This medicine will work best if you avoid excessive exposure to sunlight and wear sunscreens and protective clothing. Some hydroquinone products contain sunscreens. Use a sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher). Do not use sun lamps or sun tanning beds or booths.
Hydroquinone and Retin-A (Tretinoin)
When used with Hydroquinone, it can speed up the process of fading hyperpigmentation. These two ingredients can be found together in compound preparations or used as separate products for more control.
A major key to hydroquinone is short-term use. You can slather it on twice daily for at least six weeks (and no more than six months). After one to three months, you should start to see your hyperpigmentation fade away.
If there has been no benefit after 3 months of treatment, then the hydroquinone should be stopped. Management of the underlying cause of the hyperpigmentation is also recommended. When initiating hydroquinone treatment, it is advisable to: Start with a test area about 1 cm in diameter.
Avoid using hydroquinone with peroxide products such as benzoyl peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, which can cause discoloration. 3. Avoid alpha hydroxy acids. The combination of hydroquinone and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) can irritate your skin.
The hydrogen peroxide decomposes and the hydroquinone reacts to form benzoquinone (C6H4O2). The resultant hydrogen reacts with the oxygen to produce water.
Alternative lightening agents including mequinol, arbutin, kojic acid, and others have shown comparable efficacy to hydroquinone in treating hyperpigmentation with less concerning side effects.
While treatments help remove existing pigmentation, the underlying pigment cells may be hyperactive, and therefore continue to produce excess melanin. Usually, genetic makeup plays a role in such cases.
After gradually stopping hydroquinone, you might be transitioned to alpha arbutin and alongside retinol or prescription retinoid. This will stabilise the melanin producing cells and reduce the chances of rebound hyperpigmentation. Of course, whilst on hydroquinone, it is absolutely vital to use strict sun protection.
Conclusions. We conclude that azelaic acid may be better than hydroquinone in reducing melasma severity as measured by the MASI. However, no significant difference between both treatments regarding the side effects.
Hydroquinone + Mometasone + Tretinoin is a combination of three medicines: Hydroquinone , Mometasone and Tretinoin, which treats melasma (dark spots on skin). Hydroquinone is a skin lightening medicine. It reduces the amount of a skin pigment (melanin) that causes darkening of skin. This effect is reversible.
Hydroquinone is a skin-bleaching agent that is used to lighten areas of skin. Hydroquinone works by decreasing the production and increasing the breakdown of melanosomes in melanocytes. In most cases, lightening of skin should be seen after four weeks of treatment.
Vitamin C goes first, followed by hydroquinone if the former is in serum and the latter in a moisturizer. It's important to let your skin dry after using vitamin C serum and before hydroquinone cream.
We recommend taking a 2 month break after 3 months of application. Since hydroquinone is a photosensitive agent, It is also important to use SPF 30 or higher daily when on hydroquinone.
Protect your skin: After applying hydroquinone, it is crucial to protect your skin from sun exposure. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF to the treated areas, even if you're indoors. This helps prevent further hyperpigmentation and protects your skin from harmful UV rays.
However, it's also possible that the 2 percent strength of hydroquinone isn't strong enough for you. Concentrations over 2 percent (up to 4 percent) are available only by prescription. Also, sunlight can reverse the effect of hydroquinone, so you need to stay out of the sun.
Reason #2: Antioxidants Are Missing from Your Routine
In a nutshell, free radicals are unpredictable unpaired oxygen atoms that adhere to your skin's surface and trigger a chain of damaging events. If you want to help improve the look of dark spots on skin, you'll definitely want an antioxidant-rich serum on your side.
Hydroquinone was available previously in over-the-counter products and is currently available in prescription formulations with common concentration ranges of 0.4 to 5%. Prescription strengths available in the United States include hydroquinone 2% and 4% cream and hydroquinone 2% gel.
The occurrence of adverse effects with HQ was significantly higher when compared to TA (P < 0.05) and this could explain better patient satisfaction with TA observed in our study (P = 0.03).
Combining the effects of hydroquinone and azelaic acid can more effectively address the various hyperpigmentation pathways. Azelaic acid is a wonderful complement for people with sensitive skin because it can help reduce any potential irritation or sensitivity brought on by using hydroquinone.
It is advisable to avoid using hydroquinone with peroxide products, such as benzoyl peroxide and hydrogen peroxide. These combinations can cause temporary staining of the skin, which appears as a dark discoloration.
Rarely ochronosis - ochronosis is a blue-black or gray-blue discoloration; it is rare and more commonly seen in patients that use a high concentration of hydroquinone for a long period on large areas of the body.