Hydroquinone Fluocinolone Tretinoin Cream
Hydroquinone Fluocinolone Tretinoin Cream for melasma or hyperpigmentation is available from Tache Pharmacy’s compounding pharmacy lab.
Hydroquinone Fluocinolone Tretinoin Cream is also known as Tri-Luma Cream®.
To find out more about this compounded version of Tri-Luma Cream® for melasma treatment please call our pharmacists at (204) 233-3469
What is Hydroquinone Fluocinolone Tretinoin Cream?
This cream is a combination cream containing three different medicines. It is used for the treatment of melasma and other conditions related to hyperpigmentation.
What is hyperpigmentation and melasma?
Hyperpigmentation and melasma are conditions in which melanin causes dark spots on the skin. Melasma is often seen in women with darker skin tones.
What is the Hydroquinone in Hydroquinone Fluocinolone Tretinoin Cream?
Hydroquinone is an organic chemical compound which has a depigmenting effect. Hydroquinone (HQ) is used in conditions such as melasma and other hyperpigmentation conditions (e.g. dark spots).
How Does Hydroquinone Work to Treat Hyperpigmentation and Melasma?
Hydroquinone, when used as a hyperpigmentation treatment or a melasma treatment, works by altering both the nonfollicular and follicular melanocyte system.
HQ reduced the formation of melanosomes.
How did HQ cause this reduced formation of melanosomes? It created a significant change in the internal structure of melanosomes, caused an intensified deterioration of melanosomes and brought about the disintegration of organelles in the melanocytes.
One study of HQ’s mechanism of action called “Mechanism of Depigmentation by Hydroquinone” by Kowichi Jimbow et al. found that HQ “affects not only the formation, melanization, and degradation of melanosomes, but that it affects also the membraneous structures of melanocytes and eventually causes necrosis of whole melanocytes”.
What is Fluocinolone?
Fluocinolone belongs to the group of medications known as corticosteroids. Fluocinolone is considered a low to moderately potent corticosteroid depending on the percentage used in the topical preparation.
At the concentration of 0.01%, used in Tri-Luma Cream® it is considered to be low potency.
How Does Fluocinolone Work to Treat Dark Spots?
It has been found that fluocinolone interupts or curbs the effects that inflammatory cytokines have with regards to the stimulation of melanocytes to produce melanin. Therefore, by blocking or reducing these cytokines, fluocinolone reduces the production of melanin.
As an added bonus, fluocinolone also reduces inflammation and skin irritation that often comes along with the use of the other ingredients found in Tri-Luma Cream®.
What is Tretinoin?
Tretinoin is part of a group of medications known as retinoic acids or retinoids. Besides being used to treat hyperpigmentation conditions, tretinoin is also used to treat acne, wrinkles and sun-damaged skin.
How Does Tretinoin Work as a Hyperpigmentation Treatment and a Melasma Treatment?
Originally tretinoin was used along with hydroquinone in order to increase the penetration of HQ into the skin.
In time, it became evident that tretinoin effects melanogenesis (the formation of melanin) through its own mechanisms.
Tretinoin works at several steps in the pathway of melanogenesis. The drug enhances the rapid loss of pigment due to the fact that it increases the rate in which epidermal cells mature and also the increased epidermal turnover in turn reduces the contact time between keratinocytes and melanocytes. In other words, by increasing the rate of skin maturing and then flaking off, tretinoin reduces melanin production in the lower layers and increases the rate at which melanin is “expelled” from the lower layers of skin.
Another mechanism of action is that tretinoin lowers UVB-induced pigmentation by weakening the activity of tyrosinase.
What is Hydroquinone Fluocinolone Tretinoin Cream?
Hydroquinone Fluocinolone Tretinoin Cream is a compounded topical melasma cream.
What is Tri-Luma Cream®?
Tri-Luma Cream® is a combination topical treatment for melasma and hyperpigmentation.
The cream contains Hydroquinone 4%/Fluocinolone 0.01%/Tretinoin 0.05%
If you are interested in obtaining our compounded Hydroquinone 4%/Fluocinolone 0.01%/Tretinoin 0.05% Vanishing Cream you will need a prescription from your physician.
Please note that Tri-Luma® is a registered trademark of Galderma Laboratories. Our compounded cream is not Tri-Luma Cream® but rather a compounded version that is made available only when the commercially-produced product is not available.
To learn more about our compounding pharmacy department please visit our compounding pharmacy page.
For more information on melasma please visit https://www.canadianskin.ca/melasma
