A-ret Hc 15GM Cream (Hydroquinone + Treti)

A-ret Hc 15GM Cream is Menarini India Pvt Ltd's hydroquinone + treti cream, 2/0.05/1%, in a tube of 15gm. Hydroquinone with tretinoin and a mild steroid is a triple-combination cream for melasma, sold as Kligman-type formulas such as Tri-Luma.

The cream is prescribed for moderate to severe melasma of the face, a lasting brown or grey patchy darkening of the skin, when simpler treatments have not been enough.

Hydroquinone blocks tyrosinase, so less melanin is made. Tretinoin speeds up skin turnover so the pigment is shed faster and helps the other ingredients penetrate. A mild corticosteroid reduces the irritation the first two cause. Together they work faster than any one alone.

A thin layer is applied to the whole affected area once a day at night, 30 minutes after washing, for up to eight weeks, then stopped or reduced as the doctor says. Follow your prescription and the pack leaflet.

• Redness, dryness, peeling and a burning feeling.n- Itching and skin sensitivity.n- Thinning of the skin and visible small blood vessels with prolonged steroid use.n- Lightening of the surrounding skin and, rarely, ochronosis.n- Acne-like spots.

Not for use in pregnancy, while trying to conceive or in breastfeeding. Keep it off the eyes, mouth and broken skin and use sunscreen every day. Do not use for longer than the prescribed course, since the steroid and hydroquinone both have risks with long use.