Since Melasma is Best Treated with Hydroquinone Cream, What is the Strongest Stength That Can Be Purchased with a Prescription?

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 Melasma Cream".     

HQ 4% is what is commonly prescribed in the US, however in my experience and especially in darker skinned individuals, 4%HQ even in combination with other products including tretinoin,kojic acid or steroids does not do the trick especially if the melasma is deep. Excellent results are achieved when using cosmelan 1 and 2 which contain 8% and 6% HQ respectively.  
does not do the trick

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.  Because it is dispensed in a liquid form, it penetrates more easily and yields better results.

We have offices in Torrance and Orange, CA and would be happy to meet with you for a free consultation to discuss your condition.