An overview of Tazarotene Gel

Tazorac (Tazarotene)  

Tazorac is a branded prescription medication created to treat health issues. It is available in both gel and cream form. It includes the following:

Acne: It is also called ‘acne vulgaris”.Plaque psoriasis: Scaly patches develop on the skin with this condition. One such type of psoriasis is Plaque psoriasis.

About Tazorac gel

Adults and children above 12 years can use this gel to treat acne and plaque psoriasis. It is offered in two strengths, namely, 0.1% and 0.05%. It should be applied only in the evening, once a day on the affected parts of the skin. Different strengths serve the following purpose:

Moderate to mild acne affecting the face (only 0.1% strength).Plaque psoriasis affects approximately 20% of the total body surface area or even less (0.05%, 0.1% strengths).

Ingredient and drug type

It contains ‘Tazarotene’, an active ingredient that makes this work effectively. Tazorac is a retinoid drug associated with Vitamin A. Tazorac has the active drug Tazarotene. You can find cream as a generic medication. However, the gel is available as a brand-name drug only. Generic drugs are a replica of active drugs. The latter is effective and safe like the original one. They also cost less when compared to branded drugs. 

Acne treatment

FDA (Food & Drug Administration) has approved Tazorac, a prescription drug to treat specific health conditions. It also treats other conditions as off-label. The latter is where a drug meant to treat certain conditions are used to treat other conditions. Tazorac 0.1% is suggested for moderate to mild acne affecting the face. 

Tazorac gel effectiveness for acne

Clinical studies proved that this gel is effective enough to treat facial acne. It also managed to reduce several non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne lesions. It was compared with placebo gel (not containing any active drug). After using the gel for 12 weeks, people reported having 45-52 percent fewer acne lesions. By comparison, those using placebos reported 27-33 percent fewer acne lesions.  

For plaque psoriasis

Tazorac gel (0.1% and 0.05%) is both FDA-approved to cure plaque psoriasis in children above 12 years and adults. The gel is suggested to be used only if 20% of the body surface is affected by plaque psoriasis. If psoriasis covers a larger area, then Tazorac cream is suggested. You can purchase generic tazarotene gel online.

Studies of gel on psoriasis

The results obtained on using Tazorac gel for psoriasis were positive. It managed to reduce psoriasis plaque thickness considerably, including scaling and redness. Studies conducted used placebo gel to compare Tazorac gel. After treatment for 12 weeks, psoriasis was reduced by approximately 50%. However, those using placebo gels reported psoriasis reduction of around 23-33 percent.

Tazorac gel and its use among children

Tazorac is approved to be used by children above 12 years in gel form. 0.1% is used to cure moderate to mild acne affecting the facial region. 0.05% and 0.1% are used to cure plaque psoriasis that affects approximately 20% of the total body surface area. It is necessary to consult a qualified doctor before using the gel.