hydroquinone + tranexamic acid

Hydroquinone + tranexamic acid is a combination therapy used primarily for the treatment of melasma and other hyperpigmentation disorders. Hydroquinone is a topical depigmenting agent that inhibits tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin synthesis, thereby reducing skin pigmentation. Tranexamic acid, administered orally or intradermally in this context, is an antifibrinolytic agent that also inhibits melanogenesis by blocking the plasminogen/plasmin pathway and reducing tyrosinase activity. Clinical studies have shown that combining oral or intradermal tranexamic acid with topical hydroquinone results in greater efficacy for melasma than hydroquinone alone, with improved reduction in pigmentation and generally good tolerability[1][3][5]. This combination targets multiple steps in the pigment production pathway to achieve superior outcomes compared to monotherapy.