Hydroquinone is accessible over-the-counter in some forms (over the counter). Hydroquinone prescriptions, on the other hand, are not available over-the-counter. While many individuals wish to easily buy hydroquinone online, the first step in getting prescription hydroquinone is to get a consultation with a medical specialist. When it’s appropriate, Push Health can connect patients who want to use hydroquinone with a medical provider who can prescribe hydroquinone medication, including hydroquinone 4 percent cream.
Do I need a prescription for hydroquinone 4?
Dermatologists and aestheticians both employ hydroquinone as a lightening agent. Because of its propensity to lighten skin tone, a hydroquinone cream is commonly referred to as a “bleaching cream,” but none of these products include bleach. While lower-strength versions of these lotions are accessible without a prescription, higher-strength versions require a prescription. A hydroquinone 4 percent cream is also the greatest strength commercially accessible with a prescription. A cream containing 6, 8, or 10% hydroquinone can only be purchased with a prescription from a compounding pharmacy.
Uses for Prescription Hydroquinone Creams
Skin bleaching is used for more than just aesthetic reasons, including as minimizing the indications of aging and sun damage. Discoloration of the skin can also be caused by skin disorders. Acne is the most common occurrence, which can result in post-inflammatory pigmentation. Acne lesions that have healed but left a mark are the source of these red spots and areas of uneven skin tone. Acne scarring and markings can have a significant impact on a person’s self-esteem. Acne breakouts can cause pigmentation changes, which can be reduced using a hydroquinone prescription lotion.
Treating Melasma with Hydroquinone
Melasma is another skin condition that benefits from the usage of hydroquinone lotion. Melasma is a skin condition that results in bigger, discolored areas of skin, particularly on the face. Hormonal changes, such as those associated with pregnancy, or sun exposure, are common causes of these patches. To treat these significant patches of discolouration, a hydroquinone 6 percent, 8 percent, or 10% cream may be given.
What Strengths of Hydroquinone are Available?
Hydroquinone acts by inhibiting the formation of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin tone. While a 2 percent or 4 percent cream will work for most people, those with more severe pigmentation concerns may benefit from a higher-strength cream. At our pharmacy, we synthesize hydroquinone in the following strengths:
Hydroquinone 6 percent Cream, Hydroquinone 8 percent Cream: These creams are more potent than most commercially available products and can be used to treat moderate to severe pigmentation issues like as melasma, post-inflammatory pigmentation, and UV damage.
Hydroquinone 10% Cream: This high-strength cream is normally only used for the most serious pigmentation problems.
Combining Ingredients at a Compounding Pharmacy
Another advantage of getting a hydroquinone cream from a compound pharmacy is that you can have many components in one cream. Hydroquinone can be coupled with an exfoliant like retinoic acid or with other lightening agents like kojic acid to create a powerful combination. Vitamin C and azelaic acid are two more substances that brighten skin. Hydrocortisone may be added to a combination lightening lotion to alleviate skin irritation caused by the other components.
Because it simultaneously decreases melanin production and speeds up skin cell renewal through exfoliation, a combination cream is sometimes referred to as a “peel-and-bleach cream.” These chemicals, like a chemical peel, remove the top layer of dead skin to allow new, undamaged skin cells to form. Here are a few examples of these combinations:
Tri-Luma is a commercially available medicine that contains a combination of chemicals, including retinoic acid and fluocinolone acetonide, to reduce edema and inflammation. However, this product only contains 4% hydroquinone. Compounding pharmacies are required to obtain the higher-strength combinations.
Sun Protection When Using Prescription Hydroquinone
When using high-strength skin whitening products, it’s critical to wear sunscreen. Whether it’s bright or cloudy outside, sunscreen should be worn every day and reapplied as needed. When going outside, the skin should be covered as much as possible, and the face should be protected with a broad-brimmed hat. Staying indoors during the middle of the day, when the sun is at its strongest, is preferable since UV rays are particularly intense.
Get Prescription Hydroquinone Cream Today
Talk to your dermatologist or healthcare provider right away if you want to get a high-strength prescription hydroquinone lotion. We will be able to fill your prescription and transport your cream directly to your home once you have received it.
At what percentage does hydroquinone have to be prescribed?
Dosage and Administration of Hydroquinone Cream HYDROQUINONE USP, 4% SKIN BLEACHING CREAM should be applied twice daily, in the morning and before sleep, or as recommended by a physician, to afflicted areas and rubbed in thoroughly. If there is no progress after two months of treatment, this product should be stopped.
What happens when you stop bleaching?
The concentration or synthesis of melanin in the skin is reduced through skin bleaching. Melanin is a pigment produced by melanocytes, which are skin cells. Genetics has a large role in determining the quantity of melanin in your skin. Melanin is more abundant in those with dark skin. Melanin production is also influenced by hormones, sunshine, and certain substances.
