I am learning more about monobenzone, and I may actually get it. I will have to do a search to find out how to buy it.

My question is, if you only want to lighten up a few shades, once the monobenzone mix gives you this, do you have to continue using it forever, or can you stop?

And if you stop using monobenzone, will it cause your skin to darken more like other bleaching products? I want to permanently lighten my skin about 2-3 shades. Anything more would be obvious and unrealistic.

Mara, monobenzone is unlike any other bleaching cream. It actually depigments and kill off your melanocytes. You can't control how light you can become, because mono is so unpredictible and is not a very stable. However, once you completely depigment with mono, it is permanent, except for "brownies", or small repigmentation spots that can come back on your skin.

Mara, monobenzone is unlike any other bleaching cream. It actually depigments and kill off your melanocytes. You can't control how light you can become, because mono is so unpredictible and is not a very stable. However, once you completely depigment with mono, it is permanent, except for "brownies", or small repigmentation spots that can come back on your skin.

Clueless it was a very helpful information:)... thnx:).. I want to know 1 thing.. if once monobenzone make result.. like within 2/4 months then if one stop using mono... then will be the result ll stay permanent?

Your results will not remain permanent. Monobenzone is merely considered a very potent skin lightener, or in other words a good depigmenter. Your skin and melanocytes have the ability to reproduce, depending on circumstances such as Sun/UV exposure, climate, etc.

After lightening up to the desired shade, you will be required to maintain that shade using some sort of skin shade maintainer. Monobenzone can be used, (highly unadvised) but a better option would be some sort of tyrosinase inhibitor, or other faint skin lightener/melanin maintainer.

Some solutions include Alpha Arbutin, Kojic acid, etc.

Your results will not remain permanent. Monobenzone is merely considered a very potent skin lightener, or in other words a good depigmenter. Your skin and melanocytes have the ability to reproduce, depending on circumstances such as Sun/UV exposure, climate, etc.

After lightening upto the desired shade, you will be required to maintain that shade using some sort of skin shade maintainer. Monobenzone can be used, (highly unadvised) but a better option would be some sort of tyrosinase inhibitor, or other faint skin lightener/melanin maintainer.

Some solutions include Alpha Arbutin, Kojic acid, etc.

Thanks :).. bt I heard mono s result is permanent! what abot that:S
Looking forward to your response :)

Monobenzone is considered a 'permanent' depigmentor because it stops the ability for melanocytes to produce melanin, through killing them or increasing massive excretion. ( Great for vitiligo as it evens out malfunctioning cells and kills any active ones.)

People who do not have vitiligo generally have 'stronger' melanocytes, and therefore the ability for them to reproduce (should they die) may occur. In order to prevent these massive comebacks of melanin if these new cells are actived, a maintainer will be necessary. (As stated above.)

Thanks so much for your responce:)
So you mean the chances are poor to ve the result permanent without vitiligo patient?so how long a person(vitiligo free)should maintain?I heard its really harmful to use mono after certain time(like 2yrs)... wht you think about this?
Do you ve any idea about permanent laser lightening treatment?or something permanent to lighten?

Monobenzone's effect is undefined. Different people will react differently, as will their outcome. My advice is to use it sparingly first, and see how it works. Afterwords, using low to medium dilutes, lighten up to a close complexion, and gradually maintain from there on. Chances are the "maintainer" may provide lightening effects as well.

Monobenzone's effect is undefined. Different people will react differently, as will their outcome. My advice is to use it sparingly first, and see how it works. Afterwords, using low to medium dilutes, lighten up to a close complexion, and gradually maintain from there on. Chances are the "maintainer" may provide lightening effects as well.

Thanks... bt right now I'm veryyy scard about using mono...

Quite understandable, better to trust your instincts before you begin to do something risky.

Quite understandable, better to trust your instincts before you begin to do something risky.

Hmm.. thnx:)

Dude don't do it! I right now am on here trying to figure out how to repig my skin. I am dark skinned black. I tried mono last year wth some un predictable results. I ended up begging and pleading with god that I don't end up permantly disfigured/multicolored and after God answering my prayers getting rid of the majority of light patches on my face, and just leaving me with some very small very unnoticable little dots on my neck (I think to remind me of how permanent this could be) I stopped using it.
Cut to about amonth ago (a year and a few months after my last monojourney)i decide to give mono another try with another manufacturer and just a more different technique. Now here I am in the same predicament I was in last year. Ugly big light spots on my face and around my mouth praying and trying to bargin with god to get rid of them.
If this becomes permanent I have no idea how much money it will cost to fix it. I'm just scared
The one thing about my skin that I did like before trying to like it was at least it was all one color? Now I might not have that.

You,have to do research on monobenzone,that what is surpose to do,it causes light patches,it's a depigmenting agent,you have to keep using it to the spots join together,so if you don't like the light patches,stop using it.it's simple...

