Treatment for melasma has been difficult to achieve due to extended treatment periods and inconsistent results, here researchers explore this dermatological pathology further.
Published in Wiley, researchers on behalf of the Italian dermatology group Donne Dermatologhe Italia, have delved into the world of dermatological pathology, looking specifically at a new treatment for melasma. The authors of the paper, Tiziana Laureti, Enzo Berardesc, Corinna Rigoni, Alessandra Cantù, Norma Cameli, and Aurora Tedeschi wrote how melasma treatment is difficult due to extended treatment periods, suboptimal adherence, inconsistent results, and frequent relapses.
However, Kojic acid has been shown to be effective in reducing melasma severity and is now increasingly used in cosmetic treatments. The purpose of the study was to essentially evaluate the effectiveness of a new cosmetic treatment (Kojic acid) for melasma at 45 and 90 days.
What do you know about melasma?
Melasma is a common pigmentation disorder that causes brown or grey patches to appear on the skin, primarily on the face. The skin condition may also appear on other areas of the body, especially those exposed to a lot of sunlight.
Melasma usually becomes more noticeable in the summer and improves during the winter months. It is not an infection; therefore, it is not contagious, and it is not due to an allergy.
Details of the study
The study took place across 20 dermatology clinics/ambulatories. 100 patients with mild‐to‐moderate melasma were evaluated. The primary endpoints were changes in mean modified melasma area and severity index (mMASI) score and patient‐reported satisfaction at 45 and 90 days.
The mean age of patients was 45.19 ± 11.5 years and majority of the patients that were included in the study were female and Caucasian. Regarding the types of melasma, the patients presented mixed (65%), epidermal (26%), and dermal (4%) types of the condition.
So, what did they find?
With the mean disease duration being approximately six to seven years. The researchers found that triggering factors of melasma were hormonal contraception, pregnancy, and pharmacological treatment.
Overall, a statistically significant decrease in mean mMASI scores was seen at 45 and 90 days from using the cosmetic treatment. The highest reduction in mMASI scores was observed in patients with dermal melasma. The IGA scores showed a statistically significant improvement in pigmentation at 90 days.
Ultimately the researchers discovered that the novel cosmetic treatment was associated with the improvement of melasma, as assessed by mMASI.
