An Herbal H2 Blocker in Melasma Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Melasma is a skin pigmentation disorder that remains resistant to available therapies. The exact cause of melasma is unknown. Histamine is an inflammatory factor. Its involvement in pigmentation is obscure. The aim of this study is to introduce an herbal antihistamine H2 receptor which is effective in these disorders.

METHODS: This is a review study by searching the electronic databases and also Persian Medicine books, from 2000 to 2018 by the keywords such as H2 antagonist, H2 blocker and melasma.

RESULTS: According to the researched studies, histamine can induce melanogenesis and melasma after a series of stages in the body. Also, Histamine, through receptors 2, triggers melasma. Therefore, it can be said that antihistamine H2 receptor can be effective in melasma. Considering chemical antihistamine, H2 receptors have side effects, such as digestive problems, H2 antagonists can be used in the treatment of diseases such as dyspepsia but they have multiple complications. On the other hand, there is an herbal H2 antagonist that can be useful for melasma due to having some special properties.

CONCLUSION: Herbal H2 blockers should be noted in melasma treatment along with the topical drugs.