Finacea Gel

Order Finacea Gel Online UK

You can buy Finacea Gel online from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy service. Simply complete an online assessment form for our UK doctors to review. If your order is approved, a prescription is sent to our online pharmacy team. From here, your medicine will be dispensed and dispatched to your chosen delivery address. 

What is Finacea?

Finacea is a prescription-only topical gel used to treat the skin conditions rosacea and acne. It contains the active ingredient azelaic acid 15%. Although it’s sometimes referred to as Finacea cream, this medicine is a gel.

Finacea can be used to relieve mild to moderate papulopustular acne and can also treat papulopustular rosacea. Both conditions are associated with inflamed pustules and papules. Papules are small, red bumps that can feel tender. Pustules are similar, but they have a white tip in the centre caused by a build-up of pus.

How does Finacea work?

In acne, the active ingredient attacks a bacteria on the skin called P.acnes. This bacteria plays an important role in acne and inflammation. Azelaic acid can also reduce the growth of the harder outermost skin cells that block the pores of the skin to cause whiteheads and blackheads.

The exact cause of rosacea is not well understood but it’s thought that inflammation plays a key role in the disease. Azelaic acid has anti-inflammatory properties, and it’s thought that these properties may be important in the treatment of rosacea.

How long does it take to work?

How long it takes to work can vary from person to person and also depends on how severe your skin problem is. For people with acne, you should notice an improvement after around 4 weeks of regular use. Finacea can be used for several months to treat acne. If you haven’t noticed an improvement after a month of regular use, contact your doctor for advice.

For rosacea, Finacea can be used for several months if it’s having a beneficial effect. Some people may notice an improvement after 4 weeks, although it can take longer for others. If your symptoms do not improve after 2 months of regular use, contact your doctor for advice.

Finacea side effects

The most common side effects of Finacea 15% Gel include burning, itching, pain and dry skin at the application site. In most cases, any skin irritation will be mild or moderate and should improve throughout treatment. 

Up to 1 in 1000 people may experience an allergic reaction after applying this gel. If you notice any symptoms such as swelling of the face, difficulty breathing, and rapid swelling under the skin, you should seek immediate medical attention.

See the patient information leaflet for further details on side effects.

Finacea alternatives

Many treatments can be prescribed for acne. If you find Finacea isn’t effective for you, there are several other topical treatments that your doctor may prescribe. This includes Differin Gel (adapalene), Duac Gel (clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide), Epiduo Gel (adapalene and benzoyl peroxide), and Zineryt Solution (contains erythromycin and zinc).

Other rosacea treatments include Mirvaso Gel, Efracea capsules, Rozex Gel, and Soolantra Cream. The effectiveness of each treatment can vary from person to person.

Finacea Summary

FAQ

What is Finacea Gel used for?

Finacea is used to treat both acne and rosacea. Both conditions are associated with inflamed pustules and papules. Papules are small, red bumps that can feel tender. Pustules are similar, but they have a white tip in the centre caused by a build-up of pus.

How quickly does Finacea work?

For people with acne, you should notice an improvement after around 4 weeks of regular use. Finacea can be used for several months to treat acne.

Some people with rosacea may notice an improvement after 4 weeks of use. However, it can take longer for others. If you haven’t noticed an improvement after 8 weeks of regular use, contact your doctor for advice.

Does Finacea expire?

Finacea Gel will expire after some time. The expiry date is stated on the carton and tube after “EXP”. Don’t use this medicine after the expiry date. The date refers to the last day of the month.

How does Finacea work?

Azelaic acid has anti-inflammatory properties, and it’s thought that these properties may be important in the treatment of rosacea.

In acne, azelaic acid attacks a bacteria responsible for causing acne and inflammation. It also penetrates the skin and breaks up acne-causing blockages.

Can I buy Finacea over the counter?

Finacea gel, in the UK, is a prescription-only medicine that cannot be bought over the counter at your local pharmacy. To get Finacea in the UK you need a prescription from a doctor or other healthcare professional. 

You can request to buy Finacea Gel online from our UK registered online pharmacy. Our UK doctors will assess you via an online consultation and prescribe the medicine if safe and suitable to do so.

What can trigger rosacea? 

Everyone will be different but listed below are some common triggers. Many of them are environmental factors. Keeping a diary of your symptoms will help to track any flare-ups and may be a useful way to discover personal triggers.  

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Sun exposure
• Hot and spicy foods
• Hot drinks
• Cheese
• Certain medications
• Emotional stress
• Strenuous exercise

Are there conditions that are similar to rosacea?

There are a number of conditions that have similar symptoms and patterns to rosacea such as acne, some types of dermatitis, lupus and keratosis pilaris.

This is why it is important to complete the online assessment with as much detail as possible to enable our doctors to properly assess your symptoms. 

Will my nose swell or change shape (rhinophyma)?

Rosacea can affect the nose and cause rhinophyma, but this is uncommon. It usually only develops in rosacea which has been active and left untreated for many years and because of this it may be more common when patients are middle-aged. This is why it is important that you are assessed and treated promptly if you suspect you have rosacea. 

Is Rosacea a sign of poor hygiene?

Rosacea is not related to poor hygiene. 

How should I wash my face if I have rosacea?

Patients should use a mild soap or non-soap cleansers. Use your fingertips to apply the cleanser, avoid using rough cloths or sponges. Wash the cleanser away with lukewarm water (hot or cold water may cause flushing) and pat your face dry with a towel. Avoid rubbing the skin with a towel because this may cause irritation.

Should I moisturise my face?

Many rosacea sufferers will also have dry skin. Moisturising affected areas can help with any dryness, stinging and irritation. Patients may find creams designed for sensitive skin are gentler and cause less irritation. These can be used together with topical medication but make sure to leave at least 30 minutes between different creams or ointments.

References:

https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/rosacea/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rosacea/

https://www.bad.org.uk/pils/rosacea/

https://www.rosacea.org

How to apply Finacea gel

Before applying the gel, you should clean your skin thoroughly and then dry it. A mild skin-cleanser can be used for this. Apply Finacea (azelaic acid) to the affected area of skin twice daily (in the morning and the evening) and rub it into the skin gently. You should wash your hands before and after applying the gel. 

If you find the gel causes skin irritation, you can reduce the amount of gel you apply each time or only apply the gel once a day.

Warnings

You should not use Finacea Gel if you are allergic to azelaic acid or any other ingredient listed in the gel. This is a topical treatment and is for external use only. Take care to avoid contact with the eyes, mouth and other mucous membranes. 

Generally, you should avoid using alcoholic cleansers, tinctures and astringents, abrasives and peeling agents when using Finacea for the treatment of rosacea. You should also not apply other medicines or treatments to your face at the same time as Finacea.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

See the patient information leaflet for further information.

Finacea ingredients

The active substance is azelaic acid (Each gram of Finacea contains 150 mg of azelaic acid). The other ingredients are: Benzoic acid (E210), carbomers, disodium edetate, lecithin, polysorbate 80, propylene glycol, purified water, sodium hydroxide and triglycerides medium-chain.