Is topical hydroquinone safe for skin lightening?

2 answers to “Is topical hydroquinone safe for...”

A: Properly supervised by a doctor

Richard P. Rand, MD

Hydroquinone is a commonly prescribed topical agent used for lightening the skin especially in patients who exhibit signs of hyperpigmentation.  It should be administered and monitored by a qualified physician though.

A: A brief review of hydroquinone

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Topical hydroquinone is one of the most popular agents for bleaching the skin for conditions such as melasma or chloasma. It is frequently combined with Retin-A to enhance its bleaching effects. Due to the irritating nature of both of these agents, topical steroids are commonly added to minimize the... more

Comments

freshblooms
30 posts
20 Jun 2009

i highly do not recommend this product...every derm here will soon realize after more studies come out that it is unsafe and too harsh a product to recommend..it has not even been being used long enough to realize the harsh side effects and the fact that it will further age your skin...it is banned in several countries including france for fear of cancer risk..and harsh side effects like break down of the skin, severe rashes, and hypo-pigment problems..I cannot even believe a derm would recommend you put something like this on your face!!!... if you are using this too lighten hyper-pigment issues i would strongly recommend another approach...like retinoids..licorice extracts..AHA and BHA's...vitamin C products...or for more severe cases an IPL (FYI: only recommended when done by a dermatologist..no medi-spas or nurses.) and never forget the sunscreen! good luck kate.

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