Hydroquinone without Retin A

Have you used a bleaching cream in the past for your melasma and had to stop because it made your skin red, dry and irritated? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. We’ve had many melasma patients come to us afraid to use hydroquinone for their Melasma because of a negative experience like this. We spend a lot of time with these patients educating them on the importance of finding the right formulation and understanding how this important medication works to help control their frustrating Melasma.

It’s important to understand that it’s usually not the hydroquinone that causes the irritation. Most formulations designed to treat melasma also contain tretinoin (Retin A) and a steroid. It’s usually the Retin A that is the troublemaker. The steroid is added to help counteract the irritation of the Retin A, but it’s often not enough to avoid it altogether.

So why is Retin A added to bleaching cream? Because for those who can tolerate it, it works well to enhance and speed the effect of the hydroquinone. Retin A stimulates skin cell turnover or exfoliation. When you combine this with the pigment reducing effect of the hydroquinone, it can help your skin look clearer faster. But most people find it too irritating—even at lower concentrations and with the addition of a steroid. Bottom line is that if you can’t use it, then it’s not going to work!

We realized some time ago that Melasma patients need effective yet gentle formulations of hydroquinone. Here at Celibre, we’ve designed hydroquinone pads that use a hydroquinone gel in strengths of 4%, 6% or 8% WITHOUT Retin A. These formulations are more tolerable for most patients and they allow us to customize the strength of your treatment depending on your specific needs. If you need a progressive approach, we can go slow and allow you to build tolerance over time.

Our program is unique in that we have options. We’ve helped many Melasma patients improve after failing a more traditional treatment approach. If you’re looking for a personalized, tailored treatment plan for your Melasma, then come see us today. We would love the opportunity to discuss how our customized approach can help meet your goals.

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