Treatment of Postburn Facial Hyperpigmentation with Vitamin C Iontophoresis

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Many facial burn patients suffer from hyperpigmentation and its treatment has been challenging. Vitamin C(ascorbic acid) has important physiologic effects on skin, including inhibition of melanogenesis, promotion of collagen biosynthesis, prevention of free radical formation, and acceleration on wound healing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Vitamin C iontophoresis for the treatment of postburn hyperpigmentation. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 93 patients who were admitted for the treatment of facial burn from February 2008 through February 2010. Among them, 51 patients were treated with Vitamin C iontophoresis to control postburn hyperpigmentation and 42 patients were not. Experimental group was chosen 20 of 51 patients who had been treated with Vitamin C iontophoresis and had normal facial skin on the comparable contralateral aesthetic unit. Control group was chosen 20 of 42 patients who were not treated with Vitamin C iontophoresis and had also contralateral normal aesthetic unit. The resulting color of 20 patients who were treated with Vitamin C iontophoresis was compared with the color of the contralateral normal facial skin using a digital scale color analysis. Results were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: The analysis revealed significant improvement of hyperpigmentation in the experimental group compared to control group. The difference of intial value and the value in 6 months showed significant change. Mean(Delta(initial)-Delta(6month)) of experimental group was 11.61 and control group was 7.23. Thus, the difference between the experimental group and the control group was 4.38. Therefore, Vitamin C iontophoresis revealed significant improvement of hyperpigmentation in the experimental group compared with control group. CONCLUSION: Vitamin C iontophoresis is an effective treatment modality for postburn hyperpigmentation.