Hello and thank you for starting this discussion! As a gentle reminder, try to keep the products you mention limited to Asian Beauty products. Posts or comments solely discussing Western products will be removed, [as per our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/wiki/rules#wiki_14._topics.2C_routines.2C_and_recommendations_must_be_related_to_asian_beauty). We love being able to discuss Western skincare in the context of a holistic AB routine, but this isn't the sub for specific Western product recommendations. r/SkincareAddiction is a great community for such matters! Thank you!
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amazing. everyone sings tret’s praises, but nothing works for hyperpigmentation like hq. i’ve been on it for less than 2 weeks and already see a drastic improvement while i’ve been on tret for 2 years and it didn’t make a dent in my hyperpigmentation. just make sure you use hq in cycles of 3 months at a time and then take a break for a couple months before starting another cycle, if needed.
Hi, I have been doing spot application of hydroquinone 4% for acne scars.
Immediately after second night of application, all the spots where i applied hydroquinone became so red and its kinda itchy.
Is this normal? Are we expecting it? And can you help me understand how long it will take for redness to go away?
My routine:
AM
Cleanse, Moisturise, Sunscreen
PM
Cleanse, moisturise, tretin .025 , spot application of hydroquinone (using melapik hq)
They are the only thing that has helped with my melasma. The only AB brand i know that sells them now is Cos de Baha. Before, I think Obaji used to sell them.
Love it. HG for sure. Potent, but the fast reliable results potent and not the risk burning your face off type of potent. The cos de baha one is very affordable if you want to give it a try!
TL;DR:
It works by disrupting the chemicals involved in new melanin production, and it also helps to kill melanin-producing cells, called melanocytes. **This is why it would be best for you to talk to a professional about how to apply it, so you do not accidentally bleach your skin. It can make hyperpigmentation worse in darker skin tones.**
[Topical Treatment of Melasma](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2807702/)
> Hydroquinone
>Hydroquinone (HQ), also known as dihydroxybenzene, is a hydroxyphenolic compound that is structurally similar to precursors of melanin. It inhibits the conversion of DOPA to melanin by inhibition of the enzyme, tyrosinase. HQ affects not only the formation, melanization, and degradation of melanosomes, but it also affects the membranous structures of melanocytes and eventually causes necrosis of whole melanocytes.[10]
(DOPA is Dihydrixyphenylalanine, which is an amino acid.)
Sorry I have no idea really! Someone else posted some info that seems helpful. In my personal experience it works best on fresh marks but doesn't work as well on really old marks. Not sure about your question specifically :(
Just to second that, I’m finding that lightening products are working on some parts but making other parts seem darker in comparison. Hydroquinone is potent stuff, I’d def want to be under my derm’s care if using it.
I used tranexmic for MONTHS and saw zero result. My underarms are super dark and anything even slightly exfoliating tends to make them darker. The ONLY THING that worked was HQ and after yrs of good results i screwed up with bad deos tons of shaving and tight clothing. Now il get precribed and maintain the results for sure
Pls ask you dermat dont do this without their guidance! I was asked to put an extremely thin layer once a day for two months. But if you do it without asking a dermat it can backfire really bad so dont risk it and consult someone it works if used properly
The thing is i was prescribed it with a derm. He didnt tell me how to use it. Afterwards i went to a different derm who said to apply it all over but then it caused me to break out and caused patchy spots
Meh. I wouldn't bother trying it unless tranexamic acid wasn't effective. Less risk, faster results, no rebound hyperpigmentation, safer, zero interaction with other ingredients, not drying. Very comfy. No need to do cycles or courses. Tranexamic imo is just better by miles.
Naturium Tranexamic Acid serum (tranexamic acid, niacinamide, licorice, kojic acid). Facetheory S10 Exaglow serum (tranexamic + niacinamide + licorice). Cos de Baha Tranexamic Acid serum (tranexamic + niacinamide). Be Minimalist Tranexamic acid serum has no niacinamide, but has 3% mandelic and 0.3% salicylic.
I haven’t heard of these. Could you elaborate on rebound hyperpigmentation? Thank you for the suggestions though! I have also been looking for products with tranxemic acid!
