r/tazarotene

Looking for motivation! Currently going through a mentally challenging purge on week 6 (applied every three nights). Have some of you seen the light through it and can tell it’s worth it ?

Tretinoin made my face significantly darker should I continue or switch to Tazarotene?
I’ve been using Tretinoin 0.025% for almost 6 months now. I didn’t have severe acne to begin with, but I did get recurring pimples. Tretinoin has actually worked really well for that my acne has decreased to maybe 1–2 pimples a week, and overall my skin is much clearer.
The problem is that I feel like it has made my face significantly darker.
My entire face now looks dull, lifeless and noticeably darker than my neck/body. It honestly feels like I look like a completely different person compared with how I looked before starting Tretinoin. I don’t really have burning, peeling or obvious irritation, but my skin just looks unhealthy and lacks any glow or brightness.
I’m brown-skinned, so I’m wondering if this could be related to irritation/inflammation and pigmentation from Tretinoin, even though I’m not experiencing obvious irritation.
I also don’t go out in the sun very often, but whenever I do, I make sure to use a good SPF.
I’ve also been using a good barrier-repair moisturizer, and Tretinoin has basically been the only active skincare product I’ve been using.
Now I’m confused about what to do.
Should I:
Continue using Tretinoin because it has controlled my acne?
Stop Tretinoin and focus on repairing/brightening my skin?
Switch to Tazarotene, since I’ve heard it can be more effective/faster for acne and skin texture?
I feel if i stop tret my acne is gonna come back.
I have college starting in about 3 months, and I really want my skin to look healthy, clear, bright and more even by then.

Hi all!

I’m currently using Arazlo (Taz 0.045 lotion) and I am interested in making the switch to the 0.1 gel. I’m also using 15% Azelaic Acid twice a day, and taking oral Spironolactone (100mg), in addition to limiting sugar and dairy, drinking water, etc however I still have occasional breakouts. I’ve been on all 3 prescriptions for at least 6 months. I’ve been using retinoids for over 4 years now.

Nature of my acne: without any treatment I mostly get whiteheads. Since using retinoids, I don’t get whiteheads that often anymore, but rather bigger, more red pimples that form deeper within my skin and oftentimes don’t come to a head. They leave huge dark marks that take several months (over 7 month) to heal.

From what I’ve seen online the 0.1 cream is similar to the 0.05 gel/0.045 lotion so I don’t expect it to make much of a difference with my acne. Most comments/posts I’ve seen are from people with the 0.1 cream, and so I’m fishing for comments from people specifically on the gel. I have very oily skin, my skin is also quite sensitive, and I’m using tazarotene for acne, I don’t care about anti-aging.

TLDR: please let me know what your experiences have been like when switching from other Tazarotene formulations to the GEL. Any irritation, any tips, whether there’s been improvement or things are worse off, how difficult the transition was, whether you’d recommend it, etc. I’m mostly interested in people with acne and/or oily skin. Thanks!

EDIT: nvm, after further research it seems like the gel isn’t necessarily more effective but just delivers the active ingredient at a faster speed. So I’m open to hearing people’s experiences with the cream as well.

my routine for the record:

AM:

Cetaphil non-foaming cleanser

kikumasamune high moist lotion

Aveeno triple oat serum

aestura atobarrier moisturizing cream

(wait a few minutes)

finacea 15% AzA

(wait a few minutes again)

SPF 50+ (Isntree, étude house, etc)

PM:

oil cleanser (also changes, previously was from the Face Shop)

Cerave hydrating oil cleanser (this is a gentle foaming cleanser, not really an “oil cleanser”)

kikumasamune high moist lotion

Aveeno triple oat serum

aestura atobarrier moisturizing cream

(Wait at least 30 minutes, but usually more than 1 hour)

Arazlo - 0.045% Tazarotene

Hi! I’ve been dealing with acne on my chin, so my dermatologist wants me to start using Tazarotene Cream 0.1% and Azelaic Acid Gel 15%. I’ve never used any tretinoin (or anything else like that). I’m nervous to start! Give me all your tips, please 😅

Have been on 0.1% Taz for 5 weeks now and I just keep getting so many little whiteheads and SO much texture in the form of bumps.

Also on 100mg Spironolactone and wanted to go on Taz because I would still get the couple odd pimples here and there despite being on Epiduo.

I know its probably gonna take more time for the purge to settle but I hate this part lmao