Premium
Microneedling‐assisted topical tranexamic acid solution versus 4% hydroquinone for treating melasma: A split‐face randomized study
Author(s) -
Zaky Mohamed S.,
Obaid Zakaria M.,
Khalil Eman A.,
Elsaie Mohamed L.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of cosmetic dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.626
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1473-2165
pISSN - 1473-2130
DOI - 10.1111/jocd.14440
Subject(s) - tranexamic acid , melasma , medicine , hydroquinone , dermatology , surgery , blood loss , chemistry , organic chemistry
Background Melasma, also known as chloasma or mask of pregnancy, is a common, acquired, hyperpigmentary disorder usually affecting females. Tranexamic acid (TA), a derivative of amino acid lysine, has shown promising results over the past few years when used along with other therapies and when used as a stand‐alone therapy. Aim of the Work. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of topically applied tranexamic acid after microneedling versus topically applied hydroquinone (HQ) 4% alone in patients with melasma. Patients and Methods Fifty selected patients were divided randomly according to the random number allocation method into two groups (25 patients each) of A (topical 4% hydroquinone, nightly application) and B (microneedling + topical 4% TA, every other week). Results After eight weeks of treatment, the mean modified MASI score of the HQ treated side changed from 6.604 ± 4.02 to 3.032 ± 1.19 with a mean decrease percentage of 54.8% ± 19.4%. This reduction in modified MASI score was found to be statistically significant, ( p < 0.001). MASI score of group B (TA +microneedling) changed from 6.348 ± 3.84 to 3.712 ± 1.19 with mean decrease percentage of 57.4% ± 23.4% which was also statistically significant, ( p < 0.001). Conclusion We demonstrated safety and efficacy of both used modalities and with minimal side effects. Topical HQ application achieved minimal non‐significant higher satisfactory results among raters and subjects.