A comparative study of kojic acid cream and hydroquinone in treatment of melasma

Melasma is an acquired hyper pigmentation on the face which generally happens in women between the ages of 30 to 35. If there is no timely treatment, it can cause a lot of cosmetic problems. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of kojic acid cream and hydroquinone 2% in treatment of melasma. This clinical trial was done on 100 women who had epidermis melasma and were referred to the dermatology department of the 22 Bahman Hospital in mashhad, Iran. Each patient had at least two melasma scars with similar severity and size on both sides of the face. For each of the patient, kojic acid cream on one side of the face and hydroquinone 2% cream on the other side of the face was prescribed. The researchers assessed the rate of improvement during a three month period. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon test. One month after the start of treatment there was a positive response of both applications, 7% from Koji acid treatment and 10% from hydroquinone treatment. Two months after the treatment there was a positive response of 24% from kojic acid and 22% from hydroquinone. In both treatments, there was no statistical significance but there was a statistical significance after 3 months of treatment which was 58% in kojic acid and 30% in hydroquinone, group. Based on the length of the treatment during the trial, kojic acid was found to be more suitable in the treatment of melasma. Therefore, it should be considered in the protocol of treatment for this pigmentation disorder.