Umbilical cord as a source of mesenchymal stem cells improves melasma in parturients: a clinical randomized trial

Introduction: Melasma is a common skin problem in pregnant women that appears to be related to physiological changes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used to treat skin disorders because of their direct cell-to-cell contact or release of several biomolecules. The umbilical cord, which is available at birth, is a rich source of MSCs. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of the umbilical cord as a natural face mask for treating women's melasma after parturition. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was carried out on parturients suffering from melasma. Fifty pregnant women were randomly categorized into two groups of control and treated with the umbilical cord. A section of the umbilical cord (10-20 cm) was cut immediately after parturition and used as a face mask on the face of each mother in the hyperpigmentation areas for one hour. Melasma Area Severity Index (MASI) was used to measure hyperpigmentation and calculated for each participant before and four weeks after intervention. Results: A significant decrease in MASI was observed in the women treated with the umbilical cord (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings suggested that a fresh umbilical cord, as a natural face mask containing MSCs, can improve the melasma in the parturients.