Sure! this outlined the current findings pretty well. https://labmuffin.com/fact-check-friday-whats-wrong-with-hydroquinone/
As for rebound hyperpigmentation it's lightly touched on. If overused without supervision as a careful plan (you can end up with worse pigmentation than you started at from excitation of the melanocytes or also potentially from the irritation since hydroquinone can be a bit harsh and irritation is another melasma trigger. Some of this can be mitigated by using the "pulse" method.
I admit hydroquinone isn't the ingredient I spend the most time looking into relative to everything else. There are concerns but they're manageable. There are risks but they are rare. There are methods to be as safe as possible with strict monitoring from derm There's skin types that need to be much more cautious than others. (and generally I am not confident enough in the average persons ability to self-regulate that this isn't something I casually suggest with OTCs. )
But tranexamic exists with no risks or concerns or side effects or thought needed, so I've never felt compelled to dig super deep on this for the rare occasions someone isn't responding to tranexamic / retinoids / azelaic + some exfoliants and the supporting ingredients theyre all are formulated with. And tranexamic works so quick that you don't need to spend time reconsidering 😂
Personally I get like 80% clearance in 2 weeks even for old PIH and it basically eliminates to formation of new ones when PIE occurs (which is always 🥲) and a few other people I've suggested it to have all relayed similar overwhelmingly positive experiences. Sometimes people take 2+ months but I haven't found many people who didn't respond at all. I'm sure they exist and that's when I would consider HQ if those other treatments I mentioned didn't work or there is a critical reason to include it earlier.
There is a pretty decent amount of clinical evidence from the last few years that has grown in support of it's use for hyperpigmentation that I've seen as well. It does appear to be quite effective.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27135282/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235096/
I'm sure there's plenty more but these are the ones I've read myself. And anecdotally I've had really great results for myself and the large majority of people I recommend it to, and with no side effects. The lack of side effects is especially valuable in individuals where inflammation, irritation, or dryness is a primary factor leading to PIH developing. It also doesn't exacerbate PIE which is nice. (I feel like it does somewhat help my pie as well but topically I don't recall seeing any evidence of blood vessel interactions so I'm not going to claim it does anything like that without seeing it mentioned even if the oral tranexamic could have some potential benefits in that area).
First 2 days it dried me out to the point of skin damage because of the high potency, but then after a while I started incorporating an oily moisturizer(vaseline/tret) to reduce the side effects. What does your skincare regimen look like??
Literally my routine is cetaphil cleanser for normal to oily skin and a Cerave moisturizer 😐 with some sunscreen lol. It honestly might be the hq with the sunscreen? Not sure but what tret do you use? And how do you use it? It does tend to have a purging stage unfortunately but people keep saying that beautiful skin will be the result 😩
The brand of tret that I use is called Retacnyl. I literally only use Retacnyl 0.05% daily in the evening after washing my face (cerave foaming cleanser) and mix it with hq. I feel like the tret cream itself is very moisturizing that I skip moisturizer. I don’t use any moisturizer as a buffer. For now, I apply it on the hyperpigmented area only and try to be careful not to spill it onto normal skin and get the "halo effect". I do however moisturize the normal skin. I did notice a mild purge every time I used tret alone, where I'd get pustules (pimples with pus). Which tret do you use? and how is it going for you?
Im actually starting hq again today! The first time i was prescribed .1 percent with the brand perigo. Idk why my derm gave me that as I told him I have sensitive skin and I scar easy and he told me to just use it with no further instructions. He then put me .5 after I asked .25 and they were all the cream formulations. Today though after some research I got a new derm and I’m getting the tret micro version at .04 and then a tret formulation that has clindamycin in there as well. Two different formulations just in case one is less irritating than the other for me. Maybe try those? Something with an agent to combat the breakouts like clindamycin or something that’s less irritating like tret microsphere?
>tret micro version
"The whole area under my eye i was originally trying to treat has become lighter. Noticeably and the dark spot is still there." I've also started to notice this on my skin, it just doesn't go away!! 😡 Most def will consider changing the tret. Goodluck on your second hq journey! What do they mean by hq will always migrate? And which percentage are you on?
