Forty four Chinese women, 25 to 45 years old with chloasma were invited to attend a baseline assessment during
which a medical history was taken and a physical examination was carried out by a dermatologist. Patients were
excluded from the study if they were pregnant or breastfeeding, if they were receiving hormone or corticosteroid
therapy or if they had a history of endocrine disorders or allergies. The use of depigmenting or whitening products
(oral or topical) within the previous 6 weeks was also a ground for exclusion.
Chloasma was characterized according to pattern (centrofacial, mandibular or malar), type (epidermal, dermal
or mixed) determined using Wood’s light, and overall severity, as assessed by the Melasma Area and Severity
Index (MASI)