Tretinoin and Hydroquinone Safety

Thank you for your question. There recently had been a lot of buzz regarding the safety of hydroquinone and its potential carcinogenic risk, however, this potential association has not materialized or been proven, and has not stopped physicians from using this bleaching chemical. It is safe, and nearly all dermatologists use it. You can get hydroquinone in the standard 4% cream from your pharmacy via prescription, or even have it compounded into an 8-10% cream. Just be careful not to... more

Tretinoin cream increases sun sensitivity so if you are going to use it, you need to be consistent about daily applications of a broad spectrum sunscreen. For someone who has never used hydroquinone before, I would start with 0.025% or 0.05%. Mix a pea-sized amount of medication with moisturizer and apply as you would a lotion to the entire face. Diluting the medication in this way will reduce your chance of developing redness and inflammation that might then create more brown pigmentation.... more