Avage

Avage is a prescription medication used to treat fine facial wrinkles and both over and underpigmenting of the facial skin. Avage belongs to a group of drugs called retinoids and the exact mechanism by which Avage works is not currently fully understood.

Avage comes in topical cream form. It is usually applied to the entire face, once daily, in the evening.

Common side effects include peeling, redness, and dry skin.

Avage is a prescription medication used to treat fine facial wrinkles and over and underpigmenting of the facial skin in people who use comprehensive skin care and sunlight avoidance programs. It does not eliminate or prevent wrinkles, repair sun-damaged skin, reverse photo aging, or restore more youthful or younger skin.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your height
• your age
• your gender

The recommended dose of Avage for the treatment of fine facial wrinkles and over and underpigmenting of the facial skin in people who use comprehensive skin care and sunlight avoidance programs is to apply a pea-sized amount once a day at bedtime to lightly cover the entire face including the eyelids if desired.

Serious side effects have been reported with Avage including the following:

• Severe irritation. Avoid using Avage on areas of skin that have eczema.
• Sunburn. Avoid excess sun exposure, wear protective clothing, and wear sunscreen while using Avage.

Do not take Avage if you:

• are allergic to Avage or to any of its ingredients
• are pregnant or planning to become pregnant soon

Serious side effects have been reported with Avage. See the "Avage Precautions" section for additional information.Common side effects include:

• peeling of the skin
• redness of the skin
• dry skin
• itching
• burning/stinging
• skin irritation

This is not a complete list of Avage side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• skin care products or cosmetics that have a strong drying effect

This is not a complete list of Avage drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Avage falls into category X. It has been shown that women taking Avage during pregnancy may have babies born with problems. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should never be used by pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Avage crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Avage.