hydroquinone Question

September 21, 2023 7:00 PM

Any comments on hydroquinone use for facial dark spots? Advice for use, recommended products, pitfalls etc?
posted by partner to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (3 answers total)

Best answer: I am African-American and, even though dermatologists consider hydroquinone the gold standard for brightening hyperpigmentation, it was completely ineffective for me. Instead, it lightened the surrounding areas of my face making the dark spots look even darker. I've had better luck with Vitamin C and Tranexamic acid. You can find the latter in this product.
posted by simonelikenina at 6:33 AM on September 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'm medium Caucasian, and hydroquinone used as directed did nothing for me. I also use vitamin C (homemade serum) and tranexamic acid (Good Molecules serum) now. These work on redness and lighter freckles, someday I'll get around to laser / IPL for the brown spots.
posted by momus_window at 9:08 AM on September 22, 2023

Best answer: It’s been effective for me (fair/medium, white skin), but the lightening can be undone in a few hours of sun exposure with improper protection. So, it was worth doing at long as I was also obsessed with applying and reapplying strong SPF.
posted by quince at 11:09 AM on September 23, 2023