While Using Tazorac Cream 0.01 for a Month, is It Normal to Break out More Than Usual?

Tazorac cream is a topical retinoid that is useful for acne. It is not uncommon to have occasional acne flareups while starting a retinoid. Do not excessively dry out your skin and try to moisturize with a ceramide type moisturizer. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian Los Angeles

Most patients will have a flare of their acne a few weeks after starting Tazorac, Retin-A or Differin.  You must be patient since it takes 6 to 10 weeks of treatment to see improvement in your acne.  If your skin is too dry, use an oil-free moisturizer or skip treatment for a night.  Have a follow-up appointment with your dermatologist for re-assessment.

In most patients beginning a new acne, it is common to have an initial worsening of their acne especially with a new topical regimen.  Tazorac is a more irritating topical retinoid than Retin A and Differin.  I see most of my patients back for follow up at two months after beginning a new regimen since at this time the acne should be improving as the initial irritation has resolved.  As always, I recommend discussing your individual situation with your board certified dermatologist.

Many patients flare around the third week when using a Retiniod such as Tazorac. As Dr. Perri points out, Tazorac is a bit more irritating than Retin A, and significantly more irritating than Differin ( which, unlike the others is chemically not related to Vitamin A). It was once felt that this flaring was due to the comedones being unplugged and "coming to the surface. However, recent studies have shown the problem to be a irritant contact dermatitis. It seems the skin adjusts to this irritation and eventually becomes acclimated. 

In the meantime, there are a couple of measures you can take to ease the irritation. You can ask your dermatologist to switch you to the weaker and more tolerable Tazorac cream 0.05 ( I am assuming you mis-typed, since Tazorac does not come in 0.01). You can also switch to every other night treatment or even using Tazorac for 2 hours in the evening. The addition of a moisturizer at the same time. Cerave PM would be excellent since it contains Niacinamide which helps control erythema ( redness) and in addition will help your acne. There is some controversy, whether to apply the moisturizer before or after Tazorac, but it appears it does not really matter. 

If these measures fail, your dermatologist could certainly place you on the milder Differin cream 0.1.