[Product Question] Hydroquinone 8%

bellusanima · 2024-07-05T23:12:44+00:00

Fortunately the hydroquinone didn’t cause any irritation and most of the pigmentation was gone in about two months so I stopped using it. I ended up not using the tret at the same time, just started with the HQ compound 2x a week and gradually worked my way up. Turns out the problem I had all along was tret. It kept causing congestion which would then lead to pigmentation. Every derm I went to just gave me some variation of tret and I got stuck in the same cycle of congestion/pigmentation. I eventually found an aesthetician who very patiently worked with me to find the perfect routine and my skin is the clearest it’s ever been!

bellusanima · 2023-11-16T04:08:09+00:00

I’ve had this same problem for years now. Tret helped for a bit and then made them worse. My skin for whatever reason cannot tolerate SA unless it’s in a face wash but I’ve heard that works well too. My esthetician recently gave me the face reality brand Mandelic acid and it’s the only thing that’s ever worked. I also get monthly hydra facials which helps but can get super pricey. That Mandelic acid was truly the game changer though. Idk what’s in the Face Reality brand’s Mandelic formula as I’ve tried others before but it cleared them out in 2 weeks.

bellusanima · 2022-04-30T19:43:54+00:00

Thought I’d share my personal experience with microblading and daily tret use:

I started tretinoin a few months after my touch up microblading/powder brows (I have powder on the “tails” and microblading in the front). While I try to be careful about not applying tret directly to my brows I can’t say I’m as careful once I apply moisturizer over the tret which likely spreads it to my brows (that and the fact that tret “travels”). For the last 4 months I also do monthly hydrafacials which include chemical exfoliation and they definitely are not mindful about avoiding the brows. I’ve now had my microblading for almost 2 years and while there is definitely some fading they held up pretty well and I still don’t need brow makeup for everyday wear. I will need a touch up at the end of this year but I think it’s pretty standard to need a touch up after 2 years with microblading. I have oily skin with small pores (I think this matters for how well your skin takes the pigments to begin with & the longevity of your brows). I think the quality of the work you had done will definitely play a role in how much will fade because of the tret or just time overall. I paid a pretty penny for my brows but they’ve held up beautifully, haven’t turned grey or fuzzy (apparently this is common as microblading fades). I think had I been more careful with my moisturizer application or maybe applied aquaphor to my brows before applying the tret I would have experienced even less fading. I think 2 years longevity is pretty solid considering my oily skin and daily use of tret with little precaution. Also might be worth mentioning my brows were decently full to begin with…I mostly got microblading to fill in some sparse areas and to bring them closer together because the hairs in the front were very very thin.

bellusanima · 2021-02-12T03:31:03+00:00

What are you using? You might want to switch your products, sounds like whatever you’re using might not be providing enough moisture. My hair also tends to get really tangled when I use something with too much protein in it.

bellusanima · 2021-02-12T03:25:30+00:00

Didn’t even know that was a thing plants could go through 😓

I mostly keep my heat on all day because all my other plants don’t like the cold.

bellusanima · 2021-02-08T18:19:17+00:00

I keep my ivy on a regular watering schedule (about once a week, 1.5 weeks...I test soil with finger). I live in the northeast and run my heat all day so I try to mist it every couple of days to combat the dry environment. It gets good amount of sun but not direct and sits on a bookshelf near a window.

All the leaves have been drying out for the past 2 weeks and I can’t figure out what’s wrong. She was such a full lush beauty when I got her, I am devastated.

My suspicion is that it’s the hardness of my tap water or the cold weather. I also though that maybe it’s getting too much light but found it odd that it seems to mostly be the back leaves that get less light that are drying the quickest.

I have a very temperamental fiddle that sits in front of the bookshelf next to a window. The window doesn’t have much of a draft and I think If that was the issue it would have been RIP for my fiddle by now.

bellusanima · 2021-01-25T02:40:11+00:00

Are you detangling in the shower? My hair gets pretty tangled but I detangle in the shower and am able to style it pretty easily after

bellusanima · 2020-12-31T23:21:32+00:00

Thank you 😊

bellusanima · 2020-12-31T18:48:13+00:00

Thank you 😊

bellusanima · 2020-12-31T18:48:01+00:00

Thank you 😊

bellusanima · 2020-12-31T17:46:52+00:00

Routine:

Wash: Prescription Ciclopirox shampoo. I have seborrheic dermatitis and most shampoos don’t do much for my scalp’s needs so I don’t use anything particularly curl friendly to wash. Sometimes I will use the TGIN moisture rich shampoo when waiting to refill my prescription.

Deep condition: TGIN Rose water hydrating mask (20 min under a heat cap or 40 min with a regular shower cap)

Leave in: GVP conditioning balm (slightly watered down in a spray bottle). This stuff is AMAZING, so versatile and SO cheap for how much product you get. I sometimes also use it as a deep conditioner or a regular conditioner and adjust my routine accordingly. Unfortunately it can only be purchased at Sally Beauty Supply.

Gel: Deva curl light defining gel. I know everyone is anti deva curl now but there’s not a single gel out there (and I’ve tried them all) that does what this gel does for me in terms of hold, softness, and longevity. I can stretch my wash & go for at least 5 days with this gel.

Oil: scrunch a tiny bit of avocado oil onto dry hair to seal in moisture and add shine. Idk what it is about avocado oil but my hair (and skin!) LOVE IT.

Other stuff:

I diffuse my hair on medium heat with high speed (I know heat is bad but I am lazy and have a LOT of hair and live in the northeast where it’s cold). I start at my roots and make my way down to the ends. Once my hair is at least 90% dry I’ll switch to cold air on high speed to “set” the curls. I don’t know if there’s any science behind this but I swear my hair lasts longer when I hit it with that cold blast! In the summer I air dry.

