Melasma Treatment: Q&A
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Since Melasma is Best Treated with Hydroquinone Cream, What is the Strongest Stength That Can Be Purchased with a Prescription?
I have a hydroquinone 4 percent is there anything stronger?
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6 Doctor Answers |
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Elsie in Montebello
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Can you use Hydroquinone Stronger then 4% for Melasma?
Hello Elsie. Yes, there are stronger prescription formulations than 4% hydroquinone and you can see the excellent results we get with our higher strength (up to 8%) product by clicking on the link to our website below.
Anything over 4% is a compounded product, which means the formulation is determined by the medical office and the compounding pharmacy. In addition to using up to 8% HQ, we do not include Retin A in our formulation because it irritates many of our patients....
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Hydroquinone May Not Be The Best Treatment For Melasma
I have been treating Melasma for several years with a cream that I invented with a compounding pharmacy in Hawaii. Although we put hydroquinone as an ingredient in our cream, the key ingredient is Kojic acid. I believe Kojic acid is a much better specific treatment for Melasma as it does not give you the halo effect often seen with hydroquinone since it specifically targets the mask of pregnancy. My pharmacist needed a name for this cream and so he calls it "Schlesinger's...
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Honolulu Plastic Surgeon
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Hydroquinone for Melasma
Hydroquinone is a topical bleaching agent that is typically prescribed at a strength of 4% but which can be prescribed up to as strong as 8%. While effective usually on its own, it is typically more effective when mixed with tretinoin and mild cortisone. In addition to topical treatments and strict sun avoidance, other treatments which improve melasma are chemical peeling and laser. I recommend you consult with a board-certified dermatologist to discuss what combination of treatments...
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Melasma and hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is usually mixed together with tretinoin and mild cortisone creams to be most effective. Up to 8% is usually prescribed. Your melasma should be assessed by a board certified dermatologist to see which treatments would be best for you. Often fading creams are combined with chemical peels and fractional laser treatments to effectively treat melasma. You must use sun protection and avoid sun exposure.
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Most effective melasma treatment
Though there may be stronger hydroquinone formulations available, the advantage of the Obaji system is that the effectiveness of the treatment is enhanced by the other agents in the program and does not rely only on the concentration of the hydroquinone...effective melasma treatment relies on attacking this from several angles...
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Strength of hydroquinone
4% is pretty standard for most products that include HQ, like the Obagi line. Specific formulations for straight hydroquinone cream can be called directly into a compounding pharmacy by your dermatologist and made especially for you. Most of these will be 8%, 12%, or even higher. The best part of straight hydroquinone compounds - most of these are actually cheaper than the 4% products and work much, much better!
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