Can using hydroquinone prevent pigmentation of lift scars?

I do not recommend using Hydroquinine prior to surgery and immediately after surgery. Scar products will be helpful initially once the tapes and sutures are removed, and completely avoiding tanning. Later, if the scars show darkening, you could try it, but will need to be very careful how it is placed on the skin. It is also a product that is not used for long term.

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

There are several things to minimize scarring.  During breast lift layered closure and tension free followed by taping the scars for the early Postoperative period.  Then I recommend silicone topically to reduced the risk of keloids.  Patients predisposed to hyperpigmentation, maybe prescribed Hydroquinone but not used preoperatively.