Yellow light phototherapy and topical vitamin C improve melasma clearance

A randomized, double-blind trial of 71 patients in the September 2026 issue of the *Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology* shows that combining twice-weekly yellow light phototherapy with topical 20% vitamin C clears melasma significantly better than yellow light alone. For your clinic, this offers a safe, non-invasive combination protocol that improves patient satisfaction without risking the rebound hyperpigmentation sometimes triggered by aggressive lasers.

Over the 12-week study, the 35 patients in the combination group saw their modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI) scores decrease by 1.95, compared to a modest 0.69 reduction in the 36-patient monotherapy group. Melanin index readings fell by 13.07 in the combination group, while the monotherapy group only saw a 3.16 decrease. Crucially, the authors reported zero adverse events and fully preserved skin barrier function in both arms of the trial.

While the absolute mMASI clearance remains modest, patient satisfaction was nearly triple in the combination group (60.00%) compared to the yellow light control (22.55%). You can easily package this low-risk regimen into your practice by pairing existing yellow light devices with a high-potency topical vitamin C.

Source: Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.71146