When you use a skin bleaching treatment like hydroquinone on your skin, it reduces the amount of melanocytes in your skin. This can result in skin that is lighter and more even in appearance.
When you quit bleaching, anecdotal evidence suggests that you will return to your original color. If you start using another product just after you finish bleaching, you can have dark knuckles and burns. However, there is a technique to stop it without getting black knuckles, and that is to let your skin alone for 1 to 2 weeks before using another cream. For 45 days, users complained of skin dryness, roughness, and dead skin patches in various parts of their bodies until the skin returned to normal.
Skin bleaching tends to focus almost entirely on the individuals who bleach their skin, rather than the global structures that make skin bleaching a realistic option, according to Yaba Blay, PhD, one of the world’s leading voices on colorism. She claims that “My ancestors are from Ghana. I was born and raised in New Orleans. Colorism has always bothered me, and I’ve always been aware of how it works. My maternal aunt died suddenly in her late fifties. Doctors diagnosed her with dementia, and I believe it was caused by her bleaching her skin for most of her adult life. I wanted to find out more about the link between skin-bleaching products and health, as well as the consequences and effects on people.
“There’s a reason our complexion is dark, especially if you live in Africa. Melanin is required to protect humans from the sun’s wrath. There are health risks when you employ a chemical to tell your body to cease producing melanin. It is impossible to protect your body. We’re witnessing pathologies that aren’t ours in West Africa, such as skin cancer. Because of our melanin, skin cancer has not been as widespread in Black people in the past. When our bodies quit producing melanin, we develop skin cancer.” Regardless of melanin or bleaching, all skin kinds and tones can get skin cancer, thus everyone should have their skin checked as part of their yearly health exams.
Most modern skin-bleaching lotions contain substances that suppress the development of melanin, a biological component that darkens skin, which has been linked to a number of negative health impacts. Hydroquinone, a skin-lightening depigmenting agent, is one of these substances. However, the World Health Organization advises that hydroquinone can cause dermatitis (skin irritation), blue-black pigmentation, and even blindness. The following are some of the skin bleaching adverse effects:
Mercury poisoning has been connected to several skin bleaching cosmetics made in other countries. Although mercury has been outlawed as a component in skin lightening treatments in the United States, it is still present in products manufactured in other nations.
Contact dermatitis has been connected to the use of skin bleaching products in case studies and reports. This is a type of skin inflammation brought on by interaction with certain chemicals.
Exogenous ochronosis (EO) is a pigmentation condition that creates blue-black pigmentation on the skin. It commonly happens as a side effect of using hydroquinone-based skin bleaching treatments for a long time. EO is more prone to develop in people who apply it on big parts of the body or on the entire body.
Steroid acne can be caused by skin bleaching products that contain corticosteroids. With long-term usage of corticosteroids, steroid acne typically affects the chest, although it can also appear on the back, arms, and other regions of the body.
Nephrotic syndrome is a kidney illness that is frequently caused by damage to the blood vessels in your kidneys that filter waste and excess water. It makes your body expel an excessive amount of protein in your urine. Mercury-containing skin whitening cosmetics have been linked to nephrotic syndrome. READ ALSO: What Happens If You Stop Using Hydroquinone Cream?
Does hydroquinone lighten skin permanently?
In epidermal-type melasma, it may be beneficial. Hydroquinone is available in concentrations ranging from 2% to 10%, and it can be administered twice a day for 12 weeks. Hydroquinone, on the other hand, can induce local skin irritation, resulting to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and worsening skin pigmentation. The patient should also be cautioned that if the hydroquinone gets onto normal skin nearby, it will lighten as well, giving the patient a leopard-skin appearance. The permanent depigmenting agent monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone should never be used to treat melasma since it causes irreversible pigment loss. Hydroquinone therapy is also thought to cause exogenous ochronosis, which is a rare adverse effect.
Can I buy hydroquinone 4 over the counter?
Hydroquinone is a lightening agent for the skin. It bleaches the skin, which might be beneficial when treating hyperpigmentation of various types.
There has been significant debate in the past over the safety of hydroquinone. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States declared the substance safe and effective in 1982.
Concerns regarding safety forced merchants to remove hydroquinone from the market a few years later. The FDA later discovered that several of the recalled products contained pollutants such as mercury. They discovered that these pollutants were to blame for the reported side effects.
Since then, the FDA has confirmed that hydroquinone at 2% concentrations can be safely marketed over the counter (OTC).
Continue reading to find more about how it works, who it may help, products to try, and more.
What happens when you stop using hydroquinone cream?
After five months, discontinue use. Wait two or three months before applying it to the same spots. Exogenous ochronosis, which causes blue-black pigmentation and papules, red pimples on the skin, can result from long-term usage of hydroquinone.
How much is a tube of hydroquinone?
