The treatment of melasma by silymarin cream
Altaei T
Published in BMC Dermatology
Methodology
Double-blind placebo-controlled trial (ACTRN12612000602820) in 96 adults with melasma applying silymarin or placebo cream twice daily for 4 weeks, assessed by lesion size, MASI score, physician global assessment and subjective assessment, plus a parallel UV-exposure experiment in 24 rabbits.
Key Findings
96 adults with melasma were randomised into three equal groups applying silymarin cream or placebo twice daily for 4 weeks, alongside an animal experiment in 24 albino rabbits exposed to UV light. Clinical and histopathological measures improved significantly in the silymarin groups, with reported pigment improvement and lesion size reduction from the first week and effects described as dose-dependent. All patients reported full satisfaction and no side effects were observed.
Conclusions
Silymarin showed dose-dependent improvement of melasma and is a candidate treatment, though the trial is small and methodologically thin.
Limitations
The abstract reports uniformly positive results with 100% satisfaction and no numerical between-group effect sizes, from a single-author single-centre study over only 4 weeks, which warrants caution; part of the evidence is animal work.
Supplements Studied
Silymarin showed tremendous improvement of melasma in a dose-dependent manner, and was effective in prevention of skin damage caused by U.V. sunlight.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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