Efficacy of D-pigment dermocosmetic lightening product for solar lentigo lesions of the hand: A randomized controlled trial

PLoS One. 2019 May 1;14(5):e0214714. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214714. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Solar lentigo, benign lesions which mostly appear on chronically, sun-exposed surfaces, are associated with ageing. Patients are increasingly requesting a more uniform skin texture, especially for hands. Treatment options include dermoabrasion, intense pulsed light, cryotherapy, peelings, and laser therapy. Topical compounds can be employed, in alternative or associated with dermatologic procedures. The current study was designed to evaluate solar lentigo hyperpigmentation, skin architecture and clinician and patient assessments comparing a dermocosmetic lightening product (active) with a moisturizing product (control) according to clinical, digital and subjective analyses in 72 lesions over 12-month follow up period. Statistically significant differences were observed between the lesions treated with the active compared to the control in terms of papillary brightness (p = 0.03) and contrast (p = 0.03), and in the limitation of dermal-epidermal junction destructuring (p = 0.03) according to dermal-epidermal junction destructuring score at Reflectance Confocal Microscopy. Luminance (p = 0.04) and redness (p = 0.03) were improved at color analysis, and physician and patient evaluations favored the active in efficacy and patient satisfaction investigations. The dermocosmetic lightening product utilized in the current study proved to be more effective, according to clinical, digital and subjective analyses in reducing lesion hyperpigmentation, stabilizing the lesion skin architecture and increasing patient satisfaction compared to the control in a cohort of 36 subjects, over a 12-month period. Beside demonstrating the efficacy of this topical lightening product, we propose a "destructuring score", which improves the robustness of solar lentigo's evaluation, and can be used in future studies to standardize the quantitative comparisons of different treatment options.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Topical
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Hand / diagnostic imaging
  • Hand / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Lentigo / diagnostic imaging
  • Lentigo / drug therapy*
  • Lentigo / pathology
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Skin Lightening Preparations / administration & dosage*
  • Skin Lightening Preparations / therapeutic use
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Skin Lightening Preparations

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.7938467

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Pierre Fabre Dermocosmetics. This funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.