Combined Fractional Treatment of Acne Scars Involving Non-ablative 1,550-nm Erbium-glass Laser and Micro-needling Radiofrequency: A 16-week Prospective, Randomized Split-face Study

Abstract

An optimized therapeutic regimen involving a non-ablative fractionated laser or radiofrequency therapy for acne scars has not yet been established. To evaluate whether the combination of a non-ablative fractional laser (NAF) and fractional micro-needling radiofrequency (FMR) has clinical advantages for the treatment of atrophic acne scars compared with NAF alone, a 16-week prospective, randomized split-face study was performed. Each facial side of a patient was treated with 3 sessions of either NAF with FMR or NAF alone, with a 4-week interval between each session. Although both sides demonstrated significant decreases in the échelle d'évaluation clinique des cicatrices d'acné (ECCA) score, the facial side treated using the combination regimen demonstrated greater improvement in ECCA score regarding degree and onset time than the NAF-treated side. Histopathological and immunohistochemical results confirmed the clinical findings. This study demonstrated that a combination regimen involving NAF and FMR could be a viable option with satisfactory efficacy.

Microneedling for the Treatment of Scars: An Update for Clinicians

“…Combination treatment with laser, PRP, subcision, glycolic acid peel, Jessner's peel, trichloroacetic acid peel and topical amniotic fluid stem cells resulted in greater scar improvement than MN or FRF-MN alone. 8,17,24,26,31,32,34,37,40,51,53,55 Fifty to 100% of patients were satisfied with MN or FRF-MN treatment; 33% of patients reported they would want further treatment, 9 while 94% would recommend treatment to others. 28 Combining treatment with 1550 nm laser or PRP resulted in higher patient satisfaction.…”

“…28 Combining treatment with 1550 nm laser or PRP resulted in higher patient satisfaction. 8,34 In addition, patients preferred MN to intralesional triamcinolone (ILTAC) or 1450 nm diode laser. 30,56 Adverse events (AEs) due to MN or FRF-MN were mostly of minimal severity; no serious AEs were reported.…”

Comparison of a 1064‐nm neodymium‐doped yttrium aluminum garnet picosecond laser using a diffractive optical element vs. a nonablative 1550‐nm erbium‐glass laser for the treatment of facial acne scarring in Asian patients: a 17‐week prospective, randomized, split‐face, controlled trial

“…2,3 However, patients tend to experience a risk of side-effects including changes in pigmentation, scarring and prolonged social downtime. 4 Although non-ablative fractional lasers (NAFLs) have been proven to deliver effective improvements with lower complication rates, they may still cause pain and postprocedural complications due to unavoidable epidermal damage, especially in dark-skinned patients. 2,5,6 Picosecond lasers represent a novel group of laser devices characterized by ultrashort, picosecond pulse duration.…”

The early and late efficacy of single‐pass fractional carbondioxide laser, fractional radiofrequency, and their combination in acne scars: A prospective, split‐face, single‐blinded, controlled clinical study

“…Our study had 99.9% power with 95% confidence level and 98.4% power with 95% confidence level for FCO 2 and FRF halves ECCA score results, respectively. 6…”