LAUSR

From the Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Ms. Syder reports no conflict of interest. Dr. Elbuluk has served as an advisory board member, paid consultant, and/or speaker for Allergan; Galderma Laboratories, LP; La Roche-Posay; Scientis SA; and The Estée Lauder Companies. Correspondence: Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, 830 S Flower St, Ste 100, Los Angeles, CA 90017 ([email protected]). doi:10.12788/cutis.0538 Disorders of hyperpigmentation—melasma, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, lichen planus pigmentosus, erythema dyschromicum perstans, and pigmented contact dermatitis, among others—are common and challenging to treat. Although they can affect individuals of all skin types, they most commonly are seen in skin of color; in fact, dyspigmentation is one of the most common chief concerns for which individuals of color see a dermatologist.1,2 For many years, hydroquinone (HQ) was one of the main options available for use as a lightening agent. Although effective, it has the risk of causing irritant dermatitis, potentially leading to further dyspigmentation, in addition to the risk of ochronosis with long-term use. It remains an important and useful treatment for pigmentary disorders, but there are numerous other lightening agents that also can be considered in the treatment of disorders of hyperpigmentation. Herein, we provide recommendations for traditional and newer non-HQ lightening agents that can be considered when treating disorders of hyperpigmentation.