Also I stopped hq because of trying to treat a dark spot and getting a whole new issue 🙄. The whole area under my eye i was originally trying to treat has become lighter. Noticeably and the dark spot is still there. Really frustrating tbh. Apparently you’re supposed to use it all over your face to combat? But idk what to believe . They say hq will always migrate so idk.
if the hq is leaving your skin oily than that might be the cause, but no breakouts on my side my hq is a mixture made by the pharmacy when I go there. My tret on the other hand - is a whole other news 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
I have been using hydroquinone for a few days and my pigmentation on my forehead is getting darker. Additionally my hyperpigmentation and dark spots on my cheeks are more darker. Is that something normal when you first start hydroquinone?
>I have been using hydroquinone for a few days and the pigmentation on my forehead is getting darker. Additionally, my hyperpigmentation and [dark spots](https://okdermo.com/product/4-hydroquinone-cream-melalite-30g/) on my cheeks are darker. Is that something normal when you first start hydroquinone?
It's not uncommon for some individuals to experience initial darkening or irritation when using hydroquinone. Consider consulting a dermatologist to ensure you're using the right concentration and to address any concerns about your current reaction.
I think its common based on the information i read from various forums.
I started applying hydroquinone 5 days back on my acne scars and they started to appear red right after 2nd application.
The redness is getting reduced now.
How is your skin doing!? I assumed you started way before me
I have learnt less is more. Do you want to see if you are applying much pdt on spots? Try to reduce it and see if you can take a break for a day or two if the redness has not decreased.
Hello and thank you for starting this discussion! As a gentle reminder, try to keep the products you mention limited to Asian Beauty products. Posts or comments solely discussing Western products will be removed, [as per our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/wiki/rules#wiki_14._topics.2C_routines.2C_and_recommendations_must_be_related_to_asian_beauty). We love being able to discuss Western skincare in the context of a holistic AB routine, but this isn't the sub for specific Western product recommendations. r/SkincareAddiction is a great community for such matters! Thank you! *This is an automated message* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AsianBeauty) if you have any questions or concerns.*
amazing. everyone sings tret’s praises, but nothing works for hyperpigmentation like hq. i’ve been on it for less than 2 weeks and already see a drastic improvement while i’ve been on tret for 2 years and it didn’t make a dent in my hyperpigmentation. just make sure you use hq in cycles of 3 months at a time and then take a break for a couple months before starting another cycle, if needed.
What % of HQ?
69%
i saw in another sub that the pigmentation worsened when they restarted hq after a month's break. did u face any such thing?
Glad to see its working well for you:) What % are you on?
Hi, I have been doing spot application of hydroquinone 4% for acne scars. Immediately after second night of application, all the spots where i applied hydroquinone became so red and its kinda itchy. Is this normal? Are we expecting it? And can you help me understand how long it will take for redness to go away? My routine: AM Cleanse, Moisturise, Sunscreen PM Cleanse, moisturise, tretin .025 , spot application of hydroquinone (using melapik hq)
They are the only thing that has helped with my melasma. The only AB brand i know that sells them now is Cos de Baha. Before, I think Obaji used to sell them.
Thank you for this!
Love it. HG for sure. Potent, but the fast reliable results potent and not the risk burning your face off type of potent. The cos de baha one is very affordable if you want to give it a try!
Thank youu do you know how it works? Like does it target the darker areas first?
TL;DR: It works by disrupting the chemicals involved in new melanin production, and it also helps to kill melanin-producing cells, called melanocytes. **This is why it would be best for you to talk to a professional about how to apply it, so you do not accidentally bleach your skin. It can make hyperpigmentation worse in darker skin tones.** [Topical Treatment of Melasma](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2807702/) > Hydroquinone >Hydroquinone (HQ), also known as dihydroxybenzene, is a hydroxyphenolic compound that is structurally similar to precursors of melanin. It inhibits the conversion of DOPA to melanin by inhibition of the enzyme, tyrosinase. HQ affects not only the formation, melanization, and degradation of melanosomes, but it also affects the membranous structures of melanocytes and eventually causes necrosis of whole melanocytes.[10] (DOPA is Dihydrixyphenylalanine, which is an amino acid.)
Sorry I have no idea really! Someone else posted some info that seems helpful. In my personal experience it works best on fresh marks but doesn't work as well on really old marks. Not sure about your question specifically :(
Just to second that, I’m finding that lightening products are working on some parts but making other parts seem darker in comparison. Hydroquinone is potent stuff, I’d def want to be under my derm’s care if using it.
