Oral communication, iL50

Official XXIst International Pigment Cell Conference website - 21-24 Sept 2011, Bordeaux - France | updated: September 04 2011

Overview: Skin lightening agents and melasma

Melasma is a common hyperpigmentary disorder of the face. Increased epidermal pigmentation is the main target for melasma treatment. Hydroquinone, well known tyrosinase inhibitor, has been used as the gold standard for the treatment of melasma. The hydroquinone has been studied in combination with other agents such as corticosteroids or retinoic acid to provide greater therapeutic success and faster response than hydroquinone alone. The most widely used combination for treating melasma is hydroquinone, retinoic acid and corticosteroid, namely the so-called Kligman formula. There are evidences to support the use of fixed triple combination cream in the treatment of melasma. Glycolic acid has been used as adjuvant peeling agent in the melasma treatment. Recently, the therapeutic effects of oral or intradermal injection of tranexamic acid, plasmin inhibitor, in the treatment of melasma have been reported. Tranexamic acid has been found in vitro to inhibit melanin synthesis. Further work would be needed to understand how tranexamic acid improves melasma.

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