The battle with acne is the good fight many have fought. As the most well-liked 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 allotment 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 aged 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 speedy 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 trustworthy 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 clear 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 enjoy 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 view is best for you.
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Filed under Topical Male Enhancement by on Jul 14th, 2010. 
Antibiotics have been a valid first line of defense in the attack on the bacteria that plagues a rosacea sufferer. Antibiotics may cleave overall inflammation of your skin. Antibiotics also reduce the number of pimples and the amount of redness around pimples. Rosacea sufferers can not use acne medications because they will irritate the skin and perform their condition worsen. In this way, antibiotics offer a better method to kill the bacteria and develop a smoother, clearer face.
Topical antibiotics for rosacea are used either alone, or with an oral antibiotic to aid in the treatment of rosacea. Topical antibiotics are used to waste the bacteria that are on the skin. and can be dilapidated to reduce the symptoms of rosacea, including redness, pimples, and red lines on the face (telangiectasia), and thick bumps on the nose (rhinophyma), and to slash the symptoms that accompany eye involvement in rosacea.
One widely popular, and very effective, form of topical antibiotic treatment for rosacea is the medication metronidazole. Studies have found that if red, raised bumps have developed, topical metronidazole (1%) is grand and effective. Metronidazole gel (.75%) is effective in preventing or minimizing recurrences of rosacea.
With antibiotic treatment, symptoms usually improve in 3 to 4 weeks, with greater improvement seen in 2 months. A dual combo of oral and topical antibiotics will see faster results. There is a chance that the bacteria in a rosacea sufferer will originate new immunities to the antibiotic and become less effective. To combat this you can use antibiotics for a shorter period of time. If one antibiotic stops working, a new one can be prescribed.
Antibiotics popular side effects include:
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Photosensitivity
Allergic reaction
Vaginal yeast infection
The diarrhea and the yeast infections tend to occur because the oral antibiotics will destroy some of the normal healthy bacteria that are naturally occurring in the body along with the unhealthy bacteria.
Topical antibiotics that are primarily prescribed for rosacea are erythromycin, metronidazole, clindamycin, and sulfacetamide.
Erythromycin (Topical)
Erythromycin used topically for treating acne, has been shown to assist rosacea sufferers. You should not use this drug if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you’ve had an allergic reaction to erythromycin.
Sold under the Brand Name(s):
Erymax®
Erygel®
A/T/S®
Staticin®
Erycette®
Ery-Sol®
Erythra-Derm®
T-Stat®
Eryderm®
Side effects from erythromycin include:
Skin rash, redness, swelling or itching
Dry or peeling skin
Tenderness, stinging or burning
Eye irritation
Metronidazole (Topical)
Metronidazole used topically for skin redness and pimples, has been shown to help adult acne or acne rosacea sufferers. You shouldn’t use metronidazole if you’ve had an allergic reaction to metronidazole before. Expend it only on your skin and not in or near your eyes. If you accidentally get this in your eyes, make sure you flush well with water.
Sold under the Brand Name(s)
Metrogel®
Metrocream(Tm)
Noritate®
Clindamycin (Topical)
Clindamycin used topically for treating skin infections and acne and is an antibiotic. You shouldn’t use this drug if you’ve had an allergy to Cleocin® or Lincocin®, if you have an intestinal disease, are pregnant, are breastfeeding, or if you have any stomach disease. If you’ve been given another topical along with this medication, gain sure you use them at different times. You will need to use water based cosmetics because others will make clindamycin irritate your skin.
Sold under the Brand Name(s):
Cleocin-T Lotion® (Topical)
Cleocin-T Topical Solution® (Topical)
Cleocin-T Gel® (Topical)
Side effects:
Hives or rash
Swelling of the face, throat, or lips
Severe diarrhea (watery or bloody)
If you have problems with these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor.
Dryness or peeling of skin
Irritation or burning of skin
Sodium Sulfacetamide Lotion
Sodium Sulfacetamide Lotion used topically to treat acne has shown promise in rosacea treatment. You shouldn’t use it if you have an allergy to sulfa drugs, if you have asthma, during pregnancy, or if you are breastfeeding. Using this drug for a long period of time may result in a secondary infection.
Sold under the Brand Name:
Klaron ®
Side Effects:
Irritation, stinging or burning of the skin may occur.
Rarely, a severe redness or scaling of the skin or muscle/joint aches.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, itching, swelling, dizziness, unusual tiredness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, stomach pain, nausea, persistent fever or trouble breathing.
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Filed under Topical Male Enhancement by on Jul 11th, 2010.