TY - JOUR
T1 - Oral Tranexamic Acid for the Treatment of Melasma
T2 - A Review
AU - Bala, Harini R.
AU - Lee, Senhong
AU - Wong, Celestine
AU - Pandya, Amit G.
AU - Rodrigues, Michelle
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/6/1
Y1 - 2018/6/1
N2 - BACKGROUND Melasma is a common acquired disorder of hyperpigmentation that commonly affects those with skin of color. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a novel treatment for melasma that has a multimodal mechanism of action. OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the evidence on the mode of action, safety profile, and efficacy of TXA in the treatment of melasma. MATERIALS AND METHODS The literature was searched for publications on TXA in the treatment of melasma using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar. RESULTS Oral TXA has clearly demonstrated the efficacy for melasma in Asian skin, even in low doses (e.g., 500 mg daily) over short periods (8-12 weeks). It is also a safe therapeutic option, which is easy to administer with few and mild side effects. Studies have shown that TXA does not increase the thromboembolic risk, although patients should be screened carefully for contraindications and risk factors prior to commencement of the therapy. CONCLUSION Oral TXA is a safe and efficacious treatment for refractory melasma. It should be considered in cases that are unresponsive to topical hydroquinone and combination topical therapy over a period of approximately 12 weeks and without contraindications to oral TXA.
AB - BACKGROUND Melasma is a common acquired disorder of hyperpigmentation that commonly affects those with skin of color. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a novel treatment for melasma that has a multimodal mechanism of action. OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the evidence on the mode of action, safety profile, and efficacy of TXA in the treatment of melasma. MATERIALS AND METHODS The literature was searched for publications on TXA in the treatment of melasma using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar. RESULTS Oral TXA has clearly demonstrated the efficacy for melasma in Asian skin, even in low doses (e.g., 500 mg daily) over short periods (8-12 weeks). It is also a safe therapeutic option, which is easy to administer with few and mild side effects. Studies have shown that TXA does not increase the thromboembolic risk, although patients should be screened carefully for contraindications and risk factors prior to commencement of the therapy. CONCLUSION Oral TXA is a safe and efficacious treatment for refractory melasma. It should be considered in cases that are unresponsive to topical hydroquinone and combination topical therapy over a period of approximately 12 weeks and without contraindications to oral TXA.
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U2 - 10.1097/DSS.0000000000001518
DO - 10.1097/DSS.0000000000001518
M3 - Review article
C2 - 29677015
AN - SCOPUS:85050972260
SN - 1076-0512
VL - 44
SP - 814
EP - 825
JO - Dermatologic Surgery
JF - Dermatologic Surgery
IS - 6
ER -