Is hydroquinone or similar lightening agent necessary after first Halo facial?

Great question! It's hard to give you the best answer without seeing you in person. I've personally found that olive / mediterranean or darker skin has a better result and less risk of hyperpigmentation after lasers if treated with hydroquinone. Research actually shows that starting as early as 3 days after treatment - even before you peel is both safe and gives the best results. For more Irish (strawberry blonde, very pale / pinkish skin tone) this is less important, but still may give a bit better improvement in sun damage / freckles.

Yes if you scored iv and above as skin type you need to use it one week pre and 2 weeks post every time you get a halo done just to protect your from any potential burns/ hyper pigmentation. If you are skin type i - iii its not necessary. 

I think it's an excellent idea to continue using hydroquinone or a botanical skin brightener both before and after your procedures to get the best results. Alternating between the two every few months is ideal.  Using these in addition to a retinoid and daily sun protection is what we also recommend to maintain your excellent results. Staying on a regime like this with a combination of broadband light treatments and Halos will pay off not only in the short term, but in the long run for beautiful skin as you age.Goof Job!

Thanks for the great question! As long as your skin never sees any sun then you won't need the hydroquinone! Look at it this way, using hydroquinone will help to maintain your results, but it isn't necessary if you don't have any pigment now. I typically use hydroquinone to suppress pigment production in dark skinned individuals or to treat people with sun damage. If you continue to do the quarterly BBLs and annual Halos, you should be good. I happy you love your results!~Dr. Sieber

Impossible to give an accurate answer without knowing the diagnosis nor a picture. If this is straight forward pigmentation from the sun, i.e. solar pigmentation or freckles HQ is not needed, however if there is an element of melasma, then HQ is recommended. Your specialist who performed the HALO procedure should have discussed this with you prior to the laser. All the best, Dr Davin Lim. Brisbane. Australia.