A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF EFFICACY BETWEEN MODIFIED KLIGMANS FORMULA AND DERMAROLLER WITH TRANEXAMIC ACID IN TREATMENT OF MELASMA

Background:Melasma is a common hyperpigmentation disorder characterised by symmetrical, marginated, light to dark brown patches that occur mostly in sun exposed areas of skin, mostly on the face, occasionally affecting the neck and forearms. The exact cause of melasma is unknown, however many factors have been implicated in its etiopathogenesis, mainly sunlight, genetic predisposition, pregnancy and certain drugs. Among the factors mentioned above, excessive sun exposure is the most common cause. Objectives: To compare the therapeutic efficacy of topical tranexemic acid (TXA) with Microneedling versus topical modified kligmanÂ's regimen in the treatment of melasma. Methodology: Patients diagnosed with Melasma of the face attending the Outpatient department Department of Dermatology, explained about the study procedure and benefits of the study before enrolment. Patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients who are willing to participate in the study in a prescribed format and well explained in the regional language before starting the study. Detailed medical history, clinical examination and essential lab investigations were performed on the participants. This study was conducted on 60 patients with melasma, randomly divided into two groups. In group A, each patient was subjected to a series of 3 sessions of skin microneedling and TXA application, whereas in group B , modified kligmanÂ's regimen applied daily in the night . Results: At the end of 12 weeks melasma area severity index(MASI ) score was significantly decreased in both groups with statistically significant higher reduction of score in study group compared with control group . No significant adverse effect were observed in both treated sides. Conclusion: The result of the study show that topical tranexemic acid along with Microneedling could be safe and effective in melasma treatment.