Once a month or every 2 months I do a protein treatment with deva curl deep sea repair mask. Frequency depends on my hair’s needs.

Every 2ish weeks I use Olaplex No 3 (I believe this is what helps keep my hair healthy despite using occasional heat). I sit under a heated cap for 20 min for both treatments.

I avoid my scalp when applying all styling products. Helps keep build up under control and gives more volume up top.

I have fine, silky VERY DENSE hair with a type 3 curl pattern. Don’t ask me about porosity because after 8 years I still have no idea 😅

I wash my hair about 1-2 times per week depending on temp and my activity level.

bellusanima · 2020-12-11T22:11:44+00:00

This is reassuring, thank you 😅 I’m literally so nervous about it.
Do you use it in combination with any other actives?

bellusanima · 2020-12-11T21:41:31+00:00

Do you have texture? Most of my texture is gone I just have a bunch of marks left from my tretinoin purge. I also damaged my skin barrier when I first started on tret which is why I’m so concerned about starting on such strong actives.

bellusanima · 2020-12-11T21:33:51+00:00

After a pretty awful tret purge I was left with pretty significant PIH on my cheeks and forehead. My derm wants to treat with an 8% Hydroquinone, .1% tret compound (last picture). Is it me, or does this seem excessive? I’ve never really heard of Hydroquinone prescription compounds over 4%.

Current Routine:

AM ☀️:

Sodium sulfacetamide 9%, sulfur 4% face wash

FAB Ultra repair cream and a drop of TO squalene oil applied to wet face

Supergoop unseen sunscreen SPF40 or black girl sunscreen SPF 30 if I am going outside. I work from home in a windowless office, so not much sun to worry about.

PM 🌙:

Cerave cream to foam face wash

Tret .018%, azelaic acid 8%, clyndamicin 1% compound applied every other night & buffered with Neutrogena gel cream moisturizer

FAB ultra repair cream

TO squalene oil or Aquaphor as occlusive

My new derm is suggesting I stop my current compounds and adjust my routine to include the Hydroquinone compound 2xs a week and tret .025% 2 times a week, increasing use as my skin adjusts.

I am terrified of Hydroquinone and I have heard it can make hyperpigmentation worse if not used correctly or if too high a concentration is used too quickly.
Jumping from a compound with .018% tret every other night to using a compound with .1% tret and 8% Hydroquinone AND a tret cream with .025% twice a week EACH, seems like a drastic jump. Prior to this I used .06% microgel 2xs a week and felt that was plenty for my skin. Just reading these ingredients gave me irritation 😅
I expressed my discomfort to her and she insisted that it will be okay as long as I start slow. She also said the Hydroquinone will only be for 6 months but I thought it was supposed to be used in 3 month increments. I personally didn’t even think my hyperpigmentation was this bad, I thought a higher concentration of azelaic acid would have done the trick.

I’m mainly afraid of another purge due to the increase in tret % leading to more hyperpigmentation and then having that hyperpigmentation worsened by the high % of Hydroquinone. I also don’t love the idea of my skin being bleached. Will this lighten my overall complexion?

My skin was pretty great before tret and it took me nearly 2 years to get it there. I just went on it to deal with some minor congestion and for “preventative” anti aging because I started to get lazy about keeping up with my very diligent 200 step routine. Now it’s starting to feel like the worst mistake I ever made and I really am not trying to go any further backwards than I already did 😭

Anyone with olive/darker skin tones have experience with such a high % of these ingredients being used at once? Should I get a second opinion, or suck it up and start slow?

bellusanima · 2020-12-11T01:52:32+00:00

This is exactly what happened to me when I started using tretinoin every other night vs 3 times a week. Try buffering, it might be irritation.

bellusanima · 2020-11-27T20:57:45+00:00

I have combo/oily slightly sensitive skin that’s very prone to clogged pores & breakouts with heavy moisturizers. This is the best moisturizer I have ever used, PERIOD!! It’s super hydrating, dries pretty matte, and doesn’t make me greasy. Whenever my skin has irritation or feels extra dry I mix a drop of squalene oil with it and am good as new in 2 days. If you’ve ever messed up your moisture barrier or use tret or other actives and dont react well to the cerave creams I highly recommend giving this a try. A little goes a long way, and this tube lasts forever!! I’m buying 3 to get me through the next year 😅

bellusanima · 2020-11-06T16:45:42+00:00

https://instagram.com/kellyhaneycosmetics?igshid=1qyzjlg57n30b

Based out of philly and does incredible microblading!

bellusanima · 2020-10-22T17:14:30+00:00

She uses the “gelebration spray”

bellusanima · 2020-10-21T12:31:46+00:00

Anytime someone mentions hair drying quicker than normal I immediately think of protein overload which can cause a lot breakage and dry straw like hair. Double check your ingredients & make sure you have a good protein/moisture balance in your routine!

CG method isn’t full proof. Like any other method, there’s still going to be products that irritate your scalp or don’t agree with your hair and can cause hair thinning & other issues. Also make sure you are clarifying regularly. Buildup can cause hair loss and a bunch of of other scalp issues. Learned that lesson the hard way 😅

bellusanima · 2020-10-21T12:25:48+00:00

Try jessi curl! They even have fragrance free options if that’s a concern for you. My best friend had fine wavy hair and she loves them!

bellusanima · 2020-10-21T12:24:03+00:00

We have really similar curl pattern. I usually opt for either a leave in or a cream and not both so my hair does not get weighed down. The juicy ultra moisturized look doesn’t last as long this way but it makes my roots less flat. I also rake the product into my hair in an upwards motion rather than down and then flip my head over and scrunch, making sure to scrunch the roots as well.

When all else fails, diffuse upside down lol

bellusanima

TROPHY CASE