Comparative Clinical Evaluation of Unani Formulations in the Treatment of Melasma

Melasma is a cosmetic problem that sometimes cause great emotional suffering. One survey showed that melasma was associated with a significant impact on health related quality of life. It is defined as a disorder of pigment metabolism characterized by sharply demarcated, blotchy, brown maculae, usually symmetrical on the cheeks, forehead, sometimes on the upper lip and neck. In Unani Medicine, it is mentioned that Kalf is due to black bile homour and charred blood parts, which oozes out of capillaries and get accumulated under the skin. The present study was a Randomized, parallel group, comparative clinical trial. The present research was done to evaluate and to compare the clinical efficacy of a topical application made up of powdered cuttlefish bone and lemon juice along with oral Cascuta reflexa capsule which was compared with another group that is oral placebo with same topical application. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by MASI, skin color shades chart, Patient’s Global Assessment,  Patient’s Satisfaction Index and DLQI. Assessment of safety was done by clinical assessment, patients’ complains about any adverse effects i.e. itching, inflammation, rashes, eruptions etc., DLQI and laboratory parameters such as LFT, KFT, CBC and Hb%. At the end of the treatment all the efficacy parameters showed significant improvement when compared with baseline in both the groups; however the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. Thus, topical application had promising effects in melasma. Key words- Kalf, Unani formulation, hyper pigmentation, MASI, cuttlefish bone