Tranexamic acid is a prescription drug to treat melasma

Tranexamic Acid is very often prescribed to treat heavy periods and is deemed safe by the FDA. It is not yet FDA-approved for the treatment of melasma. Despite that, doctors prescribe it very often to treat melasma.

We do not fully understand how tranexamic acid works for melasma. But it may work by inhibiting an enzyme called tyrosinase that produces the brown pigment melanin in your skin. This pigment causes the brownish colour of melasma. Approximately 89% of women who take tranexamic acid report that their melasma fades.

Tranexamic acid is a prescription drug that is commonly used to treat heavy periods. But it also inhibits an enzyme that is responsible for producing the brownish pigment melanin. Dark spots and freckles are caused by skin cells that produce too much melanin. If these cells produce less melanin, dark spots, freckles and melasma will fade.

Women and men with melasma are suitable for this treatment. It is important that you have an appointment with one of our doctors before we prescribe any tranexamic acid. This is to make sure that the brownish colour changes in your face are due to melasma and not a different type of pigmentation. During this appointment, we also make sure that it is medically safe for you to take tranexamic acid.

Because tranexamic acid has got few side effects, we can prescribe it to you even if you have not tried any other treatments before.

If you are taking an oral contraceptive, we usually recommend you stop taking it. This is mainly because oral contraceptives are known to trigger melasma or worsen existing melasma. On top of that, a combination of tranexamic acid with an oral contraceptive can increase your risk to get a clot in your legs or lungs.

If you have someone in your family who had a clot in his or her legs or lungs, you are very likely not a good candidate for treatment with tranexamic acid. This is because some people get clots more easily than others if they have a family member who had this problem. If you then take tranexamic acid, it could increase your risk more to get a leg clot (Deep Venous Thrombus) or clot in the lungs (Pulmonary Embolism).

You also can not take tranexamic acid if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have just given birth.

We usually recommend you take tranexamic acid for 4 months. A study showed that 89% of patients noticed an improvement in their melasma.

Once you stop taking tranexamic acid, the risk for it to recur is approximately 30% after 7 months. It is extremely important that you always use SPF50+ sunscreen, even during the winter months and when you only spend a short amount of time in the sun. The doctor may decide to treat you with tranexamic acid intermittently to maintain your result.

We also recommend you use a mild anti-pigmentation cream daily.

The recommended dose to treat melasma is lower compared to that for the treatment of heavy periods. We will prescribe 250 mg twice daily.

Your Content Goes Here