On another forum especially about depigmentation, there were photos posted of persons who used mono including members, and they look SCARY and most, disfigured.

Monobenzone is only a "good depigmentor" for persons with Vitiligo. That's not just my opinion, that's what every dermatologist and also the FDA agrees :)

Unfortunately, there are persons here that are trying to sell monobenzone concoctions subtly and through private messaging, and/or that have only been experimenting with it for a mere few weeks and want the morbid sense of security in seeing others take the plunge with them, before disfigurement sets in, so of course they will tell you its good or even that it's working for them, but where is the evidence?

The more you weed through the vendor or beginner testimonials, the more you will see the horror stories here and there. Look there's one already in this thread. Look at what mnb is going through!


dude don't do it! i right now am on here trying to figure out how to repig my skin. i am dark skinned black. i tried mono last year wth some un predictable results. i ended up begging and pleading with god that i don't end up permantly disfigured/multicolored and after God answering my prayers getting rid of the majority of light patches on my face, and just leaving me with some very small very unnoticable little dots on my neck (i think to remind me of how permenant this could be) i stopped using it...

Trust no one but a licensed dermatologist when dealing with prescription drugs.

[And even then, get 2nd and 3rd licensed opinions! ;)]

Monobenzone typically doesn't work too well on people with darker skin. Using it in it's pure form or above 10-15% provides faster results, and therefore also provides uneven lightening, which ultimately produces "irregular white patches".

Your best bet is to use very small dilutes of Monobenzone, as it's been stated throughout this forum and other websites countless times. Doing so ensures that the lightening effects are slowed down, and your skin lightens gradually, rather than fast but unevenly. By starting lower, you can figure out what percent works best on your skin as well, and any permanent side effects are kept to a very minimum.

Using other 'safer' lighteners that provide less permanent effects are also suggested, to balance out your skin and parallel melanogenesis.

Lilgreg.. you had started mono hadn't you ?

Well what's the situation now ?

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8326/monobenzone.jpg

Satisfactory - I've begun using more Alpha Arbutin at this point to to solidify the results. Hopefully this will give my skin a chance to recover and naturalize the "new" skin shade. Afterwards, I'll probably begin using the previous method of lightening again.

Anyhow, I've gone down about a complete shade, with a natural tone in the past two months.

Okay today I tried to sit in the sun and tried to tan the light spots on my face so maybe it can get back to the color of the rest of my face.
Is this a good idea? Is it possible? Once your skin depigs does that mean you can't tan it back dark? I just want my face to be all one color again and I don't care if that color is dark. Please someone tell me if they think that can vwork.

okay today i tried to sit in the sun and tried to tan the light spots on my face so maybe it can get back to the color of the rest of my face.
Is this a good idea? is it possible? once ur skin depigs does that mean u can't tan it back dark? i just want my face to be all one color again and i don't care if that color is dark. please someone tell me if they think that can vwork.

Have seen a lot of reports of this across the boards. What a nightmare to go through.

Luckily, monobenzone use on normal skin usually only effectively knocks out some of the epidermal melanocytes (erratically).

So usually the white spots repigment slowly over a year or two by repigmentation via follicular migration. New melanoctyes move up through the deep skin from the dark hair follicles.

This can look really dark at first against the depigged spots, until the melanocytes spread out once they reach the epidermis.

U might need retin-a, corticosteroid, chemical peels, or other drugs from a dermatologist to help you repig more evenly and faster.

Mnb07040 what kind of light spots are they? Yeah I agree retin-a, aha peels, are among the few that may help. If your only trying to blend the lighter spots on your face, you may not want to depig since this may only add more white spots on your face until you completely depig. My guess would be that once you completely depig you are unable to tan, as your melanocytes cells are then destroyed. You may want to try something milder such as a tyrosinase inhibitor product

U will never completely depig unless you got vitiligo, look at mj trying so hard and still looking like a total mess under all the makeup.

Call it quits and do peels to remove the non-viscous crystals embedded in your skin. Since those crystals cause PIH for years unless purged out of your skin

Mnb07040 what kind of light spots are they? Yeah I agree retin-a, aha peels, are among the few that may help. If your only trying to blend the lighter sopts on your face, you may not want to depig since this may only add more white spots on your face until you completely depig. My guess would be that once you completely depig you are unable to tan, as your melanocytes cells are then destroyed. you may want to try something milder such as a tyrosinase inhibitor product

Well they're light spots but they're not white.They're about 3-4 shades lighter than the rest of my skin. And what I would like to do is hopefully darken the light spots so it can match the rest of my skin.
And when you say peels and retin-a may help, do you mean use it on the light spots or the rest of my skin? Cause I thought those things were also meant to lighten skin as well.
This is the second day I sat in the sun for about 5-10minutes hopeing to lighten the spots I haven't seen much of a difference.
Needless to say I'm not used to TRYING to gget my skin darker how long do you have to sit in the sun before skin starts to tan? Since the white spots are more light brown instead for white does this mean the melonin can still come back on those spots?

