Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9554
ISSN: 2155-9554
Saher Tariq
Cardiff University, UK
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Exp Dermatol Res
Facial hyperpigmentation is a major cause of embarrassment for the patient and adversely impacts the quality of life. It is more of a concern for dark skinned individuals due to the difference in structure and function of the skin among different skin types. There are many causes of facial hyperpigmentation; their pathogenesis differs depending on the factors influencing melanogenesis. Many depigmenting agents have been used for the treatment of facial hyperpigmentation but none of them has proven to be effective and safe for long term treatment. Hydroquinone has been used as gold standard treatment for facial hyperpigmentation for decades. Due to a concern regarding its long term safety, there is interest in developing new milder yet effective natural depigmenting agents. The aim of this poster is to provide an overview of the common acquired causes of facial hyperpigmentation and topical treatment options available. A comprehensive search was done on different scientific search engines, using facial hyperpigmentation as search keywords. The plethora of existing treatment can be broadly divided into topical treatment and non-topical treatment. The emphasis in this study is on topical treatment. Common topical depigmenting agents have been used for decades and are well studied; however their long term safety is a concern. On the other hand alternative topical depigmenting agents are thought to be safe. However, lack of comparative studies with standard treatment (hydroquinone) and many gaps in literature has been identified. A multimodal diagnostic and treatment algorithm is proposed to guide clinicians on management of facial hyperpigmentation.
Saher Tariq has completed her MSc in Dermatology from Cardiff University. Her dissertation was on facial hyperpigmentation for which she reviewed 170 primary and secondary research papers and suggested diagnostic and topical treatment algorithm.
Email: drsahertariq@yahoo.com