The average cost of one tube of generic (hydroquinone) with 28.35 grams of 4 percent each is $104.49. By using the WebMDRx coupon, you can get hydroquinone for $17.47, which is an 83 percent discount. Even if Medicare or your insurance covers this drug, we recommend that you shop around.
Can a dermatologist prescribe hydroquinone?
Banks states earlier in the video that it’s “really not relevant to explore the cultural importance of skin-bleaching anymore because….as black people in this environment, you integrate.” However, there is a major medical distinction between skin-bleaching products and other common cosmetic procedures: lightening your skin is not beneficial for it.
Hydroquinone is a substance found in skin-lightening cosmetics. Dermatologists in the United States can prescribe creams or lotions containing roughly 4% hydroquinone for people with skin disorders, and some over-the-counter medications include 1.5 percent to 2% hydroquinone. These lotions are applied topically and help to prevent melanin production by partially blocking a chemical process in our skin. Melanin is the pigment that provides our skin (as well as our eyes and hair) color; less melanin indicates lighter skin.
Hydroquinone, on the other hand, has potentially major negative effects. The chemical has been linked to persistent skin bleaching, cancer, and (ironically) excessive skin-darkening or permanent stretch marks in rodents who swallowed it. Many skin-lightening creams also contain prescription-strength steroids, which can lead to acne and skin thinning to the point that veins and bruises are visible.
What percentage of hydroquinone is in Musely?
Musely has four product lines to choose from. All products are tailored to each patient’s specific skin care requirements, with crepey skin, fine lines and wrinkles, and dark spots all being addressed. The skin regeneration set, spot cream, and neck cream are among the company’s four products.
Musely Skin Regeneration Set
Wrinkles, texture, fine lines, dull skin, pore size, and droopy eyelids can all be improved with Musely’s skin regeneration package.
The Night Cream (30ml) is a wrinkle and dark spot treatment that contains tretinoin, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. Gentle (0.025 percent), Balanced (0.05 percent), and Veteran (0.1 percent) are the three intensities available.
The Day Cream (30ml) – SPF 30 day cream containing Octisalate 4.75 percent, Oxybenzone 4.25 percent, Avobenzone 3%, and Octocrylene 2.8 percent as active components. It helps to keep skin moisturized and sun-protected.
The Cleanser (60ml) features skin-soothing ingredients including cucumber and kiwi, which assist to clear pores while keeping skin hydrated.
eNurse – eNurse allows you to customise your therapy, track your daily progress, and ask your dermatologist questions.
If you’ve been wanting to start a new skincare routine but aren’t sure where to begin, consider Musely’s skin regeneration kit and reading through our helpful Beginner’s Guide to Skin Care. We don’t believe you’ll be let down.
Musely Cleanser and Day Cream Bundle
The ‘The cleanser and the day cream bundle’ from Musely is the perfect skincare set that keeps skin nourished while also protecting it from the sun’s harmful effects.
The Day Cream (90ml) – SPF 30 day cream containing Octisalate 4.75 percent, Oxybenzone 4.25 percent, Avobenzone 3%, and Octocrylene 2.8 percent as active ingredients. It helps to keep skin moisturized and sun-protected.
Musely Spot Cream
Melasma, sun/age spots, and acne scars are all treated with Musely’s Spot Cream. This dark spot correction cream is formulated with hydroquinone and other skin-brightening chemicals to help erase dark spots and brighten your complexion. The Spot Cream works by preventing dark spots by preventing the development of melanin in your skin. This cream is available in four different versions, each with different active ingredients:
Musely’s The Spot Peel
The Spot Peel is a great follow-up to The Spot Cream, and it’s reported to work even better when used together. It’s a quick-acting peel that targets dark spots while also balancing skin tone and increasing brightness. Many reviewers say Musely’s The Spot Peel is a one-time treatment that made them believe their black spots would never go away until they utilized it. The best aspect about this so-called “wonder worker” is that each treatment costs less than $100! When you compare that to the cost of a chemical peel or other cosmetic therapy from a dermatologist, your pocketbook will be praising you.
The Spot Peel is made up of six substances that work together to help diminish the appearance of dark spots:
To reduce the appearance of dark spots, use Hydroquinone/Azelaic Acid to break down melanosomes in your pigment cells.
Tretinoin boosts natural collagen formation while speeding up the turnover of your skin cells.
Titanium Dioxide protects the skin from harmful UV rays by preventing free radicals from accessing the skin’s surface.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that makes your skin sparkle like a diamond.
Musely’s Neck Cream (50ml)
Crepey skin and dark spots on your chest are targeted by Musely’s neck cream. It’s jam-packed with skin-brightening chemicals that help remove sun-damaged dark spots. This cream is available in two versions, each with different active components that target your:
Musely’s neck cream is ideal for people who are battling with aging skin or premature indications of age and wish to stay ahead of the game. Not sure how to recognize signs of aging? We’ve got you covered with a brief read that will teach you Everything You Need to Know About Premature Aging.