mild sunburn. There are definitely bits of skin that can be picked off if I'm not super consistent about the moisturizer.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 12:06 PM on September 27, 2007

it's just because tazorac is alcohol-based. it's like any other drying agent -- after stopping use for a while and/or using moisturizer your skin won't flake. (i used it for psoriasis.)
posted by loiseau at 2:50 PM on September 27, 2007

This happened to me when I first started using it, so now I use it every other day. The flaking got better as my skin got used to it, I think. I also mix with moisturizer (a little bit of Tazorac, a lot of moisturizer).
posted by echo0720 at 4:24 PM on September 27, 2007

This effect is not just because Tazorac is alcohol based. Peeling and redness are a common side effect of retinoid use, and Tazorac is more potent than the Retin-A you used before. Options for building up a tolerance include echo's technique of buffering with moisturizer, starting out with a lower concentration as kellyblah suggests, short contact therapy, and simply using it less often at first -- every other night or every third night until your skin feels a little calmer.
posted by redfoxtail at 7:30 PM on September 27, 2007

I think that was the one my doctor told me to put on, wait a minute, and wash off to get the benefits and minimize side-effects.

On re-reading, what redfoxtail says: short contact therapy.
posted by Cricket at 11:56 PM on September 27, 2007

Get the gel. I love the gel. Try that. If you're still peely, get a lower dosage gel or use it a bit less frequently. Also, please note what others said about sun sensitivity. It's totally true.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:11 AM on September 28, 2007