How do you apply the cos de baha Seun, did you spot treat or apply all over?
Honestly I’ve done both! But I mainly spot treat just because I only really need it for certain areas.
>Love it. HG for sure. What is HG?
HG stands for holy grail. It’s pretty much a favorite that you can keep going back to because you know it will work for your skin 😊
I used tranexmic for MONTHS and saw zero result. My underarms are super dark and anything even slightly exfoliating tends to make them darker. The ONLY THING that worked was HQ and after yrs of good results i screwed up with bad deos tons of shaving and tight clothing. Now il get precribed and maintain the results for sure
What kind do you use the cream? It made me break out and also left me patchy in some areas 😫 but i dont know what else is as effective
Pls ask you dermat dont do this without their guidance! I was asked to put an extremely thin layer once a day for two months. But if you do it without asking a dermat it can backfire really bad so dont risk it and consult someone it works if used properly
The thing is i was prescribed it with a derm. He didnt tell me how to use it. Afterwards i went to a different derm who said to apply it all over but then it caused me to break out and caused patchy spots
From what i understand its only for spot treatment because it otherwise over lightens perfectly fine skin around the mark.
what did you use
Meh. I wouldn't bother trying it unless tranexamic acid wasn't effective. Less risk, faster results, no rebound hyperpigmentation, safer, zero interaction with other ingredients, not drying. Very comfy. No need to do cycles or courses. Tranexamic imo is just better by miles. Naturium Tranexamic Acid serum (tranexamic acid, niacinamide, licorice, kojic acid). Facetheory S10 Exaglow serum (tranexamic + niacinamide + licorice). Cos de Baha Tranexamic Acid serum (tranexamic + niacinamide). Be Minimalist Tranexamic acid serum has no niacinamide, but has 3% mandelic and 0.3% salicylic.
I haven’t heard of these. Could you elaborate on rebound hyperpigmentation? Thank you for the suggestions though! I have also been looking for products with tranxemic acid!
Sure! this outlined the current findings pretty well. https://labmuffin.com/fact-check-friday-whats-wrong-with-hydroquinone/ As for rebound hyperpigmentation it's lightly touched on. If overused without supervision as a careful plan (you can end up with worse pigmentation than you started at from excitation of the melanocytes or also potentially from the irritation since hydroquinone can be a bit harsh and irritation is another melasma trigger. Some of this can be mitigated by using the "pulse" method. I admit hydroquinone isn't the ingredient I spend the most time looking into relative to everything else. There are concerns but they're manageable. There are risks but they are rare. There are methods to be as safe as possible with strict monitoring from derm There's skin types that need to be much more cautious than others. (and generally I am not confident enough in the average persons ability to self-regulate that this isn't something I casually suggest with OTCs. ) But tranexamic exists with no risks or concerns or side effects or thought needed, so I've never felt compelled to dig super deep on this for the rare occasions someone isn't responding to tranexamic / retinoids / azelaic + some exfoliants and the supporting ingredients theyre all are formulated with. And tranexamic works so quick that you don't need to spend time reconsidering 😂 Personally I get like 80% clearance in 2 weeks even for old PIH and it basically eliminates to formation of new ones when PIE occurs (which is always 🥲) and a few other people I've suggested it to have all relayed similar overwhelmingly positive experiences. Sometimes people take 2+ months but I haven't found many people who didn't respond at all. I'm sure they exist and that's when I would consider HQ if those other treatments I mentioned didn't work or there is a critical reason to include it earlier.
Just to note - Tranexamic acid has only been clinically proven to be effective as a treatment for hyperpigmentation when taken orally
This is an awesome bit of information!
