Tazorac (Tazarotene Cream)

Product Specification

Product Description

Tazorac (Tazarotene Cream) Tazorac Cream 0.1% is a topical medication used to treat acne vulgaris, to prevent the formation and spread of pimples, spots or whiteheads and blackheads, helping to clear up these skin blemishes as well as preventing the outbreak of new acne. Tazorac Cream is also used to treat plaque psoriasis or psoriasis vulgaris, which is a common non-allergic, chronic skin condition that causes the appearance of red raised patches of skin covered in a dry silvery scaly rash usually on the skin of the elbows, knees and lower back. Psoriasis is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, which affects people of any age, usually who have a genetic predisposition. Tazorac Cream helps reduce the redness and scaly appearance of the affected skin and relieve the symptoms of psoriasis, which are mainly pain and itching. Tazorac Cream contains tazarotene, a retinoid pro-drug of tazarotenic acid, which binds to the receptor for retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A (retinol). Vitamin A is important for growth and development and can affect the way skin cells behave. Tazarotene in Tazorac Cream is thought to act as a keratolytic by blocking the hardening processes of the outer skin layer and increasing the shedding of old hardened skin cells, while at the same time preventing epidermal hyperproliferation, which is excessive growth of the upper layer of skin cells or keratinocytes. It is also thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. The combined effect of these actions is to help restore normal cell growth and behaviour to the keratinocytes, which helps clear up pimples and blackheads in acne lesions and reduces inflammation and the spread of acne. Psoriasis is characterised by raised scaly plaques due to excess proliferation and abnormal differentiation of the keratinocytes also by infiltration of immune cells, which produce chemicals called cytokines that are thought to be responsible for this abnormal behaviour as well as causing inflammation. Tazarotene in Tazorac Cream reverses the abnormal changes in keratinocyte behaviour and also the inflammatory response. This reduces the scaling and thickening of psoriatic plaques and relieves symptoms of psoriasis.