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.