Hydroquinone Side Effects

Short Term Side Effects of Using Hydroquinone

Using hydroquinone will result in a few short term side effects. These include but are not limited to severe burning, crusting, itching, or swelling of the treated areas, unusual skin discoloration. Individuals may also experience some amount of mild itching or stinging and also potential reddening of the skin.

The Long Term Effects of Using Skin Lightening Products

Most skin lightening creams contain hydroquinone or mercury. When they are applied to the skin the solution will react with ultra violet rays and re-oxidize. The result of this is an increase in pigmentation and also the skin will prematurely age. To correct this people will continuously add more of the solution to try and correct the skins dark and blotchy appearance.

Using hydroquinone over an extended period of time will lead to the thicken collegen fibres damaging the connective tissues. This will often result in a person’s skin having a rough blotchy skin and it will also have a spotty appearance.

Hydroquinone causes the skin to be altered. This is done by changing the structure and disallowing the production of melanin. Melanin is the skins natural protection against the sun. This means that the skin is more open to skin cancer.
Mercury will slowly accumulate within the skin cells striping the skin of it’s natural pigment leaving behind the tell tale signs of gray/ blue pigmentation in the folds of the skin. In the long term the chemical will damage vital organs and lead to liver and kidney failure and mercury poisoning.

It has also been noted that dryness and fissuring of paranasal and infraorbital areas, stinging and erythema,. Occasional hypersensitivity  may develop