Hydroquinone is the most powerful skincare ingredient for treating dark spots, hyperpigmentation and melasma. The main way Hydroquinone works is by suppressing melanin production by melanocyte skin cells. This fades dark patches and even out the skin tone. In the UK, Hydroquinone is a prescription only medicine due to its potential risks and side effects. This means that you can only get Hydroquinone with a prescription from a Doctor or other licensed medical professional if they deem it safe and suitable for you. In this post, we’ve listed legitimate online and physical clinics for where appropriate patients can buy Hydroquinone treatments in the UK.
Where to Buy Hydroquinone In Person in the UK
Since Hydroquinone is available only on prescription in the UK, you can only access this treatment through private aesthetic dermatology clinics or a dermatologist. The NHS typically only covers these kind of treatments in limited cases. The doctor or healthcare provider will advise on the best treatment options based on your skin condition and consultation. If after your consultation, they feel that you would benefit from Hydroquinone, they will provide a prescription to buy Hydroquinone cream at a pharmacy. This may be as single compound or in a skin lightening cream like pigmanorm combined with other ingredients like Tretinoin and corticosteroids. Your prescriber should provide you with clear instructions and monitor your usage to reduce the risk of skin irritation, bleaching and ochronosis.
Some clinics also offer treatment with branded products like Obagi Hydroquinone for suitable patients. These are designed for use as part of the Nu Derm or Obagi-C systems for age spots, uneven skin tone and moderate melasma treatment. Your aesthetic practitioner may also recommend using this alongside other treatments like peels, glycolic acid, retinol or Tretinoin. Once your treatment is agreed, they will send the prescription to a specialist pharmacy and you would usually need to return to collect your Hydroquinone cream or they can arrange for home delivery. In either case, all physical clinics should also be offer some form of follow up to review your progress and arrange maintenance.
Where to Get Hydroquinone Online in the UK
In the last couple of years, there’s been an explosion of digital health services providing virtual consultations with healthcare providers. These cover a wide variety of medical concerns but a few specialist cosmetic dermatology platforms have emerged that specifically treat aesthetic skin concerns.
The digital platforms offer an online consultation with a healthcare provider who will assess your skin concern and if they think its safe and effective, they will provide you with prescription skincare. The most common prescription skincare ingredients are usually Tretinoin and Hydroquinone. They may also recommend other tyrosinase inhibitors like kojic acid or arbutin as an alternative or for maintenance based on your skin type. These platforms all deliver the Hydroquinone treatment to your doorstep. They usually provide compounded Hydroquinone formulations, a generic form or a branded Hydroquinone such as Obagi. We’ve reviewed the three most popular telemedicine platforms for where you can get Hydroquinone cream treatments online in the UK.
City Skin Clinic
We offer personalised treatments to target a variety of skin concerns including sunspots, hyperpigmentation and melasma. At City Skin Clinic, we design our treatments completely around each patient. We use prescription-strength actives including Tretinoin and Hydroquinone when appropriate. Unlike other telemedicine providers, City Skin Clinic offers choice of an online consultation form or video consultation with an aesthetic doctor. Either way, your doctor will assess your skin concern and advise you on the best treatment for you. We also love to centre our patients in this process and accommodate their wishes as much as possible. Your doctor will then provide you with a personalised treatment plan taking into account the result of your skincare products and any skin conditions you might have like eczema. They’ll also advise on protecting your skin from sun exposure with SPF. The products are delivered straight to your home.
Best of all, your doctor will continue to monitor your progress and provide advice throughout your treatment journey. All our face treatments come as a 3 month course and we assess whether to tweak your protocol before start of the next. This is based on your skin’s response. We don’t do prescriptions as we know everyone is different so we leave it up to our patients to tell us when they’re ready for a refill.
Skin+Me
Skin+Me is an online dermatology service in the UK where you can buy custom skincare products that may include prescription ingredients like Hydroquinone. To use Skin+Me, you need to complete an online questionnaire and upload photos on their website. One of their pharmacists will then review your form. They’ll provide a recommendation for skincare that they feel would best suit your needs. They provide their own skincare products and will select a formulation that they believe will best address your skin concern. A big advantage of Skin+Me is the convenience. The products are sent directly to your home. This is a subscription service so every month they will send you skincare automatically. The formulation of this may change depending on the progress you report.
Dermatica
Dermatica is another popular prescription skincare subscription service. Like Skin+Me, they offer an online consultation form. One of their doctors’ then uses to assess the right treatment for you. They formulate their own products and usually mix Hydroquinone with other skin lightening ingredients to create a hyperpigmentation treatment lotion. They will deliver the treatment straight to your door and the subscription renews each month. Dermatica may change the formulation of your hyperpigmentation treatment based on how you report your skin has responded.
Online Dermatologists
There are also a number of online platforms where you can have a consultation with a consultant dermatologist. These include MySkinDoctor and Skindoc as well as a number of smaller physical clinics that offer online services. In general, these provide an online consultation form where you also upload pictures either through a website or app. You pay a consultation fee to have your case reviewed by a dermatologist. They will issue you with a prescription if they think it is appropriate. Some include the fee for writing the prescription int the consultation cost. However, you will still need to pay for the treatment at the pharmacy. They also charge a higher fee for a video consultation and also additional fees for follow up appointments. These services are probably better value for those with severe skin concerns where oral or higher strength medicines are needed.
So you cannot simply buy Hydroquinone online in the UK due to its prescription-only status which is there to prevent misuse and side effects. However, there are a number of legal ways to get it from a licensed healthcare provider if they deem it appropriate for you. In addition to in person clinics, there are several reputable telemedicine platforms dedicated to cosmetic dermatology. These online services offer virtual consultations with doctors and deliver Hydroquinone skincare straight to your home. There are also a number of online Dermatologists who offer virtual consultations for a wide range of skin diseases and who can issue a prescription for Hydroquinone if they think its appropriate. You can then pay for the treatment and collect it at the pharmacy.
When considering services for where to buy Hydroquinone in the UK, consider your comfort level with the consultation type, whether you want a subscription based service or prefer to pay as you go, clarity on additional fees and aftercare they follow. Some platforms provided compounded formulas that combine Hydroquinone with other skincare ingredients. This is convenient but provides flexibility to adapt to your skin’s response and may be more suitable for people with sensitive skin or multiple concerns. Remember, skincare is personal, and what works for one person may not work for another. Hydroquinone is an effective treatment for patches of skin hyperpigmentation, dark acne scarring and skin aging. It is however important to use it under medical supervision to avoid serious side effects and get the most out of your treatment.
Interested in tackling hyperpigmentation with medical skincare? Start an online consultation at our virtual prescription skin clinic. Your doctor will craft a personalised skincare regime for you using prescription-strength skincare including Hydroquinone and Tretinoin where appropriate. We deliver treatments right to your doorstep and offer ongoing monitoring and aftercare.
SOURCES
https://cityskinclinic.com/guides/the-definitive-guide-to-hydroquinone/
https://cityskinclinic.com/what-causes-hyperpigmentation/
https://cityskinclinic.com/skin-concerns/hyperpigmentation/
https://cityskinclinic.com/hydroquinone-tretinoin-hyperpigmentation/
https://cityskinclinic.com/treatments/hyperpigmentation-treatment/
https://cityskinclinic.com/treatments/melasma-treatment/
