Tazorac
Meaning of Tazorac: A laboratory-made cousin of vitamin A whose established job is calming psoriasis and acne, not the cancer uses it is sometimes listed under.
Definition of Tazorac
Tazorac is a brand of tazarotene, a retinoid gel or cream applied to the skin to treat plaque psoriasis and acne. It is a chemical relative of vitamin A, made in a laboratory, and it works by changing how skin cells mature and how fast they multiply rather than by killing them. The same drug is sold under other brand names at different strengths.
How does it work on skin?
Tazarotene is applied in an inactive form and converted within the skin to tazarotenic acid. That molecule binds receptors inside skin cells which switch particular genes on and off. The practical result is that cells of the outer layer mature normally instead of piling up, the plug of dead cells blocking a pore loosens, and the overgrowth that thickens a psoriasis plaque slows. It is a retinoid, the same family as the acne drug isotretinoin, though applied to the surface rather than swallowed.
What is it approved for, and what is only studied?
| Use | Status |
|---|---|
| Plaque psoriasis | Established, applied to the plaques |
| Acne | Established, applied to the affected area |
| Sun-damaged facial skin | Sold for this purpose under a separate brand |
| Basal cell nevus syndrome | Investigational |
Older dictionary entries describe it mainly as a drug being studied against basal cell carcinoma, which understates it badly. The skin uses are long established and widely prescribed. The cancer interest is real but separate: people with basal cell nevus syndrome develop large numbers of these tumors, and a topical drug that alters how skin cells grow was an obvious candidate to test.
What does it do to the skin that receives it?
Redness, peeling, burning and dryness are the usual effects, strongest in the first weeks, and they follow from the mechanism rather than being unrelated reactions. Treated skin also burns more readily in sunlight. Retinoids taken by mouth cause birth defects, and topical forms carry a warning on the same grounds, so the drug is avoided in pregnancy.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Tazorac gel was applied to the plaques on the elbows and knees.
Good to know
The established uses of tazarotene are psoriasis and acne; its role in basal cell nevus syndrome remains investigational, and the peeling and redness it causes reflect its mechanism rather than an allergic reaction.