Niacinamide vs Hydroquinone for Melasma Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Josefina Navarrete-Solís, Juan Pablo Castanedo-Cázares, Bertha Torres-Álvarez, Cuauhtemoc Oros-Ovalle, Cornelia Fuentes-Ahumada, Francisco Javier González, Juan David Martínez-Ramírez, Benjamin Moncada
Primary Institution: Hospital Central, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Hypothesis
Is topical niacinamide more effective than hydroquinone in treating melasma?
Conclusion
Niacinamide is a safe and effective treatment for melasma, showing significant improvement in pigmentation and inflammatory infiltrate.
Supporting Evidence
- 44% of patients showed good to excellent improvement with niacinamide.
- 55% of patients showed improvement with hydroquinone.
- Side effects were present in 18% with niacinamide compared to 29% with hydroquinone.
- Niacinamide reduced mast cell infiltrate significantly.
- Both treatments showed significant improvement in MASI scores.
Takeaway
This study tested two creams for skin darkening called melasma. One cream, niacinamide, worked well and had fewer side effects than the other cream, hydroquinone.
Methodology
A double-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing 4% niacinamide cream and 4% hydroquinone cream over eight weeks in 27 melasma patients.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in subjective assessments and the small sample size.
Limitations
The study duration was short, and further trials are needed to assess long-term effects.
Participant Demographics
27 female patients aged 25 to 53 years, with a mean age of 37 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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