A prospective, split-face, randomized study of the efficacy and safety of a novel fractionated intense pulsed light treatment for melasma in Asians.

BACKGROUND

Intense pulsed light (IPL) has been reported to effectively treat melasma in previous studies, but an aggravation of pigmentation was noted. Fractionated IPL is a novel technique in which microsecond-domain fractionated pulses are delivered to the target area.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the safety and efficacy of low-fluency, frequently scheduled fractionated IPL and conventional IPL for melasma treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a 14-week, split-face study in which 30 Asian women were treated with weekly fractionated IPL on one side of the face and biweekly conventional IPL on the other side.

RESULTS

The non-inferiority of a weekly fractionated IPL regimen to a biweekly conventional IPL regimen was verified by a lower margin of the 95% confidence interval for the difference in the Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) change from baseline of 2.61 for each side. This value was greater than the previously determined non-inferiority margin of -2.68 (P < 0.025). On the fractionated IPL side, the modified MASI score decreased continuously, but in the conventional IPL group, the MASI score rebounded during the treatment course.

CONCLUSION

Fractionated IPL shows moderate efficacy as a melasma treatment and is therefore a good alternative to conventional IPL as there is no indication of melasma exacerbation. Fractionated IPL can also be used as a maintenance treatment for melasma.