Safety and efficacy of mesotherapy in the treatment of melasma: A review article.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Mesotherapy is a popular novel therapeutic modality that is defined as intradermal or subcutaneous microinjection of pharmaceutical compounds. Although this novel treatment method is used commonly in aesthetic dermatology, there is little information about details of injections, efficacy, and side effects of mesotherapy in melasma.

AIM:

In this review, we evaluated efficacy and safety of various types of mesotherapy in the treatment of melasma.

METHOD:

We searched Google Scholar, Medline, and PubMed for related articles with keywords "melasma" OR "chloasma" AND "mesotherapy" OR "injection." Inclusion criteria were articles that evaluated intradermal injection of lightening drugs and published dates between January 2000 and September 2021. Exclusion criteria were articles in languages other than English or non-human studies.

RESULTS:

Thirty-three articles evaluated efficacy of mesotherapy in melasma, including 28 articles about tranexamic acid, 4 articles about vitamin C, 2 articles about glutathione, and 2 articles about triamcinolone.

CONCLUSION:

Mesotherapy is a good alternative or adjunctive choice in patients who are refractory to first-line therapy, patients with low compliance with everyday use of topical therapy, patients with contraindication to oral tranexamic acid therapy, or who wish short downtime and fast recovery period. Further studies with large sample sizes are required to determine ideal concentrations of mesotherapy substances and intervals between sessions and to evaluate the efficacy of different substances for mesotherapy as monotherapy compared to combination therapy and other treatment modalities for melasma.

• Authors: Maryam Khalili, Rezvan Amiri, Behzad Iranmanesh, Hamed Zartab, Mahin Aflatoonian
• Journal: Journal of cosmetic dermatology (J Cosmet Dermatol) Vol. 21 Issue 1 Pg. 118-129 (Jan 2022) ISSN: 1473-2165 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 34846788 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Chemical References

• Tranexamic Acid
• Ascorbic Acid

Topics

• Ascorbic Acid (therapeutic use)
• Chemexfoliation
• Humans
• Melanosis (drug therapy)
• Mesotherapy
• Tranexamic Acid (therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome