Forty percent GA peels significantly improved moderate acne in this study. It is effective and safe in Asians.

Few clinical studies have examined the utility of bipolar fractional radiofrequency (FRF) therapy as a treatment for atrophic acne scars and active acne in people with darker skin. This study was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of bipolar FRF therapy as a treatment for atrophic acne scars and acne vulgaris. Twenty-three Japanese patients with atrophic acne scars and mild to severe acne on both cheeks were treated with a bipolar FRF system (eMatrix; Syneron, Yokneam Illit, Israel). Five treatment sessions were carried out at 1-month intervals, and the patients were followed up for 3 months after the final treatment. Assessments of scar severity and the number of acne lesions and 3-D in vivo imaging analysis were performed. Evaluations of the treatment outcomes and their effects on the patients' quality of life (QOL) were also carried out. We demonstrated that the improvement in scar volume was marked in the patients with mild scars and was at least moderate in 23 (57.5%) of the treated areas. With regard to the number of acne lesions, the treated areas exhibited significantly fewer lesions compared with the baseline at each time point (P < 0.05). The patients' assessments of the treatment outcomes and their QOL indicated that both had improved significantly by the end of the study. Furthermore, significant reductions in the patients' sebum levels, skin roughness and scar depth were observed. Bipolar FRF treatment significantly improved the atrophic acne scars and acne of Japanese patients and had minimal side-effects.

Various fractional radiofrequency (FRF) treatments have demonstrated significant beneficial effects and minor side-effects on atrophic acne scars and acne vulgaris by creating micro-thermal injuries in the skins. However, histological studies to identify the precise mechanism responsible for the success of bipolar FRF treatments are lacking. In this study, six human subjects with these diseases were histologically analyzed after treatment with a bipolar FRF system (eMatrix; Syneron, Yokneam, Israel) and the effects of multiple passes were compared. Histopathological results showed that two-pass FRF treatment created deeper dermal thermal injury zones compared to one-pass treatment. Periadnexal collagen was coagulated, as well as that in the sebaceous glands, as evaluated in all cases with two-pass FRF treatment. No severe side-effects were observed after treatment. Our experience suggests that the level of dermal thermal injury is directly related to the number of passes, and that a large benefit of this treatment for these diseases is the preservation of adnexal structures.

It is well known that the trigger for actinic keratosis (AK) mainly depends on UV exposure. We evaluated the effects of long-term use of sunscreen on the histopathological and dermoscopic changes of AK in aged patients. Eighteen months use of sunscreen produced no change in the number of actinic keratoses or the advancement of histological grade. Although a significant decrease was not observed in the number of positive cells of p53, Ki-67 and COX-2 of the subjects who used sunscreen for 18 months, the downward tendencies of these proteins were observed. The continued use of sunscreen decreased the number of CD31-positive vessels significantly using the Chalkley method, and a significant improvement in scaling and vessel dots was found by dermoscopic study. Moreover, a relationship was found in the amount of sunscreen use and the number of actinic keratoses. Considering these results, it was thought that application of sunscreen reduces the risk of advancement of AK to higher grade AK and squamous cell carcinoma. K E Y W O R D Sactinic keratosis, aged subjects, Japanese, prevention, sunscreen

We investigated the usefulness of adapalene gel as maintenance therapy following chemical peeling with glycolic acid in patients with acne vulgaris. The study period was 14 weeks. The subjects were 23 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris (1 male, 22 females). After chemical peeling (CP) of the face was performed 3 times at 2-week intervals, adapalene was applied for 6 weeks using a randomized, double-blind half-side method. On the day of observation, dermatologists examined dermal findings, and measurement was conducted using instruments to analyze the physiological skin function. After the third session of CP was completed, both the inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts significantly decreased. Subsequently, on the adapalene-treated side there were no change in the inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts after the CP 3 times, but on placebo-treated side, there significant increase in the inflammatory and non inflammatory lesion counts. Concerning the results of measurement with instruments, the sebum capacity significantly decreased after the third session of CP. Subsequently, there were no changes after the 6-week application of adapalene or a placebo. These results suggest that post-CP adapalene application is an effective acne treatment method to improve efficacy and treatment adherence.