ArticleBMC dermatology2017
Assessment of the effects of skin microneedling as adjuvant therapy for facial melasma: a pilot study.
Article in BMC dermatology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 81 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of Microneedle as an Assisted Therapy for Melasma: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2025Pooled it
- Microneedling-assisted delivery of metformin versus tranexamic acid in treating melasma: a randomized controlled study.European journal of medical research · 2025Trial
- Efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy in Melasma Using Microinjections and Microneedling Techniques.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Trial
- The use of retinoic acid in association with microneedling in the treatment of epidermal melasma: efficacy and oxidative stress parameters.Archives of dermatological research · 2021Trial
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Treatments on Melasma Area Severity Index and Quality of Life.Pharmaceutics · 2025Review
- Review of Applications of Microneedling in Melasma.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Review
- Energy-Based Methods and Nanocarrier-Based Approaches for Melasma Treatment.Advanced pharmaceutical bulletin · 2024Review
- An Update on New and Existing Treatments for the Management of Melasma.American journal of clinical dermatology · 2024Review
- Microneedling in the Treatment of Post-burn Hypertrophic Scars.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2024Article
- Quantitative Assessment of Hyperpigmentation Changes in Human Skin after Microneedle Mesotherapy Using the Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) Method.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Utilization of ex vivo tissue model to study skin regeneration following microneedle stimuli.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Comprehensive molecular characterization of microneedling therapy in a human three-dimensional skin model.PloS one · 2018Article
- A Pilot Study to Compare Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of Combined Treatment of Skin Microneedling and Depigmenting Cream versus Depigmenting Cream Alone in Facial Melasma at Tertiary Care Center.Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgeryArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMelasma is a common chronic and relapsing acquired dyschromia. Skin microneedling was reported resulting sustained long-term improvement of recalcitrant melasma, however, the exact mechanism that promotes this skin lightening is not known. This study aimed to investigate clinical and histologic alterations promoted by skin microneedling in facial melasma.
methodsOpen pilot trial including six women with facial refractory melasma submitted to two sessions of microneedling (1.5 mm) each 30 days followed by daily triple combination and broad-spectrum sunscreen. Comparison of pretreatment (T0) and 15 days after last microneedling procedure (T45) was made by standardized pictures, skin colorimetry, MASI, MELASQoL and histological parameters (haematoxylin-eosin, picrosirius-red, periodic acid Schiff and Fontana-Masson staining).
resultsThe age of the subjects varied from 34 to 46 years-old, the phototypes were III and IV (Fitzpatrick), and age of melasma onset was 20 to 38 years. Improvement of melasma was perceived in all subjects. There was a significant reduction of MASI score (-70%), MELASQoL (-55%) and increase in L* (+13%) colorimetric value (p < 0.03). All cases evidenced epithelium thickening, decrease in melanin pigmentation and densification of upper dermis collagen (p = 0.03). Patients were followed by 6 months under broad-spectrum sunscreen and triple combination without relapse.
conclusionIn addition to classic treatment (broad-spectrum sunscreen and triple combination), skin microneedling promoted clinical and histological improvement of refractory facial melasma.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.