If I stop applying whitening cream after using it for a while, it won't be effective, right?

I used dark spot creams and whitening cosmetics for a while, and it seemed like they really faded...

I finished using it and am using a different product...

Maybe it's just my imagination... but the pigments are catching my eye again...

But I don't really want to keep using only those kinds of products either...

I guess a laser is the answer after all...

It seems like it keeps creeping back up even after laser treatment....