Background and Objective: Little is known about the anti-pigmentation effects of
whitening agents on solar
lentigines.
Epidermal growth factor (
EGF) has been used as a booster for wound healing in the skin, and it has been suggested to have anti-pigmentation effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effect and safety of
EGF-containing
ointment for treating solar
lentigines with a Q-switched (QS) 532 nm
neodymium-doped
yttrium aluminum garnet (
Nd:YAG) laser (Bluecore company, Seoul, Republic of Korea). Materials and Methods: Subjects who underwent QS 532 nm
Nd:YAG laser treatment of solar
lentigines were randomly assigned to treatment with an
EGF ointment or
petrolatum. After the
laser procedure, the subjects were administered the test
ointment twice a day for 4 weeks. The physician's assessment of the degree of pigment clearance and patient's satisfaction were assessed after 4 and 8 weeks. Additionally, the
melanin index (MI),
erythema index (EI), transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and post-inflammatory
hyperpigmentation (PIH) were evaluated. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04704245). Results: The blinded physician's assessment using 5-grade percentage improvement scale and patient's satisfaction were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group at the 4th and 8th weeks. The MI was significantly higher in the control group than in the study group at the 4th and 8th weeks. The EI and TEWL did not differ significantly between the two groups at either time point. The incidence of PIH was higher in the control group (37.5%) than in the
EGF group (7.14%) at the 8th week. Conclusions: The application of
EGF-containing
ointment on facial solar
lentigines with a QS 532 nm
Nd:YAG laser showed efficient and safe
therapeutic effects, with less PIH. Thus,
EGF-containing
ointment could be suggested as the promising adjuvant treatment strategy with a QS
laser for solar
lentigines.