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Monobenzone or Benoquin is used mainly in the treatment of Vitiligo. Vitiligo, is where people are affected by white patches on the skin. If repigmentation treatment fails, they are given the option to totally depigment their skin; meaning they whiten the skin to match the vitiligo affected areas for an even skin tone. Benoquin is prescribed to attain this completely white skin complexion regardless of what your original skin color is.
I have seen more and more people on forums trying monobenzone on perfectly normal skin. I would like to stress here, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE MONOBENZONE WITHOUT SEEKING MEDICAL ADVICE. There's a lot of side-effects associated with monobenzone. Your skin will become sensitive to the sun not to mention the risk of being disfigured. Some people have had white patches or streaks ; others have started to suffer from vitiligo when their skin was alright to begin with.
Monobenzone kills the melanin cells and might result in permanent depigmentation. Please note that depigmentation is not skin whitening. And people seeking monobenzone for skin lightening or whitening purposes should not even attempt to use monobenzone. Anyone wishing to use monobenzone for Vitiligo or any other skin discoloration should seek advice from their dermatologist. It's not worth the risk!
If you check out some of the forums about monobenzone, you'll find a lot of people with normal skin condition; who have bought monobenzone from unauthorised sellers and used it only to regret their decision afterwards cause their skin has turned into some "patchwork". Most people of color do not want to turn pasty white, they want to lighten their skin and retain a little glow. Monobenzone works deep within the cells and once depigmentation has occured; there's no going back. And since it works within the cells, if you decide to stop after a few months, there's a chance that it'll continue to work even if you've stop appying the cream.
Another very important thing to consider is that the melanin in your skin will fight back when you start with monobenzone. When monobenzone starts killing the melanin cells; the melanin cells might start to produce more cells than usual to fight back. This might results in the skin getting much darker before the monobenzone kicks in. Monobenzone has to be used for months if not years before any substantial depigmentaion is noticed.
I'm completely against using monobenzone if you do not suffer from vitiligo. I've heard of an alternative to monobenzone called mequinol. Mequinol also depigment the skin but is less risky and takes a lot longer. However, their hasn't been enough research done on Mequinol to make it safe enough to use on the skin. When I get enough proof about Mequinol, I'll surely post here but until then, do not use either Monobenzone or Mequinol without seeking advice from your dermatologist.
Disclaimer: Please note that all the products mentioned in this blog have proven to work for the majarity of people but it's wise to do your own research before using any of them. You may not have the same result as others; since people's skin are different and react differently to different skin-care products. It is also advisable to do a patch test before using any of these products. Please understand that it's your sole decision to use these products.
First of all, why do people want to lighten or whiten their skin?
It could be for various reasons; the most common ones being; they want to even-out their skin-tone, they want to get rid of skin pigmentation, melasma and a few other skin discolorations. It could also be because they suffer from vitiligo (where the skin of the patients turns white in certain areas) and some use skin lightening products just for cosmetics reasons just like other people use skin tanning products. Whatever the reason might be, there is a whole market out there ready to exploit these customers.
I would highly recommend anyone using or about to use skin lightening or whitening products to please use them with caution. You should stay well clear of products that contains hydroquinone, mercury or steriods. These substances can be very dangerous if used without medical advice; not to mention that they are banned in a lot of countries including the UK, for use in skin-care products. So, please read the label before using any skin-lightening products out there.
If you are a member of any skin-lightening forums; please beware of forums where the members tend to push a product. It could be a forum to promote a certain product that is only available through one particular company. So watch out!
Now that we got this out of the way, here comes one product that most people are quite sceptical to use when you mention it to them for the reason that it costs only a few bucks (about $5 or £3). People tend to think that the more expensive the product, the better the result. But it's not true at all. This product is made in Africa but widely available in the USA and UK and most part of Western Europe. It can be bought in the black beauty shops and from the feedback I've had, it works very well to lighten overall skin colour for black and Asian people. It contains natural ingredients and it's called BIO-CLAIRE. Make sure you check the ingredients before using it as there have been a few reports that there is a fake one around which contain hydroquinone. The fake one does mention hydroquinone in the ingredients; so make sure you check the ingredients before using it.
It's best used for the body as it tend to be irritating for the face. There has also been reports that it thins the skin. Most people gets very good result with Bio-Claire. And it's very cheap and available over the counter.
I'd love to hear your results from using Bio-Claire. Until next time...
