To evaluate the clinical effect of Chinese herbs combined with acupuncture (CH-A) in treating chloasma. Sixty-one patients with chloasma were randomly assigned to two groups: 30 in the control group and 31 in the treated group. Both groups received conventional treatment with oral intake of vitamin C and E

and external application of Quban Powder (795B65916563). Besides

the treated group also received CH-A

with the therapeutic course for both groups as 3 months. The total effective rate in the treated group and the control group was 100.00% and 46.67% respectively

and the cure-effective rate was 74.19% and 13.33% respectively

all showing significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). The scores of size and color of skin lesion and that of symptoms decreased in both groups

but the decrease in the treated group was more obvious

showing significant difference compared with those before treatment and also compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). A follow-up study in 1 year to 2 years and 4 months showed that the long-term effect in the treated group showed an increasing trend compared with the effect immediately after treatment

but it showed a decreasing trend in the control group

though with no any statistical significance (both P>0.05). On the basis of conventional treatment

combined use of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in treating chloasma could markedly improve the accompanied symptoms

lighten the color and shrink the size of skin lesions.