A split face comparative study of safety and efficacy of microneedling with tranexamic acid versus microneedling with Vitamin C in the treatment of melasma

Introduction: Melasma is a common pigmentary disorder affecting the face. Although a few risk factors have been identified, the exact pathogenesis remains elusive. Many treatment modalities have been tried, but none have been completely successful. Aim: To compare safety and efficacy of microneedling with Tranexamic acid versus microneedling with Vitamin C in the treatment of melasma. Materials and Methods: It was a split face, comparative study conducted on 30 female melasma patients. After obtaining informed consent, microneedling with Tranexamic acid was done on left side and microneedling with Vitamin C was done on right side of face. The improvement was evaluated on the basis of clinical photographs, MASI, Physician Global Assessment (PGA) and Patient Global Assessment (PtGA) at each visit (0, 4 and 8 weeks). Z test was used to test the significant difference in the means of the 2 groups at 4 weeks and at 8 weeks. Results: At the end of 8 weeks, MASI, PGA and PtGA showed improvement with both tranexamic acid and vitamin C. However the improvement was more with tranexamic acid than with vitamin C, although not statistically significant. Conclusion: Both TXA and Vitamin C are effective and safe treatments for melasma. But, TXA was found to be more effective.