A winning skin care combination for Botox users

Botox Cosmetic users seeking to further enhance their skin appearance may want to give a combination of two topical skin treatments a try. A recent study suggests that using a new 4% hydroquinone skin care system — one specifically designed for use in conjunction with nonsurgical cosmetic skin treatments — in combination with tretinoin (Retin-A) further enhances the improvements in skin appearance attained using botulinum toxin type A, better known as Botox Cosmetic.

Applying the hydroquinone system plus tretinoin may offer multiple clinical benefits over standard skin care, including significantly milder fine lines/wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. The results of the study, “Further Enhancement of Facial Appearance with a Hydroquinone Skin Care System Plus Tretinoin in Patients Previously Treated With Botulinum Toxin Type A,” appear in the July issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ).

In this multicenter, randomised, investigator-masked, parallel-group study, 61 patients who received upper facial treatment with botulinum toxin type A at a plastic surgery or dermatology clinic were randomly assigned to use either the hydroquinone system (cleanser, toner, proprietary 4% hydroquinone, exfoliant, and sunscreen) plus 0.05% tretinoin cream, or a standard skin care regimen (cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen) for 120 days. Outcomes were assessed by the investigators and through a patient questionnaire. Compared with standard skin care, the hydroquinone system plus tretinoin resulted in significantly milder fine lines/wrinkles and hyperpigmentation at days 30, 90, and 120 (p ≤ 0.05) and significantly superior overall ratings for each of nine patient assessments at days 90 and 120 (p ≤ 0.05). A greater proportion of patients using the hydroquinone system plus tretinoin believed that their study treatment had further enhanced the improvements attained with botulinum toxin type A compared to those using the standard skin care regimen (86% vs. 8%). Both regimens were generally well tolerated.

“The new hydroquinone system is not only effective, it is also easy for patients to use, increasing the likelihood that they will be able to get maximum benefits,” said study co-author Joel Schlessinger, MD, FAAD, FAACS. “Most importantly, using the system in combination with tretinoin significantly improved how patients perceived themselves, which is the ultimate goal of any aesthetic treatment.”

(Source: The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS): Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ))