Hydroquinone & Monobenzone

I know of many of my readers here already know and understand the risks involved with hydroquinone and monobenzone use. However, I still think I should post something that elucidates on the 'true' side of these two substances.

We all know that many skin bleaching companies utilize hydroquinone, and we all have seen at least some of them in the aisles of beauty stores. The thing is, these companies want us to puchase these products. They use cheap tactics to lure individuals who want to lighten their skin, by promising unrealistic results that are clearly based on lies. What these companies aren't stating, are the dangers of long term and inappropriate use of hydroquinone and monobenzone. That is where people like me come in. I don't want people to assume that just because somebody is on a skin lightening regimen that they are using creams and lotions that have steroids, mercury and these kinds of substances in them. I want to show the 'other' side of skin lightening. The safe side, The side that actually promotes skin health, and helps achieve skin tone goals effectively without putting your health or skin condition in jeopardy.

Hydroquinone is a cytotoxic (harmful to skin cells) substance that is very effective at inhibiting the enzyme, tyronaise. It works deep within the stratum corneum at supressing the production and assimilation of melanin (skin color). Dermatologists have discovered that when combined with tretinoin (Retin-A) that the two produce very intense, rapid skin lightening effects. What many companies do not tell you is that, most of the patients in a clinical trial/study used hydroquinone on localized regions, NOT their entire skin.

There is no denying that hydroquinone works great at removing dark spots, melasma patches ('pregnancy mask'), and acne marks. That is the ultimate truth about hydroquinone - it does work. But it only works to your advantage if used correctly. And by correctly I mean using it on specific targeted areas, like a melasma patch or a dab on an acne mark. Never in any study I have read does it state to use as a cosmetic skin lightener or for more than 6 months, because dermatologists know of the potential carcinogenic properties of the substance. Many of them also forget to mention to patients how hydroquinone damages your skin by slowly breaking down collagen fibres, mutating skin cells overtime, and creating extreme photo sensitivity.

I read a great quote from a wonderful weblink that summarized the effective and right use of hydroquinone in a nutshell: "Bleachers should be applied ONLY to the dark spot. Select areas that are well defined to bleach. This can help improve the ultimate outcome. If you do not have well defined areas to bleach, or have widespread freckling, you will want to select a skin brightener that is safer to use in more widespread areas. "

If you have acquired a hydroquinone based lightener/bleaching cream, I suggest you use it only on localized areas of your skin, wear high ppd sunscreen everyday, and do not use for more than 6 months.

In the last seven years, hydroquinone has been banned in several countries. Most places, high concentrations (2% or higher) can only be obtained through prescription.

Monobenzone is an extremely strong prescription grade ingredient that is specifically designed for people suffering from the de-pigmenting skin disease vitiligo. Monobenzone literally kills your skin cells, so that they are not producing and functioning with melanin properly. This can be very effective and useful for vitiligo sufferers because it speeds up the de-pigmentation process.

It really shocks me when I find out that people have acquired monobenzone illegally through online vendors and are slathering it on their skin, in hopes of becoming lighter. The truth is - it is not a skin lightener. It will kill your cells, meaning your skin will not be making any pigment from using it. The process is not some walk in the park and it is permanent. Monobenzone (much like hydroquinone) takes a harsh toll on the skin. It is reported that almost 90% of monobenzone users successfully acquire vitiligo or complete depigmentation.

Is that what you really want? That is what I'm asking the people who use monobenzone on normal, healthy skin. Getting vitiligo is not like a wand waving over you and you become translucent. Ask any vitligo patient, and they will attest by saying it is grueling, and at times humiliating. It takes up to a year or five of having small white patches grow all over your face and sometimes the entire body.

An unfortunate event happened over at the Bright Skin Forum (the most popular, and fantastic skin lightening community on the internet, and in which I moderate at) when two young girls got a hold of monobenzone 'creams' at high concentrations and started slathering it over their face and bodies. In almost 2 months, these girls reported back with having been diagnosed with vitiligo. They were compleltley devastated, I still remember reading their posts and the amount of drama it caused. Everybody around them found out they illegally acquired these cytotoxic bleaching creams. These 2 girls had to endure the slow process of completle depigmentation at such a crucial stage in life (just graduating high school).

This shouldn't happen to anybody, and any reputable physician or dermatologist would never prescribe hydroquinone or monobenzone as an all-over skin lightener. If you really are that desperate to the point that you don't care if you use hydroquinone or monobenzone, as long as it does the job, then you are sadly deluded. You cannot escape the 'truth' of what these two ingredients inflict. You are not an exception.

If anybody is reading this and is still using hydroquinone, or mequinol, or monobenzone over a large surface area of their body - it's ultimatley up to you, but just be accountable for your actions. Nobody can stop anybody from doing anything they truly want to do, but to think these ingredients are just like any ol' skin brightener or lightener is risky. I hope nobody else ends up like those 2 women.
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