What is Hydroquinone?


Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening agent that reduces the color of the skin. It is used to lighten and help prevent freckles, age spots, or other areas of darkened skin caused by pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone medicine, or injury to the skin.

Hydroquinone is also used to treat a skin condition called melasma (dark skin patches) on the face.

Hydroquinone is available only with your doctor’s prescription. Hydroquinone should be used only as directed by your doctor. Do not use more of it and do not use it for longer than recommended on the label, unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

Before using hydroquinone, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have liver disease or any type of active infection.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Avoid getting this medication in your eyes, nose, or mouth. If it does get into any of these areas, rinse with water. Do not use hydroquinone topical on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, irritated, or broken skin. Also avoid

Hydroquinone, also known by its chemical name benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, a derivative of benzene, having the chemical formula C6H4(OH)2. It has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a para position. It is a white granular solid. Substituted derivatives of this parent compound are also referred to as hydroquinones.

Hydroquinone is produced industrially by two main methods:

– Partial oxidation of benzene with air to give p-benzoquinone

– Cumene process: Alkylation of phenol with propylene to give cumene, which is oxidized to give cumene hydroperoxide and subsequently hydroquinone and acetone.

The derivative erythrol tetranitrate was used by chemist Ernst T. Krebs in his synthesis of the drug cortisone. Hydroquinone was historically used for the industrial scale production of saccharin but this application has been supplanted by the anthranilic acid process.[7] It is used in antifreeze formulations as an anticorrosive agent, as well as in fuels

Hydroquinone is a skin bleaching and lightening agent that is used to decrease the color of skin (pigmentation). It works by blocking the process in the skin that leads to pigmentation. Hydroquinone is used to treat melasma (dark skin patches) on the face. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Hydroquinone is a topical agent used in treating hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is an excess production of melanin, causing dark spots on your skin. These spots are also called liver spots or age spots. Hydroquinone works by decreasing melanin production, thereby lightening dark areas of your skin.

Hydroquinone is a common ingredient in skin bleaching and lightening products. It is used to treat skin discoloration by fading dark areas on the skin caused by sun damage, melasma (also known as chloasma) or other factors.

Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening agent used to treat age spots, freckles and other skin discolorations. It works by decreasing the formation of melanin in the skin. Melanin is the pigment in skin that gives it a brown color.

Hydroquinone comes in over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription strengths. OTC hydroquinone has a concentration of 2%, while prescription hydroquinone usually ranges from 4% to 6%. The difference in strength is due to the FDA’s concerns about possible side effects related to its use.

Some research suggests long-term use of hydroquinone can be harmful to your skin and lead to cancer. Others have found hydroquinone may cause “exogenous ochronosis” or bluish-black pigmentation of the skin. It may also increase sun sensitivity, although that side effect isn’t well established.

Many countries have banned or restricted the sale of products containing hydroquinone, including Japan, Australia, and most European countries. In 2006, the FDA proposed a ban on OTC hydroquinone products but later withdrew it after further review.

Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening agent that is used to lighten areas of darkened skin such as freckles, age spots, chloasma, and melisma caused by pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone medicine, or injury to the skin. Hydroquinone is also used to treat acne-related dark spots and dark patches on the face.

Hydroquinone belongs to a class of drugs known as depigmenting agents. It works by blocking the process in the skin that leads to discoloration.

Hydroquinone topical may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Hydroquinone, also known by its chemical name 1,4-benzenediol, is a common ingredient found in many skin-lightening products. It is sometimes sold as “white” or “brightening cream,” and is often used to treat hyperpigmentation — discoloration of the skin caused by increased melanin production.

Skin lightners containing hydroquinone have recently been banned by the European Union, because it may be carcinogenic. Even if this is not the case, hydroquinone can cause permanent damage to your skin and internal organs.

Hydroquinone works by blocking the enzyme tyrosinase from turning the amino acid tyrosine into melanin. Melanin is what gives our skin its color. Hydroquinone only stops production of new pigment — it does not get rid of existing pigment. You should see some lightening within a month or so.

But there’s no guarantee that hydroquinone will work for you — and there are risks associated with using it as well. It can cause allergic reactions, including itching and redness; these symptoms usually disappear when use of the product is stopped. Most people who use hydroquinone have no problems at all; however, prolonged use can lead to


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