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Clinical reviews

Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?

Pages 272-275 | Received 11 Jul 2009, Accepted 28 Aug 2009, Published online: 25 Jan 2010

Keep up to date with the latest research on this topic with citation updates for this article.

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Stephanie Ishack & Shari R. Lipner. (2022) Assessing the impact and educational value of YouTube as a source of information on hydroquinone: a content–quality and readability analysis. Journal of Dermatological Treatment 33:2, pages 1171-1173.
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Joshua Oladele Owolabi, Oluseyi Sunday Fabiyi, Lola Adeola Adelakin & Miriammillicent Chinenyenwa Ekwerike. (2020) Effects of Skin Lightening Cream Agents – Hydroquinone and Kojic Acid, on the Skin of Adult Female Experimental Rats. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology 13, pages 283-289.
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Mohaddeseh Sadat Alavi, Ali Shamsizadeh, Gholamreza Karimi & Ali Roohbakhsh. (2020) Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1)-mediated toxicity: friend or foe?. Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods 30:1, pages 1-18.
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Rebecca F. Wang, Dayoung Ko, Ben J. Friedman, Henry W. Lim & Tasneem F. Mohammad. (2023) Disorders of hyperpigmentation. Part I. Pathogenesis and clinical features of common pigmentary disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 88:2, pages 271-288.
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Fan Liu, Linkai Qu, Hua Li, Jiaxuan He, Lei Wang, Yimeng Fang, Xiaoqing Yan, Qinsi Yang, Bo Peng, Wei Wu, Libo Jin & Da Sun. (2022) Advances in Biomedical Functions of Natural Whitening Substances in the Treatment of Skin Pigmentation Diseases. Pharmaceutics 14:11, pages 2308.
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Zuzanna Piętowska, Danuta Nowicka & Jacek C. Szepietowski. (2022) Understanding Melasma-How Can Pharmacology and Cosmetology Procedures and Prevention Help to Achieve Optimal Treatment Results? A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19:19, pages 12084.
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Elise Lupon, Jérôme Laloze, Benoit Chaput, Paul Girard, Curtis L. Cetrulo, Laurent A. Lantieri, Jean Louis Grolleau, Olivier Camuzard & Alexandre G. Lellouch. (2022) Treatment of hyperpigmentation after burn: A literature review. Burns 48:5, pages 1055-1068.
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Mozhdeh Sepaskhah, Fatemeh Karimi, Zahra Bagheri & Behrooz Kasraee. (2022) Comparison of the efficacy of cysteamine 5% cream and hydroquinone 4%/ascorbic acid 3% combination cream in the treatment of epidermal melasma. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 21:7, pages 2871-2878.
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Ion Fratilescu, Anca Lascu, Bogdan Ovidiu Taranu, Camelia Epuran, Mihaela Birdeanu, Ana-Maria Macsim, Eugenia Tanasa, Eugeniu Vasile & Eugenia Fagadar-Cosma. (2022) One A3B Porphyrin Structure—Three Successful Applications. Nanomaterials 12:11, pages 1930.
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Yong Chool Boo. (2022) Metabolic Basis and Clinical Evidence for Skin Lightening Effects of Thiol Compounds. Antioxidants 11:3, pages 503.
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P.B. Lima, J.A.F. Dias, D.P. Cassiano, A.C.C. Esposito, L.D.B. Miot, E. Bagatin & H.A. Miot. (2021) Efficacy and safety of topical isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol (Thiamidol) vs. 4% hydroquinone cream for facial melasma: an evaluator‐blinded, randomized controlled trial. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 35:9, pages 1881-1887.
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Roshanak Hariri, Mina Saeedi & Tahmineh Akbarzadeh. (2021) Naturally occurring and synthetic peptides: Efficient tyrosinase inhibitors. Journal of Peptide Science 27:7.
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T. Searle, F. Al‐Niaimi & F. R. Ali. (2020) Hydroquinone: myths and reality. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 46:4, pages 636-640.
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Dana S. Saade, Mayra B. C. Maymone, Henriette De La Garza, Eric A. Secemsky, Kevin F. Kennedy & Neelam A. Vashi. (2021) Trends in Use of Prescription Skin Lightening Creams. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18:11, pages 5650.
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Clarissa Prieto Herman Reinehr, Célia Luíza Petersen Vitello Kalil, Laura Mattos Milman & Renato Marchiori Bakos. (2020) Delivery of hydroquinone assisted by fractional laser for the treatment of hyperchromic scar. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 19:12, pages 3451-3452.
