Can hydroquinone topical skin bleaching cream for hyperpigmentation due to tattoo removal be effective?

Question

I have some brownish colouring on my skin after I had treatment with the Picosure laser. This is a new development for me. I've had 7 prior treatments on a Qswitch and never noticed the "brownish" colour, only since I had used the Picosure. I'm wondering if this "bleaching" cream would reduce the hyper pigmentation. I also have pink in my tattoo and i'm wondering if the bleaching cream would help clear/reduce the prominence of the pink ink. It seems like the pink ink is being recalcitrant to treatment.

Hratch Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

PicoSure and PicoWay are picosecond lasers.PicoWay can target pink inks, red orange and yellow inks.

R. Stephen Mulholland, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear MaggyE,

Thank you for your clinical posts.  The Picosure laser is a very new and
effective way to remove tattoo pigments in fewer treatments with fewer side
effects.  Fewer side effects; however,
doesn’t mean no side effects and these side effects can include post
inflammatory hyperpigmentation especially around the margins as you have described.  This is much more common in Mediterranean,
Asian and Hispanic skin types.  Some pink
skin in the areas where the crusting has come off is also quite common
especially in the first few weeks following the treatment. In general, there are six weeks between each
Picosure treatment and if there is marginal hyperpigmentation hydroquinone
generally prescribed by the physician and strengths between 6% and 8% with a
little bit of Retinoic acid, Kojic acid and a little bit of steroid cream can
help remove the marginal hyperpigmentation. 
The pink inside the lightened area should resolve that and the use of
gentler intense pulse light can help improve this.  I would advise returning to your treatment
physician to seek their advice and in the long run most of the pigmentation
issues and concerns that you speak of will resolve with time and Mother Nature,
but the aforementioned treatments will help speed up that process.

I hope this information has been of some assistance and for
more information, please review the link below.

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D.

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto

Can hydroquinone topical skin bleaching cream for hyperpigmentation due to tattoo removal be effective?

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Can hydroquinone topical skin bleaching cream for hyperpigmentation due to tattoo removal be effective?

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Everything you need to know about PicoSure

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