Synergistic Combination of an In-office Procedure and Home Regimen for the Treatment of Facial Hyperpigmentation.

Hyperpigmentation disorders, such as melasma and solar lentigines, pose a significant treatment challenge for most patients. Combining a series of in-office procedures, such as chemical peels and light- and laser-based treatments, with maintenance therapies have been shown to provide greater efficacy than one treatment alone. However, receiving multiple in-office procedures may be cost prohibitive for patients. A series of eight case studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a novel treatment regimen combining one in-office superficial chemical peel procedure followed by a 12-week topical maintenance program consisting of micro-entrapped 4% hydroquinone, tri-retinol, and sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) 30+. Patients presented with Fitzpatrick skin types II and III and mild-to-moderate solar lentigines and/or melasma on their facial skin. Physician-graded overall improvement in hyperpigmentation, standardized photography, and patient satisfaction were evaluated at Weeks 4, 8, and 12. At Week 12, all eight patients demonstrated improvements of at least 25 percent in overall facial hyperpigmentation, with six of the patients demonstrating a 50- or 75-percent overall improvement. One hundred percent of the patients rated their experience with the novel treatment regimen as "excellent" or "good" reflecting high patient satisfaction. Standardized photographs also support the physician and patient findings. Results from these case studies demonstrate that this unique treatment regimen combining one in-office procedure followed by 12 weeks of topical maintenance therapy, may provide an effective, simple, and cost-effective option for patients with facial hyperpigmentation.