Hi
Has anyone had any experience with Mequinol? I hear it depigments skin. Is it like benoquin ?
I would be grateful for any information
Thanks.
Maddiemad.

So far, this is what I found out: mequinol seems better than monobenzone:

"An alternate method of lightening is to use the chemical mequinol over an extended period of time. Both monobenzone and mequinol produce dramatic whitening of the skin, but react very differently. For stubborn pigmented lesions the Q-switched ruby lazer, cryotherapy or TCA peels can be used to ensure the skin remains pigment free.

Mequinol leaves the skin looking extremely pale however, tanning is still possible. Monobenzone applied topically completely removes pigment in the long term and vigorous sun-safety needs to be adhered to for life."
Depigmentation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depigmentation)

:eek: But for the scary part dermatologists say it's similar to hydroquinone meaning it's cytotoxic

"Mequinol (4-hydroxyanisole)
Similar to HQ, 4-hydroxyanisole (4HA) is cytotoxic to melanocytes. Reports indicate it is clinically effective in inhibiting melanogenesis when used as a combination of 2% 4HA cream and 0.01% retinoic acid. The authors reported minimal local skin irritation with this combination. Two percent 4HA alone did not produce significant hypopigmentation. Mequinol is used in Europe in concentrations ranging from 5-20% and is approved in the United States for the treatment of solar lentigines."
eMedicine - Skin Lightening and Depigmenting Agents : Article by Alaina James (http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic528.htm)

If you look on this site people mention it here and there, but it'll be best to look on other sites for info and test it out yourself

So far, this is what I found out: mequinol seems better than monobenzone:

:eek: But for the scary part dermatologists say it's similar to hydroquinone meaning it's cytotoxic

"Mequinol (4-hydroxyanisole)
Similar to HQ, 4-hydroxyanisole (4HA) is cytotoxic to melanocytes.

Hummm that's actually a good thing! If you want to pigment you want something cytotoxic to melanocytes. You misunderstood this.

By the way, I don't know about this substance except for what you posted, but from that, my comments stand.

[QUOTE=consumer]Hummm that's actually a good thing! If you want to pigment you want something cytotoxic to melanocytes.

What? How is cytotoxicity good for the cells? I don't think it means permeable because that's not the same thing. This is a definition I got from a medical site:

"Toxic to cells, cell-toxic, cell-killing. Any agent or process that kills cells. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are forms of cytotoxic therapy. They kill cells.

The prefix cyto- denotes a cell. It comes from the Greek kytos meaning hollow, as a cell or container. Toxic is from the Greek toxikon = arrow poison."

[QUOTE=consumer]Hummm thats actually a good thing! If you want to pigment you want something cytotoxic to melanocytes.

What? How is cytotoxicity good for the cells? I don't think it means permeable because that's not the same thing. This is a definition I got from a medical site:

"Toxic to cells, cell-toxic, cell-killing. Any agent or process that kills cells. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are forms of cytotoxic therapy. They kill cells.

The prefix cyto- denotes a cell. It comes from the Greek kytos meaning hollow, as a cell or container. Toxic is from the Greek toxikon = arrow poison."


Because those people who are trying to depigment are actually trying to kill cells!!

That is exactly how monobenzene works. If you are black and want to be white, you must kill melanocytes.

THIS IS FOR DEPIGMENTATION, not skin lightening, restoring natural skin color etc.

Next time you want to quote dictionaries, at least make sure you have a bit of intelligence to understand what you are reading!

I have seen a report on this post, this subject is one that causes a lot of problems and disagreements, I am sorry but between all of the fake sellers we get here trying to sell products, and those that just hate varoius products. If you don't agree, they are free to voice their opinions.

If I were to use mequinol on my body, because I have sever hyperpigmentation, would it uniformly and fully whiten my skin without patches, and if I were to stop using the product and go into the sun, would I get dark at all?

This thread is 5 years old. Please watch dates when responding.

Thread closed.