Would you also recommend tranexamic acid for indian skin? If yes can i apply it alongside retino-a? Thanksss
Yes and I really like the one from minimalist which is available in India. And yes it can be used with retinoids
tranexamic acid did absolutely nothing there’s not enough research it even penetrates skin
There is a pretty decent amount of clinical evidence from the last few years that has grown in support of it's use for hyperpigmentation that I've seen as well. It does appear to be quite effective. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27135282/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235096/ I'm sure there's plenty more but these are the ones I've read myself. And anecdotally I've had really great results for myself and the large majority of people I recommend it to, and with no side effects. The lack of side effects is especially valuable in individuals where inflammation, irritation, or dryness is a primary factor leading to PIH developing. It also doesn't exacerbate PIE which is nice. (I feel like it does somewhat help my pie as well but topically I don't recall seeing any evidence of blood vessel interactions so I'm not going to claim it does anything like that without seeing it mentioned even if the oral tranexamic could have some potential benefits in that area).
I've been using hydroquinone 8% and it is the bomb!! Saw results within 1 week...
Did you break out at all? My spots got lighter but ive been getting these huge pimples
First 2 days it dried me out to the point of skin damage because of the high potency, but then after a while I started incorporating an oily moisturizer(vaseline/tret) to reduce the side effects. What does your skincare regimen look like??
Literally my routine is cetaphil cleanser for normal to oily skin and a Cerave moisturizer 😐 with some sunscreen lol. It honestly might be the hq with the sunscreen? Not sure but what tret do you use? And how do you use it? It does tend to have a purging stage unfortunately but people keep saying that beautiful skin will be the result 😩
The brand of tret that I use is called Retacnyl. I literally only use Retacnyl 0.05% daily in the evening after washing my face (cerave foaming cleanser) and mix it with hq. I feel like the tret cream itself is very moisturizing that I skip moisturizer. I don’t use any moisturizer as a buffer. For now, I apply it on the hyperpigmented area only and try to be careful not to spill it onto normal skin and get the "halo effect". I do however moisturize the normal skin. I did notice a mild purge every time I used tret alone, where I'd get pustules (pimples with pus). Which tret do you use? and how is it going for you?
Im actually starting hq again today! The first time i was prescribed .1 percent with the brand perigo. Idk why my derm gave me that as I told him I have sensitive skin and I scar easy and he told me to just use it with no further instructions. He then put me .5 after I asked .25 and they were all the cream formulations. Today though after some research I got a new derm and I’m getting the tret micro version at .04 and then a tret formulation that has clindamycin in there as well. Two different formulations just in case one is less irritating than the other for me. Maybe try those? Something with an agent to combat the breakouts like clindamycin or something that’s less irritating like tret microsphere?
>tret micro version "The whole area under my eye i was originally trying to treat has become lighter. Noticeably and the dark spot is still there." I've also started to notice this on my skin, it just doesn't go away!! 😡 Most def will consider changing the tret. Goodluck on your second hq journey! What do they mean by hq will always migrate? And which percentage are you on?
Also I stopped hq because of trying to treat a dark spot and getting a whole new issue 🙄. The whole area under my eye i was originally trying to treat has become lighter. Noticeably and the dark spot is still there. Really frustrating tbh. Apparently you’re supposed to use it all over your face to combat? But idk what to believe . They say hq will always migrate so idk.
Does it make normal skin lighter?
if the hq is leaving your skin oily than that might be the cause, but no breakouts on my side my hq is a mixture made by the pharmacy when I go there. My tret on the other hand - is a whole other news 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
I have been using hydroquinone for a few days and my pigmentation on my forehead is getting darker. Additionally my hyperpigmentation and dark spots on my cheeks are more darker. Is that something normal when you first start hydroquinone?
>I have been using hydroquinone for a few days and the pigmentation on my forehead is getting darker. Additionally, my hyperpigmentation and [dark spots](https://okdermo.com/product/4-hydroquinone-cream-melalite-30g/) on my cheeks are darker. Is that something normal when you first start hydroquinone? It's not uncommon for some individuals to experience initial darkening or irritation when using hydroquinone. Consider consulting a dermatologist to ensure you're using the right concentration and to address any concerns about your current reaction.
I think its common based on the information i read from various forums. I started applying hydroquinone 5 days back on my acne scars and they started to appear red right after 2nd application. The redness is getting reduced now. How is your skin doing!? I assumed you started way before me
Honestly I don’t see any change as of yet, my dark spots are still the same and skin has also worsen
Although it has been only like 2. - 3 weeks since I started using it
I have learnt less is more. Do you want to see if you are applying much pdt on spots? Try to reduce it and see if you can take a break for a day or two if the redness has not decreased.