Finacea

What is Finacea Gel?

Finacea Gel is a treatment for acne and rosacea that you put straight onto your skin. It brings down the inflammation causing your spots or redness. It also helps to treat hyperpigmentation and melasma, returning your skin’s appearance to normal.

For hyperpigmentation and melasma, Finacea Gel is technically an ‘off-label’ treatment, so it’s not licensed for these conditions. We know it works and it’s safe to use, a clinician will just have to make sure it’s right for you.

How does Finacea Gel work?

Finacea Gel contains 15% of the active ingredient azelaic acid. Azelaic acid is one of a type of medication called dicarboxylic acids. It has antibacterial properties, so it works well for bacterial acne. It also has anti-inflammatory effects, which can help with disorders like acne, rosacea and melasma.

The azelaic acid in Finacea Gel also creates hypopigmentation. It does this by binding to an enzyme called tyrosinase and stopping it from working as well. This means it’s effective for the symptoms of melasma as well as other causes of hyperpigmentation.^[1] So if you have any of these conditions, Finacea Gel can help.

What doses of Finacea Gel are there?

It only comes in one dose, a gel with 15% of azelaic acid. You’ll usually use it twice a day on the areas of your skin that are affected. 0.5g of gel, or about an inch, is usually enough to cover the whole of your face.

If this amount isn’t working well enough to bring down your acne, rosacea, hyperpigmentation or melasma, talk to your clinician. They may suggest different, more effective treatments for you. Make sure to keep using it as long as your clinician says to see an improvement.

Finacea Gel comes in 30g packages. Besides azelaic acid, which is the active ingredient, the pack also contains other ingredients like benzoic acid, carbomers, disodium edetate, propylene glycol, lecithin, polysorbate 80, sodium hydroxide, triglycerides medium chain, purified water.

How to use Finacea Gel

Follow your clinician’s advice on how exactly to use Finacea Gel.

• Clean your skin with water or a mild cleanser and let it dry before using Finacea Gel.
• Apply Finacea Gel to your affected skin twice a day, or as often as your clinician has told you to.
• An inch of gel should be enough to cover your whole face.
• Wash your hands well after applying Finacea Gel.

If you have dry skin, it’s usually a good idea to apply unscented moisturiser before or after using Finacea gel.

How long does Finacea Gel take to work?

How long you take Finacea Gel for will depend on your symptoms and what you’re using it for. Medications containing azelaic acid are often long-term treatments and you’ll usually use Finacea Gel for a few months. If you’re using it for acne, you’ll usually see a significant improvement by four weeks. If it hasn’t gotten better after this time, you should stop using Finacea Gel and try a different treatment.

If you’ve been using Finacea Gel for rosacea, your skin will often look a lot better after four weeks. If you’ve been using it for two months and there’s no change, try a different medication.

For hyperpigmentation and melasma, a clinician will tell you how long to use Finacea Gel. Because it’s an off-label medication for hyperpigmentation and melasma, a clinician will need to find the right treatment plan for you.

What should I do if I make a mistake while using Finacea Gel?

Make sure you don’t get Finacea Gel in your nose, eyes or mouth. If you do, wash it out thoroughly with clean water. If you get any symptoms, seek medical attention.

If you use too much Finacea Gel, there shouldn’t be any problems. Just clean off any excess gel and talk to a clinician if you’re worried.

if you forget to use Finacea Gel, just apply it as soon as you remember. If it’s nearly time to use Finacea Gel again, just skip that application and wait for the next one. Then keep using Finacea Gel at your usual times.