Thanks for your help

It's actually rare that those lighter spots darken in comparison to regular skin under UV light. Melanocytes in that area may be damaged, so the tanning process is greatly slowed down, along with melanin production in that area. For myself, Alpha Arbutin seemed to play a role in spreading melanin and evening out the tone, but otherwise, I'd stay out of the Sun (which will cause your skin to darken, but leave the spots light) and allow your skin to recover itself and even out.

lilgreg1,

Do you mind sharing where you get your Alpha Arbutin from, thanks

Phenol peels are actually used on dark skin types to RE-pigment vitligo or chemically depigmented areas or white spots.

There's actually dozens of Alpha Arbutin providers online, easily found with a search on any given search engine. Due to advertising rules, I'd rather not post it here; however query me if you can't manage to find a Alpha Arbutin provider afterwards. It's pretty cheap, and therefore almost every single major provider I've come across was legitimate and provided genuine actives.

As for phenol peels, I've never in my entire life, heard about it being used for repigmentation, and I doubt it would do so either. It's classified as a deep exfoliate, generally used to treat deep scars and wrinkles. Somewhat contradictory, especially when it comes to exfoliating agents being used to lighten skin nowadays. In any given case, I doubt such a thing would trigger the re-occurance of melanocytes or even promote the production of melanin, in which case it would be saturated in a single area causing melasma-like symptoms.

As for phenol peels, I've never in my entire life, heard about it being used for repigmentation, and I doubt it would do so either.

In any given case, I doubt such a thing would trigger the re-occurance of melanocytes or even promote the production of melanin, in which case it would be saturated in a single area causing melasma-like symptoms.


Chemical peeling with phenol : for the treatment of stable vitiligo and alopecia areata (http://medind.nic.in/imvw/imvw6226.html)

Chemical peeling with 88 percent phenol was carried out on 142 sites of stable vitiligo (hairy-126, non hairy-16) and on 69 sites of alopecia areata (AA). After cleansing and defatting phenol was applied on affected areas till a uniform frost appeared. On healing, all the lesions of vitiligo showed perifollicular pigmentation in hairy areas and perilesional repigmentation in non hairy areas. These were further treated with PUVA/PUVASOL. After the healing 82.5 percent of hairy sites and 81.3 percent of non hairy sites showed repigmentation. In cases of AA, patients developed vellus hair. In AA, 72.5 percent had good regrowth and 27.5 percent had poor response. Side effects seen were hypopigmentation (58 AA), hyperpigmentation (11 AA), persistent erythema (42 vitiligo, 28 AA), demarcation lines (4 AA), secondary bacterial infection (2 vitiligo, 5 AA) and superficial scarring (2 vitiligo, 7AA). The wounding action of phenol is useful to repigment the vitiligo patches and for induction of regrowth of hair in alopecia areata.
KEYWORDS:
Vitiligo/TH; Alopecia Areata/TH; Vitiligo/DT; Phenols/TU; Dermabrasion/MT; Autoimmune Diseases/DI; Pigmentation; Cyclosporins; Thymopentin; Hypopigmentation/ET; Erythema/ET; Rejuvenation; Human; Male; Female; Adult; Case Report
References: 16
Record Identifier: NI202797

Seems like it has more to do with just phenols in general. (PUVA, which is a UV-radiation based treatment). Despite being simply a tested treatment, it doesn't seem like the best of ideas unless you literally have major vitiligo and could care less about the many side effects.
(hypopigmentation (58 AA), hyperpigmentation (11 AA), persistent erythema (42 vitiligo, 28 AA), demarcation lines (4 AA), secondary bacterial infection (2 vitiligo, 5 AA) and superficial scarring (2 vitiligo, 7AA))

Indeed, monobenzone is also a phenol that's why normal skin treated with it in any % usually develops dermal hyperpigmentation after the initial period of misleading epidermal lightening.

Mnb07040 you can try what others have suggested, and if later all else still fails possibly consult a dermatologist.

Yes don't forget retin-a and other mild peelers will help remove the monobenzone crystals and allow the skin to even out.

If you leave MONO NOTHING HAPPENS!


Your body will just repig back the spots... I never got spots from MONo and no lightening either...

I got one light tiny minuscule marginal white spot on my neck and one on my stomach.. when I discontinued... it filled up with colour in a WEEK !

I'm not sure how mono works for some people... but I know a girl who had horrendous results very quickly (less than three months)... it depends on your skin... she got the spotty look very quickly and it was super uneven...

Took two years and some more just to get back even... and her doc said she was lucky... scared me enough to say I won't run the risk...