The battle with acne is the good fight many have fought. As the most common skin disease, acne can do everything to harm a person’s esteem and absolutely nothing to improve it. I began developing acne at 14 and have continued for 7 years now staging war against the blemishes. I have subjected myself to some of the most commonly prescribed medications and now share my personal experience with one of the most common out there, Tazorac.
Tazorac, along with Differen, is a medication that every acne prone person I know has used at least once. A topical, Tazorac is meant to be a stage up from Differen and is a cream based formula so it does not dry the skin the same way a gel would do. Unfortunately for me, I have faced (no pun intended) the negatives of Tazorac very quickly and rather harshly.
The first time I began Tazorac it not only dried out my skin but forced the actual skin to peel. It was the equivalent of a bad sunburn that then began to peel. I tried to exfoliate to remove some of the excess dead skin but as soon as I dried my face more was peeling off. It was impossible to wear makeup and regardless of the large sums of the richest moisturizers I could afford I still felt very self conscious. Exposure to sunlight is ill advised while on Tazorac and with good reason. Having recently begun treatment, I ventured out into the summer sun for too long and burned the bridge of my nose and the apples of my cheeks. The burn mixed with the medicine in the Tazorac made for an extremely uncomfortable dryness as the skin hardened and dried to the point of what can best be described as cracking. Tazorac users therefore must ALWAYS wear sunscreen on the face no matter what the occasion, even day to day the slightest amount of sunlight can irritate the skin (for me it was always right above the upper lip).
After a 2 year hiatus, I use Tazorac once a day at night and find to prevent dryness and peeling, it is best I apply a moisturizer with zero SPF. The dermatologist cautioned that SPF would actually prevent the medication from penetrating the skin. This can actually be a little bit of a daunting task as most facial lotions appear to have at least SPF 15 but the best I have found is Clean & Clear’s Day/Night duo. Each bottle can be purchased separately and the Night contains no SPF and is still oil-free. Even moisturizer applied beforehand, the skin does take some time to become accustomed to the medication and will most likely be sensitive for a week or so.
Even though I have used Tazorac on and off for approximately 5 years, it has never been a sure fire way to remedy my acne. I began oral medication when I was about 16 starting with Doxycycline, a mild antibiotic and have recently switched to a hormone balancer called Spironolactone in conjunction with Tazorac. In all actuality, what matters most the type of acne one has since not all acne is the same. Tazorac by itself works better for acne that is more on the surface, blackheads, few whiteheads, but cannot remedy large blemishes such as cystic pimples. Therefore, the oral/cream mix has helped with the large flare ups from deep under the skin as well as the break outs closer to the surface. From my own experience, if you do deal with large pimples and cysts, then begin an oral treatment since no topical will be able to penetrate as deep as you need.
In personal opinion, Tazorac has acted as any other topical I have used including Differen Gel, Differen Cream, even a sulfur based lotion, and therefore has left me with much to be desired. Tazorac can only aid acne that is close to the surface and for me often irritates the skin more than I care. However, this is just my first hand experience, only a dermatologist can prescribe what treatment plan is best for you.
