{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Practice Lab","title":"Episode 5: Marie Bertrand - Hydroquinone: When, Why and Alternatives","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1306,"description":"Hydroquinone works, but used for too long it can leave patients with worse pigment than they started with. In this episode of The Practice Lab, Tracey Mancuso talks with ingredient expert Marie Bertrand about when hydroquinone still makes sense, how to use it safely, and what to use instead for long-term pigment control.\n\nIn this episode:\nWhy hydroquinone is still a gold standard, and what Health Canada's 2% over-the-counter limit means\nPulse therapy: two to three months on, then switch\nMarie's four steps to pigment control: exfoliation, pigment reduction, anti-inflammatory care and a tinted mineral sunscreen\nWhy some pigment is really vascular, and why treating it as pigment never works\nAzelaic acid, the multitasker for redness, PIH and sensitive skin\nHow to talk patients off long-term hydroquinone without scaring them\nEpidermal vs dermal pigment, and prepping the skin before lasers and microneedling\nTretinoin, the Kligman formula, and why the skin barrier comes first\n\nAs Marie puts it: \"Hydroquinone should be seen as a sprint and not a marathon.\" And on prepping the skin: \"We cannot exfoliate our way to a dermal pigment.\"\n\nLearn more: Marie's introduction to ingredients is on The DermaRoom Collective at thedermaroomcollective.com. Her full ingredient masterclass is coming in early 2027.\n\nAbout the guest: Marie Bertrand is a microbiologist and the founder of SkinScience Clinic in Calgary. Reach her at info@skinscience.md or on Instagram at @theskinscientist, and read her blog at skinscience.md.\n\nAbout the host: Tracey Mancuso, BScHS, CMLSO, is the founder and course director of The DermaRoom Collective. A Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer with more than 30 years in aesthetic medicine, she teaches laser, light and RF treatment to practitioners.","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/0ioTrT9TRSbKgG-cO29gTiJJtfjDyv250cqUV1z5nrc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wZTYz/ZGRkOGU0ZTI1NjQ2/ZTBiZmJjOTZlOThk/NTAzYi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}