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Paula Basso Lima, Joana Alexandria Ferreira Dias, Daniel Cassiano, Ana Cláudia Cavalcante Esposito, Ediléia Bagatin, Luciane Donida Bartoli Miot & Hélio Amante Miot. (2020) A comparative study of topical 5% cysteamine versus 4% hydroquinone in the treatment of facial melasma in women. International Journal of Dermatology 59:12, pages 1531-1536.
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André da Silva Freires, Chirlene Nascimento Botelho, Saimon Moraes Silva, Marília Oliveira Fonseca Goulart, Flavio Santos Damos & Rita de Cássia Silva Luz. (2020) Photoelectrochemical biosensor for 1,4-dihydroxybenzene based on copper sulfide and horseradish peroxidase enzyme: Application in skin cream samples. Microchemical Journal 159, pages 105487.
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Shymaa Hatem, Nada M. El Hoffy, Reham S. Elezaby, Maha Nasr, Amany O. Kamel & Seham A. Elkheshen. (2020) Background and different treatment modalities for melasma: Conventional and nanotechnology-based approaches. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology 60, pages 101984.
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Natalia M. K. Spierings. (2019) Melasma: A critical analysis of clinical trials investigating treatment modalities published in the past 10 years. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 19:6, pages 1284-1289.
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P.E. Grimes, S. Ijaz, R. Nashawati & D. Kwak. (2019) New oral and topical approaches for the treatment of melasma. International Journal of Women's Dermatology 5:1, pages 30-36.
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Ga-Young Seo, Yuna Ha, Ah-Hyun Park, Oh Kwon & Youn-Jung Kim. (2019) Leathesia difformis Extract Inhibits α-MSH-Induced Melanogenesis in B16F10 Cells via Down-Regulation of CREB Signaling Pathway. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 20:3, pages 536.
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Moragot Chatatikun, Takeshi Yamauchi, Kenshi Yamasaki, Setsuya Aiba & Anchalee Chiabchalard. (2019) Anti melanogenic effect of Croton roxburghii and Croton sublyratus leaves in α-MSH stimulated B16F10 cells. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 9:1, pages 66-72.
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Mona Sadeghpour, Jeffrey S. Dover & Thomas E. Rohrer. (2018) Advances in the Treatment of Melasma. Advances in Cosmetic Surgery 1:1, pages 163-174.
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Priyadarshani Galappatthy & Deepani Rathnayake. 2018. Pigmentary Skin Disorders. Pigmentary Skin Disorders 261 280 .
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Yan Tai, Chuan Wang, Zhihua Wang, Yi Liang, Junying Du, Dongwei He, Xiaoyan Fan, Sven-Eric Jordt & Boyi Liu. (2017) Involvement of Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Member A1 activation in the irritation and pain response elicited by skin-lightening reagent hydroquinone. Scientific Reports 7:1.
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Izabela Biskup, Ewa Zaczynska, Miroslawa Krauze-Baranowska & Izabela Fecka. (2016) Evaluation of cytotoxicity of 5-n-alkylresorcinol homologs and fraction on mouse fibroblast cell line L929. European Food Research and Technology 243:7, pages 1137-1148.
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Mariah L. Scott, Mary F. Adams, Joseph J. Karchesy & Janet C. McAllister. (2016) Insecticidal Activity of Thymoquinone and Related Compounds Against Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) . Journal of Medical Entomology, pages tjw181.
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Sun-Hee Yim, Kwang-Sik Cho, Jin-Ho Choi, Ju-Hyun Lee, Myung-Su Kim & ByulHaNa Lee. (2016) Effect of Various Pear Cultivars at Different Fruit Development Stages on Antioxidant and Whitening Activities. Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology 48:1, pages 59-65.
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Ikuo Nakanishi, Kei Ohkubo, Yukihiro Ogawa, Ken-ichiro Matsumoto, Toshihiko Ozawa & Shunichi Fukuzumi. (2016) Aluminium ion-promoted radical-scavenging reaction of methylated hydroquinone derivatives. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 14:33, pages 7956-7961.
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Taek Hwan Lee, Jae Ok Seo, Moon Ho Do, Eunhee Ji, So-Hyeon Baek & Sun Yeou Kim. (2014) Resveratrol-Enriched Rice Down-Regulates Melanin Synthesis in UVB-Induced Guinea Pigs Epidermal Skin Tissue. Biomolecules & Therapeutics 22:5, pages 431-437.
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Tsz Wah Tse & Edith Hui. (2013) Tranexamic acid: an important adjuvant in the treatment of melasma. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 12:1, pages 57-66.
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Wenhui Gao & Cristina Legido-Quigley. (2011) Fast and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography analysis of cosmetic creams for hydroquinone, phenol and six preservatives. Journal of Chromatography A 1218:28, pages 4307-4311.
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