We have all been there, you meant to put on the sun screen, you have four or five different bottles around the house, in your purse, car and beach bag. Dr. Obagi fans rely on Oclipse® Sun Spray or the beauty editor favorite Oclipse® Smart Tone SPF. But then there was that morning when what was supposed to be a quick coffee run, turned into a long chat outside with the neighbor. Or that fun day at the beach when you missed a reapplication or two. Inevitably, those sun spots make their way back to the surface and our skin loses it perfect even tone glow it once had. Now you can enjoy those moments without worry because Dr. Obagi and his personally trained physicians and staff have more powerful ways to ward off those sun spots than before. Don’t just reach for hydroquinone, used alone, it can be like a good relationship gone sour. Over–use can can leave you with new skin concerns like over hyperpigmentation and ochronosis. Avoiding such side effects requires a shift in your application and approach to hydroquinone. Here’s what the Expert, Dr. Obagi says to make it simple for you:
“My research and clinical experience have convinced me that our patients should use hydroquinone for short periods of time and then take a hydroquinone holiday. Hydroquinone has been approved in the United States for over 35 years and it remains one of our strongest tools for fighting pigmentation issues, but if used incorrectly it can be a double edged sword. Excessive hydroquinone concentrations may induce toxic or shocking effects on melanocytes, forcing them to regroup and increase their melanin production resulting in unwanted rebound hyperpigmentation. That is why we switch patients off hydroquinone after 18 weeks or less. Patients must take a 2-3 month hydroquinone holiday to allow melanocytes to stabilize (so they can withstand external and internal factors that might otherwise increase their activity) and restore the skin’s natural melanin. We switch treatment to a family of products which include, retinol, Vitamin C and other brightening ingredients. These combinations can even surpass the efficacy of hydroquinone but more importantly, they have the added benefit of helping prevent future damage by fortifying cells against future sun damage. During this phase, patients use different lightening agents we may add from my ZO® Medical Line which includes prescription grade and lightening products. Patients may resume hydroquinone if necessary afterward if we decide another course of hydroquinone is warranted. I call this approach Pulsed Hydroquinone Therapy.”
For more information on Pulsed Hydroquinone Therapy for the treatment of sunspots, book an appointment at Dr. Obagi’s Skin Health Institute in Beverly Hills or at any other ZO Skin Centre by Dr. Zein Obagi where practitioners are highly trained by Dr. Obagi in his research and techniques.
